Scripture Memorization

I have engaged in a scripture memorization program in order to know better what the Bible says and to heed Jeremiah 1:8. The program is quite simple, it just takes about 20 minutes a day reciting the verses plus about another 20 minutes per week writing them down. It really just takes practice; no special skills.

The Technique

A quick search on the web turned up a web page from Jack Van Impe describing the technique set forth by Dr. David Allen. I will summarize the technique with some embellishments of my own.

First a little overview. The general plan is to learn one new set of 10-15 verses per week (that's about as much as I can handle, anyway). The set of verses should be related by subject matter, should belong to the same major passage, or should be related in some similar fashion. This set of verses is usually broken up into about 3-7 chunks so that each chunk will fit on a 3x5" index card.

Try to avoid choosing to memorize single verses alone that need context to understand correctly. Instead, choose chunks of verses that encapsulate an entire thought. My general rule of thumb is to try to memorize the entire paragraph the verse of interest is in unless the verse itself is a clear summarization of the context.

The memorization technique is based on rote memorization over a period of time during which the repetitions of the verses decreases in frequency. Though such a mechanical process may seem antithetical to coming to know God's word, you really can't help but come to know the meaning transmitted in the verses you're memorizing, not just the words. (Well, I suppose you can become pharisaic about most any habit, but it's easier than you might think for the scripture to come alive using this technique.) During the daily and weekly repetition of the verses, you'll find yourself understanding nuances that you never noticed before and relating the verses and passages to their larger context, which in turn gives you a much greater understanding. You'll also likely find yourself being convicted of your own adherance or non-adherance to God's word in the process.

How To Do It

Procedure

Preparation (~20 minutes, once a week)

1. Choose the subject of the verses you want to memorize or the passage you want to memorize.
2. Choose the verses or passages you want to memorize related to the subject or major passage.
3. Create a cover card to list the verses and track your progress.
• List the subject the verses are related to at the top.
• Create a series of check boxes to check off indicating completion of each set of repetitions. 7 for the first week, labeled "7x daily". 14 for the following two weeks labeled "2x daily". 12 for the next 12 weeks labeled "1x weekly".
4. Break the verses into chunks that will each fit on one index card (remember to try to capture complete thoughts in a given chunk).
5. Write each chunk of verses out on a separate memory verse card.
• List the book, chapter, and verse(s) in the upper left.
• List the Bible translation used.
• List the subject the verse(s) relates to in the upper right.
• Write the verse(s) in the body of the card.
6. List the chunks of verses in the right column of the cover card.

Daily Routine (~20 minutes per day)

1. For the first 7 days (days in which you don't practice don't count toward the 7 days), read aloud or speak aloud from memory, all the verses in the set 7 times.
2. For the next 14 days, speak aloud from memory all the verses in the set 2 times.
3. For the next 12 weeks, speak aloud from memory all the verses in the set 1 time and read them aloud from the card 1 time, once per week .
4. From then on, speak aloud from memory all the verses in the set 1 time and read them aloud from the card 1 time, once per month.

For each verse or chunk of verses (whatever you have on a single index card), I like to say the book/chapter/verse and then say the verse(s) and then say the book/chapter/verse again. It is critical that you say them aloud. The goal is to build up your muscle memory (it's kinda like singing the alphabet when you were a kid). I begin and end the recitation with the book/chapter/verse so that if I want to recall a verse by book/chapter/verse the verse naturally rolls off my tongue after saying the book/chapter/verse, or if I start to recite a verse, the reference in scripture (book/chapter/verse) will roll off my tongue after I finish the recitation. This is just a little indexing trick.

For the first few days working on a new set of verses, don't worry at all about being able to recite the verses from memory. Just read them from the card. You will notice as you progress through the first week that you start memorize portions of the verses naturally and anticipate subsequent phrases before you read them. Do say the verses from memory as soon as you can comfortably do so, but don't push yourself too hard. It will come naturally over time with practice. By about the 5th day, you will probably find yourself reciting the verses almost entirely from memory. I suggest that you always read the verses from the cards on the 7th (final) repitition each day so that you double check your memory, even if you can say the verses from memory for the first 6 repititions.

By the time you drop down to 2 repititions per day, you should be reciting the verses strictly from memory. Don't be afraid to double check your memory (after you have tried your best to recite the verses) by reading from the card, but you should strive to go through the next 14 days without referring to the cards.

When you drop down to 1 repetition per week, choose a day of the week to recite the set on and list the name of the set (the subject of the verses) beside the chosen day of the week on a separate card listing all seven days of the week. I like to use the inside cover of my spiral bound index card notebook for this purpose. This will help you to keep track of the verses in the weekly category. You should do something similar for those that have moved into the monthly category.

When the day of the week (or day of the month for monthlies) comes for you to recite a set in the 1x weekly category, recite the set once from memory, and then read alound the set from the cards to double check and reinforce the verses in your memory. It is important that you recite the verses from memory before you read them.

As time goes on and you memorize more sets of verses, you will be reciting multiple sets of verses each day. Eventually, you will always have 1 set of verses in the 7x daily category, 1 or 2 in the 2x daily, 1 or 2 in the 1x weekly category and an increasing number of sets in the 1x monthly category.

Materials

• Your favorite Bible translation
• 3x5" ruled index cards
• Pencil

There are computer software programs available to help you memorize scripture, but index cards are a great deal more portable than computers, they cost less, and they don't crash. I prefer using spiral bound index cards that come in sets of 50 cards. They are easily carried around and keep the cards nicely in order.

Choose whichever Bible translation you like. I prefer the New American Standard Bible since it is a verbatim formal equivalence translation and I have an interest in the raw wording of the original scripture. This is purely a matter of preference. Dynamic equivalence translations like the New International Version tend to be less stilted when recited.

Example Cards

Resources

• "Never Read a Bible Verse", Gregory Koukl
• "The Walking Bible", Jack Van Impe
• Playing With Fire: How the Bible Ignites Change in Your Soul, Walt Russell

Sample Memorization Schedule