Sunday thoughts

I would again like to pass something on from our church service this morning. Our pastor was talking about a desperate need for a revival across our country. For us, for Americans, to start having morals again, to start being responsible for our actions, to love thy neighbor, as you well know the list could go on and on. He was reading out of 2 Chronicles 7, where God is talking to Solomon after he built his temple. Verse 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

That is a pretty powerful verse as it stands but when you break it down and really examine what it is saying, that is when it becomes staggeringly clear what needs to happen. Notice that God is calling HIS people, He is not waiting around for the 'lost to be found' and then things can happen. No, he is saying if MY people pray then I will heal. Point number 1. Point number 2 is the mighty use of the word "IF". It's not when. God isn't going to force us to act in a certain way, that is not how He works. This 'if' is followed by "THEN". If we do it, He will act. Not He will think about it, not we will have a better shot at help, nope---it's IF and THEN.

Point number 3 (and really my main take away that I wanted to share). Humble yourself and pray. It all starts with me! With you! The prayer needs to start for you, pray for yourself. Admit your sins. Pray for help, for guidance. Heal your own heart. Deal with your own sins. Try and better yourself. Start with you before fixating on all those that you think "need" the help, we all need help. I heard a pastor once say if you are thinking "wow, what the minister just said is great, I really hope fill-in-the-blank heard that message!", if you are thinking that then you are badly missing the point! (Now I realize some specific things do really apply to others and such, but I think you know what I am getting at here). We as Christians are NOT above our wicked ways. We all sin, we all will continue to sin. Let's not accept that and move on to the 'really' bad people. Humble yourself. Prayer starts with us. If we, as Christians, truly want a revival and we want America to be called to God then it starts with us Christians fixing our wickedness and that will spread to all those around us. Pray to God, let Him clean us up, He will hear us and He will help. And then end result, point number 4 (of many more!!!!): HE will heal the land. His forgiveness and mercy will spread over the land but before it spreads it has to start. And it starts with us. It starts with you, it starts with me.

Let's follow God's truth:

IF we, those who believe in GOD, humble ourselves and desperately pray, THEN HE will heal. He will move in our country. I believe that. I believe that we can be better then we are.