In Part 3 we stated the key to fruit is the root. The happy man will delightfully meditate in God’s word day and night. I gave you a list of 7 ways you can do that. However, there is one form of mediation that proves especially challenging to most, and that is memorisation. There are some who can commit anything to memory quite easily, but nobody likes them. For the rest of us it can be troublesome so don’t feel bad you’re not alone.

Memorising scripture is an indispensable way to flood your heart with God’s word and renew your mind. However, it cannot stand on its own. It must be done in conjunction with reading, prayer and study. It is like sleep to a healthy life. It is vital but it is one part of an optimal plan. Remember, the purpose of memorising verses is not simply to cram verses in your memory; but rather to hide them in your heart (Prov 2:1). So we do not approach memorisation as a mechanical church-culture activity, but as way to meditate on God’s word.

So how do we engage in this form of mediation? There is a wide rage of ideas on the subject and I want to provide you with a few suggestions that have helped me.

6 Ways to Memorise

1. Choose a verse that is important to you. As you are engaged in prayerful reading you will often come across a passage where God is speaking to you and you will want to grab ahold of that one so you can continue to think on it as you go (Ps 119:133).
2. Study the verse briefly to understand what it says and what it means. This causes you to really consider the words instead of mindlessly memorising a passage (Ps 119:195). The time you spend studying the words and the understanding you gain will help the words to stay with you. Nothing helps me memorise more than this.
3. Share this verse to someone else. When you discuss the verse with someone else and share why its important to you it moves that verse even closer to your heart. When it becomes part of your natural conversation it becomes part of you (Ps 49:3).
4. Read the verse 5 times and then look away and say it from memory (repeat this process 5 times). This is a pretty standard approach to memorising anything and I have yet to find anything to replace it. This helps you remember the details of the verse like the verse reference (where it is found in the Bible). This exercise will help you remember the verse more exactly.
5. You can also write the verse down on a 3×5 card. You can make two. Stick one where you will see it and take the other one with you when you go. (Thanks Alan Shelby for this idea)
6. Finally, find a way to put this verse into practice (Phil 4:9). This is how you lock it in. It is ironic almost. The best way to hide God’s word deep in your heart is be obeying out in the open.

Okay, so those are 6 ways to memorise. I personally find these much more fun and engaging then limiting ourselves to simple repetition.

I will admit, this approach to memorisation will not help you memorise a huge volume of verses every year, but I am okay with that. Remember, I am not simply trying to memorise, but to meditate (Phil 4:8). I’m not trying to stick verses in my mind but hide them in my heart (Psalm 119:11). I hope these practical tips will help you do that.

I hope this will help you get your roots deep into God’s word so that you might produce the blessed fruit of the happy man.

There is only one part left to this series. Look out for that next week.

Until then …