You may have memorized the words to a favorite song or quote, but have you ever tried memorizing Scripture? Father Dave welcomes back friend of the show Jackie Angel to discuss her new book and accompanying podcast called “Memorize Scripture: Simple Steps to Pray, Ponder, and Practice God’s Word.”
Jackie explains when she first incorporated memorization into her faith life. “I actually was really inspired by my Protestant friend in high school who was part of Bible competitions. He had to memorize all of Philippians and was going to be quizzed on it,” she says. “Then when I was 18, I had a huge conversion of my faith. I was part of a Steubenville conference…We had to memorize two Scripture verses, and I still remember them: Galatians 5:1 and Romans 12:1-2.”
LISTEN: Preparing Your Kids for First Reconciliation and First Communion With Jackie Angel
“From that moment, I started reading the New Testament and marking any time I wanted to memorize something,” she recalls. “I thought, wow, this is either really good for apologetics, or this really stands out to me, and I think it’s so beautiful. So I’ve been memorizing Scripture for more than 20 years, and I have seen it be so helpful in my life, not only as a speaker, but also my personal prayer life and with my kids.”
Father Dave notes, “We should place value on the fact that it’s not the same as memorizing some other words, like Shakespeare or the periodic table. We believe that these [verses] are imbued with God’s very spirit. When we say ‘the Word of God,’ we actually mean the second person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ is the Word, and the Word dwells among us and should dwell in us.”
LISTEN: A Year in the Word: Journaling With the Bible With Meg Hunter-Kilmer
Jackie responds, “It says in Hebrews Chapter 4 that the Word of God is living and effective. So the whole point of memorizing Scripture is not just to be in our heads, but it really is to go to our hearts, that it should enlighten, inflame and purify our hearts.”
She offers tips for memorizing verses of Scripture, including repeating them out loud and writing them down. Jackie also notes how teaching Scripture to others is helpful for memorization, and shares how she does with her children. “With my kids, we go around in a circle and we say one word at a time [from memory,]” she says. “It’s very cute and just a fun way to memorize. I’m always a big fan of memorizing with your friends and with your family, just as accountability, a little goal, and a challenge.”