Hi Folks,
We're continuing on in our study in 2 Chronicles Chapter 7. You will notice in verse 14 that God promises to heal the land if His people would humbly follow His instructions. The word heal here means "to cure, cause to heal, repair - thoroughly make whole". God has given each of His people this awesome promise of being made "whole" if they would only humble themselves by wholeheartedly following His instructions.
Last week we looked at the first instruction of "humbling ourselves" by recognizing pride in our life and turning away from it. This week we will look at our next instruction from the Lord - to Pray. As Christians we are called of God to pray. We are to be the house of prayer for all nations. Prayerlessness is a sin that needs to be repented of. Pride still thinks it has time left to repent, so it hardens it's heart and runs the risk of never repenting.
If the Lord has been dealing with you about praying, about putting time aside
and getting together with Him, about simplifying your life so that you can
spend more time with Him in prayer... don't harden your heart. Don't resist
the Lord.
I encourage you to set time aside and pray, whether it's early in the morning,
throughout your day, or late in the evening if you're a night owl. Make it
a priority. Make it the number one priority in your life - to pray! Jesus
needed to pray and so do we. The Lord had prayer as part of His daily lifestyle.
Be careful of yielding to pride and thinking that you don't need to pray. Your very life depends upon it. Also beware of a false humility (which is actually a form of pride) of thinking that you are unworthy and could not possibly do that. God loves you and He proved it to you by sending Jesus. He wants to hear from you.
The main purpose God created you was for fellowship. Our first commandment
is still to love the Lord with all our hearts, soul and strength. It is impossible
to do this without spending time with the Lord, which brings us straight back
to our prayer life. I will leave you now in closing with the words of our
Lord Jesus.
He returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter,
"Couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour? Keep alert
and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is
willing enough, the body is weak!" Mathew 26:40-41 (NLT)
David
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At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I
might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among
you. Then, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen to every
prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this temple and set it apart
to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here.
2 Chronicles 7:13-16 (NLT)