One of the greatest joys in life is teaching young people about Jesus. Whether it be through songs, Bible stories, skits, or VBS, creativity is endless when we serve children. One of the most significant gifts that we can give to any child is Scripture memory. Repetition is one tool for teaching kids. Once a verse is learned, then it can be repeated and used as a resource of strength for the rest of their lives.
Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
These are just two verses that emphasize the importance of studying and memorizing God’s Word. Bible verses for kids are very useful and learning them together can be a whole lot of fun!
Different children are on different levels of learning for memorization. Whatever child you are working with, it is important to keep that in mind. Rather than giving verses per age, below are some suggestions that I find most important for the gospel and life whether someone is two or sixteen.
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Romans 3:32: “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.”
1 John 4:7: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 139:14: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalm 46:10: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”
Colossians 1:15: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
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.”
Psalm 23:1: “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
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.”
Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
The Bible teaches us to have faith like a child (Matthew 18:3, Mark 10:14, & Luke 18:17). God says that children are a gift from Him (Psalm 127:3, Proverbs 17:6).
Psalm 127:3-6 says, “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.”
I absolutely love the visual of arrows in the hands of a warrior. About a month ago I tried to shoot a bow and arrow. It was comical, to say the least. I mostly just practiced with a bow because I was not willing to take the risk of shooting and hitting a loved one. However, when an arrow is in the hands of a professional, it can be pulled back, aimed, and released towards the target. This is what the Psalmist meant. When children are taught the Word of God and the ways of the Lord, we are pulling them back and giving them aim. One day, when they are grown, we release them into the world in hopes that they will hit the target of living Christ-honoring lives.
Matthew 19:14 says, “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” If our Savior Jesus shared the importance of letting children come to Him, may we never prevent His will. It is helpful to remember that salvation is for children too.
When we accept Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, we become adopted as children of God. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
Matthew 18:1-6 says, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
This is a weighty passage. Christ cares deeply that we live humbly as children and that we love them by leading them on His path. Teaching Scripture memory is one way that we can care for the little ones and point them to God.
Some people may wonder if children should memorize Scripture if they have not accepted Christ into their hearts. Jessica Udall from Crosswalk says, “Kids will benefit from memorizing any portion of God’s Word, whether or not they fully understand it at the time.” As parents, teachers, and mentors, it is our responsibility to pass on the torch to the next generation of believers to run the faith races set out for them. Teaching them the value and power of the Bible is a way to commission them to be raised up in the knowledge of God. They will always have those memory verses tucked away in their hearts.
I can still quote the Pledge of Allegiance, the Alphabet, and The Lord’s Prayer. This is because people older than me came alongside and taught them. We have a calling to share Christ with the next generation. Jesus placed a high value on children, and we should model that in our own lives. Whether we are parents or not, we have a job to share the Gospel and one incredible way is by teaching Scripture.
Bible Study Tools wisely shares, “As parents, grandparents, and mentors it's important for us to help our children learn and understand the promises of God. If we lead as examples of Jesus Christ and speak Scriptures of promise but also of warnings to our children, they will know the way to choose. Even when we fail to see God working in the lives of our children, we can have faith that his Word will not return void!”
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Active implies and ongoing effectiveness. The verses that children learn are part of God’s Word, therefore they are actively doing a work in these little lives anytime when they think about them or choose to live out the concept of the verses.
I also want to bring up another point. What if our Bibles were taken away from us and all we had left was what we memorized? This is very convicting to me as an adult. We do not know what the future holds, so it is essential that we train up a group of young people who know the Word in their hearts so they can always have confidence that even if a physical Bible is not with them that they have His Word in their hearts.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 instructs us, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Some easy techniques for learning Scripture include:
Songs: Music is an effective tool to learn the Word of God, especially when you are working with young children. Using your resources to find a song related to the verse you are learning is helpful. Also, you can even make up a basic tune. It does not have to be special or professional to stick into our minds. I still remember very basic songs used in high school Spanish class when we learned colors, the days of the week, and countries. Some kids may even enjoy rapping their verses.
Schedules: Maybe you are not into music but desire the repetition that it offers. Setting a schedule to say a specific Bible verse during the same time or activity every day can be useful. For example, right before dinner, you could quote the verse as a family or right before bedtime. You kids will start to know that there is a time they are going to practice their memory verses.
Games: If you are a gaming family, try to make a game out of the verse you are learning for the week. Print off each word from the verse and cut them out. Then it can be a visual game for mixing and matching the words in the correct order. You could also create an activity related to the verse that you are learning. For example, if you are learning Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart with be also.” Then you can hide a cut-out paper heart in a treasure box outside or in your house. The kids will have a game attached to their memory of the verse!
Personal Memory: Sometimes children do best memorizing on their own. You can come alongside personal memory by encouraging them with techniques such as: practicing each line three times before moving on to the next, fill in the blanks, writing all that you can remember, and even coming up with hand motions for certain words.
Further Reading
20 Great Bible Verses for Kids to Memorize
18 Easy-to-Memorize Bible Verses for Kids to Remember Forever
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