The Bible
verses in this collection are divided into six topical categories to help
facilitate recall. If you
successfully memorize
these Scriptures, you will have a firm foundation which will serve to guide and
strengthen your daily walk in Christ. Everyone
has to begin somewhere and this collection of Scriptures is an excellent
starting point. I still fondly recall a similar collection of verses I
first treasured in my heart some 25 years ago as a new believer (Ps 119:9-note,
Ps 119:11-note; Job 23:12-note)
and to this day I continue to use these Scriptures in teaching, praying,
witnessing, meditating, etc. So Beloved of the Lord (1Jn 3:2-note),
let me encourage you to...
(1)
Begin slowly (but be sure to BEGIN!), perhaps choosing a verse with which
you are familiar, remembering that before you go to the Word, go to the
Author of the Word! (Ps 119:18-note)
(2) Write the verse
(including the Topic Heading)
on a card (index cards or business sized cards work great, the latter
allowing for more flexibility).
Keep this collection with you to review when you have "down time" (waiting
in long lines at Disneyland, stuck on elevators, waiting in the "10 items
or less" line at the grocery store, etc)!
(3) As you add verses
don't forget to regularly review verses you have previously committed to memory. Regular
review is where many of us fall short and the result is that the verses
become "rusty". Keep your sword (Ep 6:17-note)
"sharp" with periodic, purposeful review!
(4) Use a more literal translation (ESV, NAS, KJV,
NKJV). The NIV is also fine but you want to avoid memorizing passages in
paraphrased versions (NLT, TLB, etc). (See
Bible Versions compared
)
(5)
Always read the verse in
context(which you can do easily by
clicking the Scripture link) and make sure you understand what it means
(consult a conservative commentary after you have prayerfully sought the
meaning of the passage). (See also
Inductive Bible study,
and separate topics
[1] Observation,
[2] Interpretation,
[3] Application)
(6) Using the tool below you can select the
version you prefer. Then you can recite your verse (don't forget to recite
the chapter and verse along with the actual Scripture) and check your accuracy
(always seek to be word perfect!).
(7) Passages marked with (N)
identify in depth notes related to that verse.
(8)
Note that some sections consist of more than one verse, because to take
them out of
context
would disrupt the flow and/or interpretation of the passage.
(9)
Be diligent (2Ti 2:15-note) and directed to seek to apply each passage personally (Jas
1:22-note, 2Ti 3:16, 17-note).
The purpose of Scripture memorization is not to make us prideful
"Pharisees" or smarter sinners, but saints who are daily
becoming
more like their Savior (Php 1:6-note,
2Pe 3:18-note,
Php 3:20, 21-note).
Some insights from John Piper on
memorizing God's holy Word...
There's a high level of expectation
people ought to have when they approach the Bible...I don't think you need
to be a "professional" preacher like me to enjoy deep and glorious things
with God. In fact, some of the deepest saints that I've ever met, who
outshine me, have not been "professional" Christians....(In answer to the
question "How do you memorize Scripture?" Piper says) First...by praying
for discipline and setting aside time. I set aside a block of time in the
morning (an hour or so) to be with God alone, reading my Bible,
praying...and my prayers may extend for 20-30 minutes. So I've got at
least 5 or 10 minutes for Scripture memorization in that hour. If you
decide to memorize Scripture for 5 or 10 minutes a day, you can memorize a
lot of Scripture! Really, it's incredible! As I'm reading, I put circles
around the paragraphs or verses that I want to memorize. I put a little
"m" beside the ones that I have worked on so I can come back and review
them in coming days. I got this idea from a little booklet about how to
memorize long passages of Scripture. It recommended that you take your
first verse, read it 10 times, and then close your eyes or shut your Bible
and say it 10 times. I think if you do that, you can memorize almost any
verse in the Bible: 10 times read, 10 times said, and then you've got it.
When you come back the next day, open your Bible, say that verse again 5
or 10 times. Then you do the same thing with the next verse. Then you do
them both together. Finally, you shut your Bible, you shut your Bible, say
that verse again 5 or 10 times. Then you do the same thing with the next
verse. Then you do both of them together. Finally, you shut your Bible and
leave. Then you come back and do it again. So basically, the answer is
repetition and review.
