I used to memorize a chapter of the Bible a week. I was inspired to memorize from reading a book where the author mentioned his great love of memorizing. Unfortunately I was almost too successful for I became a little proud of my accomplishments. As a result I stopped memorizing for a time. Recently I have begun memorizing Scripture again and I am being so blessed. Please not, however, that I am learning entire chapters of Scripture, not just individual verses.
There are many blessings when you memorize Scripture:
1. You will understand the verses you memorize much better.
2. The verses will come to mind when Satan is tempting you, when you are praying, and in conversations during the day.
3. Your memory will be greatly enhanced. I am amazed by how much more I remember, often without even trying. Where before I usually forgot what I heard almost immediately, now it sticks.
4. With the memorization of verses will come a desire to put them into practice which wasn't present before.
5. You will also experience a blessed new level of victory.
In the last three to four weeks I have memorized the first 60 verses of Ps. 119 and Matthew 5-I am learning all of the Sermon on the Mount the Lord willing. It isn't easy and at first it was downright dreadful. But it is getting easier all the time. If I can learn, [first name], so can you.
I do have a method. I learn a verse, repeating it as often as I need, till I somewhat know it-I say somewhat because it takes working with it several times before it will be fully retained. Then I learn the second verse, repeating it until I have it down. Then I repeat verse one and two until I have them down as a group. Then I learn verse three, repeating it until I have it down. Then I repeat from verse two to verse three. When I have that down, then I repeat from verse one to verse three, repeating that group until I have all those verses together. Then I learn verse four and repeat it until I have it memorized. Then I repeat verse three and four together until they are down. Then I go from verse one to verse four. This continues to the next natural break. In the Psalms that usually means four to eight verses.
The King James Version and the New Kings James Version are more poetic and therefore easier to memorize. You will notice patterns that will provide you memory clues. I also carry a printed copy of the verses with me so that I can try to say them at various times during the day. Learning, reviewing during the day, re-looking at them in the evening, eventually the verses get into my memory. I also review whatever I am learning as the last thing I do before I fall asleep, and it is the first thing I think about in the morning.
You must try to repeat it correctly every time as much as possible:
Here is a vital point. YOU MUST SEEK TO ALWAYS DO IT CORRECTLY. Your memory functions outside of your conscious realization. You may be focusing on words, but your mind is actually putting it in as a pattern of words and sounds. Eventually that pattern will come out without your conscious efforts. This is somewhat akin to the memory found in your muscles if you play the piano. With the instrument, eventually you can play the piano without looking at the keys because the memory in your muscles sends your fingers where they need to go. If you always say the verse correctly you will find that you will eventually do it right most of the time. Accordingly, don't feel like you are failing if you have to look at the verses before you repeat them. It is actually a good thing because the more times you do them correctly, the more you will do them right from memory. And, any time you repeat the verses, before you are done, look over the printed verses to make sure you did them right.
Don't be frustrated if you don't seem to remember at first:
The first time you return to your verses they will be hard to remember. Don't be surprised. That is the way it always is.
Sometimes you will have to work hard to retain some verses:
Some verses just don't want to be learned. In that situation repeat the first phrase of the verse until you have that phrase. Then learn the next phrase, repeating it. Then go from the first. Work through the whole verse this way. Eventually it will come.
You can learn more than you realize:
Don't worry about learning multiple chapters or verses at a time. Your mind will store them separately and eventually you will be able to pull them out at will. I also learn promises regarding prayer during meals. Learning them comes easily after a time.
Why this is important:
I share the power of Scripture because so many of your requests have to do with overcoming and victory. Instead of continuing to pray and NOT achieving victory, I am happy to share a secret that is making profound differences for me.
Some sample verses to claim:
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 7:1
Why should we be interested in memorizing the Bible:
Notice what someone said regarding the promises: “To understand the amazing compass of the promises we should search them out, and study them, with all the interest and avidity of a legate searching the will of a rich benefactor; that we may plead them with unfailing confidence, and eager expectation, of their fulfillment.” Eli Wigle, Prevailing Prayer, pp. 322, 323
Psalms 119:1 "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways."
I don't believe God would have asked us to be obedient children if He had not made provision for that obedience.
The following words are so true in my experience:
Psalms 119:9 (NKJV) "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Note what Müller said on obeying the Word we are memorizing:
"Lastly, if God does bless us in reading His word, He expects that we should be obedient children, and that we should accept the Word as His will, and carry it into practice. If this be neglected, you will find that the reading of the Word, even if accompanied by prayer, meditation, and faith, will do you little good. God does expect us to be obedient children, and will have us practice what He has taught us. The Lord Jesus Christ says If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." And in the measure in which we carry out what our Lord Jesus taught, so in measure are we happy children. And in such measure only can we honestly look for help from the Father, even as we seek to carry out His will. If there is one single point I would wish to have spread all over this country, and over the whole world, it is just this, that we should seek, beloved Christian friends, not to be hearers of the Word only, but doers of the Word. I doubt not that many of you have sought to do this already, but I speak particularly to those younger brethren and sisters who may not yet have learned the full force of this. Oh, seek to attend earnestly to this; it is of vast importance. Satan will seek with much earnestness to put aside the word of God; but let us seek to carry it out and to act upon it." George Müller, Counsels to Christians
Try to do some memorizing. I think you will be greatly blessed. Start with something shorter, however, like Ps. 1 or 23. Don't be afraid to memorize some spiritual "fiber," the "thou shalt" kind of verses, for in memorizing and applying you will discover the power of God. Let me know how it goes.
I have a friend who was struggling to be rid of an unwelcomed presence that was disturbing her sleep as she was sleeping. Eventually she felt led to write out promises regarding God's protection and placed them all around her room. The presence of those promises restored to her good nights of sleep.—Dan Augsburger