Do you struggle with scripture memory? Try this approach

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

Most Christians that I know 1) think that scripture memorization is probably important and 2) that they find it really difficult to accomplish.  I know that for me, this is certainly a challenge.  Here is something that I have been trying lately that so far, seems to be producing effects well beyond what I would have anticipated. 

The first thing you are going to do is go to Christian Audio before February 1st and download the free ESV Bible.  Okay, you don't have to download this one; I'm just trying to help out because it is a great translation and its free.  It is truly free, not just a gimmick.  It is only available until January 31 so get on it if you are interested.  Put the Bible on your iPod, iPhone, iPad, cellphone, whatever.  You could certainly find an audio Bible of whatever sort you would like.

The second thing you are going to do is that you are going to pick a chapter of the Bible that you want to memorize.  That's right, a chapter. I know, it sounds overwhelming, but stick with me here (there are actually really good reasons for learning long passages, but I won't go into them here).  I chose to start with Ephesians 1.  Then, when I go anywhere, I set Ephesians 1 on repeat.  It is just under 3 minutes.  I try to talk along with it.  Don't worry, in the cell-phone age, everybody looks like they are talking to themselves, and even if people do think that about you, who are you trying to please, man or God? I have listened to it 6 times today already. Over the last 2 weeks, I've probably listened to it 100 times or more.  I not only have down the whole passage at this time, I can even mimic the inflections and pauses of the narrator. 

Keep listening to it until the passage is solidly in your memory stores and then keep listening just to make sure. Then, you can add the next section. So, tonight when I go home, I intend to make a playlist that is just Ephesians 1 and 2, which I will then listen to repeatedly until I have that down then keep adding until all 6 chapters are done. 

If you really want to power it up, combine it with this method for memorizing long passages of scripture described by Andy Davis. This too only takes 10 to 15 minutes per day.

As an example, if you commit to listening to Ephesians 1 for just 15 minutes per day, you would listen to it five times. Within the week, it would be 35 times. It would be 465 times over the course of the month.  A year? 1825 times.  That's almost 2000 times just by listening for 15 minutes per day!  Do you think you would know chapter 1 of Ephesians well by that point?  Yes, you would. Just check out Deuteronomy 6:6-9 if you need more convincing.

Where can you listen? In your car.  In the shower. As you are going to sleep at night. While you are doing dishes. While you are walking around the block.  The options are wide open to you.

Wondering what to work on memorizing? Here are a few suggestions, but you could really start wherever you wished.

• Exodus 20
• Psalm 19
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 51
• John 1
• Romans 8
• The book of Ephesians
• Phillipians 2-4

Sharpen your swords

Jeremy Walker at Reformation 21 writes of the difficulty of hiding God's word in our heart in our modern age. 

He writes, "You have one primary offensive weapon with which to do battle against sin: 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God' (Eph 6.17). Can you afford to have that potent blade wrapped up in the electronic cobwebs of some computer programme when you need it for the fight? Do you not know from bitter experience that you do not have time to draw the sword from the depths of your electronic device when Satan comes roaring in against you? You need it sitting in your hand, you need it stored up in your heart ready for immediate deployment when the enemy comes upon you unawares. To use a more modern metaphor, you cannot afford to wander this battlefield with all your ammunition stored at the bottom of your backpack; you need your weapon locked and loaded at all times.

I would commend the whole thing to you here.  

Memorizing in context-learning scripture with your family

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."-Psalm 119:11

Grace and I just finished reading John's Gospel together. As we would finish reading sections, I would ask her what she thought of the section. Often her insights were much deeper and more accurate than I would have thought for a 9 year old. At other times, she expressed confusion. I was most impressed that a school-age child can absorb scriptures in forms other than a cartoonish book. At the same time, I have thought about making Bible memorization meaningful. Despite the fact that she possesses a remarkable memory, she is not particularly motivated to memorize God's word. I think the reasons behind this are two-fold: 1) she does not see the benefit of memorizing individual bits of scripture for memorization's sake and 2) most of the time, she does not actively see me working on memorization because I work on it before she is awake. (Habits are caught, not taught).

So as we move forward in our evening quiet times, I have a plan in mind. Each week, we will work together on memorizing one verse of scripture, reviewing it each night.

Day 1-We will read the verse together. I will ask Grace what she thinks the verse means. Then we will read the verse again several times.

Day 2-I will ask her what she remembers of the verse, and will correct whatever needs to be corrected. Then we will read the verse in context, reading the surrounding chapter. This will help to establish the meaning behind the verse.

Day 3-Today we can start with her quizzing me and she can correct me. We will briefly review the story we discussed the previous day and talk about the meaning of the story in its historic context.

Day 4-Review the scripture again. Talk about the scripture in our current context and how it could apply today.

Day 5-Review the scripture again. Ask her now, after 5 days, what she thinks the verse means.

Days 6 & 7-Review, Review, Review.

I pray that this approach will help both of us to learn scripture more deeply, apply it to our lives, and avoid proof-texting.