“Memorizing scripture is so easy,” said no one ever (or at least not anyone I know!).
It takes a lot of discipline to memorize Scripture on a consistent basis. It’s something that I’m really trying to challenge myself with this year, but it’s so much easier said than done. I’ve joined up with several thousand women (and some of my own family and friends) to be a part of Beth Moore’s Siesta Scripture Memory Team this year, and it’s been a huge help to have some guidelines and accountability.
While it’s not always the easiest thing, it’s such a crucial spiritual discipline that helps me grow in my walk with the Lord.
“When Scripture is stored in the mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to take and bring to your attention when you need it most… Want your faith strengthened? What Christian doesn’t? One thing you can do to strengthen it is to discipline yourself to memorize Scripture.” Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
Here are a few key things that have been helpful for me in memorizing Scripture:
- Accountability – Have someone ask you how you’re doing and set deadlines for yourself. This year, I’m memorizing two verses each month, and one of my friends is checking in with me on the 1st and 15th of each month to see how it’s going.
- Repetition, repetition, repetition – For some of you, that means writing the verse out several times, and for others, it’s saying it out loud. It may even be helpful for you to draw a picture that reminds you of the verse.
- Meditate – Spend time reflecting on the meaning of the verse. Don’t just memorize it without looking at the context to see what’s really happening. Make sure you know the bigger picture, and it will usually give you a better understanding of the verse you’re memorizing.
- Make it visible – For me, I often put my verse on an index card above my steering wheel or on the mirror in my bathroom. Sometimes, I take a picture of my verse with my phone and use it as the background. Find what works for you!
- Choose a meaningful verse – Find a verse that applies to your life. Is there a verse you’ve read in your Bible study that really stands out to you? Use that one!
- Do the verse justice – Make it a point to know all of the words, and even the punctuation. It’s all there for a reason! It will also help you in the long run to know that you really know the verse.
Here’s the verse I’m working on this week:
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” – Psalm 27:14
What are some of your helpful hints to memorizing Scripture? Is there a verse you’re working on memorizing right now?
Mary Margaret is an Event Project Coordinator on the Church Education Ministry team at Lifeway. She works alongside Chris Adams and coordinates training events for women’s ministry leaders like YOU Lead and the Women’s Ministry Forum. Mary Margaret has served several churches in the area of Girls Ministry and she recently completed a Master of Arts in Christian Education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In her spare time, she writes for Story of My Life – her personal blog.