How to memorize scripture in prayer and meditation.

Often when praying with and for people, scripture is central to the language of my prayers. And anytime I hear anyone pray scripture, it strikes my heart! When spoken by a humble heart, they are powerful! I hear God's authority present. God's Words are the way to Spirit filled prayers. God's Word tells us to pray in the Spirit at all times, Ephesians 6:18. Memorizing scripture is a way to pray His Word. It is a form of meditating on it. Praying in the Spirit is a natural outcome!

The group gathering on Saturday 1/25 for the "WORD OF GOD" session will be praying in the Spirit this way! It's a good size group at this point, so hope you can join the next session! Until then, practice memorizing! Consider the following, and then try the exercise below:

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance God’s words, John 14:26.
2. Read the scripture you want to memorize OUTLOUD multiple times and state the scripture section (Jesus answered, “It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4)
   1. Emphasize different words with your voice each time you repeat it. (ex- SHALL NOT, BUT ON... etc)
   2. Act it out to engage more of your senses which will help you remember!
3. Observe the details! It will come to life as visual. Many of us are visual learners. So see the scripture! Envision it in your mind wherever scenes, people, emotion, sounds are implied or directly indicated in the scripture you are memorizing.
4. Speak it in first person. Example- Jesus is saying, “I cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes Him.”
5. Write it out several times by hand.
6. Try explaining it to someone else. If you can teach what it means, you’ve memorized it, even if you don’t say it “word for word”.

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Also, scripture with repeating language can be an easy way to start with the 6 steps. Here is Matthew 7:24–27 as an example. It repeats many phrases. Follow step 1-6 above. Hints on observing the details, step #3, are listed below. Give it a try! Let me know if it works for you!