Here's one other little tip that I use.
If I pick a verse, a couple of verses, or a paragraph, I'll put it on a
piece of paper, and I'll carry it in my pocket for the day. And at times
during the day, I'll pull it out an read it for my soul (italics in
the original). I don't memorize verses that don't help my soul. I'm not
into mechanical memorizing. I'm into fighting the fight of faith
(Italics in the original, cp 1Ti 1:18, 6:12, 2Ti 4:7-note).
I want to memorize Scripture so that I can defeat the devil at 3 o'clock
in the afternoon -- that's why I memorize! It's so that I can minister to
a saint in the hospital at 10 o'clock at night if I've forgotten my Bible.
This is for my soul, and for the souls of others around me. So I carry it
around, and review it. Review is to crucial. (Bible
Study Magazine. Sept & Oct, 2009, page 8 - if you don't
subscribe to this Bibliocentric publication, you might want to consider
trying it for a year) (Bolding added by me)
Let the encouraging
words of the well knownBible teacher Pastor Chuck Swindoll
motivate you to redeem the time (Ep 5:16-note)
and begin your great adventure of "eating the Word" (1Pe 2:2-note,
He 5:14-note)
today
(the best day to begin - 2Co 6:2)...
I know of no other single
practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking,
than memorizing Scripture...No other single exercise pays greater
spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your
witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and
outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant.
Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be
solidified." (from
Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life)
(Bolding added)
Another Memory "Tool" - I have recently discovered a very
innovative tool called
NaturalReader
(not the free version but the personal version that cost about $50 and
comes with one amazingly natural sounding voice - I use the pleasant voice
of Paul.) This program reads what you highlight (on the Web, email, Word,
Pdf documents) and also allows you to copy and paste written material from
any source which can then be converted to Mp3 files which I listen
to on my Ipod. To facilitate memorization, you can copy and paste the
Scriptures you are working on, even writing notes or memory joggers or
repeating parts of the verse several times (e.g., especially portions that
you are having difficulty retaining). I will often listen to several
Scriptures and then intersperse a favorite hymn or chorus followed by more
Scriptures, etc. This works great when you are driving in the car, so
instead of listening to the radio, you can be reviewing the Scriptures
that you currently memorizing. You will be amazed at how "natural" the
recordings sound. And you can use this tool to listen to commentaries,
sermons, etc that are not otherwise available in an audio format. For
example, I recently listened to Jonathan Edwards sermon on "Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God". Woe! I highly recommend this tool and find it very
useful.
Need some motivation to run the
"memorization race" with endurance? Read "Charlie's List", the story of
Charles Hayward...
When Charles Hayward died last May at
the age of 87, he left a legacy for his children and grandchildren. He and
his wife Virginia had faithfully served as missionaries for many years
both in India and South Africa. But at age 73, he began to select and
memorize portions of Scripture so he would “finish well” with his mind
full of God’s truth.
He called his project, “The Whole Bible Memorization Plan.” His
children call it, “Charlie’s List.” Charles chose a theme verse
(Col 3:16-note),
at least one verse from each Old Testament book, at least one from each
New Testament narrative book, and a verse or verses from each chapter of
the New Testament Epistles. He began with Genesis 15:6, “He believed in
the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” and ended with
Revelation 22:17-note,
“Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life
freely.”
All in all, Charles committed 239 verses to memory. He reminds me of the
psalmist who wrote: “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not
sin against You” (Ps 119:11-note).
Like Charles, the psalmist meditated and delighted in God’s Word (Ps
119:15, 16-note).
What better goal could any of us have than to fill our minds with God’s
truth.
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved
If you are faithful in reading God’s
Word,
You can be sure that you’re growing thereby;
And if you’re hiding His Word in your heart,
You’ll be rejoicing to meet Him on high. —Hess
Memorizing God’s Word is like planting seeds
that bear the fruit of a righteous life
