What scripture to memorise?

[FivePointSpurgeonist]

I'm really wanting to be disciplined in memorizing as much scripture as I can, I've worked out where I fail and have set up some good methods in keeping me accountable.

I'm already in the process of doing whole chapters like Romans 5 and 8 (and at some point will try a whole book like Ephesians or Colossians), but I want to include short passages (or just 1-2 verses) that would be helpful to have memorized.
So I'm after suggestions on specific verses or short passages to memorize (also which Psalms would be good to begin with?), I want to come up with a list to get through so any tips would be appreciated.

 

[py3ak]

Here's the list our catechism students get.

• Genesis 1:1, 27; 3:15; 15:6
• Exodus 3:14; 20:1–17; 34:6–7
• Leviticus 19:2
• Numbers 6:24–26
• Deuteronomy 4:2
• Joshua 1:8
• 1 Samuel 15:29
• 1 Chronicles 29:14
• Job 1:21
• Psalms 1, 23, 100, 110
• Proverbs 1:7; 3:5–6, 11; 15:3; 20:11
• Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13–14
• Isaiah 1:18; 6:3; 7:14; 8:20; 9:6–7; 53:1–12; 55:1
• Daniel 4:35
• Habakkuk 2:4
• Zephaniah 3:17
• Matthew 1:21-23; 6:9–13; 16:16; 28:18–20
• John 1:1, 14–18; 3:16–18; 6:37; 11:25; 14:1-6; 20:28
• Acts 1:8; 4:12; 16:31
• Romans 1:16–17; 3:23, 28; 5:1–2, 8; 6:23; 8:1; 11:33–36
• 1 Corinthians 1:18–31; 6:19–20; 15:20–23
• 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 3:26–29; 6:14
• Ephesians 2:8–10
• Philippians 2:5–11
• Colossians 3:12–13
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10
• 1 Timothy 6:6–8
• 2 Timothy 1:8–9; 2:11–13;
• Titus 3:3–8
• Hebrews 1:1–4; 2:18; 4:14–16; 10:14; 11:1, 6; 12:1–2
• James 1:2–5; 2:10;
• 1 Peter 2:9–10
• 2 Peter 1:21
• 1 John 3:2; 4:8, 19
• Revelation 1:8; 21:3–4; 22:16–17

 

[Scottish Presbyterian]

I think it's most useful to memorise chapters rather than a verse or two here and there. That way you get a better sense of context in what you are memorising. Also you will probably find that a lot of verses you might think of memorising probably already stick in your mind without actively trying to memorise them.

It takes quite a lot of discipline to memorise sizeable chunks of scripture as an adult (it's much easier for children). A couple of years ago I decided to begin memorising some short books of the Bible, and began with Ephesians. A couple of years on I've only memorized Ephesians 1 & 2 - I do hope to persevere however slow progress I'm making.

Below is what I remember being taught to memorise as a child (as well as the WSC):

Book of Psalms (SMV, not prose)
Genesis 1 & 3
Proverbs 8
Isaiah 53 & 55
John 1,3 & 17
Romans 5 & 8
Revelation 3 & 21

 

[hLuke]

This website helps

Topical Bible - Bible Verses by Topic

www.openbible.info

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

For some reason, I have never been much use at memorising verses from my own reading. But I have always found it easier to memorise a verse when I have heard a minister either preach on it or quote it in a sermon. Perhaps it is because I have a good long-term memory and an awful short-term memory?

 

[JM]

The method of loci aka the memory palace technique works for large amounts of material needed to be memorized.

 

[Minh]

As a young person, I am struggling to keep myself from lustful imaginations and temptation. I find Jimmy's advice about memorizing 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 daily in prayers very helpful in this old thread (See the 2nd post).

 

[FivePointSpurgeonist]

Here's the list our catechism students get.

• Genesis 1:1, 27; 3:15; 15:6
• Exodus 3:14; 20:1–17; 34:6–7
• Leviticus 19:2
• Numbers 6:24–26
• Deuteronomy 4:2
• Joshua 1:8
• 1 Samuel 15:29
• 1 Chronicles 29:14
• Job 1:21
• Psalms 1, 23, 100, 110
• Proverbs 1:7; 3:5–6, 11; 15:3; 20:11
• Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13–14
• Isaiah 1:18; 6:3; 7:14; 8:20; 9:6–7; 53:1–12; 55:1
• Daniel 4:35
• Habakkuk 2:4
• Zephaniah 3:17
• Matthew 1:21-23; 6:9–13; 16:16; 28:18–20
• John 1:1, 14–18; 3:16–18; 6:37; 11:25; 14:1-6; 20:28
• Acts 1:8; 4:12; 16:31
• Romans 1:16–17; 3:23, 28; 5:1–2, 8; 6:23; 8:1; 11:33–36
• 1 Corinthians 1:18–31; 6:19–20; 15:20–23
• 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 3:26–29; 6:14
• Ephesians 2:8–10
• Philippians 2:5–11
• Colossians 3:12–13
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10
• 1 Timothy 6:6–8
• 2 Timothy 1:8–9; 2:11–13;
• Titus 3:3–8
• Hebrews 1:1–4; 2:18; 4:14–16; 10:14; 11:1, 6; 12:1–2
• James 1:2–5; 2:10;
• 1 Peter 2:9–10
• 2 Peter 1:21
• 1 John 3:2; 4:8, 19
• Revelation 1:8; 21:3–4; 22:16–17

That will keep me busy, thanks!

I think it's most useful to memorise chapters rather than a verse or two here and there. That way you get a better sense of context in what you are memorising. Also you will probably find that a lot of verses you might think of memorising probably already stick in your mind without actively trying to memorise them.

It takes quite a lot of discipline to memorise sizeable chunks of scripture as an adult (it's much easier for children). A couple of years ago I decided to begin memorising some short books of the Bible, and began with Ephesians. A couple of years on I've only memorized Ephesians 1 & 2 - I do hope to persevere however slow progress I'm making.

Below is what I remember being taught to memorise as a child (as well as the WSC):

Book of Psalms (SMV, not prose)
Genesis 1 & 3
Proverbs 8
Isaiah 53 & 55
John 1,3 & 17
Romans 5 & 8
Revelation 3 & 21

Thanks, I agree, that's why I mentioned that I am interested in whole chapters, but if I memorize chapters exclusively then there's a lot of things that I find helpful to remember that I'll never get to. For eg. I want to know 2 Timothy 3:16 off by heart, but I may never memorize the whole chapter, or Deuteronomy 6:7 (I'll never memorize the whole chapter). Also there are some key verses on particular topics I will mention to someone in discussion and have to roughly paraphrase because I don't remember it, these are some that I'd like to memorize, and these 1-2 verses, are easy for me to memorize and hard for me to forget, that why I want a bank of as many good verses as I can.

Thanks for the chapter recommendations, I'm halfway through Romans 5 at the moment and will go to chapter 8 next and then start tackling other chapters.