January 13, 2026

What God Is Searching For

It is difficult to imagine an all-knowing and ever-present God having to search for anything. However, as outlandish as it seems, there are a few things the Scriptures say God is seeking. The first of them is simply us, people: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

God is also seeking worshipers. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23). He is not seeking worship, but the worshipper, the person. It is a relationship with us that Abba wants, not a song. God doesn’t need to be told how wonderful He is, but He certainly appreciates it when He receives heartfelt love, whether through a song, a statement, or an action. What an outrageous thought – God looking for a relational connection with a human. But He is. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us this in another way. It pictures the eyes of the Lord looking throughout the earth for hearts fully given to Him, doing so in order to bless them. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” Imagine that - if you can. It’s hard to imagine the unimaginable, isn’t it?

Then there is prayer: God seeks intercessors. In Ezekiel 22:30-31, one of the most tragic passages in the Bible, God states, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.” 

God made an inviolable decision at creation that what He did on earth would be accomplished through humans; He works through prayer and the actions of people. Even our redemption required a real person. I once heard the late, great pastor and teacher, Jack Hayford, say: “The quest of Jesus Christ on the earth is greatly crippled by wrong notions of the sovereignty of God.” Dr. Hayford was bemoaning the belief that God will do what He wants, when He wants, with or without our involvement. He does not. (I realize that is some pretty heavy theology. (If interested, I take the entire first three chapters of my book, Intercessory Prayer, to address this.)

However, in this profound passage of Ezekiel, God said He had to bring judgment on a people because He could not find a person to stand in the gap - intercession - asking for His mercy and forgiveness for them. The explanation? God’s righteousness, justice, and holiness cannot merely excuse sin, sweeping it under the rug and acting as if it didn’t happen. His justice demands that sin be judged. However, His love and mercy passionately desire to redeem and forgive. If He can find a qualified person to stand in the gap on behalf of the person or persons who have sinned, He can forgive and grant mercy. In Ezekiel 22, He found no one, so He had to release judgment. I’m sure the Creator wept, just as Jesus did in Luke 19:41, when it became clear that Jerusalem would be destroyed for not recognizing and receiving their deliverance through Christ. 

Contrary to what most people believe, God does not always get what He wants…because He doesn’t always find what He is seeking or looking for.   

TODAY

The world is currently experiencing one of the greatest periods of transition in its history. Nations are realigning, dictators are falling, governments are shaking, wealth is shifting, principalities are being unseated, the greatest spiritual harvest in history is underway, and God is seeking intercessors. Yet, for many in the church, it is business as usual.  

Unimaginable.

Jesus said His house would be “a house of prayer,” not a house of sermons or fellowship, or even evangelism (Isaiah 56:11; Matthew 21:12-13). Obviously, this isn’t because these things are unimportant, but because they are not the starting place, the engine, the fuel. Prayer, intercession, hearing and discerning what God wants and then asking Him for it, is where all effective ministry begins. 

Is your spiritual “house” a house of prayer? In the church you attend, has there been - over the last two or three weeks - even a few minutes of diligent, significant prayer for the people of Iran; for freedom and turnaround in Venezuela; for an end to the corruption in Minnesota and an outpouring of Holy Spirit there; for our President and his team as they work toward the incredibly difficult reformation of our nation; for Congress as they do the same; for the cleansing and restoration of our judicial system; for the lost who need Jesus?

For 90% or more of you, I already know the answer. Sermons have been more important, offerings were more important, fellowship times - coffee in the foyer - were more important. In the American church, the most essential thing has become the most neglected. The majority of pastors believe the most important thing is to teach their people, encourage them, and grow the congregation. NOT to lead them in prayer. Happy sheep, fed sheep, faithful sheep, returning sheep, those are the goals. 

If your church is not diligently building a house of prayer, I suggest you find another–one that is. If you can’t find a praying church in your city, which is very possible, join with some other intercessors and build a house of prayer in someone’s basement or living room. And consider sending your tithe to a ministry or church elsewhere that is practicing what Jesus taught. The hour demands that the Ekklesia break out of her “religious” routines, discern the times and seasons, and participate with the King as He adds a billion people to His Kingdom.

The times they are a-changin’. The church needs to change with them.

Pray with me:

Father, Jesus said Your house would be a house of prayer for the nations. We have, instead, prioritized almost everything else above this. Forgive us for neglecting this partnership, which is so meaningful and important to You. Awaken the church to the incredible dignity – not just responsibility – of partnering with You and being Your representatives on earth. Bring another wave of prayer to the earth, one that takes this powerful activity to its greatest level ever.

We pray today for the people of Iran. Strengthen them in their quest for freedom and deliverance from tyranny. Free them from Iran’s tyrannical government and the evil principality that controls it. Along with this freedom, send an earth-shaking revival. May the Persian people find their God-given destiny in this hour. Give President Trump and his team wisdom as they navigate the situation. Lead them. Please do the same for Netanyahu and other leaders in that region.

We also pray for the people of Venezuela. First and foremost, we ask that they receive a great outpouring of Holy Spirit. We also pray that they receive a righteous and wise government. Again, please give great wisdom to our leaders as they deal with this situation. And we thank You for hearing our prayers to end the influx of drugs into America. Please continue this process.

And we pray for America. As evil is shaken from its position of power in our nation, it is fighting back. We ask for wisdom and favor for our leaders as they deal with this, and that every evil stronghold be dismantled. We ask that corruption continue to be exposed and justice be served. Bring stability and righteousness to our land. And pour out Your Spirit. Pour Him out as never before. Revive, restore, and reform. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that the church, the Ekklesia, is becoming a house of prayer for the nations.

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