Memorize More Scripture in 2023
Written by Bob DeAngelo, Discipleship, Outreach, and College Pastor
Like millions of people, the end of one year and the start of a new year gives me mental energy to reflect on the previous year and to think about what I would like to accomplish in the coming one. And like millions of people, I write out resolutions for the new year (I call them dreams).
I don’t take the writing of dreams lightly, and I believe that one reason I’m somewhat successful in seeing these dreams fulfilled is that I review them weekly, journaling and tracking my progress (or lack thereof). I’ve found that if I don’t track my progress, I’m unlikely to make much headway on a resolution or a dream.
Back in 2018, I wrote out 23 dreams (which I later realized was way too many). But as I reviewed my progress on these dreams over the course of the year, I realized that there was a clear dividing line between the areas in which I made progress, and the areas in which I felt that I didn’t make enough.
Here’s the division between success and failure for me:
1. I succeeded in dreams that included a scheduled meeting or task.
2. I succeeded in dreams that included a deadline.
3. I succeeded in dreams that included a very strong trigger to act.
* …And it certainly helped if I enjoyed the activities connected to pursuing a dream. (The opposite was also true.)
The next year, I reserved my dreams for areas I would consider “new ground”. (I had 13 of them.) One of those areas involved Scripture memory. In 2019, I planned to study the letters to the Thessalonians in the New Testament – word by word, really sinking my teeth into the truth of these two books. During my study, I also planned to memorize them.
A few years ago, our church had a visiting speaker’s wife who talked about “The Bible Memory App,” which helped her memorize Scripture. The app uses multiple methods like visuals, audio, and touch to aid memorization. Toward the end of the year, I found my wife Kelly hammering through passages that she was memorizing on her phone using this app.
Anyone who has memorized Scripture knows that it is fairly simple:
1. You need to grasp the value of memorizing Scripture.
2. You need to give focused time to memorizing Scripture.
3. You need to go over it and over it and over it and over it – review is key.
* And it certainly doesn’t hurt if it’s fun!
At the end of that year, I downloaded The Bible Memory App and began to use it. My “reminder” was at night in bed before I went to sleep. I would pull out my Kindle Fire and either review my verses or work on new ones. In a short time, I memorized I Thessalonians chapter 1 (granted, it’s only 10 verses, but still!). Scripture memory—an area that I had casually pursued in the past, but not as much as I had planned to—is now a habit built into my life. It doesn’t take that long (about 10 minutes before I go to sleep), and working on these verses through the app is fun!
“Top people have very clear goals. They write them down and they make plans for their accomplishment.”
The Compound Effect by Darren Hary
I encourage you to dream, and to shoot for something worthwhile in 2023. Write those dreams down and track your progress at least weekly. One area that you should consider is Scripture memory. The Bible Memory app is free for up to 50 verses. You can also pay a one-time fee of $10 to gain access to additional memory aids plus unlimited verse tracking.
Download it today, and give it a try!
Disclaimer: Friendship Baptist Church has no affiliation with The Bible Memory App.
This is a re-print and update of the original article from Jan 29th, 2019.