One of the disciplines that I realized was seriously lacking in my life lately was the discipline of memorizing scripture. I am definitely someone who knows some random verses, halfheartedly, and could not begin to tell you where in the Bible they are. But here is what I am learning.....scripture, being living and active, is how we renew our minds. We are so messed up with our flesh, and with Satan's accusations, that the only hope we have of living above those two things, is storing the word of God in our hearts and in our minds. So memorizing scripture has a lot more to do with overcoming, than with being a superstar Christian, who knows lots of verses. One of the things we have built into our ladies small group is scripture memory. Each week, we all choose a verse, email it out to our friends, work on it that week, and then recite it to the group at the beginning of the meeting. You would be surprised at how awesomely God can use just one verse a week to renew your mind, and change some of those old, nasty thought patterns! So...where should you start?
1. What to memorize (obviously scripture, but which verses?)
What is an area of your life, where you know that Satan and your flesh are working against you? Some examples might be:
discontentmentTake an hour or two, and find some verses that speak truth about that topic. List them out and begin working on those.
fear/anxiety
control
impatience
Keep a memory list:
As you daily spend time reading God's word....things will begin to pop out at you. Write down the references to verses that you come across so that you will be able to memorize those one at a time.
Choose a chapter in the Bible:
My friend Elizabeth chose to memorize Ephesians 5, the armor of God section. She is learning one verse a week, and soon will have most of the chapter memorized.
2. Begin Memorizing
There are so many ways to do this...but think back to how you got through school. When you had a big test, what was the most effective way for you to get that info into your head?
Here is what works for me and some of my friends:
(Me) I write out the verse on a note card, and carry it around with me. I rehearse it in my mind three or four times in a row, a couple of times each day, when I get a few minutes. Then I try to write it out again, without looking, or say it aloud without looking, several times for another couple of days. I revisit the scripture a couple of days later so that I can retain it better!
(Leigh) As soon as I pick a verse, I write it down as many places as possible. In my spiral index card thingy, on my bathroom mirror, post it in the kitchen, keep in my car. That way I can learn it pretty quickly and then refer back to it through the week! Review has been one of the most helpful things. Try to have a day where I just go back and review them so I don't forget and can actually USE them! Scripture Memory really has transformed my walk with God-- it's such an important discipline!!
(Rebecca) I have to write it on a sticky note, and have it with me. I can't just read it over and over, I have to say it OUT LOUD for it to sink in. And saying it out loud to another person until I have it, usually helps (and then they have it memorized, too!)
(Stephanie) I keep a little journal with the scriptures I am memorizing in it. Once or twice a day I will sit down & read over the scripture I am memorizing again & again until I can say it without looking. I have found that a good time to do this is when I'm blow drying my hair!
(Lydia)What I do is write the verse down on a small spiral bound index card booklet and carry it around with me when I'm home, or leave it on my kitchen counter and read it periodically when passing by. I also sometimes leave it beside my computer, which I tend to check several times a day so I end up reading it frequently. I also put it in front of kitchen sink so I can read it while doing dishes. In the past I've even taped some to my bathroom mirror so I'm reading them in the morning and in the evening before bed. I've put ones about food, self control, etc on the fridge!
(Elizabeth) I typically remember the first letter of some of the main words so that when I get to a word I remember the first letters of each word first which bring to memory the entire word. For example, Your struggle isn't against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (spells raps which my brain remembers first and then recalls the entire word)
3. Get some accountability
Ask a friend, your husband, or a small group to keep you accountable. Recite your verse to this person, and allow them to recite their verse to you! If you can't find someone, check out Beth Moore's blog, and join in with the Siesta Sisters, they memorize two verses a month!
4. Revisit old verses regularly
Once a month, take some time and go over the verses you memorized that month. Retention is important! Maybe have one accountability session where you don't memorize anything new, but you just go over your previous verses.
5. Pray!
Ask God to help you in memorizing. Ask Him to make these verses a reality in your life. Ask Him to renew your mind, and point you to Him as you memorize. Ask Him to work through you, and use these verses in the lives of those around you. Remember this is about finding God, renewing our minds, and pursuing Godliness...you can't do that on your own, the Holy Spirit has to work through you!
What are some verses you have memorized lately, and how have they helped you? How do you memorize scripture? Leave a comment and let me know, I would love to hear about how God's word, stored in your mind has benefited you!
Lord, I pray that you would help us to diligently begin to store your word in our hearts. Lord, let it not be for our own pride, or glory, but so that we can truly begin renewing our minds, and thinking in terms of the righteousness of Christ. Lord, help scripture become the lens through which we view the world, and let it be the answer always on the tip of our tongues. For those of us that struggle with memorizing, bring alongside some encouragement and some accountability, so that we might find you in the mundane moments of our lives, where your Words become active!
2 comments:
Oh THIS is such a struggle for me. I have started and stopped so many times, and I know the importance but maybe I don't believe that enough to make the desire a determination. Thank you for the variety of tips and hints that work for you and your friends!
I find the best way for me to memorize is simply reading Scripture again and again, and writing down a verse on an index card. Then I can refer to it again and again, throughout the day or season. The less I try to memorize, the more I seem to be able to do so...simply immersing myself in the Word daily.
Love your tips!
Lisa
www.moretobe.com
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