Scripture Memory

I apologize for not posting a while - I had a post all typed out on Saturday but somehow it ended up deleted so I had to spend my free time this week retyping it all out!

Reading the Bible at two months old....

Scripture memory is very important. There will come a time in your life that you will need to recall a certain verse to help encourage yourself, others, or while you are witnessing. There many be a time where you will not have a Bible handy and need to rely on the Lord and your memory.

Why is it that we can quote lines our favorite movies, funny things people have told us, and even little quotes in a book? I think it is because Satan is attacking us. As long as we stay away from church, aren't reading our Bibles, witnessing to others, praying, or memorizing scripture he sees us as "ok" - we aren't causing any danger to the world. When we start praying, reading our Bibles, telling others about the Lord, and trying to memorize scripture it is then we as Christians are under attack by the devil and he will use all in his power to keep us from following the Lord.

Here are some tips for Bible memorization:

• Try to understand the thought and meaning of the verse.
  
• Memorize out loud. Speak the verse several times out loud so that your voice, hearing, and mind all participate simultaneously in the memorization process.
  
• Concentrate!
  
• Review memorized verses out loud until they are firmly embedded in your heart and mind.
  
  First, start your time of scripture memory by taking a moment to pray. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom to remember your Bible verses. Second, decide what type of learner you are - audio or visual. You can also decide which verses you want to memorize - either random or pick a topic.
  
  The audio learner learns better by hearing things over and over and over again. Saying things out loud helps the audio learner to memorize.
  
  The visual learner likes to see something and be able to look at it over and over and over again.
  
  Tips for the audio learner:
  
• Try writing or typing out Bible verses on little note cards. Read the verse over a few times and then place the card in your pocket, you wallet, your purse, or even write out the verse on a sticky post it note and put it various places about your house. It is a helpful little reminder that can be looked upon while you are waiting in a long line at the grocery store, the doctor office, sport events, or even on your break at work.
  
• Record yourself or buy a CD or cassette tape of different books of the Bible. You can play those recordings over and over and over again while you're out driving around town, cleaning the house, or exercising.
  
  The church we attended when I was little had Bible quizzing competition for adults. Both of my parents were involved in Bible quizzing and they would work on memorizing entire books of the Bible. It just happens that my dad is an auditory learner and so during the months that he worked on memorizing a book of the Bible we would listen to cassette tapes he recorded. He would listen to tapes whenever he was driving in the car and even while he was out mowing the grass!
  
  One year (I was probably around 8 or 9yr.) as they were working on memorizing the entire book of James I ended up proving that listening to something over and over and over again truly does have an effect on the person(s) listening. I had a habit of talking in my sleep when I was little and one night I began quoting the first chapter of James in my sleep (of course, I don't remember talking in my sleep, but that is what they told me)! I think that was because I continued to listen to the Bible verses my dad played of the book of James while riding with him in the car.
  
• Sing Scripture. I have been singing scripture verses and entire chapters of the Bible ever since I was very small. My mom would put music to a verse (especially when we were working on verses for AWANA) and my siblings and I would end up singing our verses to our AWANA leaders. Singing with music really does help the memorization process. I'm hoping soon to figure out how I might be able to add a scripture song onto this blog so you can get a taste of how much fun singing scripture can be!
  
  Visual Tips:
  
  Now, some people like to see things in order to memorize it. Visual people tend to memorize something better by reading it over and over and over again or by drawing a little picture. It's easier for us to remember something when we've actually seen a visual of it. When memorizing Bible verses try and picture a visual of it in your head. Seeing a picture or the Bible verse will make it easier to remember. You may want to take the time to type and print out the verse you are working on and put in a frame and post it in a high traffic area point in your home - some place where you will see it often. We have verses in frames all over our home - in the living room, bedrooms, kitchen, and even the bathroom!
  
• Most of all make the memorization time fun!
  
  Here are some things that we have done together as a family that don't necessarily pertain to scripture memory, but just good things to do with your family.
  
  
• Sword drills - call out a Bible reference and then say "Go" and the first to find the verse wins.
  
• Scripture verse quizzes (say the verse and have someone give you the reference or you can also do it the other way around as well...say the reference and have some one quote the verse). We used to have the game HANDS DOWN and everyone would have to slap a hand and the hand that won would be the hand on the bottom of the pile.
  
• You can also do Bible charades which involves all ages. We have done this on Friday nights after our homemade pizza and everyone is able to participate. Watching little ones act out the more famous Bible stories (David & Goliath, Mary & Joseph, Joseph and his brothers, Ruth, Adam & Eve,etc......(NOTE: Dads be ready to get into the act, as you are usually the ones recruited to be a donkey that your children can ride in their act!).
  It can be a lot of fun trying to recall those not-so famous stories from the Old Testament that the older ones have read in their own Bible times!
  Rules: The actors are not allowed to speak....only motions are allowed and the ones guessing are only allowed to ask yes and no questions.
  We have even played Bible charades when we have other families over on Friday nights and that really gets the excitement going as each family is involved in acting and guessing!