If 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
This is a favourite verse of many people, and it’s not hard to see why. It is a wonderful promise from God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. But we also need to read the first part of the verse, not just the last bit with what’s in it for us. This three-fold promise to God’s people is conditional upon four things.
Firstly, to humble ourselves. This is easier to say than to do. We read in the Beatitudes about how we need to be continually submitting our lives to God. This doesn’t mean that we are to have low self-esteem, but we are to recognise our position compared to God. Secondly, we need to pray. How many times do people ‘claim’ this verse but don’t actually pray and ask God for the things He has promised in it? Thirdly, we need to seek His face. This isn’t getting God to approve of what we want, but rather it is moving ourselves so we are in His sight and in His will. This comes about through time spent in prayer. Last, but not least, we need to turn from our wicked ways. God will not bless us if we are continuing to live in ongoing sin. We need to forsake those things and cut them out of our lives. If we find that we are continually being drawn back to something, we need to find that source of temptation and cut it out – even though it might not be sinful in and of itself. Once we are doing these things, we can start looking for God to move on our behalf.