“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 forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
The biggest word in this wonderful promise is the very first word, “IF”. This can be a hard word to understand in a culture of entitlement that we live in. Like many of the promises in Scripture, it is conditional. “If” you do this then God will respond this way. That is true in this verse, which we have used as a foundational promise as we have been praying for God to bring revival and healing to our churches, our communities and our country. In fact, this promise has a fourfold condition!
- Humble yourself
- Pray
- Seek
- Turn
For many of us the first three are not as difficult as the fourth…turning. It may be because we are used to waiting for a little more of a commitment or a conformation from another person before we make a change ourselves. “I’ll do that, but how can I be sure that you will keep your end of the bargain?”
It is a matter of trust…faith. Do we believe in a God who is always faithful? Has He ever let you down? He is the “Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness” as the praise song tells us.
Let me challenge you today, if you haven’t yet…”Turn”. What does this mean? Simply put, we each need to look at our words, attitudes, and behavior and put away anything that does not honor the Lord. Repentance is not just an attitude, it is an action that is necessary for the revival that we are praying for.