Proverbs 3:1-4
My child, do not forget my teaching.
    Keep my commands in your heart.
They will help you live for many years.
    They will bring you peace and success.
Don’t let love and truth ever leave you.
    Tie them around your neck.
    Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favour and a good name
    in the eyes of God and people.

Scripture memory is so close to my heart. I find it an exciting challenge to commit more and more Bible verses to memory, and I hope this post is contagious in that way!

In a previous post https://fromtheoverflow.home.blog/2020/02/07/milestones-memorials-and-the-years-of-4/, I briefly touched on how my journey with scripture memory began in 2010 when I was at a conference. The Lord impressed on my heart the importance of memorizing His Word, and I felt convicted to take that more seriously.

While at that conference, I met a woman about 10 years older than I was at the time (coincidently, she was about the age that I am now). I discovered that she had two young children, a small ministry, AND had memorized entire books of the Bible, one of which was the book of James.

I remember reflecting on how amazing it was that I sensed God wanted me to memorize His Word, and nearly right after that, I met a woman who was doing just that!

I also remember thinking that memorizing entire books of the Bible was beyond ridiculous, and I couldn’t imagine how she pulled that off with two kids to boot! I had all of ZERO children at the time. The most I was responsible for was a monstera plant, which I’m proud to say, is still thriving.

While still at that same conference, I came across this book in their bookstore:

This simple little book was an absolute game-changer for me in forming the habit of memorizing God’s Word. It’s divided into two sections. One section discusses the importance of committing God’s Word to memory, and what God says about this practice.

The second section lists 100 Bible verses everyone should know by heart and includes a short write up on each one, highlighting its context and importance for a daily walk of faith. It also includes a tip for memorizing each verse.

I got started on my memorizing journey right on my flight home from that conference. I was so excited!

When I got home, I devoted my mornings before work to adding verses to my list of memorized scripture. It took me a few months to get through the 100 recommended verses from the book, and then I started adding some other favourites to the list.

Every morning I would run through all the verses I had memorizes as though I were reciting a script from a play. The repetition really made them stick.

I kept this up for about a year and a half, with periodic breaks. But then halted altogether when my first son was born, due to mild postpartum depression (stay tuned for a future post on that can of beans).

This excerpt so beautifully sums up the benefits of scripture memorization:

When we memorize a word, phrase, line, or verse from God’s Word, it’s like implanting a powerful radioactive speck of the very mind of God into our own finite brains. As we review it or hear it spoken again, it sinks deeper into our heads. As we learn it “by heart”, it descends into the hidden crevices and fissures of our souls. As we meditate on it, it begins sending out its quiet, therapeutic waves of influence. And, as the apostle Paul said, we are transformed by the renewing of our thoughts (see Rom. 12:2)”

– Robert J. Morgan, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart

Backtracking to one little anecdote in particular:

At some point, I considered taking a break from memorizing scripture because I felt like it had lost the spark it once had. So I prayed about it and asked God to show me what I should do. On that particular day, I had memorized a verse in Galatians.

That night, I dreamt that a masked man entered my apartment with a gun…

He pointed the gun at me, and shouted at me to renounce my faith or die. The gun was so close, I could feel the cold metal pressed against my face. And all I remember next is standing before this dark, commanding figure, and calmly reciting the verse I had literally committed to memory that very day:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

– Galatians 2:20

When I awoke from that dream, I knew I had my answer. I don’t know what I’ll face in this life, but I want to be equipped and ready for it with the Word of God. A passion for memorizing God’s Word was renewed in me and I carried on with new resolve and zeal. It is a privilege to have access to the Word of God. It is a privilege to get to read it over and over and learn something new every time. I never want to take that for granted.

I’m grateful for the foundation that that season of zealous memorization gave me. Because after I had children, I did not commit one more verse to memory until the fall of 2019.

I went from memorizing approximately 250 Bible verses in about 18 months, to nothing at all for about 8 years. It’s really sobering to put that in writing, and I’m trying not to regret all that time lost.

So, it was six months prior to writing this post that I was reminded of that woman I met at that conference all those years ago. Just an ordinary woman and mother, who memorized entire books of the Bible. Well, because of my obsessive, and sometimes overly ambitious personality, I decided to take on the book of James myself as she had.

I really wanted to write this post having completed memorizing the book of James.

• 5 chapters
• 434 verses
• 6 months

But it didn’t work out that way. I am currently about 6 verses short of my goal.

And the truth is that it’s really really really really SUPER hard for me to press the Publish button on this post without having completed the book.

I know I’ll get there. But hopefully this vulnerability will speak louder than any arbitrary accomplishment could. Because I’m aware that my own made up deadline doesn’t actually mean anything to anyone but me.

