Memorizing Scriptures

We interrupt this Bible study to discuss … well, Bible studying!

Several of you have been asking questions about how to study the Bible. So I want to take the time to address a few of these questions publicly in the next couple of posts.

Claire in Kenya recently wrote: “I’m having trouble where memorising verses is concerned. My pastor advised a bible with a concordance. A friend suggested a commentary. Kindly advice which of these I should start with and version u can use.”

Hers is really several questions in one but we’ll start with her first issue – memorizing verses. You do not need a concordance, or commentary, or special Bible memory cards or anything else of the sort to memorize verses. You simply need to exert some effort. Memorizing takes concentration and time, and nothing more.

Now if you want to use a concordance to look up a bunch of verses on a single subject so you can memorize lots of verses on that topic, then great. If you want to buy pre-made cards with Bible verses on them to sit on your counter in a cute little holder, that’s fine too. Go for it. But just don’t make the mistake of thinking that if you just possess this item, memorizing verses will be so much easier. It won’t. It always takes the effort of concentration and repetition over time – and no product can supply your concentration and time.

When I come across a verse I want to memorize, I look it up in my Bible or I write it down on something. Then I read it over and over out loud. I do this a few times each day for several days until I can recite all of it without looking at the verse. That’s it. That’s all you have to do.

The memorization will take place faster and easier if you practice reading/saying that verse frequently. For example, if you only read it once each morning you will eventually learn it, but it will take longer than if you read it several times in a row each morning. And if you also read it a couple of times again later in the day, it will go even faster. A little tip is research shows we memorize best if we review the material right before we go to sleep. So try reciting it before you get in bed at night. Maybe review it as you brush your teeth.

When I’m reading out loud to memorize a verse, I like to emphasize each subsequent word in the verse with each reading. Or sometimes instead of individual words, I’ll group some together as phrases - but its best to keep the phrases short if you do this. Let me give you an example using Psalm 139:14 from the New Living Translation. Read this out loud, slowly verbally emphasizing each bolded phrase as you do.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.

After going through it all several times, I simply end by praying the truth of that verse. Emphasizing different words each time you say it out loud will help to draw some of the meaning out of the verse while impressing it into your memory. Now you try it! Pick a verse from our reading of Mary (or elsewhere in this study) that was meaningful to you and give this a try.

Post if you want and tell us which verse you want to memorize, and you can come back later and announce your achievement!