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50 Most Important Bible Verses to Memorize

January 31, 2011 By
'Bible' photo (c) 2010, Savio Sebastian - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Hello Pinterest friends! Glad you’re visiting. Usually I write about marriage, but I took a detour recently to compile a list of my favourite Bible verses.

Last week I wrote a post complaining that we are “dumbing down” church and school, and don’t require kids to learn mastery of anything anymore. I asked what we could do about it.

And I decided maybe it was time I did something, rather than just complain. And so I’ve put together this list of the 50 verses I think are most important to memorize. I know many families want to memorize verses together, but they don’t know where to start. Here you go. One a week for a year. Even if this is all you ever memorize, you will have God’s word in your heart for the most important verses, I think, in the Bible. I’m going to type the list with the verses first, and then at the end include a list of just the references, if you want those to just copy and paste.

Why not make little memory verse cards out of 3×5 cards, and keep them at the dinner table? Then every night you can go over this week’s verse. By the end of the year, you’ll have all of these memorized!

I chose these because they’re a cross-section of doctrine, promises, and comfort. You may want to add others, or to substitute. Feel free. Consider this a starting point, not anything definitive. I hope you you find it useful! All verses are from the NIV.

God

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Salvation

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”

Ephesians 2:8,9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Assurance
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart ,and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Christian Life

2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Psalm 37:4,5
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this.

Proverbs 3:5,7
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

1 John 4:7,8
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Galatians 5:22-23
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.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Philippians 4:6,7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Confession/Temptation
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it.

Mission
Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Bigger challenges:

If you want to memorize whole chapters, here are my top 5:

Isaiah 53
Psalm 23
1 Corinthians 13
John 15
Psalm 139

These chapters are all important; I have left them out of the top 50 verses because I couldn’t choose just one or two verses from any of them. The whole thing is great. So if you’re up for a family challenge, memorize all of one of them!

Look at it this way: if you spend one year memorizing the fifty verses, and the next year reviewing those fifty and memorizing a chapter, and then go back to those fifty verses again to make sure you have them down, and then the next year go back and do a different chapter, and so on, over the course of ten years you’ll have 50 verses and 5 chapters so committed to memory there is no way anyone could ever forget it.

And I think knowing fewer verses, but knowing them inside and out, is sometimes more beneficial in the long run than trying to make yourself learn a verse a day or something.

So print this out and use it with your family!

Now, here are just the references if you want to copy and paste:

1. Isaiah 9:6
2. Isaiah 40:28
3. Genesis 1:1
4. John 3:16-17
5. Romans 3:23
6. Romans 6:23
7. Revelation 3:20
8. John 14:6
9. Ephesians 2:8,9
10. 2 Corinthians 5:17
11. Romans 8:28
12. Isaiah 40:30-31
13. Romans 8:38-39
14. Matthew 11:28-30
15. Psalm 27:1
16. Jeremiah 29:11
17. Hebrews 13:8
18. 2 Peter 3:9
19. Lamentations 3:22-23
20. 2 Corinthians 12:9
21. 2 Corinthians 4:18
22. Psalm 37:4,5
23. Proverbs 3:5,7
24. Philippians 4:13
25. Galatians 2:20
26. James 1:22
27. Colossians 3:23
28. 1 Corinthians 15:58
29. James 4:7
30. Luke 16:13
31. 1 John 4:7,8
32. Galatians 5:22-23
33. Hebrews 12:1-2
34. Acts 1:8
35. Romans 12:1-2
36. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
37. Psalm 19:14
38. Philippians 4:6,7
39. 2 Timothy 3:16
40. Psalm 119:105
41. Psalm 119:11
42. Hebrews 4:16
43. 1 John 1:9
44. James 5:16
45. 1 Corinthians 10:13
46. Micah 6:8
47. Matthew 25:40
48. Matthew 28:19-20
49. Matthew 5:16
50. Ephesians 6:12

Happy memorizing!

If you believe that memorizing God’s Word can bring real change to families, then can you help me get a wider audience for this list? Just hit “Share” on Facebook below (you can hit the Like button, too, but the Share button posts this to your newsfeed), and then more people will see it! And Pin it on Pinterest, too! Thank you so much!

And I’m so glad you visited today! Mostly I write about marriage, and achieving true intimacy together. Please stick around and explore some more, or Subscribe so that you can keep up with me.

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Snatching Time with God

October 7, 2010 By

 


Photo by KH Rawlings
One of the big challenges in this Simplify Your Life month is how to figure out the big picture: what is it that God is calling you to do?

Next week we’re going to go through a journalling process to figure that out, but there’s a more important preliminary step, and it’s really quite simple. You’ve got to talk to God.

