Practical Helps for Extended Scripture Memorization (by Dr. Andy Davis, FBC Durham, compiled by Tim Brister)
- Review old verses: Always give priority in your mind to the retaining of old verses even over the learning of new ones. You should begin every day’s work with review of old verses.
- Repetition over time: The absolute key to successful Scripture memorization is repetition over a long time period. This is how you retain old verses while learning new ones.
- Memorize the verse numbers: Memorize the verse numbers as if they were part of each verse. This will help prevent you from dropping out verses or even whole paragraphs when you’re reciting the book all the way through. It actually makes memorization easier in the long run! (Note from Heinrich: I did not do this with previous passages I have learned. I learned section by section, chapter by chapter. There are downsides with not knowing chapter and verse. I was concerned it would not flow as well with the text as I spoke it.)
- Photograph the verses with your eyes: Read each new verse ten times, covering each word as though photographing it with your eyes. Burn each verse into your brain with your eyes.
- Say it out loud: Another help in memorizing is to say the verse out loud to yourself. This helps the memorization process. It doesn’t have to be very loud, just loud enough so you can hear it. Also, try putting some feeling and interpretation into reciting the verses. This is actually a form of meditation on the verses as you are learning them.
- Recite the entire section of Scripture from memory for 100 consecutive days: If you have done your work well, after about the second week you probably won’t even need the Bible anywhere near you while reciting. This can be done anywhere. It will add no extra time to your busy schedule.
- Weed the garden: Simply take one of your Monday morning times after the 100 days (perhaps every other month) and just read the section by sight all the way through. This will correct errors, and thus “weed the garden.”