If My People…..(10)

God’s guarantee to respond to your prayer is tied to His hearing.  Did He hear you?

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – Ifmy 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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The strongest declarative statement that can be spoken in the English language is “I will,” or “I shall.”  No amount of colorful or even vulgar language can make either of those statements any stronger.  To say, “I will,” or “I shall,” and not fulfill that statement is to lie.  It’s that simple.  To say, “I will not,” or “I shall not,” and then to go ahead and take the action is to lie.  It’s that simple.  Add to that reasoning the simple statement of truth in God’s Word that it is impossible for God to lie.  Jesus said He was “the way, the truth, and the life.”  Again, I say to you that God cannot lie.

Now look at our Text for Today once more.  King Solomon had asked the Lord to be merciful to the people of his nation IF they truly repented for any time they turned from the Lord.  And here we read His response to King Solomon’s prayer.  He honored the conditions set forth by King Solomon, repeated them in His response, and then spoke the specifics of what He would do.  And, my friend, the specifics the Lord spoke in these two verses are powerful and eternal, and always will be faithfully established in the life of the truly repentant child of God that comes to Him.  Let’s look at them closely.

Father said He would hear.  Oh, the joy that brings to my heart.  When I read the promise of Father in our Manna for Today, my spirit man leaps inside me.  The Word declares that IF God hears our prayer, THEN He WILL grant us that for which we petition Him.  In short, His hearing us is His guarantee for acting on our part.  Now let us look further at what that promise of Father entails.  He WILL forgive our sin.  It is by that forgiveness that our relationship and fellowship with Father remains firmly established.  He goes on to say He WILL heal our land.  How wonderfully my spirit man rejoices in that promise, especially in light of the condition of our land (the United States of America) today.  Our land surely needs healing.  But more than that, every nation on the planet can rejoice over this promise, and with such a promise, should indeed come to the Lord with a repentant heart.  Every land in our world needs healing today.  But please do not miss the last promise here.  Father days His “eyes SHALL be open,” and “His ears SHALL be attent” to the prayers prayed from the heart of the truly repentant.  You see, it’s more about the place of a man’s heart than it is the geography under his feet.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; 1 John 5:14-15; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:12-17; John 15:7; John 16:23; Hebrews 6:18

If My People…..(9)

Then” is the moment something happens.  It can be now, or a moment in the future.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

There is no place in Scriptures where this principle is more plainly stated than in Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 6, and in the Lord’s response to him in 2 Chronicles 7:14-15.  I urge you to take the time you need to read that passage listed in our Manna for Today.  There we find one of the finest examples of intercession and response to that intercession anywhere in the pages of the Word of God.  King Solomon deeply desired the great blessing of the Lord upon his people.  However, because of his wisdom and understanding, he knew that the people could be fickle, easily turned from righteousness, and influenced to follow ungodly leaders and practices.  It was with that knowledge that he addressed Jehovah in his intercession.  In his prayer, he repeated a pattern he knew would occur.  He used the IF/THEN pattern of reasoning as he reasoned with the Lord.  Again and again he said, “IF” the people sin in some manner, but return to the Lord with true repentance, “THEN” respond to them by forgiving, receiving, and blessing them.

It was after that prayer of intercession for the people of Israel that the Lord responded in kind.  And herein is a great lesson about how the Lord communicates with His people.  Father does not use words, terms, phrases, and expressions that leave His people in a place of doubt or fear concerning matters of repentance and turning back to Him.  Just as King Solomon used the IF/THEN pattern of communicating his intercession, so Father responded with the IF/THEN pattern in stating precisely what He would do.  Once again, take the time to read our Text for Today.  Well, dear one, God has not changed.  He still follows the same pattern today, but He has even made it easier for us.  We now have Jesus seated on Father’s right hand ever living to make intercession for us according to Father’s will.  We have Jesus, our Intercessor, our Mediator, our Lord, our Savior, our Healer, our Provider, our King, and the authority to use His Name.  And we likewise have Holy Ghost to help us in the process.  We can sum it all up in simple terms.  IF we will do as Father requires, THEN Father will do as we need and desire.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Luke 6:38; 1 John 1:9; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8

If My People ….(7)

Just as you must live to eat, there are some things that need to be continually applied throughout life.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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Again today, I write to you about the command of the Lord to “turn from their wicked ways.”  Yesterday I wrote that for repentance to be fully effective, the repentant person must be a thinking person.  Today, I write about one of the two constants that must be in the life of a truly repentant person, and that constant is the continual application of the Word of God and the moment-by-moment decision to walk according to that Word. 