Anyway!!! Enough about that…

Here’s why memorizing God’s Word is a good idea:

• We are commanded to memorize scripture
  Perhaps a gentler way to put it is that we are called to memorize scripture. But either way, Moses told the Israelites to make God’s Word a regular part of their everyday lives, and we should too. Moses said it this way:

The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up. Write them down and tie them on your hands as a reminder. Also tie them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses. Also write them on your gates.

– Deuteronomy 6:6-9

• Jesus set the example for us
  When Jesus was tempted in the desert after fasting for forty days, He didn’t get into a debate or squabble with the enemy. Satan tempted Him, and He responded with words from scripture that He had previously committed to memory. That’s it!
  I don’t know about you, but if God’s Word was good enough for Jesus in a challenging situation, then why wouldn’t it be good enough for me? I want to be READY when the difficulty comes! Not to fight against others, but to know the TRUTH against the lies that the enemy tries to use to bring me down. I want to be equipped from the inside out. Jesus modelled that for us and it inspires me to do the same.

If you hold to My teaching, you prove that you are My true followers. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

– Jesus, from the Gospel of John 8:31-32

So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing… so take the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword is God’s word.

– Ephesians 6:13, 17

• “But I just never know what to say…” (Hey! You’ll actually know what to say!)
  Thinking back on my growing up years, I often spoke without thinking, said things I’d later regret, or simply talked too much! In more recent years, I find myself considering more heavily what my words will be in a situation. Sometimes I don’t say anything at all for fear of saying the wrong thing. I’ve realized that I would rather speak the Words of God than my own words on a given topic. So memorized scripture has been so helpful to me when I want to encourage, challenge, bless, or comfort a friend. I trust God’s Words a zillion times more than I trust my own. So committing His Words to memory is a sure way to have the right thing to say when given the opportunity to speak into someone’s life.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

– II Timothy 3:16

There are many more great reasons to memorize scripture (verses, passages, or books), so if you don’t like those, feel free to Google more!

Here are some tips that have helped me commit scripture to memory:

• LOOK FOR ACRONYMS, RHYMING WORDS, WORD ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.
  Once you’ve chosen a Bible verse to memorize, see what little tricks you can come up with to help you remember the words. Find key words that rhyme, or key words that start with the same letter, or alphabet patterns. These will all help you remember what’s next.
  
• READ THE VERSE ALOUD
  Studies have shown that reading a verse out loud helps your brain retain the words more quickly and strongly because of the dual effect that speaking and hearing have on the brain.
  
• [Read the verse aloud] OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER…
  When you meet someone for the first time, it’s recommended that you repeat their name a few times to help you remember it. Experts suggest that it takes repeating something 30 times for it to be committed to memory. So just keep reading that verse over and over. Eventually it’ll stick!
  
• START GLANCING UP WHILE READING THE VERSE AS YOU GROW FAMILIAR WITH IT
  My advice: don’t rush this part. You’ll find yourself more frustrated and impatient if you realize you didn’t know it as well as you thought you did, and you may feel like giving up.
  Get really comfortable with reading a verse out loud many times before taking your eyes of the page. And when you do, keep saying the verse over and over, glancing down when you need a prompt.
  
• RECITE YOUR MEMORIZED SCRIPTURE ALOUD AND OFTEN!
  That’s it! Once you’ve memorized a verse, keep it fresh in your mind by going over it and over it and over it until you’re saying it without thinking, and then keep saying it!

Where do I start?

• Choose verses that are meaningful to you
  Maybe you’ve chosen a life verse, or a verse for this year, or maybe one verse in particular helped you through a difficult time, or a friend gave you a verse that meant a lot when you really needed it.
  Whatever the context, if you have some favourites, start by memorizing those!
  
• Here are some popular verses and passages I recommend:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

– John 3:16

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

– Psalm 23 [The Lord is My Shepherd]

²⁴ “‘“The Lord bless you 
and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
 and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’

– Numbers 6:24-26 [Prayer of Blessing]

Why memorize entire passages or books of the Bible?

• It’s easier to actually learn something from what you’re memorizing because you are going over important teachings in the full context that they were written.
• It’s easier to memorize a passage vs. a list of favourite verses because they actually flow into each other. Similar to memorizing the words of a song: the flow makes sense in your brain, and it’s easier to remember the verses that come next when they all actually go together in the first place
• It’s a fun challenge. Like skydiving! Sort of…
• If you want to memorize a longer passage of scripture, try it out with your favourite Psalm! The book of Psalms is essentially a collection of poems and songs, so they flow really easily in memorization.

Here’s one of my favourite memorized Psalms:

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

– Psalm 100

Do you have any favourite verses committed to memory?
My hope and prayer, at the very least, is that this post makes you want to give it a try!

If you’ve got any tips that I’ve left out here, please share them in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.