925 verses about Desires

Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.

and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t sin. Let them marry.

But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no urgency, but has power over his own will, and has determined in his own heart to keep his own virgin, does well.

A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.

Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good.

Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.

But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.

Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Therefore, brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking with other languages.

Now concerning Apollos, the brother, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now; but he will come when he has an opportunity.

For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven;

For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,

envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

For even they who receive circumcision don’t keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,

among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;

For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.

whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

You also once walked in those, when you lived in them;

But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,

For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God;

To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing;

This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work.

But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives.

But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry;

But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.

But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.

But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good,

traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;

For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end,

Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law),

But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time;

lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.

For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.

Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.

Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members?

You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.

You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?

For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”

You have lived in luxury on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.

as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance,

as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.

but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries;

receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you;

having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;

For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;

promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.