Remember the Words: Why and How to Make Scripture Memory a Way of Life

by Dakota Lynch

1: It prevents discouragement.

Short-term goals provide more frequent opportunities for this sort of celebration, keeping you motivated and on track.

2: It provides opportunities for adjustment.

When your target completion date is never more than two or three months away, you'll have regular opportunities to make these adjustments.

When it comes to memorizing Scripture, achieving uncommon results requires uncommon intentionality.

So after deciding what you will memorize, choose a target completion date to help you stay on track.

The Third W: Who will hear ...

Nobody likes accountability, but we all need it.

In fact, research shows that accountability drastically increases the odds of achieving your goals. Your likelihood of success is: • 10% if you have a specific idea or goal • 25% if you consciously decide to do it • 40% if you decide when you will do it • 50% if you plan how you will do it • 65% if you commit to someone else that you will do it • 95% if you have a specific accountability appointment with that person [16]

Skipping the accountability component may be tempting, but you'll be much less likely to cross the finish line.

The good news is that accountability doesn't have to be awkward. Don't think of it as a weekly exam. Instead, view it as a weekly opportunity to share God's Word.

On a practical note, it's important to select a hearer who will truly hold you accountable and stir you up "to love and good works" (Heb. 10:24).

Ideally, this accountability should come from someone outside your home. Although your family members may be willing, they are generally most lenient when you need a push.

If your accountability comes from someone who isn't memorizing Scripture also, it may be harder to get up when you fall down.

You need someone who shares your values, both intellectually and experientially.

Before concluding that you are the only Christian within 50 miles who cares about memorizing Scripture, ask a few mature believers in your church if they memorize or would be willing to start. You might be surprised by their answers!

If you simply cannot find a fellow memorizer to hear your verses, consider reciting to an unbeliever instead.

If accountability feels unnatural and unnecessary, remember that your goal isn't just to memorize Scripture for the next few weeks. It's to make Scripture memory a new way of life!

If you're convinced that memorizing Scripture is worth prioritizing over the long haul, take steps now to ensure your goals become a reality. Like a seatbelt, accountability provides stability when you encounter unexpected obstacles in life. And like a seatbelt, you should proactively use it even when the road ahead seems clear.

Once you've identified what you will memorize, when you will finish, and who will hear you recite, you're ready to begin memorizing Scripture!

1. Identify your learning style.

Memorizing Scripture never comes effortlessly, but you can streamline the process by identifying your unique learning style.

Are you a visual ...

auditory learner,

Kinesthetic learners

rote memorization

During your first few weeks of memorizing, try everything. Yes, everything.

The point is simple: try memorizing Scripture in a variety of ways, then stick with the methods you find most effective.

2. Find your Scripture memory time and place.

habit stacking.[17] Rather than building a new habit from scratch, build it upon the foundation of another habit you have already mastered.

determine in advance when and where it's going to happen.

Remember that the goal isn't to become a memory champion; it's to make Scripture memory a consistent part of your day.

Spending 10 minutes per day on your verses is better than spending an hour ...

"Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to stand...

3. Eliminate dist...

Memorization requires your undivided attention.

"Attention is fixity of thought. The ability to fix your thought on what you desire to memorize is the first essential principle in the training of the memory."[19]

A word of warning: eliminating distractions may prove harder than it sounds. Our lives are filled with constant alerts, notifications, and messages. Silencing our devices sounds easy enough, but the modern brain is so accustomed to distractions that it often prefers them.

"[T]he constant shifting of our attention when we're online may make our brains more nimble when it comes to multitasking, but improving our ability to multitask actually hampers...

Humankind hasn't lost its ability to memorize or think deeply over the last 50 years; we're simply out of practice.

4. Develop a review system.

Your short-term memory can store information quickly, but preserving something in your long-term memory requires time and patience.

This isn't a sign that he has defective memory and can't memorize; it's a sign that the verses never made it into long-term memory.

When you begin memorizing a new verse, commit to reviewing it daily.

It's better to say a verse every day for 100 days than to say it 100 ...

By reviewing a verse right before you would otherwise forget it, you're casting a vote for the importance of that memory. You're telling your brain, "Hang onto this; it's important!"

Over time, you'll be able to review a verse less often without forgetting it.

The goal is to maintain what you've already memorized while still allowing plenty of time to learn new verses.

5. Pick a translation.

when it comes to memorization, it’s crucial to pick a single translation and stick with it.