Self-control is the ability to govern your emotions, behaviors, and impulses, especially when you are challenged with temptations.
At some point in our lives, we all struggle with self-control. We all have something we want to keep under control. Food, lust, money, an addiction, or even a quick temper are all examples. Whatever your problem is, the Bible teaches us about self-control and how vital it is in our lives.
Here are some self-control verses in the bible to help you understand the importance of self-control and how you can be self-disciplined.
Short prayer for self control
Merciful Lord,
Thank you for the blessings and mercies you have bestowed upon me. Today, I come to you with a flaw in my character. I’m having trouble keeping my cool and controlling myself sometimes. So, please give me the strength to be self-disciplined and the will to avoid everything that contradicts your word. Assist me in living a righteous life that pleases you.
Assist me in speaking and acting in ways that bring glory to your name.
Assist me in avoiding persons and locations that will encourage me to continue with this bad behavior. Give me control over anything that compromises our relationship, and assist me in doing things that will bring us closer together.
I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Self-control verses
2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Proverbs 13:3
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Job 31:1
I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.
2 Peter 1:5-7
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
Proverbs 4:27
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
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Proverbs 25:28
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Proverbs 16:32
Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city
2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
James 1:19-21
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Proverbs 12:16
Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult.
Titus 1:8
Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
1 Timothy 3:2-3
Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.
Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
Self control bible reading plan
One very effective way to study and meditate on the word of God is to read it often. So below we’ve added a 21-day bible reading plan on self-control to help you study and understand what the bible says about self-control.
We hope by the end of this bible reading plan, you will be able to understand what the bible says about controlling oneself and how you can effectively do it. Here are a few questions to ask yourself after each reading;
- How do you understand the scripture?
- What does the scripture tell you about self-control?
- How can you apply this scripture in your life?
