How To Memorize Scripture | Best Effective Tips To Help You Memorize Scripture

Though she wasn’t born blind, an eye infection as an infant rendered Fanny Crosby to a life of physical dark. Unhindered, Fanny went on to write more than 800 hymns. While that was an accomplishment beyond most, I vividly remember her ability to memorize the first five books of the Bible, Proverbs, and the Gospels. Living during the 1800s, she committed God’s life-giving Word to memory. Before we jump into how to memorize scripture, let’s dive into some reasons why we should memorize scripture and the benefits of doing so.

Why We Should Memorize Scripture

1 | Sanctification Is Through His Word

It’s through His Word, we are sanctified – made more like Him (John 17:17). Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The only way to allow His word to dwell (live in, reside, take root) in us richly is by memorizing it. Saturate your mind with His word. The more we know His Word, the more we know Him, the more we become like Him.

3 | Prayer Infused With Scripture

Memorizing Bible verses is one of the best ways to infuse your prayer life with power. Not only does Scripture help shape prayer, but it also declares the truth of Him who is faithful. Knowing God’s Word helps you ask according to His will and ensures your prayers are spiritually grounded in truth.

• “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14
• If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
• The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

4 | His Word Becomes Your Delight

Whether we realize it or not, our souls’ thirst and hunger for more of God. In our present-day of distractions, it’s simply easier to find a temporary fix from mediocre avenues. When you fall in love with God’s word – and you absolutely will – you can’t help but to rejoice and long for more.

• “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8
• Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day. Psalm 119:97
• I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:15-16

5 | Memorizing Scripture Brings Wisdom

I have made some great choices in my life, but I’ve also made some terrible decisions. When faced with the dilemma of making decisions, we can look inward or upward. By memorizing scripture, you have that “upward” wisdom inside to give light to the dark paths ahead. Having God’s word written on the tablets of our hearts allows us to test everything according to His unchanging precepts.

• The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130
• “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
• “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6
• But test everything; hold fast to what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

6 | Reminds Us Of His Promises

Life is hard, isn’t it? We try to wrap our minds around tough circumstances, but the confusion of not understanding leaves us more exhausted than before. When our human emotions take center stage, being reminded of God’s promises helps anchor our drifting souls.

• My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. Psalm 119:148
• You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 119:114

How To Memorize Scripture

To keep the mind from data overload, God designed the brain to “forget” useless information. Simply put, the working memory decides if it’s “junk mail” or “special delivery.” Anyone desiring to memorize Scripture must find a way to move the information from the working memory (short-term) into the long-term memory. It all begins with sensory stimulation. A smell, sight, touch, sound, or taste can both engrave and recall memories. Let’s get started with suggestions and tips for memorizing scripture.

1 | Dedication Not Motivation

Simply put, it’s dedication, not education or even motivation. A longing for God begins with a stirring of commitment. Make a commitment, set a goal, and stick to it at all costs. You’ll never regret the time you’ve invested!

2 | Choose Meaningful Sections

In her book, “God’s Word Hidden In My Heart,” Janet Pope suggests memorizing entire chapters rather than individual verses. Having tried both individual verses as well as chapters and books, I lean toward memorizing sections. While memorizing easier bible verses is always valuable, there is an advantage to memorizing larger sections. In this manner, biblical context is kept intact, wider observations are deduced, and deeper meaning is acquired. Here are some tips specifically for memorizing large sections, chapters, and books.

1. Start small. My daughter and I started with Psalm 1 before moving on to Isaiah 35, Psalm 103, and Job 38. We’ve now tackled and almost completed the entire book of Ephesians. Now, I know you’re probably saying, “I could never memorize a book.” I didn’t think I could either, but that’s the beauty of starting small! It lends to a feeling of accomplishment and faith-building confidence.
2. Set a goal. Determine how many days you will memorize and how many verses you want to memorize each day. For example, because we chose to work on it six days a week and Psalm 103 has 22 verses, we set a goal of 5 weeks.
3. Adjust as needed. If a verse is longer, split it up over two days. If it’s a shorter verse, try to memorize two verses that day.
4. Memorize the verse number. Though this takes a little more effort, it will help you keep the verses in order. We did not do that for Psalm 1 and Isaiah 35. Once we began Ephesians, I realized the value of this step. Well worth the additional time!
5. Review the entire section one time before adding your daily verse. Not only does this help set the “scene” of the section, thereby making more sense, but it also helps you keep the flow when reciting it all together. It acts like a warmup before exercising.

2 | Read it

The first step in memorizing scripture is to read it within its context. As you read it, emphasize each word, ensuring you understand the concept of the verse. This will help you maintain the original meaning of the verse.

3 | Remember the first word

In memorizing Ephesians, I quickly realized the first word was the key that unlocks the verse. As my daughter and I quizzed one another, we would give the first word to help trigger the memory if we struggled to remember. While most of the time it works, there are some verses with common words (the, but, and) for which this tip falls short.

4 | Review It

Approximately one hour after something new is learned, roughly 40% is retained. That’s a 60% rate of loss when we don’t use it immediately! One day later, the average person remembers only 20%. To transfer your bible verses from short-term to long-term memory, it is essential to review the verse over and over for an extended period of time.

5 | Say It

Did you know you’re more likely to remember something if you read it aloud? It’s true! The simple act of speaking the verse aloud as you read it involves sight, speech, and hearing. This multisensory connection creates links in our memory pathways, helping transfer to long-term memory faster.

