Memorizing Bible Verses: 1 John 4:19-21 (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. The goal for the Beloved series is to memorize 1 John 4:7-21. This is a passage about our relationship to God and others These are the last three verses of the passage.

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

(Verse 19-20) We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
(Verse 21)  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

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

(Verse 19)  We ___________ because he first ___________ us.

(Verse 20) If anyone says, “I ___________ God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not ___________ his brother whom he has seen cannot ___________ God whom he has not seen.

(Verse 21) And this commandment we have from him: whoever ___________ God must also ___________ his brother.

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

(Verse 19)  We ___________ ___________ he first ___________ us.

(Verse 20) If anyone says, “I ___________ ___________,” and hates his ___________, he is a liar; for he who does not ___________ his ___________ whom he has seen cannot ___________ ___________ whom he has not seen.

(Verse 21) And this commandment we have from him: whoever ___________ ___________ must also ___________ his ___________.

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

(Verse 19)  We ___________ ___________ he ___________ ___________ us.

(Verse 20) If ___________ says, “I ___________ ___________,” and ___________ his ___________, he is a ___________; for he ___________ does not ___________ his ___________ whom he has ___________ cannot ___________ ___________ whom he has not ___________.

(Verse 21) And this ___________ we ___________ from him: ___________ ___________ ___________ must also ___________ his ___________.

Step 6: Try saying the verses with only blanks.

(Verse 19)  ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.

(Verse 20) ___________ ___________ ___________, “___________ ___________ ___________,” ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________, ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________; ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.

(Verse 21) ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________: ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________.

Final Step: Try saying the verses without blanks: 1 John 4:19-21.