Memorizing Scripture...what about it?

[mizzdy]

The importance of memorizing Scripture cannot be understated. A couple of really good reasons to memorize Scripture is for your own self edification and to guard your heart

What about those who can't memorize anything? I have problems with short and long term memory and try as I might I just can't get the verses to stick in my little brain! I know whats there what it says but can't repeat the whole words and I have problems remembering where in the bible things are written. I write everything down I want to remember, you should see all my note books and sticky notes.

[Floatingaxe]

"I have hidden thy word in my heart that I might not sin against you." - Psalms 119:11 That pretty much sums up the reason to memorize Scripture in my opinion.

There you go! That's my answer, too. There is an internalization that takes place. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God becomes part of our very fabric, as does Psalm 119:103, as all food digested becomes part of us.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Psalm 119:103

How sweet your words taste to me;

they are sweeter than honey.

[Guest man]

I went through a phase for about 3 years where I memorized scripture verbatum. When God "Quickened " His word to me and spoke directly to me and my situation I would memorize that scripture and store it away like a treasure.

I've been experiencing God's calling through scriptures more abundantly, lately. It's at those time where I wondered if I should memorize those scriptures to have in my heart, to always remember God's word. However, I wasn't sure if there was a "special" way of doing it..or rather, if that was what I was supposed to do. Did you follow a set way of memorizing?

I think it is more important to understand the meaning of the Word, than it is to memorize it.

Once you understand its meaning, it will always stay with you. You don't have to know it word for word as long as you understand it.

God searches the heart, not the brain.

[Floatingaxe]

I went through a phase for about 3 years where I memorized scripture verbatum. When God "Quickened " His word to me and spoke directly to me and my situation I would memorize that scripture and store it away like a treasure.

I've been experiencing God's calling through scriptures more abundantly, lately. It's at those time where I wondered if I should memorize those scriptures to have in my heart, to always remember God's word. However, I wasn't sure if there was a "special" way of doing it..or rather, if that was what I was supposed to do. Did you follow a set way of memorizing?

I think it is more important to understand the meaning of the Word, than it is to memorize it.

Once you understand its meaning, it will always stay with you. You don't have to know it word for word as long as you understand it.

God searches the heart, not the brain.

"Eating" the word by memorizing it makes it available to you when you need it.

I use recipe cards, and keep one in my Bible or journal, tuck one in the bathroom mirror to recite as I do my "things", and I keep one at my bedside. everyone in our church who is in a cell group is encouraged to memorize a mere verse a month.

That's nothing!

The kids at our church school must all memorize a chapter a month! You should see them! Grades 2 or 3 up to grade 12. Those seniors have memorized masses of passages by the time they graduate! I am so proud of them! It will stand them in good stead for their future.

[EricH]

I think it has been said well above.

[irishcowboy]

It is said that Daniel Webster had the entire Bible memorized, from cover to cover.......

I am glad there are people that can and have memorized verse after verse after verse, i am glad they have.

for those that have a hard time memorizing the words, just read the Bible, over and over and over, the words will plant themselves in your mind and heart and will grow, for His Word never comes back void......

even for those that are unable to memorize verses, by constantly reading the Word, it becomes part of you. Don't get discouraged about not remembering the words when you want to, for the Holy Spirit will place in you the words to say from the Word when you need it.

keep studying, it is a good thing, and will show through......

as the little girl asked her mom one day after church, said mom, is it true that God is bigger then anything? mom said yes. the Little girl said, is it true that when a person becomes a Christian that God lives inside them? again, mom said yes. well, i am a bit confussed..... if God is so big, and He is trying to live inside us, WONT HE SHOW THROUGH?

hmmm something to think about, God leaking out of us so much that we no longer look like us, but some one with a lot of holes leaking God out where ever they go......

knowing the words, and knowing the WORD are two different things as well, a person can know all the words of the Bible, and never not have a relationship with the WORD (Christ).

mike

[annabelfwlr]

I would keep on repeating them to myself over and over. After a day or 2 I would usually have it down verbatum. I think it is important to memorize the chapter and verse # along with the scripture.

I might add that before I started to memorize scripture I memorized all of the books in the Bible forwards and then backwards. That helped me to get started and is very useful for quick reference and study assist.

I don't really memorize scripture much anymore. After awhile, if you don't recite all of the scriptures you know, you tend to forget them and they get all jumbled.

