Getting to Know You: What's Your Favorite Bible Verse

Time Posted on January 30, 2011 User Dakota Lynch

I don’t know about you, but this is a question I always have a difficult time answering. It seems God is constantly revealing to me the hidden treasures of His Word through the most unlikely verses, and so it’s not uncommon for my favorite Scripture to change on a monthly, or sometimes even a weekly, basis. With that said, rather than trying to pin down one verse and calling it my favorite, I want to give you a list of four verses that have proven especially influential in my own life.

“The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:”

                           -Deuteronomy 7:7

While this verse doesn’t necessarily answer the question “Why me?” that we so often ask ourselves, it does clear up any misconception that it was because we were something special. In Israel’s case, they were not chosen because they had impressed God or because they were a great multitude of people; in our case, it wasn’t because we had earned God’s favor or because we had anything great to offer Him. It is for this reason that Paul wrote, “…by grace are ye saved.” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.”

                  -Psalm 10:14

Most of you don’t know this about me, but I come from a broken home. About three years ago my life was turned upside down, and yet this is a verse that brought comfort to me countless times when nothing else could. Whether you are without a father, a mother, a healer, or a friend, know today that God can be whatever it is you have need of (Philippians 4:19). He can be your helper in a way that nobody else ever could.

“Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.”

                       -Deuteronomy 23:5

It’s amazing to me when I look back over the most difficult times of my life and see how God was able to bring good out of a situation that seemed completely hopeless at the time. I know now that if I hadn’t experienced some of those trials I most likely wouldn’t even been saved today, and perhaps wouldn’t be here at all. God’s love for Israel moved Him to turn their curse into a blessing, and I know that, if you let Him, He’ll do the same for you.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

        -Romans 8:1

This is such a powerful verse, and it has held a special place in my heart for a long time. When I remember the bondage of sin that used to weigh me down and then consider the freedom I now have in Christ, a sense of joy fills my soul that couldn’t possibly be described in a blog post. When the devil, the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), brings up our past sins to the Lord, I can imagine our heavenly Father answering, "Sin? I see no sin when I look on my child. He is without condemnation." Truly, there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. 

So what about you? What Scriptures has God used to encourage, motivate, and uplift you when nothing else seemed to do the trick? Leave a comment and let me know, as I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to read your story. Whether it’s one verse or even a whole chapter, I always love reading how God speaks to others through verses I myself might have been overlooking.


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23 responses to Getting to Know You: What's Your Favorite Bible Verse

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Phil Walker

Dakota, thanks for starting this post, for sharing 4 awesome verses and for opening up to how God has used them to speak into your life and encourage you.

I have had 3 favorite passages the last 21 years. The first that God used powerfully to lead me to a saving faith in Him was GALATIANS 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

For me the first step of coming to authentic Godly sorrow, repentance, and saving faith was challenging the christian culture and trivial gospel around me which told me, "You are already a heaven bound, born again Christian in God's book. Just don't expect it to mean much here on earth." In GALATIANS 2:20 I was able to take stock and say, "Nothing in me has died. No one lives inside of me. I don't live by faith in God. God's love for me has not transformed me." By acknowledging I didn't have the GALATIANS 2:20 reality of the Biblical Christian Life of Christ Himself inside of me, God was able to lead me to admit my need of Him to forgive me and step into my life. This led to a desire for authentic, Biblical faith in a real living God who is alive and well and deeply involved with His people today.

My next favorite was 1 CORINTHIANS 15:10 But by the grace of God I am who I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God that was with me.

As I lived my Christian Life in Christ, it became increasingly obvious that my Godly desires and dreams were being often thwarted by my bad habits, sinful nature, laziness, and compromise with the world around me. I found this verse and prayed earnestly that God would let this be my experience: that I would passionately work wholeheartedly for God, yet not get tired or burned out due to the secret that God Himself would be doing the work in and through me.

