Staying Organized

One piece of advice I find myself giving especially often is to approach Scripture memorization intentionally and systematically. Of course the word "memorization" itself can seem somewhat intimidating at times, and talking about approaching it in a systematic way can make a lifetime commitment to hiding God's Word in your heart sound all the more daunting. But as Benjamin Franklin once said, if you fail to plan you are planning to fail — a principle that applies just as much to Scripture memorization as it does to any other aspect of our lives.

As you memorize Scripture, be purposeful about systemizing each of the following aspects of your memory routine:

1) Systemize/organize what you've already memorized. Retaining your verses in long-term memory is impossible without regular review, which itself is impossible without knowing what needs to be reviewed. I use memverse.com to organize all of my verses, but a simple binder or collection of index cards works too.

2) Systemize what you will memorize. Those who aim at nothing will hit it every time! As you read the Bible each day, jot down any verses you'd like to someday memorize, or simply choose one of our topical memory books. Decide each month what you'd like to accomplish and monitor your progress week by week.

3) Systemize your review. From memverse.com: "there is an ideal moment to practice what you've learned. Reviewing too frequently is inefficient. Review too late and you will have forgotten the material and have to relearn it. The right time to practice is just at the moment you're about to forget." Fine-tuning your own system of review may in some ways be a lifelong process, but the most crucial element to your success in this area will always be repetition.