14 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 7:14 NIV
There are four key words from this passage: humble, pray, seek and turn.
Most of us are familiar with this passage. Almost everyone who has been in a church service when some sort of local, state or national emergency has occurred knows that this is the go to prayer.
This morning I saw something else. This prayer is also very applicable when it comes to believer’s dealing with personal emergencies - and even everyday troubling situations.
Let’s take a look at the first word: humble. I will digress for a moment though.
Humans are so quick to point the finger at someone other than themselves when they are in troubling situations and relationships. So the first word that stands out to me, humble, is rather telling.
It invites us to first look at ourselves. I thought of the King James definition of highmindedness. Interestingly enough when I looked up the definition, the actual meaning has changed. What it meant in the King James Bible was: to think too highly of oneself. (A sense of entitlement would be a close second.)
This attitude is often what keeps us from looking at ourselves through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we end up elevating our opinion of ourselves above GOD.
Sounds like a stronghold. Sounds like in your own opinion everyone else needs fixing except you. Sounds like in your mind you are the only one with the right answer. Sounds like you are unwilling to yield to GOD and to those around you. Sounds like you often pay lip service to be willing to meet others half way.
This is meant to sting. If it’s too hot now - you may want to stop reading.
In contrast, Biblical humility means believing what GOD says about you over anyone else’s opinion including your own. To be biblically humble is to be so free of concern for your own ego that you unreservedly elevate those around you. Biblical humility is grounded in the character of GOD. Read Psalm 138:6-7, 8 for an insight to how GOD views us.
In order to achieve Biblical humility we have to
pray. This brings us to the second word.
So the question is, What do I pray about? Of course we pray about the troubling situation confronting us. But before we pray for the situation, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the sin in our life. The Word says if we say we have no sin we are lying. 1John 1:8
This brings me to a conclusion about some people. They are in denial about the sin in their life or they are unwilling to call sin sin. Either way, this type of behavior can keep a person in bondage to the sin. Because unless we confront the sin in our own life it will be practically impossible to overcome the behavior and gain the victory.
So I ask myself, Why are some people like this? Now, I already know I am a piece of work but I’m not ashamed to admit my sins, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Maybe not always to others - but I certainly talk to GOD about them. Bottom line - I know I have not arrived. Unfortunately, too many people think they have arrived.
The Bible talks about resisting the devil in James 4 - but we can’t resist what we won’t confront. We can’t resist if we’re still playing house with the sin. We can’t resist if we’re always pointing the finger at someone else’s sin. We can’t resist if we don’t call it what it is. SIN.
It’s amazing what happens when we do call it like it is. It’s like a big pimple. Once you pop it - it opens up and out comes the pus. (Apologies for the ghastly analogy.)
Identifying sin, naming it and then confessing it begins the healing process. It opens our hearts to receive GOD’s tender love and compassion in that area. It allows us to grow up.
The next word is seek. The actual verse says to seek GOD’s face. Why? To be transformed into His likeness for one. Also, to receive His healing in the area where we coveted sin for way too long. It stole from us. It (sin) broke up meaningful relationships. We lost time, money, credibility - you name it. Those areas were broken in us and we didn’t even realize it because we refused to see it the way GOD does.
Now that we do, GOD, who has always been there, can wrap us in His loving arms and nurse us to wholeness. No judgment. Just His unfailing love. It never fails.
We begin to see ourselves the way GOD sees us. We begin to not take ourselves so seriously and we find a much easier path to walk. A gentle and kind path.
Some are fortunate enough to grasp this spiritual concept and so we turn our feet to travel down His path filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Then we can begin to see others and situations the way GOD sees them and we are much less quick to judge or to pray selfishly. Now we are ready to really pray about the issue.
When we repent or turn from our wicked ways we already have the assurance of answered prayer. “I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” Relationships, jobs, finances, wayward children, health etc.
Perhaps this is why troubling situations are still persistent in your life.
Perhaps this is also why this country is in such a dire emergency.
