I hope you have a goal today of pleasing God. I hope you have a goal every day to please God. If that is your heart’s desire, God gave you a pattern to follow. “If My people, which are called by My name, shall 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” (II Chronicles 7:14). Many times we hear this verse in reference to praying for our nation before God. While I don’t think there is anything wrong with that idea, I think the verse is really aimed at personal revival rather than national revival.
Let me rephrase that … I don’t believe there is a possibility of national revival without personal revival happening. Notice the words that God put in the beginning of this verse … If My people. I have been praying through this verse throughout the beginning of 2016. I am praying for America, but I have found myself praying for myself even more. I am praying through the different sections of the verse, and it really convicted my heart today. Follow along with me, and make the application for yourself.
First, I ask God to guard my heart from thinking too highly of myself. I ask God to help me to remain humble. I don’t like praying this, because the price-tag for humility is humiliation. I know that sounds obvious, but I don’t particularly like humiliation. However, I realize that if I am going to experience the revival of God in my own heart it is required.
I ask God to help me to have an attitude of prayer. Prayer is one of the toughest spiritual disciplines for me because it requires me to stop rushing around, and sitting still to listen for the voice of God. I want to develop such an intimacy with God that He is my first stop. It is also one of things I ask God to help me develop more and more.
I ask God to help me to seek His face more than the face of anyone else. I want to ask God for help first, not last. When difficulties come, I don’t want to begin to think of a “human” solution – which friend or family member can help – but I want to initially and faithfully run to the One with the help and answers.
I ask God to help me to walk a holy path toward Him. I ask Him to help me not to flirt with sin and temptation that leads me into sin, but to turn my back on it and run the other direction! I ask Him to help me turn from my sin to Him and to stay close beside Him. If all of us will do these things and experience spiritual revival in our hearts, then our nation can turn back too!