Why a psalm?
- They're varying lengths, so you can pick one that would be a challenge but not too hard
- Psalms were meant to be spoken/sung out loud, and they connect with our hearts
Why with someone?
- Not only does it hold you accountable to memorize with someone else, it gives you a shared experience together.
- My context is being married with 5 kids, so that's my current "family," but you could memorize with a spouse, sibling, or friend!
- You don't even necessarily have to live in the same house or town -- your memorizing buddy can live halfway around the world! Just have a shared experience and check in occasionally.
Why this summer?
- short-term goals are easier to achieve than long-term goals
- we shift our thinking during different seasons, so it's a perfect time to set a goal
Do I have to memorize a whole psalm? There's no "right" or "wrong" in this -- any time spent memorizing Scripture is a worthy investment. If you'd like to pick a shorter segment of a psalm, you totally can (Psalm 119 with 176 verses may be a little too ambitious in its entirety!). I also think there's value (and momentum for future memorizing) in knowing that you've memorized a whole chapter of the Bible (even if is "only" five or six verses).
To make this a bit more practical, here are some steps to get you started:
- declare yourself by choosing a psalm to memorize and get your people on board by mid-June.
- make a plan for how to break up your psalm into weekly or monthly segments over the course of June, July, and August
- check in at the end of each month with your progress!
If you know anything about my Scripture memory journey, you know that I prefer and encourage memorizing with song. There are many great Scripture song artists on YouTube who focus on psalms (like Sons of Korah, The Psalms Project), but I want to highlight my favorite -- The Corner Room (ESV). If you pick one of these psalms, you can listen to the song as a family, and then committing it to memory will be that much easier.
- Psalm 1 (6 verses) - Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked...
- Psalm 8 (9 verses) - O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name...
- Psalm 13 (6 verses) - How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
- Psalm 16 (11 verses) - You make known to me the path of life...
- Psalm 23 (6 verses) - The Lord is my shepherd...
- Psalm 42 (11 verses) - As a deer pants for flowing streams...
- Psalm 46 (11 verses) - God is our refuge and strength...
- Psalm 63 (11 verses) - O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you...
- Psalm 67 (7 verses) - May God be gracious to us and bless us...
- Psalm 100 (5 verse) - Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
- Psalm 121 (8 verses) - I lift up my eyes to the hills
- Psalm 127 (5 verses) - Unless the Lord builds the house...
- Psalm 139 (24 verses - 4 separate songs) - I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...
- Psalm 150 (6 verses) - Let everything that has breath praise the Lord...
Here's Psalm 100:
Let me know (through a comment or to me directly) if you're in!
What a fantastic idea! Our family will be scattered throughout different states this summer. I'll propose this idea to my (young adult) kids and see if there would like to memorize the same Psalm over the summer.
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