This is a great reminder. My parents have always stressed Bible memory. Almost as soon as my siblings and I could talk, we would begin memorizing scripture, usually Psalm 23, and gradually move on to longer passages. A few years ago we stopped memorizing as much, but have been back into it for a few months now. I am currently working on Acts 1. I have found that if I write the verses down in a journal or notebook, they seem to stick better. When we were little, my Mom had us draw pictures representing the verse, and she would write the verses below the pictures. Most of those old drawings look a lot like scribbling to me now, but they actually helped when I was younger! I think having accountability is very helpful, as well. After our morning devotions, my family pairs off and we say our verses to each other. My Dad tries to hear each of us at least once a week. Thank you for posting the link to the memorizing strategies - reviewing previously memorized verses is not something I have been faithful in, but is is sooo important. I have often told myself that I don't need to review verses because "God will quicken it to me when I need it." But that is really just an excuse to not "do hard things" (in this case, "rememorize" scripture).
Adrielle | 02.02.06 - 3:48 pm | #

I am excited by the approach given by Dr. Andrew M. Davis! Memorizing scripture is an extremely hard thing for me, but one I have always wanted to be efficient in. It has amazed me that some people (including one of my friends) could memorize entire books of the Bible. Thank you for reminding me to set goals in the area of scripture memorization!
Elizabeth | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 5:02 pm | #

This is a really good challenge! My parents have also stressed Bible memorization from the time I was very young. My mom also set many verses and passages of scripture, to songs. I find that singing something really helps one remember it! She's set even Psalm 119 to different tunes, and by singing it, I learned all 176 verses! It's a tradition in our family to learn it once you turn 13. I've also just started using a Bible memory system called Memlock which stresses lots of review, so it is "locked" in your brain. Whichever way you memorize, memorizing scripture is definitely a good thing!
Anna Lofgren | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 5:08 pm | #

Well, what do you know? My mom has had me working on memorizing Romans 8 lately, just like you have been. I hope to continue memorizing more using MEMLOK after I finish that. Thanks for the encouragement!
Elijah Lofgren | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 5:52 pm | #

Anna & Elijah: Would you mind telling us more about MEMLOK? Do they have a website? Where should people go for more information?
Brett Harris | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 5:59 pm | #

Thanks for this excellent post! I have been committed to Bible memory for the past year, and wish I had started earlier. I have a small box with cards in it that are arranged alphabetically by the name of the book of the Bible the passage is from. This has worked well for me in regards to review.
Sherrin Ward | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 6:05 pm | #

I have memorized some extended pieces of Scripture before, but my problem is that I don't retain it very well after I start working on something else, or even just forget to repeat it for awhile. I've actually been working for a couple weeks on memorizing the entire book of Colossians; this post has been a great encouragement! I haven't set a deadline for myself though, and I think I will do that now.

I drive a LOT, so I spend a lot of my driving time reviewing the verses I already know. I usually only learn new verses along with my regular devotions so that I know I will have time to meditate on the verse and glean from it rather than just memorize it.
Brian Whalen | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 6:55 pm | #

Great point about how easy it is for teens to memorize the things we want to memorize! I gave a speech at a Toastmasters meeting this evening, and several audience members mentioned to me that they were impressed with my memorization of a ten minute speech. To me, it was no big deal. I memorize for tests, speeches, and other presentations on a daily basis, yet I don't put the same energy into memorizing Scripture as I do into memorizing my speeches and physics equations - not even close. Thanks for such a convicting reminder.
Karen Kovaka | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 6:56 pm | #

I'm memorizing Psalm 139 at the moment. I want to work on Romans 7 next. I like the tongue twister that's in there. We memorize scripture by finding the rhyme and cadence hidden among the verses and listening to scripture tapes.
Chaotic K | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 8:38 pm | #

Memlock can be found at http://memlock.com . It is a Bible memory system that has you memorize verses organized into topics. You learn a new verse every week, (or more if one's too little) and review daily. You end up reviewing 12 verses a day. When you've gone through all the verses, you have learned 48 topics and 700 verses! The topics vary, so you learn about verses about everything from accountability to God's Sovereignty. One of my older sisters has gone through it, and it really works! In whatever situation she's in, she usually has a verse come to mind!
Anna Lofgren | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 6:12 am | #

When I was 16, I set a goal to memorize the book of Matthew before my 17th birthday. I did it successfully (although there was never a point where I could repeat the whole book at once), and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Unfortunately, I haven't done very much memorization since then, but I'm feeling the urge to do so again after your post!

