Retrieval Practice

Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

Have you ever been in the middle of telling a story and then stopped, stuck on a detail like a name or date you couldn’t recall. We often chalk it up to age, believing that memory fades with time. But recent studies no longer support that view. In fact, they indicate our memory isn’t the problem; it’s our ability to retrieve those memories. Without a regular rehearsal of some kind, memories become harder to access.

One of the ways to improve that retrieval ability is by regularly scheduled actions or experiences of recalling a certain memory. Our Creator God knew this, so He instructed the children of Israel to set aside one day a week for worship and rest. In addition to the physical rest that comes from such a respite, we gain an opportunity for mental training, to recall that “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). To remember there is a God, and it’s not us.

In the rush and run of our lives, we sometimes lose our grip on the memories of what God has done for us and for others. We forget who keeps close watch over our lives and who promises His presence when we feel overwhelmed and alone. A consistent break from our routine provides an opportunity for that needed “retrieval practice”—an intentional decision to stop and remember our God and “forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).