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This technique is equally essential for all forms of recitation, whether long or short and whether presented individually or as a group. Practicing at full volume is best, but verbalizing the scripture will still benefit you even if you have to whisper while the rest of your household is asleep.
Practice out loud, becauseā¦
There are patterns in the passages that are just waiting to be discoveredāor invented. Look for the types of patterns below, or come up with your own!
For example, āthe Town of Nazareth in Galileeā – T, O, N, G spells ātong,ā like how you āting a tong.ā (Remember, memory triggers donāt need to make sense: they just need to be memorable!)
For example, the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Notice there are nine fruits. The first three are one-syllable, the second three are two-syllable, and the third three are three-syllable. (Itās as easy as 1-2-3.)
For example, you might keep Nehemiah 6:5 straight by remembering the āsā sounds throughout it. āThen, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter.ā The address is chapter six, verse five (which is sitting by six). It may sound dopey, but it works!
Identifying anchor verses allows you to solidify a few āsafe havensā within the passage so that, when you reach that firm anchor, you will be in a place of confidence. These verses also serve as reference points for what is already past, and what still remains. As you might imagine, this āanchorā approach is especially useful when memorizing medium to long passages.
To use this technique, find one or two verses partway through the passage and take some extra time to memorize them. It could be one verse halfway-through, or one verse a third of the way and a second verse two-thirds of the way. These verses will serve as your anchors, not only in your initial memorization, but also during the recitation itself. Get to know these verses inside and out so that when you land on them, you will find refuge, clarity, and comfort – feeling confident in where you are, the progress youāve already made, and the next step to take.
Where you look when youāre reciting can act as a memory prompt. The progression of where eyes focus can remind you of your progression in the passage. For instance, you might say, āWhen I look to the left side, I am telling them about āXYZ.ā When I shift to the right side, Iām telling them āABC.āā Divide the audience into sections and decide where you will look during your recitation.
If you divide the script of Luke 2:1-7 between the audience sections above, it may look like the diagram below. You would then associate certain areas of the audience with specific sections of the passage, focusing your gaze in those designated areas as you progress through the scriptures. (Notice that the verse beginning with āeveryoneā is directed towards the largest section of the audience. This might serve as yet another memory cue.)
Click an image to enlarge it.
Itās a fact that some people learn best by being active. For those individuals, this technique is a must. However, even if youāre more of a visual or auditory learner, adding an element of movement to your toolkit can help round out your memorization, not to mention make it more fun!
Try going for a walk in the same location each time you practice your script. By doing this, you will build associations (memory cues!) between geographical landmarks and the different sections of your passage.
There was a man, for instance, who walked around a lake as he memorized Psalm 139:1-12. As he went along, he related each passage to a feature of the environment. Verses 1-3 were recited in a sunny spot, verses 4-6 were across from a young tree located on an island in the lake, verses 7-12 near a cave, and so on.
When the time came for this passage to be recited in front of an audience, the man could still visualize his “recitation walks” around the lake, as well as the passages associated with each landmark along the path.
With the Verses Bible Memory app, your spare moments can quickly be turned into meaningful times of memorization. The app allows you to choose any passage of scripture and play a variety of memory games which will help you master the script more quickly. We highly recommend you check it out and download it on your device.
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