I’ve talked before about memorizing Bible verses as a way to grow spiritually. But I realize some people find it difficult.

So I did a short video with some tips. [Click the link below to watch.]

Here’s a summary.

1. Pick a passage

For this example, let’s choose 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2. Start small and expand

Start with the first part, and don’t move on until you have it locked in. For example, start with “All Scripture is God-breathed.” Say that day after day until its firm in your head. Then, add in the next part (“and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”). Stay with that until you have it. Keep adding until the passage is complete.

3. Be exact

Don’t settle for the ‘gist’ of a passage. Follow the exact wording from the translation you’ve picked. This will be hard at first, but will serve you well over the long haul. The more you use your memory muscles, the stronger they get. In Scripture, details matter.

4. Include the chapter and verse number

In this case, it’s 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17.

In all of this, remember why it’s important: The Bible contains God’s eternal wisdom. How amazing would it be, through the ups and downs of daily life, to be able to recall God’s wisdom at a moment’s notice?

Today we have computers, cheap paper, and apps at the ready. As a result, we don’t NEED our memories as much as previous generations. Therefore, our memory muscles have become flabby. But with practice, they get buff!

A friend’s Bible study group memorized the entire Gospel of Mark together. Over the past year I’ve spent time on this and have literally amassed hundreds of verses.

Start small, follow the steps, and experience the rewards.

The more you get into God’s word, the more God’s word gets into you.

By Matthew Ruttan

—As mentioned, click here for the short video tutorial. Enjoy!
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.
–This Sunday at Westminster in Barrie (Dec 8) is Part 4 in the Armageddon series: ‘What difference does any of it make?’
–“Up!” is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and resumes on December 9.