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What the Bible Says About Seeking God

Overview

The Bible addresses seeking god across 88 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Psalms, 2 Chronicles and Isaiah. Closely related themes include Seekers, Prayer, Faith and Penitent. Figures whose stories touch this theme include David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat and Zerubbabel.

Key Bible verses about seeking god

Old Testament

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:11

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

1 Chronicles 22:19

Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 28:8

Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

1 Chronicles 28:9

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:16

And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

2 Chronicles 12:14

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD. prepared: or, fixed

2 Chronicles 14:7

Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

2 Chronicles 15:12

And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

2 Chronicles 17:3

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; of: or, of his father, and of David

2 Chronicles 17:4

But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

2 Chronicles 26:5

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper. in the visions: Heb. in the seeing of God

2 Chronicles 30:19

That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

2 Chronicles 31:21

And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

2 Chronicles 34:3

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

Psalms

Psalms 9:10

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Psalms 10:4

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. God is: or, all his thoughts are, There is no God

Psalms 14:2

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

Psalms 14:3

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. filthy: Heb. stinking

Psalms 22:26

The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

Psalms 24:6

This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. O Jacob: or, O God of Jacob

Psalms 27:4

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. the beauty: or, the delight

Psalms 27:8

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. When: or, My heart said unto thee, Let my face seek thy face, etc

Psalms 34:4

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalms 34:10

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalms 63:1

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; thirsty: Heb. weary where: without water

Psalms 69:32

The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. humble: or, meek

Psalms 70:4

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

Psalms 77:2

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. sore: Heb. hand

Psalms 78:33

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Psalms 78:34

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

Psalms 83:16

Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

Psalms 105:3

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Psalms 105:4

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

Psalms 119:2

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

Psalms 119:10

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Psalms 119:45

And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. at liberty: Heb. at large

Psalms 119:94

I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.

Isaiah

Isaiah 8:19

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

Isaiah 9:13

For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 26:9

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Isaiah 31:1

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

Isaiah 34:16

Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

Isaiah 45:19

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Isaiah 55:6

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Isaiah 58:2

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

New Testament

People in the Bible and seeking god

Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.

In the Bible dictionary

Studying seeking god for yourself

  • Begin with Deuteronomy 4:29, then read the passages below in canonical order.
  • Compare how Psalms, 2 Chronicles and Isaiah each treat the theme.
  • Consider the lives of David, Solomon and Jehoshaphat and how their stories intersect with it.
  • Widen the study to related themes: Seekers, Prayer, Faith and Penitent.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about seeking god?

The Bible addresses seeking god across 88 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Psalms, 2 Chronicles and Isaiah. Closely related themes include Seekers, Prayer, Faith and Penitent. Figures whose stories touch this theme include David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat and Zerubbabel.

How many Bible verses are about seeking god?

The Bible references seeking god in 88 verses (King James Version).

Where does the Bible first mention seeking god?

In canonical order, the first of these passages is Deuteronomy 4:29: “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

Which people in the Bible are associated with seeking god?

David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Zerubbabel and Ezra.

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