Having God’s Word hidden in our hearts is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen our walk with Christ. When I’m faced with temptation or when I need to share the gospel with someone, these memorized verses become like treasures the Holy Spirit brings to mind exactly when I need them.
Here’s my list of 100 essential Bible verses in the ESV translation that have been transformative in my own walk with Jesus:
God’s Character and Promises
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
“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)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalm 103:8)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15)
“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3)
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
Salvation and Grace
“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)
“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)
“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)
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
“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)
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Faith and Trust
“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)
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
“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)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)
God’s Word
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
The Holy Spirit
“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)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17)
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26)
Prayer
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2)
Strength and Courage
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
“But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
Peace and Comfort
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Abiding in Christ
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)
“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)
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9)
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'” (John 6:35)
Love
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34)
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
Wisdom and Guidance
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6)
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Spiritual Warfare
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Persecution and Suffering
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
Missions and Evangelism
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15)
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)
“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'” (Luke 10:2)
Humility and Service
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)
Forgiveness
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13)
“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25)
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'” (Matthew 18:21-22)
Hope and Eternity
“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
General Wisdom for Living
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)
I’ve found that starting with just one verse a week has helped me build up my “spiritual arsenal” over time. When I meditate on a verse, I ask the Holy Spirit to make it alive in me, not just in my memory but in how I live.
When I commit Scripture to memory, the Holy Spirit brings it to mind exactly when I need it. Whether I’m sharing my faith with someone or going through a difficult time myself, these verses have become like treasure stored up in my heart.
What’s your favorite verse from this list? Or is there one you’d like to start memorizing right away?