What methods and verse do you recommend for memorizing the Bible. Now that I’m out of seminary – I have no excuses for not packing my brain full of bible verses. What would you suggest?
So, far my goals include:
- Relearn all the recently memorized verses
- Work through this list from Justin Taylor [PDF from Crossway]
- Memorize some shorter psalms or sections from the NT
My wife has an excellent Bible memorization strategy. She writes down the verse she wants to memorize on a sheet of paper, and needs to recite it perfectly 7 times the first month, 6 times the next month, and so on. She will eventually only need to recite it once every other month (but she says she will want to recite every verse she knows at least this often). Using this strategy, she has memorized Deut 6:4-9, Jonah 1:1-17, Ps 1, Prov 13:4, Phil 4:4-9, 1 Tim 2:1-6, 1 Thess 5:14, and she hasn’t been doing it very long at all!
A few months ago I printed several copies of a sheet of paper with 5 significant passages that I would love to have memorized. Why so many copies? Because I lose them. So, 1 in my wallet, 1 next to my chair at home, 1 at church, 1 in my computer case, 1 in the car and 1 in my wallet.
It is amazing how much you can memorize in your down time. Sitting at a traffic light, at the doctors office, in line at the store, whenever.
With several passages on my sheet I can take a break from one and do another if I feel that I need some renewed drive. Then I go back.
Anyway, worked for me.
I STARTED WITH VERSES ON SALVATION. I WROTE THEM DOWN READ THEM 20 TIMES, AND THEN REPEATED THEM, THEN CHECKED THEM AGAINST PAPER. When I was in Bible college I memorizesd 6 VERSES A WEEK.
Different processes work best for different types of people, however, I have placed some notes together for those who learn like me.
You can see my notes here: http://www.deliveredbygrace.com/?p=126
Also – look at the bottom of the article for links to Pastor Andy Davis’ information on Bible memory.
Josh Buice
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I like to write down individual verses (or several small ones together) to help with memorization. When I have a longer passage that I want to learn, then I break it into smaller groups and memorize the first group of verse, and then add on a second group, and so forth until I have the whole passage down. I also have printed verse on business cards and/or index cards before. Those are small enough to carry in a packet in your wallet or purse and take out for review whenever you might have a few minutes to kill. I personally like the business card size the best but others might like the larger size of the index card.
Sallie
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Martin Luther: “This letter [Romans] is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian’s while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.’
Because of that recommendation, I have spent the last four years trying to commit all of Paul’s letter to memory. Last year I finally did, but since then it’s been really difficult to keep it all memorized. So if you don’t have the will to try it all, I would recommend just memorizing one of the chapters from three to eight.
Best to you in Christ in whatever you decide upon!
Music. I’m a musician, so that’s the way for me.
Otherwise, I’m horrible at rote memorization. I’m best at studying passages in depth and meditating on them, even for weeks at a time. This way, I may not remember the precise words of one translation or another, but the meaning is made clear and memorable and I can return to it when I need to apply the meaning to a life situation or teaching moment.
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Greetings! Saw your ost at SBCvoices and came to read.
<“Memorize some shorter psalms”
Interesting that you should ask this as in older historical times, you have been required to have memorized all 150 Psalms in order to be ordained a minister.
In your haste to memorize, don’t overlook Isaiah 22:22 (Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 16) and Malachi 1:11 . I memorized Isaiah 55:11, Genesis 1:3 and Matthew 26:26 together as they are a “chained”. Similarly, John 20:23 and James 5:16 are a logical chain.
God bless… +Timothy
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