But what if it’s not that hard and doesn’t consume that much time?
I’ve been trying to convince you of the benefits of memorizing scripture. Today I want to offer some tips I’ve either found through experience or learned elsewhere.
1. Memorize the translation you usually read.
Most of the major versions are pretty similar in most passages, but those little word differences can trip you up. One of my biggest problems with memorizing scripture is I have a pretty good memory and I tend to read multiple translations. The end result is that I paraphrase well, with most things coming out half NIV, half ESV, and half KJV. It’s a mess. But my primary reading Bible is the NIV, so I’m memorizing NIV. Mostly ...
The one caveat is that you might want to memorize the 23rd Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer from the King James Version, since those are often recited at public events.
2. Repeat without reading.
Don’t just repeat the text while reading it. Look at your Bible/phone/notecard and read the sentence or phrase you’re trying to add. Then look away and repeat it to yourself. Repeating it while staring at the text does not add it to your memory the way using your short-term memory does.
Some suggest saying it aloud. I feel like a dork talking to myself, so I do it in my head. But whichever way you choose, you’re not really adding the scripture to your memory unless you’re relying on your memory.
3. Look for patterns, relationships, or hooks.
Look for anything notable in the text that helps you make connections or predict which way the text will go to jog your memory. When I was trying to memorize 1Cor 13:4-6, it helped me to keep things in order when I noticed the NIV84 was listing terms in a kind of alphabetical order (“it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking...”). Prov 6:16-19 came along easier when I (finally) noticed that it started at the top and was going roughly down the body (eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet) — and I actually started out pointing to body parts as I repeated it.
Psalms especially may be translated in a way to make them flow more poetically — a rhyme here, use of an alternate there. In Psalm 139, the “light [becomes] night” in a helpful rhyme. But then it pairs night and day and then darkness and light in the next verse. Look for these little helps.
4. Be patient with yourself.
It’s great to set a goal like learning a new sentence or line every day. Sometimes you’ll rock right along with no problem. Then you’ll hit a passage that just does not want to stick! Most of Psalm 139 was fairly easy, and I added a line a day, but there were a few places I struggled — for instance, the beginning has been used in several songs that kept getting confused in my recall. Then in the middle, for some reason, I just gummed up and really struggled to get verses 15 and 16. After that things were pretty smooth sailing until the last two verses which, again, have been turned into songs. Which leads me to ...
5. Roll with it.
There is no law that says you have to memorize it 100% in agreement with this particular translation. One place in Psalm 139, I substituted a word from the ESV because it just flows better in my head. And those last two verses? I can’t overwrite a song I’ve known for decades. If I say “try me” instead of “test me”, who cares? It’s your memory verse, do what you want.
6. Write it out.
Writing things out in your own hand helps us commit things to memory. Just get a piece of blank paper and write. And write. This might be easier with shorter passages, though. If you’ve decided to memorize Colossians, I don’t know that you’d want to do this. Either way, also think about making yourself a notebook or journal of the passages you’ve memorized. This will make it easier to ...
7. Review regularly.
It’s crazy the things we remember sometimes, especially from our childhood. I remember the theme song to shows I haven’t watched in decades. But new things you want to remember will slip away quickly if you don’t review them. Most recommendations I’ve seen say to run through your collection every week. I think doing a couple of passages each day would be simpler than trying to do them all at once, but do what works for you. Maybe the day will come when some things are so ingrained they’re unforgettable (I can’t imagine any of us will be forgetting John 3:16 any time soon) but until then, put in the effort to make sure all of your hard work isn’t wasted.
I encourage you to give it a try. It doesn’t require a major time investment; you can memorize scripture in spare moments. A glance at your phone while waiting in line, reciting to yourself while using the restroom, a review while doing chores at home, and one day you’ll look up and find that you have a chest of treasure stored away for future use.
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