7 | Scribe It

Much like saying it aloud, scripture writing is a handy memory aid that focuses on each word. This process stimulates cells at the base of your brain, causing your brain to “wake up” and pay closer attention. Using the multisensory connection of touch and sight, as we write, we interact with each word, impressing them upon our minds. As opposed to just copying scripture without thinking about it, read only as many words as you can remember without looking back, and then actively recall each word as you write it down.

8 | Parse It

To parse a sentence is the act of analyzing, defining, deducing, or explaining the meaning. Analyze the sentence word by word, ensuring you understand the meaning of the words. The more you understand the words and structure, the more it lends to an intimate understanding of the ultimate meaning. Highlight keywords and define words you don’t recognize or would like a greater comprehension of. SOAP journals are a terrific asset to parse and ponder scripture as you both memorize and apply it to life.

9 | Put Hand Motions To It

Much like children, we learn quickly when we are doing something with our hands. Add hand motions as you picture the verse in a scene. Some bible verses will be easy to memorize this way, while others will prove a little more challenging.

10 | Place It

Mere exposure increases the likelihood of remembering something. Stick it to your fridge with a post-it note. Set it as the back screen image on your phone. Place it on your bathroom mirror. Write it on an index card to carry around. Use a scripture memory verse journal to keep on your desk. The idea is to have it in as many different places as possible.

11 | Partner Up

It’s estimated that we remember 70% of what we discuss with others. So grab a partner, talk about the verse, and gain deeper meaning from someone else’s perspective.

12 | Pray It

Prayer is a powerful way to solidify a verse. Infuse your verse into a meaningful conversation with the Father and watch your prayers come to life. Be sure to check out these two posts with a multitude of bible verses on prayer and this one on learning how to pray.

Tools To Help You Memorize Scripture

Because we all learn differently, there are great tools out there for everyone. In addition to those sprinkled above, I’ve listed a few below that have helped me memorize scripture.

1| Charlotte Mason System

We’ve used the Charlotte Mason system to memorize bible verses. It’s a great tool. Here’s how it works:

1. Grab an index or recipe box from Hobby Lobby, Office Depot, Amazon, or Wal-mart.
2. You’ll need a set of dividers, or you can make your own with cardstock. Label as below.
   1. Today
   2. Odd
   3. Even
   4. Days of the week (Monday through Sunday or any order you’d prefer). Due to busy Saturday schedules, we chose not to include it because we knew we would miss quite a few days and didn’t want to go weeks in a row without reviewing.
   5. Daily dividers numbered 1-31
3. Write any verses you already have memorized on note cards, and distribute those behind the dividers labeled 1-31. Once you have a card behind each numbered divider, start over at one until you’ve placed all your known verses.
4. Now, write the verse you are currently memorizing on a notecard and place it behind today. This will be your focus verse until you can say it without looking.
5. Once you’ve mastered today’s verse, write the current date, and move it to either odd or even depending on the date (3rd would be odd; 4th would be even).
6. As you memorize additional verses, you will continue this process. Today, odd, even, and days of the week should only have one card behind them at a time.
7. When you’re ready to move a card from the odd or even, simply place it behind the divider for the current day of the week (for example, Wednesday).
8. Once you’re ready to move a card from the days of the week, look at the date you memorized it, and place it behind the divider for that date. For example, a card memorized on May 20th would be added behind the divider labeled 20.
9. Using Monday, January 1st as an example, your daily review would look like this: review the card behind today, odd, Monday, and all cards behind the number 1. It’s that simple!

2| Prayer Journals

With prayer strategies, a prayer schedule, go to Bible verses, Bible verse memory pages, these guided prayer journals are a great way to pray through scripture. If you prefer to make your own prayer journal, this post walks you through the details of how to create a prayer journal.

3| Portable Memory Journals

Small enough to fit in your purse or sit on your desk, this scripture memory journal is just what you need to help memorize scripture. Or, with just a few items, you can make your own scripture memory journal.

4| Apps To Help You Memorize Scripture

Technology is great! For those who prefer to use a phone or tablet, here are a few apps to help:

1. The Bible Memory App Using three cognitive areas of learning, this all-inclusive scripture memory app allows you to memorize, organize, and review your verses easily. Create a review schedule and set reminders to keep you on track.
2. Bible Memory Verses Utilizing memory games, this app helps you absorb the verse, memorize the verse, recall the verse, and track your “memory health” to maximize retention.
3. Scripture Singer  Effortlessly memorize portions of scripture with this app, which combines God’s word with songs.

My Routine For Memorizing Scripture

I mentioned earlier I choose to memorize longer sections and books, but this routine will absolutely work for individual verses. I’ll use Psalm 1:1 as an example.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:1 (ESV)

1. Read the entire verse aloud one time, including the reference.
   • Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:1
2. Reread the verse placing emphasis on keyword words or phrases.
   • Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:1
   • Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:1
   • Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:1
3. Say the first line (or a small piece of the verse) and repeat it aloud several times. Here’s where I try to remember Psalm 1:1 starts with “blessed” and try to add a rhyming tune if I can think of one. Once you can say it from memory, move on to the next line.
   • Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…
4. Review it once to ensure you have the verse correct before writing it down from memory. I write it down on a notecard and keep it at my desk throughout the day.
5. Journal it. I’ve used both prayer and SOAP journals to parse the daily verse, define keywords, and ponder the meaning.
6. Incorporate the verse in prayer. You’ll be shocked how easily this happens when you’ve dissected the verse through the above process.
7. Review the verse multiple times throughout the day. By the end of the day, you will be able to recite the verse from memory!
8. This is when I would add it to the Charlotte Mason system listed above.

While we all learn differently, I hope these tips, tricks, and suggestions help you on your journey to engraving God’s Word on the tablet of your heart. I’d love to hear any tricks you’ve used to memorize scripture!