More from Shirley Brosius

When I present memorized scripture to groups, people always say, “I could never memorize scripture like that.” Well, I didn’t know that I could memorize long scripture passages until I tried.

I was 54 years old when I memorized the book of Philippians. As I faced physical challenges, I wanted scripture to keep in mind when I worried. I found Philippians to be most encouraging with its emphasis on joy and rejoicing—no matter the circumstances. Each morning as I walked for exercise, I tucked a verse of Philippians into my pocket. I reviewed the verses I had previously memorized and added the new one to my memory bank. Day by day, the verses added up. I’m not sure how long it took me to memorize Philippians; possibly a year or so. I often had to spend more than one day concentrating on a verse. But I was determined.

Once I conquered Philippians and realized I could memorize lengthy passages, I looked for a book of the Bible that focused on Jesus. I settled on the book of John and memorized the first four chapters. 

When I was in my sixties, I formed a speaking ministry with two younger women who I mentored. As “Friends of the Heart,” we developed skits and talks to present at women’s programs and retreats. It was then I began presenting my memorized scripture to groups. One of the programs we presented was on the book of Ruth, so I memorized that book. My two young friends and I met weekly for prayer and study, and one day I surprised them by presenting the entire book to them from memory.

Memorizing scripture has many benefits. I recently wrote a Bible study on the book of Ruth and found it extremely helpful to have the whole book readily available in my mind. 

Besides those lengthy portions, I’ve memorized Psalm 139 and shorter passages such as the Christmas story in Luke. When someone refers to a verse in something I’ve memorized, I immediately know the context of the verse, and it deepens my understanding of scripture.

Years earlier, when my youngest child died shortly after birth, I memorized Psalm 42. The psalm speaks of being “downcast,” yet hoping in God. I clung to that scripture, and it pulled me along on my long journey through grief. 

When you memorize scripture, you notice similarities of phrasing and content with other scriptures. This is especially evident in Paul’s epistles. Compare Philippians 1:9 and Colossians 1:9, for example.

With memorization, you notice every single word and phrase, which enhances your understanding of the passage. For instance, in many translations of Philippians 1:29, believers were “granted” suffering, which makes it sound like a privilege. I had never considered suffering a privilege. You notice prepositions and conjunctions and how they impact a sentence.

When someone expresses a hurt or concern, the scripture you’ve memorized is there for you to share. And you receive help when facing problems of your own, since God may use a phrase, which you’ve read a jillion times, to offer fresh insight. And how much more likely are you to obey once you’ve memorized God’s commands? One of the greatest blessings for me is to quiet my worries when I go to bed by running Scripture through my mind.

I encourage you to find a time when your hands are busy but your mind is idle and start today—memorize a passage that will bless your soul and equip you to share God’s word with others.