Take time again today to read the passages in our Manna for Today.  As you read, consider the words as you sound them with your own lips.  Allow faith to arise in you in the greatest way you’ve ever known.  Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  The Lord spoke through Joshua saying that the Word of God should never depart from your mouth, but that you should meditate in it day and night.  That is a constant, moment-by-moment consciousness of the Word of God living in your life.  The Lord adds that when you do this, you will observe how to walk in that Word in a manner that causes your way to prosper and brings you good success.  Repentance is a process, and everyone needs to prosper in it and have good success.

Note the words of Paul when he declares that God’s Word has been set in the church that He might sanctify and cleanse the church by the washing of the water of the Word.  Our Text for Today cites the need for God’s people to turn from wicked ways.  The implication and call are clear.  It’s time for the church to be made clean so the Lord can work through it.  For that to happen, we need the constant application of God’s Word to make us clean by its continual washing through application. 

And I draw your attention to yet another strong passage addressing this matter – 1 John 1:7.  There John clearly declares what that constant application of God’s Word, and our walking in obedience to it, does in our lives.  As a child of God, you have access to the Word of God.  You can read it for yourself, and hear it declared by others in many so many modes.  You have no excuse for being low in faith, or lacking knowledge of what the Word of God says.  You have no excuse for not walking in the light of God’s Word.  And when you do, the constant application of and obedience to the Word of God sets you in a place where the blood of Jesus continually cleanses you from all sin.  And that, dear reader, is the ultimate aim of and fruit of true repentance; turning from your wicked ways.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5 & 4:8; Joshua 1:8; 1 John 1:7;  Ephesians 5:26; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20-21; Proverbs 23:7

If My People …..(8}

Applied long-term work at a given task requires strength for that task, and the strength required is great.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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Have you ever observed someone doing strenuous work over a long duration of time and wondered where they got the strength to continue for long periods of time?  I have.  I can remember watching my dad, a man raised through the Great Depression, working in tobacco fields, engage in work at which I would quickly become weary.  I would watch and wonder, “How can he continue do this for so long without rest?”  I learned that he was conditioned to it.  It is the same for some sports, for soldiers involved in combat, and even medical personnel I times of great stress.  Many of them seem to be able to work tirelessly with little if any consideration for their own weariness or well-being.  It is truly amazing. 

This principle of readiness for the long hauls of life needs to be applied in the truly repentant heart.  Let’s examine the means given us by the Lord to achieve such a high goal in life.  Consider Paul’s writing to the church at Ephesus.  In Ephesians 6:10, Paul commands that we be “strong in the Lord, and the power of His might.”  Then in verse 18, after listing the items of the whole armor of God, Paul tells us how to be strong in that armor.  You see, while the armor does protect us, it does not strengthen us.  It is what we do in that armor that brings about the strengthening.  And what is it we are to do?  We are to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”  Did you see that?  PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT.

Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians that when we speak in tongues, and praying in the Spirit is speaking in tongues as you pray, that we edify, or build up, or strengthen ourselves.  And when we then add Jude 20 and 21, the need for praying in the Spirit becomes even more obvious.  There, John states that when we pray in the Spirit, we BUILD OURSELVES UP ON OUR MOST HOLY FAITH, PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST.  It could not be made any clearer.  Praying in the Spirit is praying in tongues; that is praying in a language given by Holy Spirit, and by which we speak mysteries to Father.  When the believer engages I this wonderful work of the Spirit, he builds himself up on his most holy faith.  Do you pray in the Spirit?  You should, and that daily, and as often as you can.  When a weightlifter consumes a proper diet, and works out in the gym properly, he gets stronger, building himself up.  When the believer consumes the proper diet (God’s Word), and works out properly (praying in the Spirit), he gets stronger, building himself up, thus enabling himself to stay strongly on the track of true repentance to which he has turned.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5 & 4:8; Joshua 1:8; 1 John 1:7;  Ephesians 5:26; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20-21; Proverbs 23:7

