If My People
In recent years, songs have been written, prayer organizations have been founded and books written, all based on the revelation of a single verse in the Old Testament; II Chronicles 7.14. It reads: “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.” This is a fantastic promise. It is a promise of spiritual revival and a promise of restoration, healing and prosperity. It is the healing of national wounds, the restoring of justice and renewal of Biblical mores to govern society’s behavior. What this verse indicates is that God wants make this world a good and safe place to live in.
If this is God’s desire, what keeps it from happening? The answer is in the opening phrase: “If my people…” What this is saying is that God holds His people responsible for the state of their community and nation. “If my people” is saying that God will do nothing without the involvement of His people. The people of God is the Body of Christ. Jesus is the head, but He needs a body to be able to continue to do His work here on the earth. If the body does not obey the head, then nothing happens. So instead of waiting on the Lord to send revival and heal our nation, let us look more closely at our responsibility in the matter.
“If my people will humble themselves…” Humility is facing your sin, not hiding it or running from it. Humility is confessing your sin and dealing with it. So many believers, who have sinned, have tried to cover their sins with good works, or when exposed change churches so as not to have to face the embarrassment of humiliation. Instead of receiving grace and healing, they just try to forget the past by starting anew in some other place. Humility brings exposure of sin and true repentance. In today’s world image is everything. Fortunes are spent to maintain the right image, and yet it is humility have moves the hand of God.
“If my people will pray…” There has been no revival in the history of the Church that has not be preceded by the Church earnestly praying. Although the Church believes in the importance of prayer, and many have regular prayer meetings, it tends to be the meeting least attended, with most of the time spent in everything but prayer. Jesus said to, “ask”, and you would receive. (Mat. 7.7) In another place in the Scriptures is says: “You have not because you ask not…” (James 4.2) In 1948, two sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith (84 and 82 years old), began to pray for revival in their land. The Hebrides Islands are sparsely populated islands in the North of Scotland and are close to the shipping lanes of the North Sea. Their prayer group grew to 30 believers who frequently prayed through the night for revival. One night at 3 a.m., God opened the heavens. Passer byers would fall on their face in repentance as they neared their cottage. Even merchant ships that came close to the islands experienced a conviction of sin and the sailors would fall on their face in repentance.
“If my people turn from their wicked ways…” Change in the world, begins in the Church. Pastor Cesar Castellanos has often said: “If you change, your world will change.” It is so easy to be weathermen; looking at the conditions around us and warning all of coming storms and adverse weather conditions. Instead of being thermometers we are to be thermostats. Let’s set our lives on fire for the Lord. Let’s be fervent in prayer and we will see the greatest move of God that has ever occurred.
Scriptures to meditate on:
II Chron. 7.14; Eph. 1.22-23; Mat. 24.14; 28.19-20; Acts 4.23-31