One of my favorite authors is Don Whitney. He has written extensively on personal and interpersonal spiritual disciplines. Recently, he penned ten questions to focus your spiritual preparation for a new year. This was his second such article. (They can be found here and here.) One of the questions struck me: What spiritual discipline would you most like to grow in this year? This answer was an easy one. Last year, my optometrist discovered some potential issues with my eyes. The condition is treatable, but it could lead to eventual blindness if left untreated. The diagnosis left me with a haunting refrain in my head: If I were no longer able to see, or if someone suddenly took access to God’s Word away from me, would my knowledge of the scripture sustain me? My discomfort and inability to answer that question with an unequivocal “yes” lead me to an easy answer to Whitney’s query. The one spiritual discipline where I want to see the most growth in 2022 is Scripture memory.
Since a road trip is more fun with friends, I want to invite you all to join me on this journey. Now, I know that you may have objections or protests about your ability, or lack thereof, to memorize verses, so I hope to share some articles to encourage you along the way over the next few days. Nevertheless, here is my proposal for us to memorize scripture together. Step one, pray about the commitment you are making. Second, enlist a friend to check your work and hold you accountable. It works better if they are participating too, but it isn’t necessary as long as they work with you to help make sure you have the verse memorized. The third step is to select a plan. To complete a verse, simply arrange a time with your partner and repeat it to them from memory in your translation of choice. I have attached to this article three lists for varying levels of challenge. Club 12 is a plan to memorize one Bible verse a month throughout the year. This path will allow you to take your time working on a verse without the pressure of another coming the following week. Group two is Club 26. This list enables a participant to memorize one verse every two weeks. Finally, Club 52 maps out a new memory verse every week.
I know this can be a scary goal, but I want to encourage you to give it a try. Every verse you hide in your heart this year, be it 1 or 52, will be one that no one can ever take away from you. Will you join me this year? I have attached a PDF of each plan, complete with a place for your signature once you complete it and one for your accountability partner.
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