Scripture Walk

Every morning, before I get out of bed, I go on a mental walk. Sometimes it's a leisurely stroll, sometimes it's a quick sprint. The point is, before I put a foot on the ground, I've intentionally started my day with purpose and direction.

There is a memory technique that is pretty simple and quite effective. This technique involves creating a "Memory Palace" where you "store" items you want to remember. (okay, hang in there with me). The memory palace is a metaphor for a building, room, place, or path you know well and can easily picture in your mind. The idea is to mentally study your palace, then begin "storing" or placing things you want to remember around the palace. You place the items using visualization and association. The technique works surprisingly well (you can read more about the technique in this article).

This is the technique I use as the first part of my morning routine, before I even get out of bed. Over time, I've developed a list of a few key scriptures that I like to keep in mind and meditate on to start my day off right. I have a lot of scripture I like, but these are my "memory" verses. I started with just 1 verse (Luke 18:13) that I would picture as I was in bed. Then I added a 2nd verse (1 Thes 5:17) that I would picture by my alarm clock. Then a 3rd verse (Mark 12:30-31) as my feet hit the floor. Then a 4th (Gal 5:22-23) as I walked across my bedroom and 5th (Matt 6:9-13) as I opened my bedroom door. My "memory palace" is my walk I take through my house every morning. And everywhere in my house, I'm "storing" scriptures that I value. It's interesting how well this works because I can actually mentally travel the path forward and backwards along the "path" and still find the scriptures where I left them. All while I'm still lying in bed!

You may have another strategy that work for you, but this is something that works well for me. If you don't have a morning quiet time, I would encourage you to begin one. Choose your palace and place an item, thought, scripture, or affirmation there. Refer back to it. Meditate on it. Then start adding to it. Eventually you'll have a pretty amazing walk to take every day.

Enjoy the day!

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If you're interested, I'm currently at 36 verses on my "walk." I'm pretty happy with that considering I've always struggled with memorizing scripture. But I'm a believer in slow, steady progress and incremental gains. Here is the list of verses I use if you are curious...

1 God, have mercy on me a sinner - Luke 18:13

2 be joyful, pray continually, give thanks - 1 Thes 5:16-18

3 love the Lord, love your neighbor - Mark 12:30-31

4 love, joy, peace, patience... - Gal 5:22-23

5 your will be done - Matt 6:9-13

6 create in me a pure heart - Psalm 51:10-11

7 by grace through faith (a gift...not by works) - Eph 2:8-10

8 do not conform, be transformed - Rom 12:1-2

9 value others above yourselves - Phil 2:3-4

10 be still and know - Psalm 46:10

11 do not be anxious about anything - Phil 4:6-7

12 faith is being sure of what we hope for - Heb 11:1

13 run with perseverance...fixing our eyes - Heb 12:1-2

14 power to grasp the love of Christ - Eph 3:16-21

15 for God so loved...to save the world - John 3:16-17

16 live a life worthy of the calling - Eph 4:1-3

17 be holy in all you do - 1 Peter 1:13-16

18 rooted and built up in Him- Col 2:6-7

19 seek first His kingdom - Matt 6:33-34

20 trust in the Lord with all your heart - Prov 3:5-6

21 this is the day...I will rejoice - Psalm 118:24

22 rejoice in the Lord always - Philippians 4:4

23 I can do all things - Philippians 4:13

24 in all things, God works for the good - Romans 8:28

25 only what is helpful for building others up - Eph 4:29

26 those who hope in the Lord (soar, run, walk) - Isaiah 40:31

27 justified through faith...peace with God - Romans 5:1-2

28 all have sinned and fall short - Romans 3:23-24

29 live a life worthy of the Lord - Colossians 1:9-10

30 ask seek knock...receive find open - Matthew 7:7-8

31 I will give you a new heart - Ezekiel 36:26-27

32 whatever you do, work at it with all your heart - Colossians 3:23-24 33 love is patient, love is kind - 1 Cor 13:4-7

34 clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility - Colossians 3:12-15 NIV 35 be kind and compassionate...forgiving each other - Eph 4:32

36 my commandment is this: love one another as I have love you - John 15:12