If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
–2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
The passage above, one so close to my heart, encapsulates the reason to pray, how to pray, and what to pray.
Notice, the verse is directed to “my people;” God, our Heavenly Father, surely listens to the cries of His children.
Our Lord then asks us to humble ourselves before him. He is our sovereign; we are his servants.
Almighty God then commands us to pray, seek Him, and repent from our sinful selves. Then, there is the wonderful promise, that if we do those things, then we will be forgiven, and He will heal our land.
Absent the Civil War, I know of no other time when our nation needs more healing than now. Our beloved nation is hurting and deeply wounded. The institutions that are the foundation of our society are under attack.
However, before healing and restoration can occur, it must start with those of us who call ourselves by His name. We must humble ourselves. We must pray and seek His will, not our own. We must turn from our wicked ways. We must end complacency in our churches. Then and only then can this great nation experience the spiritual awakening which it so desperately needs.
