Day 10: Recite it {Tools for memorizing}

You made it through week 1!

TO MEMORIZE

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.”
Isaiah 12:1 (ESV)

TO DO

1. Recite your verse to someone else.

Aloud. Let them know you’ve been memorizing this scripture and you need to practice it in front of another human being. They’ll be gracious with your mishaps.

This always helps me see my weak spots because I may *think* I have a verse down pat, but as soon as I try to say it to someone else, I find areas I still stumble. And that’s okay.

A few years ago I volunteered my family to memorize John 1:1-14 together. We did a blog post and video afterwards, attempting to recite it. You can see that perfection wasn’t our goal either.

[click here if you can’t see the video]

2. Prepare for next week’s verses.

Use the weekend as your prep days for the upcoming new verses. If you’re memorizing Isaiah 12, that means cut out your cards for Isaiah 12:2-3. (.) Perhaps go ahead and find a place to set them where you’ll see them.

I get my first letters ready too. I put the new letters in my daily digital calendar so every morning I’m reminded to say them once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

TODAY’S TIP

* Make the weekend easy.

You’ve worked hard this week. We’ve looked at lots of methods and new tools and resources. Plus, we’ve begun memorizing our first verse together. Let that be enough. Don’t cram on Saturday to make up for what you didn’t get accomplished during the week. You have permission to let it go. There’s no pop quiz on Monday.

FINAL WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Don’t fret if you can’t recite this week’s verse perfectly. Even if you can’t say any of it from memory, it’s okay. Truly. Perfectionism isn’t your friend with scripture memory. It’s a stumbling block. It’s what keeps people stuck until eventually they give up.

And you don’t want to give up. We have 20 days left. If you keep going, even if you think you’re not making progress, you’ll be surprised at the end of the month that you will have learned more than you realize.

LINKS

• 4 tips for scripture memory
• MemVerse.com – another free, online scripture review tool
• Our family’s attempt to recite John 1 (with bloopers)

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How did you do with week 1? Learn some new things? Are you able to say Isaiah 12:1 (or whatever verse from the chapter you’ve chosen)? Please share in the comments.

• ← Day 9: Share it with others {Tools for memorizing}
• Day 11: Pray through it {Tools for memorizing} →