In order not to set a record for the world's longest post, I will save discussion of my current favorite passage for a later time. I would love to hear from all of you. What are favorite passages of yours and how has God used them in your life?

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Alex Watt

Thank you for the post, Dakota. All of those are great passages.

I understand about the ever-changing favorite verse phenomena. I think it's a good sign. :) (I've been praying about your request, also.)

I like Philippians 3 because it covers so much. After reminding the brothers to rejoice in the Lord, Paul convinces us that if anyone is going to be justified by works, it is definitely him. (Zealous for God, circumcised on the eighth day, Hebrew of Hebrews, even a Pharisee. The list is longer - see v. 4-6) Then he says, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." What is more, he considers everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ as his personal Lord and Treasure. He considers everything rubbish that he may be found in Christ, not having a righteousness of his own but the perfect righteousness - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

So, already, in just a few verses, Paul shows us that no one stands right before God (like Eccl 7:20 - not a righteous man on earth who never sins). Then he says that by faith he has Christ. And now that he knows Him, everything else in life is not only nothing in comparison, it is actually trash too! He even says "I want to know Christ" - none of us know him well enough to be content with our knowing. That's why he says, "Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect..." He doesn't want us to think that he, we, or anyone else has got it together yet. (He wants us to know that we CANNOT get it together. Like Gal 2:20 we have to be crucified and let Jesus live in us. And even at that, we don't let Christ live in us as completely as we should - yet.) He says, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. But it doesn't end there. :) Paul explains the importance of having people of faith, like himself, whose example we must follow (v. 17), lest we fall away like Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10. He also works in the reality that we have our citizenship in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

I love this passage because it explains the gospel and points to Jesus. It explains Him far better than I ever could. More than that, I like this passage because I don't like it: it challenges me to live like Paul did. It makes me ask the question, Do I really know Him? Is everything else a loss compared to Him?

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ZachB

Phillipians 4:13--It helped me not quit re-learning how to ride my bicycle

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Nathan

My favorite scripture passage is Deuteronomy 6:4-7 it was from a message given by a person that helped me grow dramatically in my walk with the Lord. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy mind and with all thy soul" Jesus said this is the first and great commandment and with it we can then learn to love our neighbor as ourself.

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Courtney M. Spanish Account

I really like John 15:7 - 'If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.' Well, I DO hide God's word in my heart! :)

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Dakota Lynch

Courtney,

Coincidentally, I just added that verse to my list a couple days ago. I also like what follows it: "Herein is My Father glorified: that ye bear much fruit. So shall ye be My disciples."

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Nathan

I would just like to congragalate the state of Ohio for memorizing 3,000 verses and Erika Wenzel for memorizing psalm 119. Congratulations.

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Nikki Brown

Genesis 50:20
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

I just love this verse! It helps me to be at peace when things seem to be going wrong. I will glady suffer for the Glory of God!

Thanks Nathan, I am from Ohio! I love this website it has been a huge blessing to me and for the training up of my children. Sometimes life gets busy and you miss a couple of days but, memverse is always waiting here for me when I need it! Thank you Lord for this wonderful ministry and all the hands and minds that keep it up! Thank you!

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Naomi

My favorite Bible verse has always been 1 John 4:7,8 "Beloved let us love one another. For love is of God and he who does not love does not know God for God is love."

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Nikki Brown

I love that one too, Naomi! Thanks for sharing!

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Naomi

Your Welcome

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River La Belle

"I don’t know about you, but this is a question I always have a difficult time answering. It seems God is constantly revealing to me the hidden treasures of His Word through the most unlikely verses, and so it’s not uncommon for my favorite Scripture to change on a monthly, or sometimes even a weekly, basis. With that said, rather than trying to pin down one verse and calling it my favorite, I want to give you a list of four verses that have proven especially influential in my own life."