I was reading the bible straight through from Genesis to Revelation. When God spke to me through a scripture I would memorize it. then several times a day I would recite to myself all of the scriptures i had memorized in order from Genesis on...this helped me keep them in order. I got pretty good at it and even had whole chapters memorized; it just got to be too much for me after awhile though.

That's really impressive!

I think it would be helpful to begin by memorizing the books of the Bible first. Plus, that trains your mind, or allows it to be able to memorize easier.

[annabelfwlr]

Can anyone tell me the importance, or significance of memorizing scripture? Is there more to it than just knowing the Word my memory? I've been wondering about this lately, and I've also been wondering what scriptures are good for memorization. I met a man once who could recite whole portions of chapters. It floored me! Besides these questions, what are some good "beginner" scriptures to start memorizing? Of course, the 23rd Psalm, but what else? Thanks so much!!!

Hi Anna--I'm John.

I don't know if this answers your question or not, but I just started reading the Word one day and haven't stopped since. God never asked me to understand what I read, just to read it. But I found that as I did read, my memory started working something like on "auto-pilot" (for lack of a better term). He says in there that He will bring to mind the things He teaches us (John 14:26) and it was uncanny how that started happening even before I read that far (and I started with the Gospel of John). I've read the entire New Testament, but only once. I've read parts of the Old Testament, and I concerned myself with the order in which I was studying until it was as if the Holy Spirit was saying for me not to worry about that. I asked Him then in prayer, "Yeah, but what if I run out of time in my life before I get everything read--there's so much." He replied, "You will never 'run out of time in your life' because you are already alive forever. And you don't need to concern yourself with hurrying to read it all--you have all of eternity. The patience you must exercise in order to read and think on the things you do read is in your best interest to have." To this day, then, I read and then meditate--here a little, there a little, back and forth. Usually one chapter a day in all the different versions of Scripture I have (I rely mostly on KJV, but like to see how it's said in other translations). Sometimes, in the course of my life, I have to read maybe only part of the day's chapter and get back to it later--even the next day at times. But that's just the Holy Spirit's way of letting me know I need to think on what I've last read some more (He's in charge of what "interruptions" are allowed to come into my life).

One thing I would tell you--don't worry about stuff you don't immediately understand. It will come to you when it's time for you TO understand it--the Holy Spirit will see to that. Just start somewhere and be determined that you're gonna keep going and leave it to the Lord to bring forth the understanding to you. He will.

There's more I could add, but I don't want to be too wordy. Someone else may have a better take on things that would suit your inquiry than this, or they may have a better way of saying it.

Nice to meet you, John!

Actually, what you wrote was pretty insightful and helpful (I may even print it out to keep as a reminder, if you don't mind.) Like you, I "skip" around because I have found that I get lost if I try to read it consecutively. A lot of times, when reading it "in order" I feel as if I get so caught up in reading I block out the Holy Spirit (or whatever I'm reading doesn't pertain to me). Before I read, I open my Bible to any page, and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide me in the Book where He wants me to go. Then, when I do read and I'm called to a certain scripture and I write the book and verses down. Now, I'm glad I've done that so I can go back and put my memory to work!!

[Iryssa]

"Eating" the word by memorizing it makes it available to you when you need it.

I use recipe cards, and keep one in my Bible or journal, tuck one in the bathroom mirror to recite as I do my "things", and I keep one at my bedside. everyone in our church who is in a cell group is encouraged to memorize a mere verse a month.

That's nothing!

The kids at our church school must all memorize a chapter a month! You should see them! Grades 2 or 3 up to grade 12. Those seniors have memorized masses of passages by the time they graduate! I am so proud of them! It will stand them in good stead for their future.

That's awesome!! Kudos to your church for implementing that kind of exercise, and kudos to the kids and teens for their dedication!! God is sure going to use that for good (I imagine He is already), no doubt about it.

[Floatingaxe]

"Eating" the word by memorizing it makes it available to you when you need it.

I use recipe cards, and keep one in my Bible or journal, tuck one in the bathroom mirror to recite as I do my "things", and I keep one at my bedside. everyone in our church who is in a cell group is encouraged to memorize a mere verse a month.

That's nothing!

The kids at our church school must all memorize a chapter a month! You should see them! Grades 2 or 3 up to grade 12. Those seniors have memorized masses of passages by the time they graduate! I am so proud of them! It will stand them in good stead for their future.

That's awesome!! Kudos to your church for implementing that kind of exercise, and kudos to the kids and teens for their dedication!! God is sure going to use that for good (I imagine He is already), no doubt about it.

Amen and thank you!

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