Leadership Tips & Training A Year-Long Scripture Memory Journey

When memorizing your weekly verse, start by meditating on the verse.  Here are the steps to meditating on the Word, which Waylon Moore suggests in his Bible study, Living God’s Word:

Step 1:  Understand the perimeter of the verse
Reading the verses that surround the verse you are memorizing will give you more insight and a fuller understanding of your memory verse.

Step 2: Paraphrase the verse
After reading the verse, then write it out in your own words. Your goal should be to shorten the verse, so that your paraphrase simply states the main point of the verse.

Step 3: Pulverize the verse
Read aloud the memory verse many times- each time emphasizing a different word. Then pick one word from the verse that stood out to you and begin asking questions using who, what, where, when, and why.

Step 4: Personalize the verse
Pray and ask God for insight and wisdom as to how you are to practically apply the verse. Remember, the goal of scripture memory is application (a changed life).

Step 5: Pray the verse into your life.
Pray the verse back to God, inserting your name and circumstances. For example, “God of hope, fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in you, so that I may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13
Please email me any scripture memory testimonies along the journey. I would love to hear how God is working in your life through the memorized Word!

Feasting on the Word!

Nancy Taylor


Nancy Taylor is the First Place Leadership Training Director and joined the First Place staff in 1997. Nancy teaches leadership principles to First Place Leaders throughout the country and at Houston's First Baptist Church where she coordinates all the First Place groups. Nancy also speaks at First Place workshops, rallies, retreats, and conferences, where she delights her audiences with humor and encourages them with boldness. She writes a monthly article, which includes helpful tips for leaders, for the First Place E-newsletter, and was a contributing writer to the Today is the First Day devotional book. Nancy is the resident First Place Bible Concordance because of her love for Scripture memory.