Memorizing Bible Verses: Psalm 42:3-4 (ESV-English Standard Version)
An important part of keeping God’s word in your heart and having it available for when you need to quote it to fight against the devil’s temptations is to memorize scripture. There are many ways to do this including singing verses, using pneumonic devices, and old-fashioned look and don’t look as you try to say the verse. Here is a technique that I learned from memverse.com. Try it out and see if it works for you. I recommend that you focus on these two verses every day for a week before going on to the next two. My goal is that you will memorize all of Psalm 42. There are only 11 verses, which would take you about a month and a half to memorize at the rate that I am suggesting. There is a beautiful song called “As the Deer” based on verses one and two.
Step 1: First read or sing or chant the verses several times.
(Verse 3) My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
(Verse 4) These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.
Step 2: Now try saying the verses with words missing.
(Verse 3) My ___________ have been my ___________ day and night, while they say to me all the ___________ long, “Where is your ___________?”
(Verse 4) These things I ___________, as I pour out my ___________: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the ___________ of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping ___________.
Step 3: Try saying the verses with more words missing.
(Verse 3) My ___________ have been my ___________ ___________ and ___________, while ___________ say to me all the ___________ long, “Where is your ___________?”
(Verse 4) These things I ___________, as I ___________ out my ___________: how I would go with the ___________ and lead them in ___________ to the ___________ of God with glad ___________ and ___________ of praise, a ___________ keeping ___________.
Step 4: Try saying the verses with even more words missing.
(Verse 3) My ___________ have ___________ my ___________ ___________ and ___________, while ___________ say to ___________ all the ___________ ___________, “___________ is your ___________?”
(Verse 4) ___________ things I ___________, as I ___________ out my ___________: ___________ I would ___________ with the ___________ and ___________ them in ___________ to the ___________ of ___________ with glad ___________ and ___________ of praise, a ___________ keeping ___________.
Step 5: Try saying the verses with even more words missing.
(Verse 3) My ___________ ___________ ___________ my ___________ ___________ and ___________, while ___________ ___________ to ___________ all the ___________ ___________, “___________ is ___________ ___________?”
(Verse 4) ___________ ___________ I ___________, as I ___________ ___________ my ___________: ___________ I would ___________ ___________ the ___________ and ___________ ___________ in ___________ to the ___________ of ___________ with ___________ ___________ and ___________ of ___________, a ___________ ___________ ___________.
Step 6: Try saying the verses with only blanks.
(Verse 3) ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, “___________ ___________ ___________ ___________?”
(Verse 4) ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________: ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.
Final Step: Try saying the verses without blanks: Psalm 42:3-4.