2 Chronicles Chapter 7 14,

‘if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

In 960BC Israel was in moral and spiritual decline with people failing to worship God. Solomon pleaded with God to forgive the nation of their sins, and God answered that if they humbled themselves, prayed, sought His face and turned from their wicked ways He would heal their land.

As we look and consider life in this country at the present time it must surely give to all intelligent people grave cause for concern for we see a nation in moral and spiritual decline where the barriers of decency have been swept away so that we are left without restraint. All around us storm clouds are falling on a world so different from what many of us knew. So what hope does the Bible give us?

God said,
‘if my people who are called by my name’.
This verse is directed to particular people. God’s people are those who worship Him, who accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, who profess Christ and own up to doing so. They are people who regularly attend Church to worship Him week by week, not only those who have a nodding acquaintance with Him at Christmas time.

‘if they will humble themselves’.
Both as a Church and individually there is need for repentance. As a Church we begin by humbling ourselves by casting ourselves on the mercy of God and asking for His forgiveness for failing to stand out fully for righteousness.
As individuals, not being proud. Satan said, ‘I will exalt my throne above God’, and some people want to do the same. They become obsessed by their own importance and if not given due acknowledgement and granted their way, become disruptive.

All Christians should be pleased to be known as God’s people whereas there is often a reluctance to identify oneself as a Christian. Sadly this is more the case with men who unnecessarily feel embarrassed at doing so.

Ministers in the Church must accept their first duty is to teach God’s Word, as it is written in Scripture, not as they might like it to be written.

It is a sad fact that there are those in ministry whose priority is to further their own careers and are more interested in their ‘c.v’ than spreading the gospel.

‘if my people pray’
Jesus told us to pray without ceasing and gave examples of desperate prayer. Jesus told us to keep on praying, stating ‘ ask and you will receive.’ Whilst there are many tasks the Church has to undertake and requires people to help, age or infirmity often prevents some willing folk, but all can serve God by praying for His Church.

The story is told of two ladies who prayed for many months for a revival to come to their town, and eventually a Billy Graham Crusade was held close by causing many to find their Saviour.

‘If my people will seek my face’.
God wants us to turn to Him to answer our needs and create a relationship with Him. We have to realise we have to be dependent on Him for all things not seeking intellectual answers or our own solutions.
Too often we find God’s help is the last we seek. We have to learn to seek His will in all situations. God’s people accept that life’s problems can only be solved by divine intervention.

‘if my people will turn from their wicked ways’
God expects us to put Him first in our lives, but we can relegate Him. First there is a slipping away from attending Church, followed by a lack of Bible reading.

God says there are certain things I don’t want you to do. God says certain behaviour is sinful, but some disagree and try to justify disobeying by saying times have changed and society accepts such behaviour. Things which were once unacceptable now become acceptable. We turn to worldly things and become uninterested in Christian teaching. The conscience which once gave warning doesn’t seem to work anymore. There is a need to root out ways which are unworthy of us as Christians

The Church has failed to speak out on moral issues. Too often the attitude seems to be ‘we can’t beat them so let us join them’ and we compromise. The Church must speak out in condemnation against what passes for acceptable behaviour and is contrary to that laid out in the Bible.

The Church should be such a prominent voice in society that it can influence and stop politicians from promoting behaviour expressly forbidden in Scripture. It should be the leader in moral issues, not just another (reluctant)follower.

Then, I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
God has given a promise so all of us need to have a passion for revival and we are poor Christians if we do not feel concern for the Church in this nation.

Politicians, academics, social workers have all failed society miserably causing a mindset that sees virtually anything is permissible as long as it leads to a peaceful political life, whereas ordinary people know there is so much wrong. I do not intend to go into those things; they have all been spelled out in other postings on this blog.

Revival only begins with God’s people, but with the power of God becomes so strong it soon affects society. We know God answers prayer and the promise of this verse is that if we do the things God has asked of us, He will surely respond.


Be in Church on Sunday and may God bless you.