If My People….(6)

The decision to turn from one course to another requires work in the doing.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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When we read the words, “turn from their wicked ways,” we are reading of the act of repentance; the choice of turning from one way of thinking (thus acting) to another.  The word “repent” in the Greek language is the word “metanoeo.”  It speaks directly to the act of rethinking, and if one follows through on rethinking, directions change.  The Bible has declared that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.  Our Text for Today speaks clearly to the issue that people must “turn from their wicked ways.”  While this writing is not intended to be unabridged in its focus, it will point to three major issues through which one must work in order to truly fulfill the act of repenting. 

Repentance is an act of choice on your part.  God doesn’t force, but He does require it.  When one sins, repentance is needful, or the seed/root of the sin remains.  Many people, when they sin, and especially when they are caught at it, become sorrowful for their sin.  But being sorrowful for one’s sin is not repentance.  It may produce tears, but it will not produce fruit worthy of true repentance.  I often liken it to many kinds of plants one may desire to remove from their garden.  They grow from a seed or a root that has spread to the area.  The gardener may cut them off at the ground, apparently destroying the plant.  But if the root is not removed, that plant will grow back.  That’s what happens when one is just sorry for his sins.  But when true repentance takes place, and the sin is confessed (that is fruit worthy of repentance), the blood of Jesus removes the root, or the seed, and the action of repentance removes the believer from the reach of that root/sin. 

Once again, to be a truly repentant people, we need to raise our thinking level to new heights.  We have access to the mind of Christ.  We are commanded to “let the mind of Christ dwell” in us.  That’s not a suggestion.  We are likewise commanded to be transformed by renewing our minds, and that is done so with the continual application of God’s Word.  Likewise, the Scripture tells us, by command, to meditate upon the Word of God continually so we can see clearly how to walk pleasing to Father, and that from that arises our capacity to prosper and have good success.  CHRIST-THINKING is a must.  Keep your heart and mind filled to overflowing with the Word of God.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5 & 4:8; Joshua 1:8; 1 John 5:7;  Ephesians 5:26; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20-21; Proverbs 23:7

If My People…(5)

To seek the face of God is to pass through death.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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In the book of Exodus, we see Moses when he has come to a place of calling on the Lord as he seeks to lead the people of God safely to the Promised Land.  In that encounter, Moses set before the Lord one of the greatest petitions a man could offer.  He asked of the Lord that he might see the Lord’s glory.  I find the answer of the Lord most interesting.  Father did not speak of glory at the petition of Moses, but rather said, “Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live.”  Consider that statement from the mouth of Jehovah.  Moses asked to see Father’s glory, but Father said no man, and that included Moses, could see His face and live.  Can you see that for which Moses was asking?  Father was telling Moses that to see His face meant death to the one seeing.  In short, Moses wanted to see God’s face so much that he was willing to die for it.  That is the depth of intent one must have in this case to see God’s face.

Keeping in mind the words of the Lord to Moses concerning seeing His face, now consider the teaching of Apostle Paul noted in Manna for Today.  Paul spoke to the issue of dying to one’s self.  He spoke of dying daily so that daily he could awake to righteousness and sin not.  When the Exodus and 1 Corinthians passages are connected, we see that for us to live in the manner Christ prescribed, we must pass through death.  When Paul was converted, he passed through what he called the death of the Cross.  He said he was crucified with Jesus.  Then he went on to say that he yet lived, and the life he lived was Christ living in him.  Nothing has changed.  We must follow that same path.  When we were born again, we died the death of the cross, and the life that we now live is by faith in Jesus, and by the presence of Christ in us, the hope of glory.  Each day we rise, and instead of living to please ourselves and our physical senses, we choose to live for the glory of God, we die to ourselves.  And every day we do so, we are in a position to look upon the face of the Lord from which shines His glory to illuminate our path and the steps we should follow.  By seeking His face, we do so we may truly live.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Exodus 33:17-23; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 15:31-49