Really talk to Him.

I struggle with this. Do you? I’m one of those people who believes so strongly in multi-tasking that it’s very difficult for me just to sit. I always think I should be folding something, or dusting something, or writing something.

But we can’t figure out what our purpose is unless we get in touch with the one who defines that purpose. Often people try to figure out their purpose without reference to God–they look at their talents, and their desires, and they figure that these things together must constitute their purpose. But is there purpose to life if it’s solely defined by what you like to do and are good at? That’s not purpose; that’s just a singular, self-centred life, and the whole reason for a purpose is that it transcends you, and makes you part of a larger plan.

And you can’t have a larger plan without a Planner. So we need to get used to talking to God!

When I was a teenager, I took a summer missions trip to the Philippines. It was a difficult time, and I’m not sure I would necessarily recommend the same organization or opportunity for teens today. But one thing that they taught me that was invaluable was to do daily devotions. They gave us checklists so we could keep track of which chapters of the Bible we had read, so that eventually we could see when we had read the whole thing. I kept that checklist in my Bible for 7 years, during which I read through most of the Bible so many times that the checklist wore out.

It taught me organization, diligence, and just a thirst to hear from God everyday.

And then I had kids, and thirst for God fell to the wayside, crowded out by desperation for sleep. And even once the kids were sleeping through the night, I was still so desperate for time for myself that I have found it difficult to maintain the discipline I had as a teen.

I have decided, though, to stop feeling guilty about it and to figure out new ways to hear from God–new ways of doing my devotions that don’t require it to be a chore, and that can relieve that thirst again. So here are some ideas, some of which I use, and others which I have used in the past, that may help you to focus again on God and find the time for devotions!

1. Journal, too

If you’re a multitasker, like me, you may find it difficult just to read a portion of Scripture, because if you see something interesting, you think, “I should blog about that!”, or “I should put that in a Facebook status!”. What I’ve done instead is take a pen and a notebook with me while I read my Bible, and I write down things that strike me, so I can make use of them later. Then, at the end, I write down my prayers. A few months later I can read over and I can often detect a pattern of where God has been taking me.

2. Put a small Bible and a small notebook in your purse.

I spend so much time waiting–waiting for kids, waiting for oil changes, waiting while the car is being filled up, waiting at the doctor’s office. Let’s use some of that time and read my Bible then! It doesn’t mean you don’t read it when you have MORE time, but if you honestly are rushed, having a Bible and notebook with you can at least help you to snatch the time that is available!

3. Make it a family event.

We all should be talking to God individually, but if that is becoming difficult, what about reading a chapter together after dinner, and talking about it? Or reading a psalm together with your husband the last thing you do at night?

4. Work through a study

Not sure what to read? Pick up one of those Bible study books at a Christian bookstore that takes you in-depth into a particular book. That helps give some structure to your devotional time if you aren’t sure what to read about, pray about, or learn today. It doesn’t always help to sit down and then open the Bible at random. If you have something that is taking you systematically through a portion of Scripture, you’re likely to learn more!

5. Get the Bible on CD

Why not listen to the Bible in the car while you’re driving? If you commute, or spend a lot of time chauffeuring your kids or doing errands, you can always listen to some shorter passages, like the Psalms or the epistles while you’re driving. Just hearing little bits of Scripture while you drive can be so helpful! Again, a Christian bookstore will sell CDs of the whole Bible, or you can download some off of the internet.

6. Have “Calls to Prayer”

I have a friend who used a siren, whether it was a police or ambulance or fire engine siren, to remind her to pray. Whenever she heard that sound, she’d pray for the emergency, but then she’d pray for her family, or her church, or her concerns. She lived in a big city, so sirens were quite common, and it caused her to pause throughout the day, at random times, to pray.

What’s your random call to prayer? You could use a sound, like a bird’s call or a siren, or you could use a task, like folding laundry, or doing the dishes. Whenever you do these things, you pray. You could even pick specific people to pray for–whenever you do the dishes, you pray for your children. Again, it just focused you throughout the day to think about God and talk to God.

7. Incorporate Prayer into Exercise

My mother takes prayer walks every morning. She walks quickly, to get some exercise, but that’s also when she prays. Others I know pray on the treadmill, or while they jog. I love praying on walks because I’m out in nature, and that’s often when I feel God the most.

8. Play praise CDs constantly

Fill your house with music that praises God–especially music that focuses on Scripture. Fill your car with that, too. Of course, silence is also very necessary at times, but the more we can hear God’s word, the more it will impact us, and help us to remember it and hide it in our hearts.

