What Does the Bible Say About Wanting?
Here are 19 Bible verses about wanting, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.
- #1Psalms 37:4
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
BSBDelight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
- #2Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
BSBBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- #3Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
BSBBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- #4James 4:2-3
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
BSBYou crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
- #5Psalms 23:1
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
BSBA Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- #62 Timothy 3:1-17
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, …
BSBBut understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these! They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, …
- #7Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
BSBKeep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- #8Psalms 34:10
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
BSBYoung lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
- #9Colossians 3:2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
BSBSet your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
- #10Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
BSBBe anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
- #11Psalms 20:4
Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
BSBMay He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
- #12Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
BSBTherefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
- #13Psalms 21:2
Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
BSBYou have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
- #141 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
BSBAnd this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.
- #15Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
BSBAnd my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
- #16Proverbs 10:3
The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
BSBThe LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked.
- #17Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
BSBI am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- #18Luke 12:15
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
BSBAnd He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- #19Proverbs 10:24
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
BSBWhat the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).