If My People ….(4)

Prayer is not a wish list set before God, but rather the communication of love’s relationship.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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In my writing today, I will focus on prayer.  My focus, however, will not be on the various kinds of prayer (praise, worship, thanksgiving, petition, supplication, binding and loosing, dedication, commitment, faith, or intercession), but on the relationship that needs to exist between God and His child, the communication that must flow from the heart, come forth with right motive and attitude, and rest firmly upon the will of Father as it is set forth in the Scriptures.  Today I will write more of the character of prayer than of its content.  I am convinced when the character of prayer is right, there will be little, if any, issues concerning content.

In our Text for Today, please note that the call to pray does not reference any of the different kinds of prayer, but rather focuses on the strong desire of one’s heart to be in a place of fulfilled communion with our Father God, our Lord and Master (Jesus, the Christ), and the leading and strong influence of Holy Spirit in that communion.  It speaks of prayer by people who know who they are in the Lord.  It speaks of prayer that passionately seek Father’s face.  It speaks of prayer that leads to true repentance.  It speaks of prayer that truly moves heaven and brings wondrous response from Father, holding His divine attention of heaven and its power.  It speaks of prayer that truly opens the way to powerfully impact and change the world.  It speaks of a quality of prayer of which seems to be so little known in this hour.  It speaks of a prayer for which the church is currently desperate.

While prayer is certainly necessary in the life of the believer, the level of prayer to which one rises for this kind of praying is more than a necessity; it has become a calling.  This prayer is addictive.  Yes, I said, “addictive.”  Once undertaken, it becomes necessary for life, for growth, for moving forward, for victory over life’s struggles.  This is a call to a life of prayer.  Prayer is no longer a matter of something you do at certain times, but of a relationship through which one is never, Never, NEVER separate from a constant state of communion with Father.  It is a prayer life in which two individuals have grown together so closely that one can start a sentence and the other can complete.  Their thought lives are inextricably joined, and their heart for one another is constantly beating in rhythm for the same purpose.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

If My People …..(3)

Before trying to be humble, make sure you have the right definition.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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In what is now more than 49-years of ministry, I have often asked believers what it means to be humble.  I often find myself feeling perplexed at the answer I hear.  Perhaps the most prevalent answer is one that speaks of an attitude of making themselves lowly, or subservient to the people around them.  They often seem to establish themselves as the slave, or as some have implied, being a doormat upon which others would trample.  In these definitions, something vital is missing, often being completely misunderstood.

I have also heard far better definitions, especially when people say that to be humble is to always rely on the leadership and direction of the Lord.  While that is, I believe, an acceptably accurate definition, I believe there is one that is the clearest of all.  If you will, take a moment to read the brief passages in our Manna for Today, especially 1 Peter 5:6-11.  There, the Biblical definition of humbling yourself before God is “casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”  One note here concerning the phrase, “He cares for you.”  While we know that God is love, and that God loves us supremely, that phrase I have noted here does not say that God loves us.  It simply means that if there are any cares (frets, worries, anxieties, fears) of this life, He will handle them for you so long as you cast them upon Him.  To state it even more succinctly, if I encounter something that would cause me to worry or fear, I cast that worry on Him and He does it for me.  I can sleep in peace because He never sleeps.

So, how does one go about humbling one’s self under the mighty hand of God?  You begin by going to the Word.  If God said it, that settles it.  Obey God in all things.  Do the Word.  When persecutions, afflictions, cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches, and lusts of other things enter in, take you rest in the Lord.  He will deal with them when you use your faith to cast them upon Him.  You will need to speak to the situation, bringing every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.  He has commanded you to NOT worry.  So, don’t worry.  Let Jesus handle that for you.  In that, you are walking in the highest order of humbling yourself to the Lord.  Many will call you arrogant or prideful.  But it’s not what men call you.  Rather, it’s what God calls you, and He calls that being humble.  So, ask yourself, “What does the Bible say?”  Believe that, speak that, hold fast to that, do that, and in that, you are being truly humble.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Psalm 10:12; Psalm 34:2; Proverbs 16:19; Proverbs 29:23; Matthew 18:4; Matthew 23:12; James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:6-11

If My People ….(2)

There is NO name that is more powerful or above the Name of our Lord in any way.