Hahaha. Exactly right, Dakota. And I think it's a good thing too, Alex. It shows that we are taking a look at the whole counsel of Scripture, feeding off of every part; not that having one favorite verse through your whole life isn't as good, I just think that the reason we change is because we use a particular passage for a particular time in our lives, and then move on to a new passage as we enter a new phase of our lives.

I'm going to take Dakota's approach as well (not necessarily in order)--

1. 1 Chronicles 12. I love this passage because of God's power working through David's Mighty Men -- the Elite of his army. I desire that God would work in me that way, in order that I would be able to overcome my temptations in the same way as the Mighty Men overcame their enemies, the enemies of the LORD.

2. Lots of Psalms. No explanation is really needed. I'm sure you all have your favorite Psalm.…

3. 2 Chronicles 13 and 14. The speech of Abijah to the men of Israel about their departing from the LORD, and Asa's prayer for help in battle. They inspire me EVERY time I read them.

4. I love the book of Philippians. See Alex's post.

5. Colossians 1.9-12. Very encouraging passage to send to other people.

6. Romans 6.21-23 gives me much encouragement and lifts my heart in my prayers when I am struggling against sin.

7. Mark 14.38. "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. For the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." One of my absolute favorites. So many times I have succumbed to temptation because I haven't been watching for it. I pray and pray against temptation in the morning, but it comes up when I'm not looking and then it's too late. That happens because I haven't been WATCHFUL. The devil is more watchful than any of us could ever be--that is so scary. "But if God is for us, who can be against us?"
Jesus only commands two things to resist temptation: BOTH watchfulness and prayer. So no matter how much how load on the one, if you don't have the other, your efforts will be futile.
WATCH. PRAY. Watch AND Pray. That's all there is to it!! (Of course you have to pray rightly and watch rightly, but that's another topic for another day.)

That should be it.… I'll probably think of more later.…hehe

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ZachB

All these are GREAT ones!!

But if we all think about it, we all just got to admit the whole Bible is THE Favorite!! ;-)

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ZachB

All these are GREAT ones!!

But if we all think about it, we all just got to admit the whole Bible is THE Favorite!! ;-)

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Lydia Murray

I agree with Zachary. The whole Bible is the favorite! However I do have a couple of verses that I particularly like. Pslam 23, Joshua 1:9, John 3:16, Galations 5:22-23, James 4:8, and Psalm 104:24. There's a lot more... But that would be a pretty long blog post! So I'll just stick with these few verses for now. :)

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Clara K.

I'm memorizing 1 Peter 5:8-10, one of my favorites. Is it anyone else's favorite?

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Bethany Meckle (inactive)

I think one of my many favorite verses is 1 Peter 3:15 - "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;"

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biblebee

@Bethany - Great verse!! I think that one of my favorite verses is: Isaiah 41:10 ~ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

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Sarah

I agree with Zachary Baas, my favorite is the whole Bible!!!

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Ianator

My favorite Bible verse is John 6:47- Truly truly I say to you whoever believes in me has eternal life.

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Octavius

One of my favorite verses (there are too many good ones to list) is Romans 8:28
I also like what follows that verse as well.
What assurance these verses give to the believer! No matter what the circumstances, God will work it out for our good. Not necessarily our physical good, but mainly our spiritual good.
We are God's chosen ones, and nothing can change His mind.

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God's Maiden of Virtue

I don't really have a favorite Bible verse because there are so many that I like. But one of my favorites is 1 Timothy 4:12. It says, " Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." This verse reminds me that I need to be setting a good example to others. But it mostly reminds me to be pure in my words and actions.

@Zachary Baas-- I agree!!

@Clara-- 1 Peter 5:8-10 is one of my favorites because like Zachary Baas and Sarah Frisk, the whole Bible is my favorite.

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Peter

My favorite Bible verse has always been Romans 6:23:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD."

This is my favorite verse because it explains the Gospel in one short sentence. Also, the fact the salvation is a FREE GIFT is SO amazing! All we have to do is receive it!


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