Memorising and meditating
For an interview with the book’s author, click here.
Minister’s letter - 26 March 2026
Dear Friends, on sick leave I finished Colin Marshall’s new book Warriors of the Word: Striving to learn Christ in a hostile world.
I found his opening sentence arresting! Col suggested that
“Learning Christ is your most important lifelong venture”!
Later in the book, one obvious way he talked about learning Christ was through our relationship with God’s Word in Scripture.
We should read, hear, study, memorise and meditate upon it. Some of that you can do at church, as you hear Scripture read and preached, as you discuss it in Bible study groups.
But much of it should happen at home, including further study (for example using a study Bible or Bible commentary). The Gospel Coalition USA has a quality free online commentary series for every book of the Bible here.
But you need no additional resources for memorising and meditating on Scripture.
‘Meditate’ in this context is not in the eastern sense of emptying your mind or just repeating a mantra. But it’s turning over and over in your mind a section of Scripture, its phrasing, its meaning, its application, its wonder, and letting it ‘seep into your soul’.
And memorisation of Scripture seems to be a lost discipline we would do well to recover. My first memory verse, as far as I can remember, was 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
I found that a great comfort in my early years of high school as a young believer. But even more important was the memory verses set for my Confirmation, which occured in Year 8. It was Ephesians 2:8-10 and I can still quote this one from memory more than 4 decades later.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(The only difference is that the NIV today uses ‘handiwork in v10, whereas I learned it as workmanship).
I also remember the summary:
Good works ≠> salvation. But Jesus’ salvation => to good works!
In 2026 I have set myself the ambitious goal of memorising the whole of my favourite New Testament letter, 2 Timothy. It’s only 4 chapters, but I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. By the end of March I should have the first chapter under my belt, but I am only 2/3 of the way through, and am still shaky with what I have tried so far.
But I’m not giving up yet. And in a sense, it doesn’t really matter if I can’t get it word perfect. Because going over it again and again in my mind and sometimes out loud really helps to get it into my heart and soul, not just my mind. It kind of overlaps into meditation.
Here’s the system used by my friend, Pastor Chris Brauns, for Scripture meditation.
Set modest goals,
Repeat to remember, and
Review to retain.
Setting a modest goal means not doing what I am doing with 2 Timothy! Try just to memorise a couple of single verses. Or pick Psalm 23 not Psalm 119!
Repeating to remember includes writing the verse out in your own handwriting. And then repeating it.
At first you look at it while you repeat it. Then you repeat it without looking at it. My friend Chris uses the following regimen for repeating each verse aloud:
Day 1: 25 times
Day 2: 20 times
Day 3: 15 times
Day 4: 10 times
Day 5: 5 times
Having repeated to remember, Chris then reviews to retain. He writes the verse on a three-by-five-inch index card and reviews it daily. Ideally, he aims to review a particular verse.
daily for 45–60 days,
weekly for a year,
monthly for 2–3 years, and
4–5 times per year for life.
Clearly there’s an investment of time here. But perhaps it’s the kind of thing you can try while walking, or on public transport, or maybe even while driving.
Ephesians 2:8-10 could be great memory verses for you to try! Or maybe Psalm 23.
In fact, feel free to quote your favourite memory verses to me at church some time soon. It will bring me great encouragement.
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney