Scripture Memory Made Easy | Saturday SOULfood

Happy Saturday, Friend!

Today I invited Carolyn Rice to share the Scripture memory strategy that took the "overwhelm" out of the process and helped her write God's Word on her heart. I hope that today's SOULfood equips you to engage in Scripture memory. What a powerful spiritual practice! -Sarah Koontz

I was sure I couldn’t do it.

But the more I prayed, the more I felt I needed to start memorizing Scripture.

I struggled with negative thoughts, so much so they were causing depression, anxiety, and fear to run rampant in my life.

I cried out to God in prayer; I was tired of struggling with negative thoughts.

Although I felt like I should start memorizing Scripture, I kept telling God I didn't know how to do it.

There are so many Scriptures in the Bible; I didn’t even know where to start!

But in His great mercy, God kept nudging me to give it a try and do my best.

One day, I decided to give up the idea that I couldn’t do it and asked God to help me memorize just one passage.

And I fell in love with the process.

By breaking the verse and the memorization process into small steps and reviewing that Scripture regularly, I discovered that I could do it!

Since then, Scripture memory has become a regular part of my life.

I know that if I struggled with the overwhelming idea of Scripture memory, someone else might be struggling with it too.

I am excited to share my method with you in hopes that it inspires and equips you to begin memorizing Scripture for yourself.

Don’t be afraid to take this process and make it your own! The most important thing is that you take action and find a way that works for you.

Step 1: Write it Down

The first thing I do when memorizing Scripture is to write it out in my own handwriting. I use a 3x5 card, but you can use anything you have on hand. There is something about writing things down that helps us to remember.

Step 2: Memorize One Line at a Time

Now we work on memorizing. Here’s my routine:

Read the verse until the first comma or period. If you are memorizing John 3:16 from the King James Version, read "For God so loved the world," then stop.
Close your eyes and recite that single line about ten times, counting on your fingers, until you can say it without peeking.
Next, go on to the next comma or period and add that line to the one you just recited. Again, if you are memorizing John 3:16, read "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son," and then stop.
Recite the Scripture up to that second comma about ten times, or until you can say that part of the verse without looking.
Repeat this process, adding phrases line by line until you can say the entire Scripture without peeking at your notecard.

Step 3: Review it Regularly

Repetition is how we write Scripture on our hearts and minds. Every time I pick up the Bible to do my devotions, I also pick up my memory Scripture pile. I try to memorize at least one Scripture a week and diligently review it during my daily devotionals. I remind myself of the Scripture by looking at it, then walk through the process detailed above until I don’t have to peek anymore. As time goes on, it becomes easier to remember your weekly Scripture every morning. By the end of the week, you will discover that you have it memorized.

How Scripture Memory Helps

The Scriptures I take the time to memorize are imprinted on my heart and come to mind when I need them.

They help me make decisions in my daily walk and keep my thought life on track with Biblical truth.

For example, after I started memorizing Scripture, I was driving along one day when a negative thought came to mind.

In the past, I would have taken that negative thought and dwelled on it. It would have begun to affect my mood and my outlook on life. In the past, one thought could derail my entire day.

But, that day, instead of taking in that negative thought, a Scripture I had memorized came to mind, and I was able to bat that negative thought away with the truth of God’s Word.

To me, this was a perfect picture of Philippians 4:8 NIV, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Establishing a Scripture memory habit has helped to remind me of the truth of God’s Word when I need it most, instead of letting negative thought patterns consume my mind.

It all began with a willingness to memorize one Scripture at a time, line by line.

So, if you have ever thought of memorizing Scripture but didn’t know where to start, I invite you to pick a verse and follow this simple process today:

Write it down
Memorize one line at a time
Review it regularly

Who knows, maybe you will fall in love with Scripture memory too!

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 NIV

- Carolyn Rice