How to Memorize Scripture Quickly

A while back, I memorized Psalms 66-67, James 1-2, 1 Corinthians 13, and Romans 1-10. I also did part of John 1 in the original Greek, a language that has since become dead to me.

The fastest way to memorize is to copy down the first letter of every word and practice reciting the passage. Look at the original text only when you get stumped. Here's what Romans 8 looks like when you do this:

Romans 8 (NASB)

1 T t i n n c f t w a i C J. 2 F t l o t S o l i C J h s y f f t l o s a o d. 3 F w t L c n d, w a i w t t f, G d: s H o S i t l o s f a a a o f s, H c s i t f, 4 s t t r o t L m b f i u, w d n w a t t f b a t t S. 5 F t w a a t t f s t m o t t o t f, b t w a a t t S, t t o t S. 6 F t m s o t f i d, b t m s o t S i l a p, 7 b t m s o t f i h t G; f i d n s i t t l o G, f i i n e a t d s, 8 a t w a i t f c p G.

9 H, y a n i t f b i t S, i i t S o G d i y. B i a d n h t S o C, h d n b t H. 10 I C i i y, t t b i d b o s, y t s i a b o r. 11 B i t S o H w r J f t d d i y, H w r C J f t d w a g l t y m b t H S w d i y.

There's even a tool that does the work for you. Click on the link below, paste in a passage of Scripture, and click the Convert button.

Memorization Tool

Look, Ma. No verse numbers!

You can then copy the converted text into Microsoft Word for some editing. Since the tool messes up verse numbers by truncating any number that's more than one digit, you'll have to re-create the numbers if you want to keep them.

You can also get rid of verse numbers altogether by searching for the passage on Bible Gateway, clicking on the Page Options button at the top of the page, and unchecking the Footnotes, Headings, and Verse Numbers boxes. Copy the resulting passage and paste it into the memorization tool.

There are more memorization tips at the Productivity 501 Web site. And if you ever decide to tackle ancient Greek, get a copy of Greek to Me. There are pictures and memory tools there that will make learning the language a lot easier.

This Broadway actor memorized the Gospel of Luke in the King James Version (!). Learn from the master: