By the grace and strength I am found in God, I am happy to announce that I have memorized the first chapter of James and am working on memorizing all 5 chapters by November! This has been quite a task and it has taken some diligence. Even though it has been a rich experience spiritually and mentally, it has been very simple mechanically. I felt like I really needed to share what I have been doing with all of you in hopes to inspire you to do the same thing. It would take me several blog posts to mention all of the things that Bible memorization has helped me with, but I will keep it limited to this: I have seen a drastic improvement in my joy and connection with God since I have been doing this. I hope that is enough to spur you on to do this with me!

While memorizing large portions of anything can seem daunting, I promise you that with the proper determination and heart, you can do it! Before going any further, please think about one relatively short book of the Bible that has impacted you greatly and make a determination with God that you will memorize it. James was the book I picked and I have found so many applications for what I have learned from it. The most important thing is to just pick one, as all scripture is God breathed, so you really cannot go wrong!

I don't pretend to be an expert in Bible memorization since this is the first book I will have memorized and I am only just on to the second chapter, so I will pass of the honor of showing us all how to do it to someone else. Andrew Davis set up this method, which has been modified by John Piper. This is from page 122 of his book When I Don't Desire God:

Sample daily procedure: The following is an example of how someone could go about memorizing Ephesians at the rate of one verse per day: 1) Day one: Read Ephesians 1:1 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

2) Day two: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:1 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:2 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

3) Day three: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:2 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Again, you should look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Old verses next, altogether: Recite Ephesians 1:1-2 together once, being sure to include the verse numbers. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:3 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

4) Day four: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:3 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Again, you should look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Old verses next, altogether: Recite Ephesians 1:1-3 together once, being sure to include the verse numbers. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:4 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

This cycle would continue through the entire book. Obviously, the “old verses altogether” stage will soon swell to take the most time of all. That’s exactly the way it should be. The entire book of Ephesians can be read at a reasonable rate in less than fifteen minutes. Therefore, the “old verses altogether” stage of your review should not take longer than that on any given day. Do it with the Bible ready at hand, in case you draw a blank or get stuck . . . there’s no shame in looking, and it actually helps to nail down troublesome verses so they will never be trouble again.

That's about it. Once you've finished memorizing the whole book, don't just skip onto the next one. Andrew Davis recommends spending some time reciting the whole book before going to the next book. For more information and a more detailed description of all of this, go to: http://www.fbcdurham.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Scripture-Memory-Booklet-for-Publication-Website-Layout.pdf

I know that if we, as God loving Christians, apply this and genuinely seek God's face in his Word, there is nothing that can stop us from becoming even closer to the heart of God. I pray that you would all have soft hearts and eager minds and step into this with me.

With a loving heart,

Everett