Hunting For God’s Treasure

Who doesn’t enjoy a good Easter egg hunt? Many parents delight in hiding candy-filled plastic eggs either inside or outside their home and rejoice as their children find the concealed treats. Sometimes kids will find hidden candy several days after the hunt, and they get excited to search all over again.

In Luke 11:11-13, Jesus says “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Our family was first introduced to the concept of “treasure hunting” in 2017 by Erik and Bridget Martin, fellow FMC missionaries. They had experienced this while visiting the Alleluia Community—a covenant community based in Augusta, Georgia—and wanted to incorporate it as part of our missionary formation.Based on the book The Ultimate Treasure Hunt by Kevin Dedmon, one prays for the Holy Spirit to reveal specific characteristics of a person who is in need of God’s presence or healing. When one finds that person, the hunter shares with them that he or she is God’s beloved treasure and how God desires to draw close to him or her in a tangible way.

Each time we prayed and asked for clues, the Lord was faithful and we returned with wonderful stories of God’s amazing love for His children.

Just a few months earlier, we had come across a similar concept in the Fearless documentary in which men prayed for clues in an adoration chapel and then set out looking for the “treasure” that God was leading them to. In the fall of 2017, our family along with several other missionaries went on our first “treasure hunt.” This was followed by many more every week for the next few months. Each time we prayed and asked for clues, the Lord was faithful and we returned with wonderful stories of God’s amazing love for His children.

Since then, as our family intentionally seeks to pursue a supernatural lifestyle, we’ve been blessed by multiple opportunities to go on treasure hunts, where we’ve been pushed and stretched way out of our comfort zone. In the words of John Wimber, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K!”

Fast forward to 2023. On March 4, our family with all six children joined a few others in the Alleluia Community for a treasure hunt. We prayed in the chapel, asking the Lord for specific details, from which we made a list and then left with our clues, deciding to go to the nearest Walmart based on the information we had. As we entered the store, we began to look in the gardening section, which was one of the details we had received in prayer.

The first person we prayed with was a local retired pastor who asked prayers to surrender to God’s will for his life. Another one of our clues was “person on a motorized cart.” Soon, we bumped into a lady with that description. She had a knee brace and was very open to prayer. We asked her if she was in any discernible pain, and she replied that it was a seven on a scale of one to ten. As we prayed, her pain reduced to a four, and she was also able to bend her knee without much pain—something she had not been able to do before without discomfort. She smiled, and we all praised God and carried on.

Another woman we approached had purple hair extensions (purple headband was a clue we had). She was shopping with her children, and when we asked if they needed prayer, she said they would like to buy their own house. So we prayed for financial provision and God’s favor.

Some of our other clues were wings and red. We put those two together and decided to go to the drinks aisle with Red Bull. The first person we met there immediately accepted prayer for her grandson who was struggling with caring for his mom with health issues. She told us, “Y’all are the angels God sent me today.” The other woman we met near the drinks was tremendously inspired by our faith and asked for prayers to be bold in sharing about Jesus.

Another person (our clue was blue footwear) asked for prayers to be touched by the Holy Spirit deeply, and to experience the Father’s love in a tangible way. One of our kids had a clue: purple pants. And as we exited the store, sitting by the sliding doors was an older woman wearing purple pants who instantly agreed to receive prayer. We also approached a person wearing a green shirt that was on our list, but he wasn’t very open and declined any further interaction.

Each of us was filled with a deep sense of joy, especially our children who were elated about the fact that they found the treasures based on their specific clues.

We enjoyed a blessed and positive treasure hunt, with people being grateful that God used us to reach out to them. As we were returning home, each of us was filled with a deep sense of joy, especially our children who were elated about the fact that they found the treasures based on their specific clues. When we regrouped to debrief with the rest of the team, they too had beautiful and blessed encounters with the treasures God led them to.

Each time we go out, there is a sense of hesitation as well as thoughts of being rejected, but God is faithful, and He wants us to respond to His promptings in childlike trust. His perfect love casts out all fear, the Holy Spirit takes over, and we are reminded of Jesus’ promise: “The holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say” (Luke 12:12).

We wish you all a blessed Pentecost 2023, and pray that we will all be compelled by love to seek out the treasures that God wants to reach through our docility to the Holy Spirit.

Elijah, Ethan, and Elliana Martins—the three eldest children of Gerry and Mel—share their thoughts on “treasure hunting.”

Gerry and Mel Martins joined FMC in 2015 with two children at the time. Over the years, their family has grown, as has their mission. They are currently serving in Augusta, Georgia, USA. Learn more about them at martinsfamily.familymissionscompany.com.