The Forgotten Art of Memorization

I love talking to certain old saints. They overflow with wisdom and experience. And so often have a gentle manner that combines godly patience with the willingness to remind me that, despite being in my 40s, I am still a young whippersnapper with much to learn about the Kingdom of God.

I think the thing I love most about chatting to people who have been walking with the Lord for many decades is the fact that so many of them call Scripture to mind with ease. A significant proportion of them grew up in an environment where memorising verses of the Bible was seen as part of the normal weekly routine. A phenomenon that is often missing in congregations today.

If you read the Bible regularly, you will probably have a few key verses firmly fixed in your mind: John 3:16 might be a good place to start. And you’re likely to have a few favourites of your own too.

There will be other verses which you can quote, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” But might be a bit hazy about the exact reference. (1 Timothy 6:10 – to save you having to search).

And then there will be a whole swathe of other verses, like the one which Paul wrote and talks about the fact we are changed by something happening to our minds … (That one’s Romans 12:2)

But all too often the exact quotation and reference don’t trip off our tongues.

The reality is however, that the process of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” would be greatly enhanced if we were feeding our minds gospel truths that could be easily recalled, with accuracy (and, given this is God’s word, power).

In the middle of the night when the worries crowd in, it’s good to remember that we’re loved. But how much better to quote God’s truth to ourselves and focus afresh on his specific words to his precious people…. When the kids are screaming and dinner is burning, how grounding would it be to speak words of life out loud into the situation (and do so without having to flee upstairs with a saucepan in one hand and a toddler in the other in order to find a Bible)… When the business meeting has gone badly wrong and we’re sitting at our desk trying desperately to hold it all together – how strengthening to be able to recall with accuracy God’s unswerving promises, facts that never falter or fail.

Wouldn’t that be great?!

So, why not ask someone to be your Bible memorization partner? It’s very simple. You can pick anyone – of any age or stage in their Christian walk – and arrange that each month you will learn just one verse of Scripture together. You can take it in turns to pick what that verse is going to be.

You can meet together over coffee to learn it. Or simply sort things out via email. And over the course of the month, you can remind each other of the verse at every opportunity. You can text it … Facebook it … Tweet it … Learn it in different languages (if you are linguistically inclined) … phone each other up and quote it … write postcards from holiday penning it … or, if all else fails, actually tell it to each other face-to-face when you see each other week by week(!)

You could approach someone in your church. Or email one of the missionaries your church supports. Link up with someone from your church who is off at university and maybe not as stuck into Christian things as they once were. The options are limitless. And the potential for change is limitless too.

So, go on, let’s revive the lost art of Bible memorization this year.