aaron j robinson

(If you didn’t see them, check out Part 1 and Part 2 in this series… And if you haven’t downloaded the sheets, click here.)

Filling in the squares can be extremely rewarding, but the true rewards come over the long haul. So what does Day 1 look like? Well, there are probably about as many ways to memorize as there are people in the world, so I’m going to start simply by telling you my method.

(A note about Bible translations: it may or may not matter which version you use for each scripture you choose. I started out with New King James, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I’m kind of afraid to branch out…)

Let’s begin with an example verse that I memorized a while back, 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I like to break the passage up into chunks – short phrases that are easy to repeat and thus easier to memorize:

in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

The size of the phrases depends only on what you feel comfortable with at first. As you get better at memorizing, you can start out with bigger chunks. So what’s the next step? Repeat a phrase multiple times until you’re confident that you have it memorized. Shouldn’t take very long, should it? You’d be surprised how quickly and easily you forget some words. So, contrary to the thought that repeating the phrase multiple times very quickly will help you remember, I actually recommend reciting it very……slowly. So slowly, in fact, that you can envision each word spelled out in front of you as you say it. For me, that literally means envisioning the page in my Bible. So for most of what I’ve memorized, I could tell you where each verse is physically located on a page in my copy of the scriptures (He’s the King of kings; I’m the Nerd of nerds). Also, for me, I really only need to recite a phrase that slowly once or twice, spending subsequent repetitions thinking about its meaning (this is the meditation part).

in…………everything……………………give……………………thanks……………………

And for help with meditation (the word ‘meditate’ actually means to “turn something over in your mind”), there are countless study guides, commentaries, and sermons you could read to supplement your memorization. As much as you can learn about a passage and its context as you review is truly powerful.

I used to start memorizing at the very beginning of a passage (a very good place to start). However, I learned a trick from voice lessons in college – start with the last phrase, gradually moving forward to the first. That way, if you have trouble with any part of it, chances are you can at least end well. And no, I’m not saying that you should literally say the words in reverse order (“…you for Jesus Christ in…” – talk like Yoda you do). Here’s what I mean – each time you become confident with a phrase, continue all the way to the end. For example:

in……………Christ……………Jesus……………for……………you		(repeat as necessary until confident)
the……………………will……………………of……………………God		(repeat as necessary)
the will of God…………………………in Christ Jesus for you		(repeat as necessary)
for…………………………………this…………………………………is		(repeat as necessary)
for this is………the will of God……in Christ Jesus for you		(etc…)

As I’ve said before, this process requires a lot of patience (longsuffering, in the NKJV [insert smiley face]). But again, it is worth every moment you spend.

And if the method presented here doesn’t fit your learning style, Ann Voskamp has a scripture memory page with some helpful tips, lists, and links. You should check it out either way.

I do hope this has been helpful for you, and pray that God would bless you as you seek to hide his word in your heart.

(If you didn’t see it, check out Part 1 in this series…and if you haven’t downloaded the sheets, click here.)

So, you’ve decided you want to memorize scripture. Congratulations! Get ready to see your brain (and your heart) expanded. The first step is to choose a scripture you want to memorize. It can be one verse or multiple verses – though I don’t recommend any more than 2 to 4 at a time. I’ll talk about different ways to memorize in another post, but for now, let’s look at the sheets.

Once a Day for 7 Weeks

Write the scripture you chose in that first blank. Each box to the right of that line represents one day, grouped in sevens to represent one week. Recite the verse once a day for seven weeks, or 49 days. Fill in a box for each day you recite it, and leave the box blank if you miss that day. You can recite the verse multiple times a day if you want, but still only fill in one box for each day. It can be difficult to get into the habit of reciting every day, but the squares are a great visual representation of your progress. If you’re like me, and I know I am, you’ll be addicted to filling in those boxes in no time (nerd alert).

Once a Week for 7 Months

Once those seven weeks are up, you move that scripture onto the next sheet, and recite it once a week for seven months (technically 28 weeks). Each box on this page represents a week, grouped in fours to represent a month. If you recite the scripture one time or multiple times during that week, fill in the box; if you miss it for some reason, leave the box blank.

Once a Month for 7 Years

At the end of the seven months (28 weeks), move the scripture onto the next sheet, and recite it once a month for seven years (yes, seven whole years). Each box on this page represents a month, grouped in twelves to represent a year. If you recite the scripture one time or multiple times during that month, fill in the box; if you miss it for some reason, leave the box blank – though I’m really hoping that you can find the time over a 30-day period to recite one scripture passage.

Yeah, that probably sounds a little overwhelming, but that’s why you don’t start with a thousand verses all at once – you start with one. It’s a steady, gradual process that takes some time to build up, but it’s so worth the time and effort.

Next post: How to memorize…