“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).
The Lord appeared to King Solomon one night after the dedication of the temple to let him know that He had heard his prayers. Yet, the Lord had a few warnings for King Solomon and Israel should they choose to disregard His commands and decrees. As long as they obey, honored, and served the Lord, they would be blessed. Yet, should they choose to follow the ways of their heathen neighbors, the Lord would withhold the rain, allow locusts to devour their plants, crops, and land, and plagues of every sort would come upon the people themselves. But the Lord gave a promise should the people return to Him with their whole hearts, and the true essence of this text needs to be fully understood as God intended instead of being read as a cliché and approached casually.
If my people, who are called by my name….
Who are God’s people? The Lord had promised Abram (Abraham) he would become the father of many nations. Thus Abram’s descendants had been chosen by God to be His holy people. The Bible says: “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’ ” (Genesis 12:1-3). God had chosen Abram’s future descendants to be His before they had even come into existence, thus this was the Abrahamic covenant that included blessings of land, fertility, and redemption. Yet, the Apostle Paul said: “ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29). We as the body of Christ are adopted heir with equal rights as Israel of old. Therefore, we are God’s children who have been called by His name.
Will humble themselves….
What does it mean to humble oneself? Humble is defined as having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance. This mean that a person must get out of their own sense of self-importance. When it comes to the Lord, no one is above Him, so we must humble ourselves before Him and let go of pride, arrogance, and egotism. The Bible says: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). There was a time when this nation had humble beginnings, but as it began to increase in power, wealth, and status, it forgot the Lord.
Pray…
Prayer is communication with the Lord. Sadly, many people only go to God when they want something, but as with any relationship, if we fail to communicate with the Lord, our relationship with Him will not thrive. Therefore, we must have an active prayer life and talk to Him daily. Thank Him for His goodness, grace, mercy, and love. America has had nationals days of prayer, but one cannot continue in sin by defying the Lord and think He will hear and answer our prayers. The Bible says: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). God will not answer the prayers of a nation that have days of prayers with witches, warlocks, Wickens, and those who continue to mock Him with gay rainbow flags and translucent colors over the White House being raced in celebration of sin.
Seek my Face….
Seeking His will is how we are to seek the face of God. We must desire what God desires, His character, and presence in our lives. We must want more of Him than anyone or anything. To seek the face of God is to receive His favor because we are aligning our lives in accordance with His will, and not our own. Even Jesus sought the will of His father in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible says: “…Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). When we seek the face of God, are we truly seeking Him and waiting for an answer, or have we already made up our minds with what we are going to do. America does not seek the face of God, and have therefore made up her mind as to what she will do in defiance against Him. Nevertheless, God’s chosen people will seek God, know God, and live for God.
Turn from their wicked ways….
What does God want from a nation and His people? Repentance! The Lord has clearly outlined in His word what is unacceptable to a people who are His. The Bible says: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Anyone who operates in such manners will not make it to Heaven, nor can expect the land to be blessed. America has defied the Lord in ALL of these areas, but Jesus’ bride will be found pure and free from such debauchery and will be taken with Him.
Then, I will hear from Heaven….
Only AFTER a nation has followed the steps above as Nineveh did will the Lord hear from Heaven to move on its behalf. The Bible says: “If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it” (Jeremiah 18:8-10). Yet, if the nation fails to do this, God will still help His people individually, but that nation will be destroyed. The Bible says: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17).
And I will forgive their sin….
President Trump was once asked if he had repented of his sins. Part of his answer was: "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?" asked Trump. "I work hard, I'm an honorable person." Nevertheless, the Word of God says that we have all sinned. Yet, the Lord is looking for us to not only repent but turn from our sins so that He will heal the land. Unfortunately, America has chosen the path of death, so we as the body of Christ must repent daily and the Lord will forgive our sins. The Bible says: “ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).
And I will heal their land.
This nation refuses to follow these steps, so believers in America must realize that there will come a time when the Lord will refuse to answer prayers regarding the healing of a rebellious nation. The Lord had this to say to Jeremiah when the people refused to repent and turn from their wicked ways: “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you. Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. ‘Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?’ (Jeremiah 7:16-19). There comes a time when the Lord will completely turn His face away from an evil nation, but those who place their trust in Him will be saved. Let’s remember what the Lord requires when we quote this verse, and know that He will not settle for anything less.
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