I want you to think of something you have memorized in your life.  In my 27 years, I have memorized countless words including the FFA creed, 100 lines of Shakespeare, and songs in Italian.   None of these were easy but I said them so many times that I can still remember large chunks of these passages today.  All of these were memorized over 10 to 15 years ago.  Why can I still remember?  I spent many hours and put in hard work to learn them and it was a priority for me.
I wonder what would happen if we as Christians felt the same way about memorizing verses in the bible.  I read a book recently called Muscle and a Shovel and there was a man in the book named Randall.  He knew a scripture from the bible about every topic under the sun.  At the end of the book, there is a few pages entitled “Randall’s Secret.”  He tells about how he is just an ordinary man who doesn’t have a photographic memory but has dedicated time to learning God’s word and committing it to memory.  I decided that I want to be a “Randall.”  I want to write God’s word on my heart.
I started to think about all of the scriptures that I knew word for word and where they were found.  The results of this exercise were embarrassing and startling all at once.  How could I only know that many?!?  For my age, I had considered myself to have an above average knowledge of the bible but yet I could hardly quote a verse.  I know hundreds of verses partially and I know most of the stories but I wanted to know more.
I decided to begin memorizing scriptures in January of 2014, and now in April I have learned 11 new verses.  I am trying to memorize one a week but that hasn’t been the case every week.  I don’t move on to the next verse until I feel comfortable with the one I am working on.  Here are some ways I am learning my scriptures and ways that others have suggested:
Now most of these are pretty self explanatory but I will share some pictures of what I do or what I might try in the future.
I have made scripture cards and I keep them on a ring.  I write a new one each week or so and I keep this by my bed.  I read it every day during my bible time and at night.
I saw online where you can write the verse on a small ribbon and tie it your wrist.  This could be a fun way for young people to learn their bible verses every week.
Source Unknown
Change your desktop screen to your verse you are working on by going to PicMonkey.com and designing your own verse wallpaper.  Here is a screen shot of where to go for the sizing.  Under the crop option, click  “Your Screen” as the size.  Just type the verse over a colored background or picture to personalize it.
Here’s a sample of one that I made:
Take a verse that you are working on and draw what is happening in the verse or what that verse makes you think of.  Images are a very important part of memorizing and connecting past knowledge with new knowledge so drawing could be a very effective way to remember.
Praying daily about the verse you are learning can really be the most important and most skipped steps in learning God’s word.  He wants you to know his word more than ANYONE and he will help you if you are willing to put in the time and effort.
Find an empty journal and write each verse at the top of the page.  This will be a great place to write what inspired you to learn that verse at that particular time in your life.  This would be a great place to draw your picture too.  This will be such a treasure someday when you can look back and see how many verses you have committed to memory and why you chose those particular verses.
I recently found the free website scripturetyper.com and if you work in an office or are at a computer all day this could be very helpful.  You select the verse you want to learn, and practice typing it.  When you are ready, click “master it” and you have to type it without any help.  It stores every verse you learn and lets you review them whenever you want to.  I have started using this and it’s kinda fun because it times you and I love to see how fast I can type 🙂
I have chalkboards all over the house and I have decided to dedicate one to my scriptures.  I just write it when I start learning a particular verse and change it every time.  I see this board many times a day and it’s a great way to meditate on the verse day and night.
Telling a friend or family member is a great way to stay accountable to your goal.  I have told my mom and husband and some others that I am trying to do this.  I make a monthly goal every new month to learn 4 new scriptures and I tell others so they can ask me about it.  I hope this will also encourage others to begin learning verses that will help them live the Christian life.
Choosing the verses is up to you but I have two bits of advice:
Use the same translation for all memorized verses and choose verses that are relevant to you at that time in your life, not a verse you think you are supposed to know.
Here are my favorite verses about the importance of memorizing scripture:
Ephesians 6:17
Psalms 119:11
Psalms 1:1-3
Psalms 40:8
1 Peter 3:15-16
Colossians 3:16
Psalms 7:1-3
Want to know what verses to start with, more memorization tips, or just a little inspiration and encouragement.  Follow my Christian Faith board on Pinterest!

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