I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you
(Psalm 119:11).

 

As a Mom to four young children, I sometimes feel like an endless stream of words. Some days I find myself giving almost constant explanations and instructions. I want these words of mine to be shaped by the living Word of God rather than my (often faulty) thinking. I want God’s thoughts to become so much a part of me that my own thoughts fade away. One way to accomplish this is to memorize the Bible.

 

I cannot memorize.

But what if you’re terrible at Scripture memory? What if you failed the 6th grade Constitution test? What if your family is always annoyed because you forget birthdays and special events?

In that case, you’re in luck. (Or in grace?) I have ten tips for the person who cannot seem to memorize a single verse—much less large portions of the Bible. These are tried and true tips that have helped me many times. I share them with the hope that you’ll find a few you can immediately incorporate to allow God’s Word to dwell richly in your mind and heart (Colossians 3:16).

 

Scripture Memory Tips for the Person Who Can’t Memorize

 

Know Why You’re Doing it.

If you were involved in a weekly church club as a child, perhaps you wanted to memorize to earn candy or points. Now that you’re an adult, motivation comes in different forms. Why do you want to memorize the Bible? As you begin memorizing Scripture, ask God to give you the right motivation. Pray that your your heart will be receptive as you study, and that you would be a doer of the Word, not just a memorizer. (James 1:22-25)

 

Engage your mind.

As a child, I sat in the back seat as my parents and siblings drove me to school and church. We traveled the same route over and over again. But if you asked me how to get to school, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. It wasn’t until I grew up and started driving on my own that I memorized the routes to those places. Why? Because I had to engage my mind. I couldn’t just let the sights pass before my eyes; I had to actually pay attention to details like road names, landmarks, and distances.

Similarly, as you seek to memorize Scripture, it is not enough for your eyes to pass over the words multiple times. For effective Scripture memory, you must engage your mind. This means you must ask questions of the text. Who is the author and recipient? What’s the main idea of this passage? Why is that specific word used? Why are those details included? The more questions you ask of a text, the greater your understanding.

 

Personalize it.

But it’s not enough to understand the original intent of the passage. You must personalize the text to the uniqueness of your life. How does God want to use this passage to restructure your desires and thoughts? What effect does he want the truth of his Word to have on the way you plan your day and interact with others?

 

Pray it.

The best way to answer the above questions is to bring the passage to the Lord and ask him. Pray the verses out loud,  ask God to direct your thinking, and talk to him about the things he’s written in his Word.

 

Write it out.

I love to copy Scripture because it’s another way to get it stuck in my brain. I usually write out my memory verses in two places.

First, I write it in a notebook. I’ve been using a college ruled notebook to write out my verses lately, and it’s perfect because I can fit a lot of verses on one page. I don’t use this book to write out an entire book at one time, but write a couple verses down as I’m beginning to memorize them. This is also a great place to record any questions you have as you memorize your verses.

Next, I write them on notecards. Sometimes I use individual cards so I can pop them in my purse or tape them on my fridge. I also like the notecards that are on a little binder, like this. The binder notecards are especially helpful for reviewing verses you’ve memorized in the past. That way, instead of needing to keep track of individual cards, you can keep them all in one place.

 

Use your downtime and wasted moments.

Take that notecard you just wrote your verse on and put it near the place where you have to wait. Here are some places I’ve used to study my verses: in the van, by the microwave, on the bathroom mirror, waiting for water to boil for tea/coffee, etc. There are a lot of “time pockets” throughout my day that I can use to rehearse a couple verses. It’s surprising how much you can accomplish in just a few minutes each day!

 

Listen. Over and over again.

You can use free Bible apps on your phone, listen via a computer, or even record yourself saying verses out loud. Bonus points if you do that last one because you get to practice saying the verse and listening to it. (I use this practice daily to help my kids memorize Scripture.)

Lately, I’ve been listening to Scripture passages in the shower, thanks to this handy speaker. Even if your shower only lasts 5 minutes, that’s enough to get through a chapter or two. I try to say the verses along with the recording and see if I can beat the narrator to the next word.

 

Use an app.

There are so many apps that can help you memorize Scripture. One that I’ve used is called Remember Me. I think it makes the work of memorization feel like a game, so this could be a fun method to use if you’re feeling stuck in a particular passage.

 

Do it with a friend.

Memorizing Scripture with a friend provides instant accountability. If you’re the only one who knows you’re trying to memorize 10 verses on anger, well then, what difference will it make if you give up? Oh, but if your friend texts you their verse and asks you how yours is coming along? Well, now they’ve effectively held your feet to the fire.

Several years ago, a friend and I worked to memorize portions of Scripture together. We met once or twice a month to quote our verses to each other and ended up memorizing Proverbs 31, the entire book of 1 Peter, and portions of James. What a special time to develop a friendship rooted in God’s Word!

 

Ask God for help.

Memorizing Scripture is difficult. And some people will experience more difficulty than others because of the particular skills God has given them. But the point of the struggle is not just to check off the “Bible memory box”, but to fill our minds with God’s thoughts so that we can become more like Jesus. This is something God wants for us even more than we could ever want it for ourselves, so let’s ask him for help to this end! We can work to fill our minds with God’s Word, but only he can do the work to change our hearts. 

May we faithfully treasure God’s thoughts above our own, and may he enable us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

 

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