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2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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One of the greatest quandaries I encounter on a regular basis at this hour are believers who are living in fear, doubt, and unbelief, quaking under the threats toward the populous in general and the church more specifically.  I often question them about that.  Their answers are many and varied, but there is one thing in common with all of them.  There seems to be a great disparity between who they have been made to be in Christ Jesus and who they see themselves being in this present world.  In looking at our Text for Today, the phrase we are examining should stand out to anyone studying this passage and seeking for the truths revealed in it.  It is the phrase referring to those whom the Lord calls “my people.”  The phrase in we are examining is, “which are called by My Name.” 

Every believer should take very close notice that if one belongs to the Lord, he is “called by” the Name of the Lord.  It is that name by which every believer is named.  It is that Name by which one must be saved, there being no other name given under heaven by which man must be saved.  It is that Name that grants us access to the ear of the Father when we pray, and it is in that Name that Father has declared He would give us whatever we ask of Him in that Name.  It is as the mention of that Name that every knee of beings in heaven, earth, and beneath the earth will bow.  It is in that name that when believers are gathered together, He has declared He would be in their midst, and that for purpose.

So, allow me to share my quandary with you.  If one has been born again by that Name, possesses the authority to use that Name, should walk in full expectancy of every promise of that Name’s power to be fulfilled when they call upon that Name, then why, and I ask again, WHY would any such person fear in any way the events that are taking place in our world today?  I know the threats and dangers are real.  Multitudes of believers have already fallen prey to them.  But that is NOT by the will of our Father.  For that reason, I WILL NOT BOW MY KNEE TO ANYTHING BUT THE WILL OF MY FATHER.  What He has given me belongs to me.  He expects me to accept it, use it, hold fast to it, fight to keep it, and walk in the full blessing of it.  The same should hold true for every believer.  Are you “called by (His) Name?”  What will you do with it?

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; Psalm 148:13; John 14:12-14; John 16:23; Acts 4:12

If My People …..(1)

When God says, “IF,” He’s about to give great revelation.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 – 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.  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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“If, then” is a combination of two words, each preceding a phrase.  When these two words are rendered in that setting, a contract is formulated.  As far as men are concerned, every contract ever made by man was entered into on an “if, then” basis.  Such are considered legally binding.  Yet we know that men often break contracts, and at times, pay great penalties for doing so.  But, I repeat, BUT . . . when God makes a contract, He NEVER breaks it.  The man, or men, with whom He makes that covenant may break it, BUT NEVER GOD. 

When God sets forth an “if, then” statement, He is offering a contract, a divine contract that, if honored by those to whom He offers it, will bring forth supernatural outcomes.  I urge you with all that is within me, set aside some time today to read the passages I have shared in our Manna for Today.  First you will see the prayer of Solomon, and then you will read God’s response.  Father’s response is one of the most powerful “if, then” statements ever set forth unto mankind.  I will be writing about this for some days.  I will certainly not be able to write all that is revealed here, but I do intend, with the help of the Lord, to unfold it before you in a way that will draw you into it in a manner as yet unprecedented in your life.  I have asked the Lord to take you deeper into this passage and its dynamic potential in your life, regardless of how much you have previously grown in the Lord.  Please join your faith to mine to that end.  You will find yourself blessed beyond any measure you have ever known.

In today’s Second Miler, I want you to see that this passage is not written to all me, but only, I repeat, ONLY to His people.  Look closely at the title of today’s Second Miler.  Likewise, look closely at the first three words of our Text for Today.  Father says, “If My people.”  Do you see it?  He is speaking directly to Solomon, and He is speaking specifically about “My people.”  He is not speaking to anyone who is unsaved.  He is not speaking to anyone who has not confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, and has been born again by the Spirit of the Lord.  If you are one of them, awake, my friend.  It’s time to get busy.  If you are NOT one of them, you can be.  Read and act upon Romans 10:9-10, and then rejoice.

Manna for Today – 2 Chronicles 6:3 – 7:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Proverbs 4:20-23