America, this is your National Day of Prayer! Beloved Christian, we must pray as though this is our only and last hope! I firmly believe that it may be! I understand on days such as this there is much praying and pleading, however, we are seriously lacking in brokenness and repentance. Our prayers are, far too often, selfish in motivation. When we finally learn the depths of soul searching within the words God chose when He said to and of His people. . .“shall humble themselves, and pray. . .” then we may see the hand of God bringing revival to His church and spiritual awakening to “heal our land”!
God’s people “shall humble themselves, and pray” what?
This verse implies two important things in this Revival Covenant. First, is Repentance! Beloved believer, repentance is far too casual in our churches today. Many Christians understand the expression repentance, from the Greek word metanoia, to mean “turning from sin.” This does not go deep enough to grasp the biblical definition of repentance. The word, repent, in the Bible, means, “to change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions:
“Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.” (Luke 3:8-14)
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
Repentance must be more than being sorry about the sin I have committed; it must be a deeper thinking about what sin is to my Holy God. It ought to break my heart that my sin is an affront, an outrage, an act of disrespect to my Holy God! –In Isaiah 6, while in the Holy presence of His LORD, Isaiah was able to see himself as he truly was. His response? “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)
Notice he did not attempt to preach a sermon to God in an attempt to justify his sinfulness. No, he simply owned his sin through humble confession (agreeing with God) and repentance (changing his attitude/mind about his sin).
Our proper response to our Holy God about our sin must be sorrow, grief, tears – “Woe is me!”
Grief is the evidence that we are experiencing love! Beloved believer, if we cannot grieve because of our sin against God, what does that say about our love for Him?
The second implication from II Chronicles 7:14 regarding the prayers of God’s people is Intercession, and it is another condition of the Revival Covenant God made with us.
Notice the natural progression of effectual praying here: Before we can intercede effectively for anyone else we must first intercede for ourselves in humble repentance, genuine sorrow over our sin, and a change of behavior – avoiding the sin – walking in the Spirit.
After repenting, we are ready for powerful intercession. For what do we intercede? –We intercede for the land! Beloved, our nation, America (the land) needs rescuing!
This is spiritual warfare for the land. There are strongholds over America that must be broken through the effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous people, called by God’s Holy Name! II Chronicles 7:14 gives us God’s Revival Covenant promises of His appropriate actions resulting from our humble, confessing, repentant hearts. He covenants to do two things: forgive our sin and heal our land!
Those results are totally dependent upon God’s people meeting the mentioned conditions completely, leaving nothing out. This is a call to repented, revived children of God to intercede for a people in bondage to the evil one! Christian, to see America healed we must answer the call through humble repentance. Come on, Church, let’s get this right! Pray On!