Confirmation verses: modern, short and from the Bible

Good confirmation verses are short, easy to understand and fit the person who chooses them. The most popular ones come from the Bible, such as 1 Timothy 4:12, Joshua 1:9 or Psalm 139:14; short verses like 1 Corinthians 16:14 and modern mottos in your own words are popular too. What matters most is that the confirmand chooses the verse personally and can explain it.

A confirmation verse differs from a baptism verse in one respect: this time the person chooses it. It is often the first Bible verse someone consciously picks for themselves, and not seldom the only one they can still recite at forty. At Good-Natured we have sorted the verses by theme: classics from the Bible, short verses, verses for courage and the road ahead, and modern sayings. Every Bible verse is quoted from the King James Version with its reference.

“A baptism verse is given to you. A confirmation verse is chosen, and that is the whole difference.”

1. Confirmation verses from the Bible: the classics

These verses have been chosen for decades because they take young people seriously. Gifts that suit many of them can be found in our confirmation gifts collection.

1 Timothy 4:12
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
One of the most frequently chosen confirmation verses, because it explicitly addresses age, and it does so on the side of the fourteen-year-olds.

Joshua 1:9
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Spoken to someone taking on a big task. Courage is not commanded but grounded: the word “for” carries the whole sentence.

Psalm 139:14
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
At an age when you constantly compare yourself with others, this verse says something different from the screen. The idea of being seen and loved is also carried by our Seen & Loved socks (12 €).

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Written to exiles who are told in the same chapter that it will be seventy years. More on this in our article Jeremiah 29:11: what the verse promises.

Psalm 119:105
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
The image is a small oil lamp that lights one step ahead, not a floodlight for the whole way. That is exactly what makes the verse honest.

2. Short confirmation verses

Short verses are easy to remember and fit on a card or an engraving. We collect more examples under the heading short Bible verses to remember.

1 Corinthians 16:14
“Let all your things be done with charity.”
Eight words, and still a whole way of life.

Psalm 23:1
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

1 Peter 5:7
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Matthew 28:20
“And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

1 John 4:16
“God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
The second half of the verse.

3. Confirmation verses for courage and your own path

Psalm 37:5
“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Not switching off your mind, but not making it the final authority.

Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Paul writes this in prison; it is about endurance, not winning. Why that matters is explained in our article Philippians 4:13: what “I can do all things” really means.

4. Modern confirmation sayings

Some confirmands want a sentence in today's language. That works well for the invitation and the card; most churches still put a Bible verse on the certificate. A good approach combines both. We wrote these examples ourselves:

• “I don't have to be able to do everything. I can trust.” (after Proverbs 3:5)
• “Seen. Loved. Meant to be.” (after Psalm 139:14)
• “Courage doesn't mean having no fear, but not being alone.” (after Joshua 1:9)
• “Be light, even in small things.” (after Matthew 5:14)

Two Bible verses sound almost like modern statements. Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Note the tense: “ye are”, not “ye shall become”. A fitting piece is the Let your light Shine T-shirt (38 €), made from 100% organic cotton in Portugal.

Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Our Nicht von dieser Welt (Not of this world) boxy T-shirt (38 €) picks up this thought.

5. Protestant or Catholic: who chooses a verse?

The confirmation verse is a Protestant tradition in Germany: it is spoken over the confirmand during the blessing and usually appears on the certificate. Catholic confirmation (Firmung) has no fixed ritual of this kind, although in some parishes young people still choose a guiding verse. The verses above work for both occasions. More on this in our overview of confirmation, Firmung and Jugendweihe and in our article on the meaning and order of confirmation.

6. How the confirmand finds the right verse

For guests, the verse is the best starting point: take it up in the card and add a sentence on why it fits. A simple card like the Herzlichen Glückwunsch (Congratulations) postcard (2 €) leaves plenty of room; more designs can be found among our Christian greeting cards. If you are looking for words for your own message, you will find ideas in our wording for a personal blessing. Gift ideas that last beyond the day are collected in our article Confirmation gifts that 14-year-olds actually keep.

Conclusion

A good confirmation verse is one the confirmand can explain. Classics like 1 Timothy 4:12 and Psalm 139:14 work because they take young people seriously; short verses like 1 Corinthians 16:14 stay in your head, and modern sayings fit well on invitations and cards. If you are looking for a gift to match the verse, Good-Natured has clothing, socks and cards with a message in our confirmation gifts collection.