Hello, my name is Martha. I live in central Indiana with my husband of 23 years and our 3 children ages 15, 13, & 11. I was blessed to be a stay-at-home mom to our children until they headed off to school. I entered the workforce again when our youngest was in Kindergarten. As I am working, I am able to listen to various radio programs and podcasts. One day I heard talk show host Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Revive Our Hearts interviewing Janet Pope about her ability and techniques to memorizing Scripture. God used that particular program to inspire me to start memorizing scripture, which has blossomed into a real hunger to know it as well. Janet recommended writing the Scriptures on a 3×5 spiral to help with the process, so I chose to start with the book of Philippians.
Three days a week I have a 45-minute commute that is perfect for putting the Book of Philippians in my mind and heart. In addition to the cards, I also use my Ipod to record and check for accuracy.
I never would have thought it possible for me to memorize such a mass quantity of Scripture until I realized it is simply adding one verse to the next.
I have developed a real hunger to memorize God’s Word, and I know that “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength” (Phil. 4:13). After much discipline and hard work, I was able to memorize the entire Book of Philippians in about 5 months. I am happy to report that the journey continues for me as I am now working on memorizing Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
How awesome! Thank you for the encouragement to tackle a larger project!
Martha!
I’m so excited for you!
Philippians is powerfully rich and a perfect place to start for someone who is ready for a challenge. Have you noticed the Spirit bringing one particular verse to mind in a certain situation?
If you did Philippians in 5 months, it seems to me you have done the Best.Swap.Ever, swapping what used to occupy your mind for memorizing. There is NO BETTER SWAP!. I’m sure you have realized that now. Isn’t it so crazy that you have an entire book of the Bible etched in your memory?
Keep reviewing and keep memorizing and please consider keeping our community posted on your progress. It is such a treat to hear about what our brothers and sisters in Christ are working on as well as their future goals.
Cherie, Thank you for your comment. A part of my goal was to reach Phil. 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ”. It really did keep me going and that verse gets me through a lot of busy days. I used to listen to the radio on my commute and like you said I have made the best SWAP ever. Philippians can be quoted in approx. 12 min. I review it often. I want it in my long term memory.
Wow! God is good! I too set out to memorize Phillipians. However, I only got through the 1st two chapters because I got discouraged. Then I moved on to selecting a passage from each chapter of Ephesians to memorize. However, I stopped at chapter 6. Insight: I really need Chapter 6:10-19 so I won’t get discouraged! Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. To God Be The Glory! Thanking God for Janet, Nancy and you!
Clara, Please don’t be discouraged. Memorizing 2 chapters is a big thing. You have proven to yourself that you can memorize in bulk. Let me encourage you to get back into the challenge and reach Phil. 4:13 this time. God bless you!
Hi Martha. Wow, so proud of you for jumping in there and tackling Philippians! It is amazing how God wired our brains for memory and recall through the process of repetition. I, too, use driving time to practice. The sermon on the mount is probably my favorite passage so far. You are in for a treat!
Susan, It is well worth the effort. I know you can do it. I hope to read your story on Janet’s blog someday.
Martha, loved your story! It is so amazing that it is as easy as adding one scripture to another. I am working on the Sermon on the Mount too! Now there is a bountiful feast for the heart that longs to know and follow Jesus. My mind can just picture Him on that mountain, teaching and reaching out to that multitude. Telling them how to live out this life and prepare for the next. Thank you so much for sharing with our community.
Thank you for your comment. I was excited about starting the Sermon on the Mount even before I was done with Philippians. It is full of truth. The other day I was trying to review Philippians and somewhere in there I transitioned to saying the Sermon on the Mount. Just a memorizer’s issue 🙂
HI Martha, believe me, I know the wonderful feeling. Your story is quite a rejuvenating inspiration. Keep up the “great” work and progress.
Thanks Martha for sharing this with us. I also got to know Janet after listening to her on ROH and a journey of hiding God’s word in my heart started thereafter. I have done 3 short Psalms and I just finished Titus chapter 1. Its been a blessing soaking in God’s word by memorizing and meditating.