40 Essential Scripture Passages in a Pretty Free Printable - Plus Some Tips on Memorizing Bible Verses
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I’ve created a free printable with 40 Passages of Scripture for you to use to memorize Bible verses with your kids! You can hang them on your fridge, put on a bulletin board, or keep in a binder!
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Scripture memory is one of those things that is so amazing to see work in our own lives and in the lives of our kids. I am always so thankful when the Holy Spirit uses verses of Scripture to remind me of truth and encourage me.
Last year, I shared how and why I created a spot for us to hang our Bible Verse of the week but recently... it has been a little empty. I just haven’t been good about getting us new verses. Instead of beating myself up about it (grace, right?!), I just decided to take the guesswork out and have a plan of verses for a long period of time.
However, I’m a little picky, so it had to meet the following qualifications:
It had to be in the ESV. That’s what we use at home and my daughter loves underlining the verses she has memorized, which I shared here.
I wanted it to be in a font that my kids could read. So many of the Scripture printables are in cursive that aren’t great for my beginning readers.
I wanted it to look pretty. I just figured that way I’d love looking at it all the more. My own handwriting wasn’t really cutting it.
As you can probably tell, I didn’t find anything that was ready to print or even buy online, so I made my own! If this is something you might be looking for too, I’m offering them to you in one single download for free as well!
I went through and chose 40 passages from Scripture that I wanted to memorize with my kids. They are all over the Bible and covering a variety of topics - both essentials of the faith as well as more specific passages for issues pertaining especially to kids! If you're looking for a recommended list of verses to memorize, I think this is a great place to start! I have also included the verses at the bottom of this post so you can preview them.
There are 40 passages but some have more than one verse so there are actually 62 verses total.
Tips for Memorizing Scripture
As you do any Scripture memory in your own home, here are a few tips for memorizing Scripture with your kids!
Practice, practice, and then practice some more! Make it fun by saying them in different voices, slowly, loudly, makeup hand motions, whatever - but just repeat the Bible verses until everyone can say them. Maybe it’ll take a week at breakfast, maybe it’ll take two. Just keep going and if you skip a day or two, guess what? That’s ok too, just keep going.
Make sure the kids know that you want to memorize the passage too and are actually enjoying learning Scripture. I personally don’t like using Scripture as copy work even though we homeschool because my kids don’t like writing! I want memorizing Scripture to be something they think of fondly and not as a chore.
Review past passages - This is key if you want them to stay memorized. Before you move on to something new, review what you’ve done so far. Maybe one or two will need more work before you move on and that’s ok! If you are just starting, this can be really simple. As you add more verses, you may want to watch this video on a very helpful (but still simple) system for tracking Scripture memory and reviewing in a way that works!
Download the 40 Passage Printable Now!
To get your own copy, I have added it to the Resource Library, which contains lots of other printables too! You can either download it by heading over there (and you can see all the other resource too) or because I know we’re all busy - grab it by clicking here!
If you find this helpful, it would mean so much to me if you could please share this post with your friends or even just simply pin it on Pinterest!
If you want to see what you'll be getting - here are the passages I’ve included for you to review before you download!
Old Testament Passages
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. -Genesis 1:1
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. -Isaiah 26:4
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. -Numbers 6:24-25
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. -Deuteronomy 6:4
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. -Psalm 103:12
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. -Psalm 51:10
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. -Psalm 119:11
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. -Psalm 119:105
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. -Psalm 56:3
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23
New Testament Passages
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. -John 1:1-3
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. -Matthew 18:15
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. -John 14:6
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” -Luke 10:27
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. -John 10:28-29
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. -Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 6:23
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. -Romans 10:9
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:1
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. -Romans 12:9-10
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. -Ephesians 2:8-9
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. -Titus 3:4-7
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. -Galatians 5:22-23
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger -James 1:19
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will -Ephesians 1:4-5
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
Do all things without grumbling or disputing -Philippians 2:14
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. -Ephesians 5:8
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. -Colossians 3:1-3
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. -2 Corinthians 5:17
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galatians 2:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. -Colossians 3:20
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. -2 Corinthians 5:21
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. -Philippians 2:3
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. -Ephesians 4:32
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
