There is a thought mostly from...
John 6:44; "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
...that seems to says men never seek the Lord on their own. Is that true?
Gen 4:26; To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
It seems even in Genesis men sometimes looked for God.
Deut 4:29; "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
1 Chron 16:10; Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
1 Chron 16:11; Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.
2 Chron 12:14; He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
2 Chron 20:3; Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
2 Chron 26:5; He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.
2 Chron 30:19; everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary."
Psa 9:10; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Psa 27:8; When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."
Psa 40:16; Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!"
Isa 55:6; Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
Jer 50:4; "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek.
Dan 9:3; So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
Hos 3:5; Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
Amos 5:4; For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live.
Amos 5:6; "Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
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So that is the OT, what about the NT ?
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Acts 15:17; SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'
Heb 11:6; And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Acts 17:27; that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
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Again, I wonder if sometimes we build a doctrine on one verse... when there are dozens of other verses that seem to say the opposite?
John 6:44; "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
...that seems to says men never seek the Lord on their own. Is that true?
Gen 4:26; To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
It seems even in Genesis men sometimes looked for God.
Deut 4:29; "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
1 Chron 16:10; Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
1 Chron 16:11; Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.
2 Chron 12:14; He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
2 Chron 20:3; Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
2 Chron 26:5; He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.
2 Chron 30:19; everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary."
Psa 9:10; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Psa 27:8; When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."
Psa 40:16; Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!"
Isa 55:6; Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
Jer 50:4; "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek.
Dan 9:3; So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
Hos 3:5; Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
Amos 5:4; For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live.
Amos 5:6; "Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
============================================================================
So that is the OT, what about the NT ?
============================================================================
Acts 15:17; SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'
Heb 11:6; And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Acts 17:27; that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
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Again, I wonder if sometimes we build a doctrine on one verse... when there are dozens of other verses that seem to say the opposite?