9. Stop feeling guilty, and do what works

Finally, just stop feeling guilty. Many of us feel so guilty that we haven’t managed to squeeze God into our day that we don’t even try anymore. If you can’t do the 30 minutes with God that you used to do when you were young, that’s okay. But do what you can do. Snatch what you can. Find what works. And don’t be afraid to do a variety of different things. Our devotional time does not have to look like a specific way. It’s just finding time during the day to remember God, to concentrate on God, to listen to God, and to meditate on His word.

He wants to talk to us today; He doesn’t want us to feel so guilty or so inadequate that we flee. If you’re feeling guilty, that’s not God’s voice. So find something that works for you, and do it. And the more you hear God’s voice, the more you’ll find yourself feeling peaceful, grounded, and excited about life!

Do you have ideas that help you incorporate devotions into a busy life with kids? Share them in the comments!

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The Marketing of Bibles

August 30, 2010 By

In my adult life I have had three Bibles. I started with one I had when I was 16. It was a NKJV study Bible, and I used it constantly. I underlined verses and coloured verses and wrote in the margins. I could find anything in that Bible.

 

NKJV Bible

NKJV2

But eventually I just didn’t want NKJV anymore, and I switched to an NIV study Bible. I used that briefly, for about three years, before switching to the Bible I have now, an NRSV which comes–this is the best part, and really why I bought it–with huge margins all around so that you can make lots of notes. I believe in marking up my Bible. It’s how I know what I’ve already read, and what I’ve already thought, and I find my notes useful when I read again.

 

RSV2

RSV1

Most people, I find, do only have a few Bibles because we get attached and it’s hard to part with them. That’s your whole history of your spiritual journey in one book! How could you start fresh? What do you do? Move all your notes over?

And yet, even though we feel that way about Bibles once we’re adults, we don’t expect to feel that way when we’re children or teens. Bibles are marketed with the assumption that kids will buy a new one at each new stage in their lives. They’ll have an easy one with pictures, and then a slightly harder version, and then they’ll go through several different teen Bibles before they reach adulthood.

I think this is done more for the marketing of Bibles than it is for the spiritual health of children. I do believe in having young children who can read–let’s say 7-9–read from an easier version, like the New Living or the TNIV. But once they’re reading novels, I don’t see why we don’t just let kids graduate to the Bible that they will start using in their spiritual faith. I did at 16, and I could have done so at a younger age. Pick the version that you like to read and memorize from, and buy that for your 10-11 year olds. Or save it until they’re 12 and make it into a big birthday present that’s meaningful.

I was reminded of the importance of this recently when my daughter showed me a teen Bible that she won for free (as in we didn’t pay good money for it). It’s a lovely Bible, pink and brown, that’s very attractive. But what we didn’t bargain for was what came inside of it.

 

PinkBible

There were quizzes about “My Favourite Date” or “What I Look for in a Boyfriend”. I can’t tell you them all now because in disgust Rebecca ripped them out. Why is a Bible encouraging young teens to think about dating? She thought it was stupid. (You can read her thoughts here).

But that’s the problem with Bibles marketed to a specific segment of the population. Bibles marketed to teens will include dating quizzes. Bibles marketed to children will include little devotionals or anecdotes about school or about what to do when parents fight and other stuff that really doesn’t belong in a Bible. They’re all done as sidebars, so they’re not part of the text or anything, but they’re still there, staring at you, as you read through Proverbs. Becca tore out all the dating quizzes, but other stuff is still there.

 

PinkBible2

Pinkbible3

I have no problem with sidebars that list the miracles of Jesus or the parables of Jesus or anything like that. I find such things helpful study aids. But sidebars in any Bible–whether for children or teens or women–that are more quiz based or devotional based I find strange. It’s not that I’m against devotions; it’s just that those sidebars usually give a particular slant to the story or passage that you’re reading, and I’d rather let God’s Holy Spirit talk to me at that time. If I want to read a devotional, I’ll get a separate devotional, thank you very much.

I know that companies just need to make money, and hence they’re marketing Bibles like this. And I do believe that everyone should have their own Bible so that they can make their own notes in it.

But I would just caution you before you buy your next Bible or you or a family member or friend: what do you want your Bible for? If you just want something to use as a study aid, then you don’t need one specifically for women or teens or kids or fishermen or moms or golfers or anything. You just want a Bible with margins for leaving notes and with the occasional map or chart.

And such a Bible is good regardless of gender, age, class, nationality. It speaks to everyone. After all, that’s what it was written for. Maybe it’s time we got back to that!

P.S. to any Bible companies reading this: Please make more Bibles with big margins for notes. Thank you.

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