From my own experience, I can say that the more you memorize, the easier it becomes. When I first started memorizing Matthew, I couldn't memorize very much at once, but by the end of the year, I was sometimes able to memorize a whole chapter in one day. It takes practice, like anything else, but time spent in practice is rewarded richly!
J | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 6:22 am | #

It's funny that you should have a post on memorizing Scripture because my mom has just started really getting into doing that and has been encouraging us to do likewise. I think I usually start memorizing something then get tired of it and go onto something else. I've been working on not doing that. So, I think I'll set a deadline to finish the first chapter of John (which I've been working on for over a year), then finish Psalm 119. Thank you for this post. It's got me thinking about being more consistant with my memorizing.
Jo | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 9:02 am | #

The Lord has been impressing my husband and I to go through the Christian Disciplines with our home group...bible reading, memorization, meditation, study, prayer, worship, silence and solitude, journaling...a great book on this topic is "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney.
The purpose of these tools of "grace" are for the purpose of godliness. Pastor Whitney stresses this throughout his book.
I posted on Bible memorization on my blog, a few weeks ago. I will add some more thoughts. The disciplines are like a tapestry, that all flow into one another.
Karen | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 9:33 am | #

Hey guys- my girlfriends and I used to encourage each other to memorize whole books at a time, in order to be faithful to Scripture in its entire context. I found this to be an amazing, rewarding practice, both for prayer, ministry, speaking, etc. I have the books of Ephesians and James memorized, and am working on all of Romans; my friend who started me on this route can recite all of Romans, though it take her about three hours :) If girls can do it...
MM | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 11:26 am | #

I too find it very easy to memorize just about anything... except Scripture. I've done some extended sections, but I've forgotten them all by now. As an encouragement, though, I will say that the youth group at my church has done ten minute sprints of memorization, with a goal of just one verse, and most all the kids had the verse down pat by the end.

Just out of curiosity, what version do you guys use? My church uses KJV almost exclusively, but I usually use NKJV, just because it's easier to understand at six in the morning when I do my devotions. :)
A fellow soldier | 02.03.06 - 1:47 pm | #

wow. conviction....and ENCOURAGEMENT!! Thanks so much guys!
I'm actually trying to memorize Romans 8 as well. Shall we have a contest? ;-) Like MM, i have a friend who has memorized Romans, and her sister has Galatians and most of Colossians. They printed out the sections and put them in clear plastic covers and taped them everywhere--the walls of the shower, the mirror, the desk, above the sink, at the computer, in the car. And it worked.
I think the only problem for me has been accountiblity; someone to drill me every night, someone to give me deadlines. I guess I need to take responsibility for it (seeing as it drives my family nuts to drill me) and just go for it. :-)
thanks again for this (and i think i'll be buying that book soon!!)
jacqui | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 4:59 pm | #

Hey guys,

I decided to post something on your blog. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. Anyway, I wanted to first of all convey my excitement about your goals for scripture memory. Yeah!! =) I’m thrilled that the Lord used John Piper’s book to rekindle your desire to engraft His word into your hearts. Also, I will be praying for you, that this desire will continue to grow and for God’s enabling grace to reach the goal you have set for yourselves. I’m proud of you both, as you continue to set high, godly standards for yourselves while at the same time challenging those around you—myself included. Thank you for your example.

I wanted to share a few things—as a reminder to myself as well as an encouragement to you both and your readers. First off, keep in mind that as we all strive to engraft God’s word into our hearts, Satan will also strive to do whatever he can to distract from this goal. Our lives truly are a spiritual warfare and scripture memory is no different. In fact, I have found Satan’s attacks to be more vicious when memorizing than when not. Please keep this in mind when you feel discouraged and by God’s grace, continue pressing on. Scripture memory obviously does damage to Satan’s kingdom as well as strengthens us for the battle to do all for God’s glory. Therefore, we should endeavor to view Satan’s assaults as a means of revealing his desire to thwart warriors who through God’s grace, are succeeding in their attack of the enemy!

Another way the Lord has encouraged me when discouraged and weary, has been with the reminder that His word is a sword, which as His child I do carry and must use. However, the amount of scripture I know determines the extent of the size of my sword. Since my time invested in the word effects this reality, the question then becomes, how powerful and large of a sword will I choose to carry?

Besides this, the other truth of which God reminds me is the value of His Word and the amazing gift of owning it in my possession. Many people in the world are not blessed with such a gift. What a privilege to be able to own it and memorize it! With this in mind, I have lately been trying to keep the perspective of one who might have their Bible taken away at any moment. In what ways would my devotion to scripture memory differ if I knew that today was my last day to own a Bible?

Anyway, those are some thoughts the Lord has shown me, which I hope will encourage you and your readers. How exciting it is to witness many people taking up the sword of God’s word and using it powerfully for Him! Let’s all encourage, exhort, challenge and pray for one another in this goal, for it is most definitely a difficult one, but God is faithful! May God bless your dear and faithful readers and God bless you too, my friends.
Tiffany Barclay | 02.03.06 - 9:18 pm | #

This link does not work:
"We are using the methodology that Piper and Josh recommend for memorizing extended passages, which can be found online here."
Would you please update it or give the web address? Just recently I was at the BQF national tournament and challenged to memorize a book of the NT. I've asked a friend to be my accountability partner on this so I'm looking for tips to help me.
C | 05.01.08 - 2:59 pm | #