If you find memorizing larger passages hard, try the sermon on the mount, Mt 5-7. In Jesus' days a rabbi's disciple memorized his teaching and therefore the rabbis taught accordingly. If you dive into this sermon you will find that it is easier than many other passages to memorize because it has rhythm and repetition.

hi, one of the first books len ravenhill ever gave me was ...john sung.it is a story of a chineses student who came to the u.s. and in three years earned an m.d. degree , learned german and english, and toward the end of this three years got saved.he was so happy in his salvation he would sing and dance on the street as he went home. the univ. he was attending had him put in a cell for a year where he memorized the bible.when he went back to china during the time of all the bible burning in china hebecame the bible of watchman nee and others in that circle .great little booklet of about 60 pages.jimp

Brother Blaine - I have found Scripture Memory to be an enormous blessing, and a very helpful spiritual discipline, for all the reasons others have mentioned in this thread. About 10 years ago, I began memorizing longer portions of Scripture, and I would commend it highly to any disciple of the Lord Jesus, whether it be individual verses, longer portions, or both. It helps us think the thoughts of God, and allows us to meditate on His truth througout the day. As a pastor and teacher, it has helped me immeasurably in sharing and teaching God's Word, and is truly a life-transforming endeavor.

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David

I would like to thank all who have responded to this thread and your thoughts on scripture memory. Your post have encouraged me to take up again this discipline again after the first of the year. By the way I would commend the excellent link that Brother Paul shared earlier in this thread. This was a thread he initiated a few years ago dealing with this very topic. Even if you have read it it is worth a reread. It has a beautiful spirit to it.

Blaine

On a prayer call last Monday I heard the story of a blind pastor in Mexico. He had lost his sight due to an accident. This pastor listened to the Bible on cassette tape. In doing so he memorized large sections of the Bible, practicalky the whole thing. I am not sure of his methodology. But God blessed him.

This resonates in my spirit. I am 2200 legally blind. I listen to a digital Go- Bible. Great little blessing. This morning as I listened to John the question occurred to me. What woukd happen if one listened to say the New Testament from one to three or more hours a day. Could it be that one might be more full of Jesus whose words are spirit and life? Could it be that one might be more encouraged and built up in the word of grace? Could it be one might be more loving, patient, kind, merciful? Could it be that the quality of our threads and posts would improve in this forum?

What woukd happen.......

Blaine

It is estimated the average person spends anywhere from 3 to 6 hours a day in front of the TV. What would happen if we spent 3 to 6 hours a day in the word?

The persecuted believers voraciously devour the word. They spend hours a day reading it and memorizing and meditating on it. Yes I kniw. There is work, family, ministry, Sermon Index, oops think I stepped on some toes. But we do seem to find time for the things we value.

By God's grace I am going to make an attempt to listen to and read his wotd. I have spent a blessed 4 hours this day in listening to and reading his word. Guess what. I can't get enough of it. It is true. The more time you spend in the word the more you want. There is that craving for the pure spiritual milk. There is that thirsting for Jesus.

Some of you may be thinking J can't do this. You can. I am legally blind. I have cataracts in my eyes. I am 60 years old and command no seminary degree. Look if I a blind man who is theologically illeterate can get into the word so can you.

Try it. You might like it and be blessed.

From a blind man.

Blaine Scogin

This thread motivated me to find the bible in .mp3 format. I looked on iTunes for about an hour and then searched for a free version.

Here you go, NIV in mp3 format for free:

http://jcsm.org/1on1/NTBibleonMP3.htm

This is actually better than you can buy because it's arranged by book and the reading is more like a story.

Be blessed!

Brother thanks for sharing the link. I am going to check it out. For a little over a year J have listened to the NIV New Testament on a Travellers Go-Bible. More and more it is a blessing. I know there are some marvelous phone apps that can be downloaded to enable one to listen to the scriptures in any major translation.

Because I am legally blind I qualified for the talking book program in Louisiana. I remember as a kid listening to books recorded on records. I was furnished a bulky record player to play the recorded books. Later the books went to tapes and now mp3.

I find it interesing that was limited to blind people is now being promoted to all people as a whole. I saw an advertisement for a sight one can go to and download any type of audio book. The sight was offered as an option for people who did not have time they could listen to books on the go.

Ok. No excuse saint. How many times have we said I don't have time to read the Bible. Well how about listen to it? I have been delighting in listening to my digital Bible more anf mire. Love to listen to it early in the morning when it is still dark. Walk around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the word of Jesus going into my mind and I hope my heart.

Hey you King James folks, a blessing for you. You like Keith Daniels? Have you heard of Alexander Scorsby? Know who I am tking about? Several years ago he did a dramatic reading of the KJV which stands as the classic in Biblical recordings. I believe those recordings have been digitally remastered and a blessing to anyone who listens to them.

Come on saint. You love to listen to sermons. You find time for that. Why not listen to the Bible and be richly blessed. I koiw I an finding much encouragement listening to the New Testanent. And frankly we need all the encouragement in this gloomy day.

Blaine Scogin

hi martyr, if you contact the lions club and tell them of your blindness and maybe the inability to pay, they will pay for cataract surgery to completely restore your sight. i did this for one eye and was wonderfully satisfied.jimp

These are great posts regarding all of our relationships with the Word. For some, memorization is critical for discipline, some for thwarting persecutors in political oppression, and other reasons. But I would suggest that the first important thing is knowing the Word to the point that as you encounter the colorful crap the world throws at you each day you will know where God is at all times.

You will know when someone says "Money is the root of all evil! It's in the Bible!" that the Word actually speaks of the love of money, not the money itself.

By reading and rereading the gospels you will come to know how Jesus would respond to the things that come before you, whether you memorize or not. Feeling compelled to memorize the bible could become just another legalistic burden. Cramming the Word in your head is not quite the same as the Psalmist's "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee!"

Hmmm. I must have memorized that somewhere along the way.

The more that's in your heart, the less you will need to memorize in your head.

For whatever that's worth...

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Tom Cameron