If you answered “b” or “c,” you know how frustrating it can be when you’re not “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Knowing God’s Word not only helps others understand Him better, but it revives your soul (Psalm 19:7), allows you to meditate on Scripture day and night (Psalm 16:7) and keeps you from sin (Psalm 119:9-11).

Remember what Moses said about the Ten Commandments? Here it is. “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

Think these instructions are a bit drastic? God knows what He’s talking about. Pairing a physical reminder with a Bible verse (like binding Scripture on your forehead) will help set your mind on things above.

People naturally remember a command or an idea when it’s associated with an object they can see, hear, touch, smell or taste. Train your brain to recall Scripture when you smell popcorn, pet an animal, taste your favorite food, hear a tune or watch a sunset. Check out the following ideas. They can help cultivate your senses while you incorporate God’s Word into your life.

Touchy, Touchy
Allow God to use a physical activity to strengthen you as you meditate on His Word. Take a walk or a run, and as you move your legs, set your mind on Isaiah 40:31. “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Or think of 2 Samuel 22:33-34. “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.”

Taste the Difference
As you sit to eat, think about 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Write Psalm 63:1 on a water bottle and commit to knowing it by heart. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Sound Effects
If you memorize James 1:19, you’ll know that, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Sharpen your listening skills by hearing the Bible on audiotape. Buy the tapes or check them out from the library.

Try reading the Bible out loud to yourself or finding an accountability partner to recite verses with.

Also, use the sounds of music to set your heart on the heavenly. Some Christian artists use Scripture as lyrics for song. You may even want to write your own song from your favorite verses.

Out of Sight
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Use Scripture to see yourself through God’s eyes. Write a verse on your mirror with a dry-erase pen. It will wipe off when you want to change the message. Consider 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Also take note of the beauty of nature as you witness God’s creation. When you see hills or mountains, think about Psalm 121:1-2 and say, “I lift my eyes up to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Scratch and Sniff
Associate a smell with a verse or passage of Scripture. Every time you catch a whiff of someone’s breath, remember the sweetness of Scripture that never goes sour. As 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

For a more pleasant memory trigger, you could buy a fruity-smelling body spray and recite Galatians 5:22-23 whenever you put on the scent. Say out loud, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

A Sixth Sense
God uses all five of our senses and more to bring us to a better understanding of Him. We also have an inner instinct that draws us intimately into His presence. As Romans 1:20 says: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”

You’ve probably noticed that what we sense on Earth is only a poor reflection of God’s glory. We will not know His glory fully until we reach heaven.

Try to think of more creative ideas to remember Scripture. Once you’ve disciplined yourself enough to recall verses with the help of your senses, make the move to memorizing a chapter or even a whole book of the Bible. Don’t think you can? Ask God to imprint the Word in your mind, and start by memorizing Philippians 4:13.