Hey! Do you want to memorize scripture? I have discovered a wonderful way to do it. Put it to music. For some reason I find it much easier to remember words if they are associated with a tune. I used to do this when I was in school and I needed to learn a long list of ideas and concepts. It worked great.

Using music to help you learn is not a new concept. When I was a kid I used to watch Saturday morning cartoons. During the commercial times they would show short educational "Schoolhouse Rock" clips. They were about history, science, math, even part of speech. You know I still remember those songs. I can recite the preamble to the constitution to this day because of what I learned as a child. The same holds true for scripture - or learning the books of the Bible. Put it to music. Teach it to your kids. I think you will be amazed at how well it works!

Several Sundays ago the pastor at my church spoke on prayer and fasting. Now fasting has always been a rather difficult issue with me. You see I've been diabetic since the age of five, and the option of skipping a meal just wasn't there. However, I was granted new insight via the message of the day. You see fasting doesn't necessarily have to mean food. Fasting can be giving up anything that you enjoy and instead spending that time praying. That can mean TV, shopping, a ballgame, even surfing the web! It will be different for every person. Even sleep (an hour or so) might be a possibility.

Whatever you decide to give up use that extra time in prayer.

In my college days and the years following, I used to write down my prayers in a prayer journal. I found it a very affective tool. If you're like me many times your mind will wander when your praying. Somehow writing everything down just helps your train of thought.

Prayer journals are also great for keeping track of prayer requests and answered prayers. They give you a sense of your own history. When you read your old journals you see where you were in your spiritual life at that time. You tend to remember past events more clearly. A warning - re-reading old journals can sometimes bring back painful memories. However, it can also be a testimonial to how God brought you through a difficult time in your life.

Prayer journaling is not for everyone. Everyone is unique (God made us that way), but if you're looking for a way to stay focused in your prayers, you might want to try it.