MEMORIZING SCRIPTURES: GOD’S POWER SUPPLY FOR POWERFUL LIVING

By Frank Eiklor and Cecilia Contreras

LESSON 46 Part 5

INTRODUCTION

The longest chapter in the Bible elevates God’s majestic Word as supreme, eternal and never-failing. Psalm 119—all 176 verses—tell of His words, laws, statutes and testimonies and how they lead us to God’s wisdom and a life of obedience. That is why it is so wonderful to memorize verses of scripture—to hide the Word of God in our hearts and discover its supply of power in our daily lives.  

This is Part 5 of our learning how to memorize God’s Word. Up to now, we have learned some of the benefits we receive when we memorize, review and retain God’s Word in our minds and hearts. In this lesson, we will study some simple action steps or how to go to work in memorizing something that will never grow old or outdated—Bible verses that the Holy Spirit will use to guide and guard you every day of you life.

MEMORIZING SINGLE VERSES OF SCRIPTURE

Never do what one young man did who heard that I memorized chapters and books of the Bible. He immediately started memorizing the book of Revelation—one of the toughest you’ll ever work on—and he soon gave up. It turned out that he was on a “memory ego trip.” You and I don’t need that. We want to memorize the Word of God for what it is—God’s thoughts—so that we can put those thoughts to work in our own lives and let them work in us.

Start memorizing single verses. If you’re new at this, the best way to start is by having a morning and evening quiet time. This is merely reading the Scriptures and having prayer with the Lord first thing in the morning and at evening before you retire. As you read the Bible, verses of scripture will stand out to you. You sense it’s the Lord speaking to you, because those scriptures meet needs in your life. That’s a signal from the Holy Spirit to memorize those verses. Make them part of your life. Anything that is that precious on a first reading will become much more precious as it’s meditated upon and applied through the years.

A SIMPLE SYSTEM

 If you’re an older Christian who has already memorized scriptures in the past, perhaps you failed to review them. Thus you’ve lost those wonderful scripture verses. Go back through the years and recall the verses that had special meaning to you. Then list each scripture so you can go back to work on them before memorizing any new verses.

A good way to do it is to put each scripture verse on a small card. Write your scripture reference on one side of the card and verse on the other.

Now start going over that first verse. Find your own style to best memorize and review. My own simple plan is a method of working on a verse by constant repetition. I don’t have a photographic memory. Many folks think that just because someone memorizes chapters and books of the Bible, it comes easy. On the contrary, I have to work hard on every word I memorize.

A CALL TO TENACITY

But while I don’t have a photographic memory, God has given me tenacity. Once I get something into my head and heart, I’m not going to let it go. That’s why I believe in the three simple rules of how to retain a memorized verse. Rule number one is review. Rule two is review. And guess what rule three is?

I take a verse that I love and want to be a part of my life, and then I go to work. I first say the reference. Let’s say I’m memorizing Matthew 5:16. Here’s how I do it. “Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men—let your light so shine before men—let your light so shine before men…” Then I go on to the next short section in the verse. “…that they may see your good works…that they may see your good works—that they may see your good works—that they may see your good works. Now I’ve worked on two short segments of that verse. I try to put it together and keep working until I’ve got it. “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works—Let…” Now finish it up. “…and glorify your father which is in heaven—repeat—repeat.” 

Now I’ve worked on three sections that equal the entire verse. It’s time to see if I can do the whole verse, or keep struggling until I do. “Let your light so shine, etc.” While learning a verse, I try to say the reference before and after the verse. “Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, etc. Matthew 5:16.” I may say it fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five times before I move on to anything else. I want to make sure that I have that verse at least started in my mind.

FINDING YOUR FREQUENCY

Now, the big key is reviewing it. When you spread out a reviewing of Scripture over a greater length of time—like memorizing the verse on Monday and not reviewing it until Thursday or Friday, it’s going to take much longer before that scripture flows smoothly and becomes a part of you. When I began memorizing verses of scripture, I reviewed them every day. If you have to have one or two days each week just to let your mind rest, then review your scriptures five days a week just like you’re in school. God’s school. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and you’re His pupil. I can almost guarantee you that if you review Mathew 5:16 at least five days a week for one month, that scripture verse will forever be a part of your life.

When  I memorized single verses, I reviewed them every day sometimes for a month or two. But then I had sensed within my heart and mind that that scripture was part of me. I could now begin to review it less. I started a second phase of reviewing my more familiar verses every other day, or every three days, while reviewing my newly memorized verses every day.

THREE “MEMORY STAGES”

The big thing you have to remember is that it’s just as easy to get discouraged and give up working on scripture verses as it is to get started. Determination is the name of the game. Does God desire you to hide His Word in your heart? Of course He does. So what God is for, you’re for, and you’re not going to give it up.

Just remember there are three stages in memorizing and retaining scriptures, just as there are in anything, including tying your first shoe laces, riding your first bike, or driving your first car. There’s the awkward stage when you feel like “I’ll never get this.” Maybe that’s why the first scripture you memorize should be Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Review that every day for a month, and that truth will help you keep going when discouragement tries to tell you to stop.

The second stage is that mechanical one where you’ll feel like you’re only quoting “words, words, words.” Keep going to the third stage—the natural stage—and you’ll find God’s memorized Word feeding and fueling your faith.

(CONCLUDED NEXT LESSON)