A Great Tool for Scripture Memorization

One of the best disciplines for spiritual growth is Scripture memorization—yet so few of us do it. As I challenge people to start memorizing Scripture, one of the most common excuses I hear is: “I just can’t memorize anything.”

Really? Yet in 60 seconds I can get them to recite a whole litany of things from phone numbers, Social Security numbers, birthdays, and Cyndi Lauper songs. This exercise underscores two truths about memorization:

1. We memorize what is important to us.
2. We memorize through repetition.

Those two truths apply to learning Scripture. No magic formula exists. It takes work and discipline to review, but the work is eased by the fact that I love God’s Word. And its benefits have been incredible. Over and over again, I’ve been able to recall verses that encourage an individual or answer a question from someone in my Bible study group. And of course, there is the personal benefit David noted:

“I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

I have stumbled on to a great app to aid me in my memorization. Several apps exist. I know. I’ve tried them, and my response has been …meh. But ScriptureTyper filled in the gaps between a mediocre app and a good one.

1. Translation. ScriptureTyper lets me choose the translation. And they have plenty of translation options.
2. Learning. The app offers several aids to help you learn the verse. Some are tedious in my opinion, but others are quite easy to use. It even offers audio review. Your learning style has options.
3. Review. This is the best feature. Initially memorizing something is not as hard as it sounds, but the key is in the review. I’ve memorized whole sections of Scripture for use in a sermon, but because I only used it once, I couldn’t recall it a month later. ScriptureTyper automates the process, and you can also set it up with reminders. The app keeps track of your reviews, and it gradually lengthens the rate of review over time. Or you can set the review to your own schedule and pace.
4. Groups. I have not used this feature, but you can join a group or set up your own group to memorize and review together. This is a great feature for an accountability group.

ScriptureTyper is a free app, but you can purchase an upgrade that comes with all the bells and whistles. I’m a ridiculously cheap person who hesitates to spend 99 cents for an app, so for me to fork out $9.99 for ScriptureTyper PRO was a big deal—but it’s been well worth it.

I challenge you and your group to make 2018 a year that you begin memorizing Scripture.

Lynn Pryor is a team leader for adult resources at Lifeway. He and his wife, Mary, lead a Bible study group for young adults and have survived raising two sons to adulthood. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary, Lynn has previously pastored and served churches in Texas. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.