Memorizing Bible Verses: John 1:15-16 (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.

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

(Verse 15) (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 
(Verse 16)  For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

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

(Verse 15)  (John bore ___________ about him, and cried out, “This was ___________ of whom I said, ‘___________ who comes ___________ me ranks ___________ me, because he was ___________ me.’”) 
(Verse 16) For from his fullness we have all received, ___________ upon ___________.

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

(Verse 15)  (___________ bore ___________ about ___________, and cried out, “___________ was ___________ of ___________ I said, ‘___________ who comes ___________ me ranks ___________ me, because he was ___________ me.’”) 
(Verse 16) For from his ___________ we have all ___________, ___________ upon ___________.

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

(Verse 15)  (___________ ___________ ___________ about ___________, and ___________ out, “___________ was ___________ of ___________ I said, ‘___________ who ___________ ___________ me ranks ___________ me, ___________ he was ___________ me.’”) 
(Verse 16) For ___________ his ___________ we ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ upon ___________.

Step 5: Try saying the verses with only blanks.
(Verse 15)  (___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________, “___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ‘___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.’”) 
(Verse 16) ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________.

Final Step: Try saying the verses without blanks: John 1:15-16.