'Desire' in the Bible

For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.

So that, as it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.

Every one of you already has all that heart can desire; already you have grown rich; without waiting for us, you have ascended your thrones! Yes indeed, would to God that you had ascended your thrones, that we also might reign with you!

So my desire is that you take me as your example.

What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

But I had not in mind the sinners who are outside the church, or those who have a desire for and take the property of others, or those who give worship to images; for it is not possible to keep away from such people without going out of the world completely:

But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.

Do not deprive each other [of marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves [unhindered] to prayer, but come together again so that Satan will not tempt you [to sin] because of your lack of self-control.

It is my desire that all men might be even as I am. But every man has the power of his special way of life given him by God, one in this way and one in that.

But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.

But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.

And if a woman has a husband who is not a Christian, and it is his desire to go on living with her, let her not go away from her husband.

But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.

But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

But the man who stands firmly committed in his heart, having no compulsion [to yield to his daughter’s request], and has authority over his own will, and has decided in his own heart to keep his own virgin [daughter from being married], he will do well.

For it is my desire, my brothers, that you may keep in mind how all our fathers were under the cloud, and they all went through the sea;

Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did.

We must not indulge in [nor tolerate] sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell [dead] in a single day!

But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have fellowship with demons.

So it is my desire for you to be clear about this; that no one is able to say by the Spirit of God that Jesus is cursed; and no one is able to say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.

But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

Now I desire that ye should all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy. But greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, unless he interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.

but in the assembly I desire to speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

Therefore, my brothers, desire the ability to prophesy, and do not prevent others from speaking in foreign languages.

For it is not my desire to see you now, on my way; because it is my hope to be with you for some time, if that is the Lord's pleasure.

But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.

For we don't desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

Not that we want to lord it over you in respect of your faith--we do, however, desire to help your joy--for in the matter of your faith you are standing firm.

For which cause my desire is that you will make your love to him clear by your acts.

And for the same reason I sent you a letter so that I might be certain of your desire to do my orders in all things.

For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling,

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.

And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you about the grace of God which has been evident in the churches of Macedonia [awakening in them a longing to contribute];

Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it.

But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

And more than that, he is the one who was chosen by the vote of the Churches to travel with us, sharing our commission in the administration of this generous gift to promote the Lord's glory and gratify our own strong desire.

and in their supplication for you, full of ardent desire for you, on account of the exceeding grace of God which is upon you.

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

But whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.

For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

This is now the third time that I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a trouble to you: my desire is for you, not for your property: for it is not the children's business to make store for their fathers, but the fathers for the children.

For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not to be as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder;

since you seek [forensic] proof that Christ is speaking in and through me. He is not weak or ineffective in dealing with you, but powerful within you.

which is not another one; but there are some that trouble you, and desire to pervert the glad tidings of the Christ.

Am I now using arguments to men, or God? or is it my desire to give men pleasure? if I was still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Only it was their desire that we would give thought to the poor; which very thing I had much in mind to do.

But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ [by faith], we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ an advocate or promoter of our sin? Certainly not!

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

My desire for you, brothers, is that you may be as I am, because I am as you are. You have done me no wrong;

They are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out from us, that ye may be zealous after them.

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

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

My desire is that they who give you trouble might even be cut off themselves.

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

for the flesh doth desire contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed one to another, that the things that ye may will -- these ye may not do;

Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,

Worship of images, use of strange powers, hates, fighting, desire for what another has, angry feelings, attempts to get the better of others, divisions, false teachings,

As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

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

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children;

But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;

For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God].

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

It is my own eager expectation and hope, that [looking toward the future] I will not disgrace myself nor be ashamed in anything, but that with courage and the utmost freedom of speech, even now as always, Christ will be magnified and exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.

since he had a longing desire after you all, and was distressed because ye had heard that he was sick;

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.

Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.

But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

At last our desire to have news of you was so strong that, while we ourselves were waiting at Athens,

But now, [because] Timothy has come to us from you and has brought good news to us of your faith and love, and that {you always think kindly of us}, desiring to see us just as also we [desire to see] you,

not in the affection of desire, as also the nations that were not knowing God,

And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;

But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.

And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all.

And in view of this, we always pray for you that our God will consider you worthy of His calling, and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith,

Now as to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our meeting with him, it is our desire, my brothers,

This was not because we had not a claim upon you, but it arose from a desire to set you an example--for you to imitate us.

It was my desire, when I went on into Macedonia, that you might make a stop at Ephesus, to give orders to certain men not to put forward a different teaching,

My desire is, first of all, that you will make requests and prayers and give praise for all men;

Whose desire is that all men may have salvation and come to the knowledge of what is true.

I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing.

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves modestly and appropriately and discreetly in proper clothing, not with [elaborately] braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothes,

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry

I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling: