Seneca the Elder was a Roman teacher and writer. He lived from 54 B.C to 39 A.D.
He was known for his ability to repeat long passages of speeches that he heard only heard once before. In fact, he would impress his class of 200 students by having each one of them recite one line of poetry. When they were done, he would recite all of the lines that they had quoted, but in reverse order, from last to first!
I can’t do that. At least I think I can’t!
God gave each of us a mind. Our brains are the most incredible organs in our bodies. Your brain contains billions of nerve fibres and trillions of connections called synapses.
You and I may not have the ability to effortlessly memorize 200 lines of poetry, but I believe we grossly underestimate our ability to memorize. Obviously, we memorize all sorts of data, much of it without trying: phone numbers, directions, recipes, and more.
I have found one of the greatest uses of our brains is to memorize scripture.
If you have walked with Jesus and read your bible for longer than a year or so, there are probably several areas of Scripture of which you’ve become very familiar.
Much of life’s warfare is fought on the battlefield of our minds. Attitude is everything; perspective matters greatly!
The way to win the war is by memorizing and meditating upon God’s Word. We need to fill our minds with helpful Bible verses.
As Satan tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus responded every time with the Word of God and nothing but the Word of God. Every time Satan attacked him, he quoted Scripture. (See Luke 4:1-14.) Don’t let that escape you. Certainly if we are going to have victory over temptation, doubts, and fears, we need to fill our minds with the Word of God.
Consider memorizing some passages of Scripture. The key to this is to find verses that you really like; those that are helpful to you. If you need some starter verses, try these: John 16:24, 1 John 5:11-12, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 John 1:9, and Proverbs 3:5-6.
I knew a university student who memorized the entire book of Philippians! He did it as he would walk around campus, spending time with the Lord.
What if you take a chapter in the bible and read it every day for a month. You will get God’s Word into your heart and mind!
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8.)
What is your way of memorizing God’s Word? What are some verses you have memorized? Let us know in the comments section below.
