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Why You Really can Memorize Scripture




Why You Really can Memorize Scripture by Dr. Daniel Morris

I still remember passages completely many years after I learned them.  Why is it so hard now to put Scripture to memory today? Daniel begins his book at looking at the three levels of memory and seeking to draw wisdom from the various ways people fall short in their plight to memorize Scripture.  More than just failing to memorize Scripture and see its significance is the fact that many people draw the conclusion that they can’t memorize (8).  Yet, understanding the brain’s ability to memorize and working on constructive ways of memorizing Scripture help us in our discovery of God’s Word.

Starting with Deuteronomy 6, the benefits of memorizing Scripture far outweigh the negatives.  Namely, in Deuteronomy 6 the people of God are instructed to talk of the Scriptures, walk with them, and teach them to their children.  It is impossible to talk of the Scriptures if we haven’t some clue of their content, and this is best serviced through memory.  Christians become spiritually weak at times because they don’t have a firm grasp on the truth and power of Scripture for transforming their lives. 

Chapter 4 gives a step-by-step pointer to memorizing Scripture.  I think many of these points are obvious but need to be mentioned if we are to commit the Word to memory.  Namely, setting aside a time daily for memorizing, reading the verse several times to know what it says, answering some questions of the text (who wrote it, why was it written, purpose,etc.), analyze its structure (type of sentence, key words, thoughts), and lastly, finding curiosities in the text (things that are odd, unusual, or patterns in the text that can aid in memory, (19-25).  The next few sections are devoted to applying these steps as a way to further the memorization process along.


Overall, I think this is a very good little book in helping people mine God’s riches in His Word. 

Thanks to Life Sentence Publishing for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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