Memorizing Bible Verses: John 1:5-6 (ESV-English Standard Version)

An important part of keeping God’s word in your heart and having it available for when you need to quote it to fight against the devil’s temptations is to memorize scripture. There are many ways to do this including singing verses, using pneumonic devices, and old-fashioned look and don’t look as you try to say the verse. Here is a technique that I learned from memverse.com. Try it out and see if it works for you. I recommend that you focus on these two verses every day for a week before going on to the next two. My goal is that you will memorize John 1:1-18. This famous passage confirms both Jesus’ divinity and His humanity. There are 18 verses, which would take you about two months to memorize at the rate that I am suggesting. This passage will be easier to memorize than some others since many of the verses are short.

Note: There is a conflict in translations between the King James Version and the English Standard Version of verse 5. I have included both versions. You can choose which one you want to memorize.

Step 1: First read or sing or chant the verses several times.

(Verses 5) ESV: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

KJV: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

(Verse 6)  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Step 2: Now try saying the verses with words missing.

(Verse 5)  The ___________ shines in the ___________, and the ___________ has not overcome it. (Alternative Verse 5) KJV And the ___________ shineth in ___________; and the ___________ comprehended it not.
(Verse 6)  There was a ___________ sent from ___________, whose name was ___________.

Step 3: Try saying the verses with more words missing.

(Verse 5)  The ___________ ___________ in the ___________, and the ___________ has not ___________ it. (Alternative Verse 5) KJV And the ___________ ___________ in ___________; and the ___________ ___________ it not.
(Verse 6)  ___________ was a ___________ sent from ___________, whose ___________ was ___________.

Step 4: Try saying the verses with even more words missing.

(Verse 5)  The ___________ ___________ ___________ the ___________, ___________ the ___________ has ___________ ___________ it. (Alternative Verse 5) KJV ___________ the ___________ ___________ in ___________; ___________ the ___________ ___________ it ___________.
(Verse 6)  ___________ ___________ a ___________ ___________ from ___________, ___________ ___________ was ___________.

Step 5: Try saying the verses with only blanks.
(Verse 5)  ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________. (Alternative Verse 5) KJV ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________; ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.
(Verse 6)  ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.

Final Step: Try saying the verses without blanks: John 1:5-6