Have you ever heard of Punky Tolson? Neither had I, until I happened to see a four-part YouTube video that she made to give advice about memorizing Scripture.
I later looked at her blog and found out that Punky Tolson is a former actress who is currently in ministry with her husband, Dr. John Tolson. She tries to memorize 24 verses a year and writes a blog, which, in part, encourages others to memorize too.
Here are Punky’s tips:
1. Relate. Choose a verse to which you relate emotionally and spiritually.
2. Read it through. Read your verse in several different translations for more understanding. Ask yourself: What is the topic? Who is speaking? Is there a promise/ blessing/ action to take/ command to follow/ or sin to avoid in this verse?
3. Write it out. Write it out on an index card. Write it also on several sticky notes, and post those notes around the house and on the dashboard of your car.
4. Rehearse it. Say your verse out loud; that way you are speaking God’s truth with your voice. Divide your verse into word groupings, and learn it phrase by phrase, linking the phrases together. Sing the verse. Give the verse a topic, and recite the topic, reference, verse, and reference again when you practice.
5. Respond with it. Pray the verse.
6. Rule with it. Use your verse to replace negative thoughts that come to mind. Live it—believe it!
Many of these pointers we have talked about in previous blog entries. I really like the advice she gives in her fifth tip---pray the verse. Punky says that we should be dialoguing with God about the Scripture, asking Him to show us what it means in our lives, and asking for His help in making it alive and active in us. “Lord, show me…..” and “Lord, help me…..” are two phrases that we can use as we pray our verses. We can also rewrite the verse as a prayer. Punky says she posts a sticky note on her alarm clock with her current verse so that she can pray it before bed as well as first thing in the morning.
If you would like to listen to Punky’s video tips for yourself, the URL is http://www.youtube.com/user/thetolsongroup
