This week I’m trying to finish memorizing Eph 6:14-18, and also re-memorizing Gal 2:20.(This is a good example of alternating easy with hard.)

And, as promised, here are four more tips for memorizing. You can find Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Four here.

Narrate.

Summarize in your own words what the verses are saying. This can help you build memorable association, spot keywords, and develop anchor words.

Start a Habit.

Find a consistent place and time to work on memorizing, and stick to it. Some people find it easier to memorize in the car because they have a long commute. Others find their brains work better early in the morning. Sometimes I like to practice verses in the shower — as the mother of little ones, that can be the only uninterrupted time I get in the entire day.

Sing it.

There’s something about melody and rhythm that helps us grasp words and word order better. I’ve always been able to remember rhymes and songs. So if you can put the section to music, you will be amazed. You can also act it out, get dramatic, say it expressively.

One of the most moving recitations of Scripture I ever heard occurred in a chapel service. A young woman had memorized the entire book of 1 Peter. But, unlike most people I’d heard recite, she didn’t say it in a monotone. She had thought carefully about the sentences and how they would sound if someone was actually saying them to her. And she spoke it that way to us. I was floored — I’d never heard the Bible that way before.

Try mnemonic devices.

Did you learn the order of the colors in the rainbow by learning ROY G BIV? I learned to read notes on the staff and the order of flats and sharps using these devices: BEAD GCF (BEAD Gold Covered Floors) and EGBDF (Every Good Boy Does Fine). You can make up your own devices to memorize anchor words. For example, in Psalm 1:1, your device could be WSS – walk, stand, sit.

Have you tried any of these tips? How did it go?

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