Do you have any tips on memorizing Scripture?

[Holly3278]

Hello everyone. I am wanting to memorize the Beatitudes. However, I have no idea how to go about doing this and could use some advice. I am not good at memorization and only have a few Catholic prayers memorized. Please provide me with some advice. Thank you.

 

[graceandglory]

I use notecards.

I write the whole scripture (or copy/paste) onto one side of the notecard.
Then I write only the first letter of each word on the back side, paying attention to phrasing and word grouping.
I carry it with me wherever I go, perhaps tape it to my steering wheel.
I read the abbreviated side, the first letter of each word triggers my memory.
I do this until I don’t need the card anymore.

Now. Since my conversion/reversion back to the Catholic Church from an evangelical tradition, I am finding more consolation from memorizing Catholic prayers than scripture.

Example:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I C D A T T C W S M

Or

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee

S O C, S M
B O C, S M
B O C, I M
W F T S O C, W M
P O C, S M
O G J, H M
W T W H M
S M N T B S F T

 

[UntimelyGiggles]

So many ways!!
I find I have some sort of artist blood in me, so if there’s a verse that sticks out to me, I paint it, do a poster on it to hang it on the wall of my room, do a nice sculpture, or something! I memorize by doing, and I memorize through visual, and so any of those ideas help me become even more acquainted with bible verses.

Another way too, is, I have a work station in my room, and on the wall just above/behind my computer, I have posted all things amazing (friends leaving me warm fuzzies a.k.a, just “I think you’re awesome” quotes, memories from the past that brings back a ton of memories, and of course, bible quotes and prayers). This way, if ever I do take a rest from studying or from doing anything that requires putting my head down for more than thirty or so minutes, when I look up on my wall, I look up to something beautiful. Bible verses and prayers especially help me become more acquainted with it.

Using the verse through prayer, and using it in conversation also seals the deal for me. It especially helps if I apply it through my actions. That way, I know it’s stuck with me forever.

Hope any of these ideas helped.
God bless!

 

[Phaedra777]

Memorize the first sentence. I mean, keep repeating it until memorized. When you’ve got that, say the first sentence and the second. Repeat that until second sentence is also memorized. Keep adding sentences, always starting with the first and working your way through.

 

[WesleyF]

Holly, I do have a tip for you that I myself use. The tip is to understand the scripture verse and reflect upon it. Let me show you with an example.

The following is my reflection for the first few verses of Psalm 36. Now I easily recall these verses from memory, because I understand them at a deeper level than I did before. That way it becomes easier to remember them. It’s hard to remember what you don’t understand.

Psalm 36

**1. Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. **

Transgression is given the quality of speaking to the wicked person! Deep in his heart - the depths of the heart is where all that he is comes out. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt 12:34). In the very depths of the heart of the wicked, he has transgression as his companion, speaking to him, telling him what to do. This is a terrible state to be in. It is therefore necessary to keep God’s word in our hearts, that we might not sin against him (Psalm 119:11 – “I have laid up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you”).

The fact that he is allowing transgression to speak to him in this manner suggests that there is no fear of God before his eyes. This is also suggested by the next verse.

Note: Other translations like the KJV say “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart”.

2. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

The Young translation makes it more clear – “For he made [it] smooth to himself in his eyes, to find his iniquity to be hated.” So the wicked man puts a gloss over his wickedness and praises his wicked behavior. This praise is a false kind of praise and is therefore rightly called “flattery”. The same sentiment is also expressed in Isaiah 5:20-21 – “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!”

He puts this gloss of flattery over his iniquity so that his iniquity underneath that gloss cannot be found out and hated. This is a kind of rejection of conscience and justification of bad behavior.

3. The words of his mouth are mischief and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt 12:34). Since he has harbored transgression deep in his heart, his mouth merely reflects what lies deep within. The words of his mouth are mischief and deceit; but the irony is that he has deceived himself. In verse 2 we see that he flatters himself in his own eyes and thereby deceitfully covers up his iniquity. He that deceives himself in this manner now proceeds to deceive others! So he does not realize that the evil that he does to others has actually first taken hold of him.

He has ceased to act wisely and do good. This is because there is no fear of God before his eyes. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). His foolishness has led to his wickedness.

 

[Tietjen]

Hello everyone. I am wanting to memorize the Beatitudes. However, I have no idea how to go about doing this and could use some advice. I am not good at memorization and only have a few Catholic prayers memorized. Please provide me with some advice. Thank you.

Having been a cradle Catholic who attended a Southern Baptist middle school for 3 years, we had weekly Bible verse memorization tests. Usually, the passages were just a few verses that had to be memorized by Friday, so it was not that difficult. Occassionally, we had an entire chapter to memorize but the teacher would assign the verses of the chapter a little at a time. For example, we had to memorize Luke 2 one year. The first week, the teacher would assign Luke 2:1-3 (just a few of the verses). The next week, we’d have Luke 2:1-6 (having to learn an additional 3 verses). This continued until we reached the end of the entire chapter. So, by Christmas, we all could recite the story of the birth of Jesus. Forty years later, I can still recite the entire chapter. At home, while studying the assigned 3 verses or so for that week, I would simply read the verses aloud over and over again for about 10-15 minutes in the morning, then again in the after noon, then in the evening before bed. That’s 45 minutes a day “study time” times 6 days equals 4.5 hours to learn three verses per week. It shouldn’t be too hard. Good luck and God bless.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Memorize the first sentence. I mean, keep repeating it until memorized. When you’ve got that, say the first sentence and the second. Repeat that until second sentence is also memorized. Keep adding sentences, always starting with the first and working your way through.

That’s a good way, and another good way is just opposite. Start by memorizing the last verse and work back – than you are always headed toward “more familiar” territory while you’re practicing each line.

I play piano but do not improvise at all; I only play what’s written, and it is hard for me to memorize. Usually I use a combination of what you suggested and my variation on it – the first because I like to know the beginning of things and it gives me feeling of accomplishment, and the latter because I like to make it to the end even during practice. So that way I just kind of “fill in the middle” once I’m good at the beginning and end.

Another thing. If another person helps you, or if you are doing it yourself, don’t worry about how many times you say one verse or phrase. For me, if a person is not a family member it is hard for me to “practice” (piano) in front of other people because instead I have a desire to “perform.” So I don’t even want to memorize; I just want to get out the music and play it for my guests – because I wish to share the music instead of grind out small bits of it. So like if I am memorizing scripture, if friends are there listening to me verbalize and practice, I might feel like I’d rather just read the scripture to my friends and discuss it while I have that time to have “fellowship” with them, rather than torture them with a demonstration of my inability to catch on quickly.

Best for me to practice alone when trying to memorize something or touch up a work in progress.

Friends trying to learn the same thing could be helpful … you can say your practice pieces together, or separately. Even separately in each others’ presence, as a test of distraction handling.

Alan