Praying in 2001

Praying in 2001 2 Chronicles 7:14 December 31,  2000 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory Henry Blackaby tells the story of a family who were assigned by their missions agency to work in a predominantly Moslem city. After decades of work, this denomination had only produced five small churches in that unresponsive environment. Many thought their talents would be better used in another more open area. They were convinced of their call and committed themselves to the work. They didn't know how to reach the city but they knew God did. So they joined 14 other believers in praying for the city. During an all-night prayer meeting they sensed God was telling them He "didn't have any clean vessels to use." They fell on the dirt floor and began confessing their sins. As they did, God revealed everything in their life that was hindering His work. Revival broke out among this small group and quickly spread. They proclaimed the gospel with boldness. Over the next 3.5 years 132,000 people make profession of faith. When the family returned home for furlough in 1989, 156 churches had been started by new believers in that difficult area. Spiritual awakening awaits those who seek God with ALL their hearts. Chapter 7 of 2 Chronicles records the events surrounding the dedication of the Temple built by Solomon (also recorded in 1 Kings 8). It's a grand and exciting day at Jerusalem. Solomon offers huge sacrifices to the Lord. Well it's night now. All the sacrificial fires have burned out, the people have gone home, and all there is left to do at the Temple is have someone clean up the ticker tape. Solomon, too, returns to his palace, satisfied that he had done all he was supposed to do now that the Temple was complete and dedicated. As he slips into bed, he is suddenly reminded that the day is not done for him. Because as he begins to drift off to sleep, the Lord appears to him. The words He has for Solomon are recorded at chapter 7, beginning at verse 12. There the Lord confirms Solomon's sense of satisfaction by telling him that He, too, is satisfied with the Temple. Then He presents a solemn word to Solomon. As if too remind Solomon that the temple is to be a place of prayer. He warns Solomon that when His people willfully sin and rebel against Him, He will bring them suffering. He says He will shut up the heavens, preventing rain, command the locusts to devour the land, or even send a plague among His people (verse 13). Whether this is simply a reminder of His judgment and justice or maybe the people were then and there in rebellion, we don't know. But the Lord's real point comes in verse 14. He says whenever such calamity comes from me onto my people, I want you to know that I am only trying to purify them and out of my awesome love for them, trying to bring them back into the place of blessing. Everything that seems difficult and punitive to us is God's redemptive work in us, to bring us to repentance and purity. Verse 14 is our text this morning, and it is a message of grace and forgiveness for those who have failed. God is saying to His people (and to each of us), it doesn't matter how far away you've gone, how public or how private your sin, I have provided you an opportunity to return. He says here is the kind of prayer, sincere prayer that will be your way back to me. I will wipe the slate clean; and you and I can start all over again. Don't miss the import of this-here is the God who judges righteously, saying to His rebellious people: I want you come home. I will forgive you. 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 heal their land." Textual Study If my people, who are called by my name We must understand at the start that this message of mercy and grace is for those who are His people. God has always been interested in giving His people His name: In the Old Covenant, as God was confirming the lineage of His chosen people through Jacob, God changed Jacob's name from Jacob (he deceives) to Israel (he wrestles with God). The New Covenant people would be known as Christians, followers of Christ. This message of hope and restoration is for His people who have wandered. Will humble themselves One man said, "I'd like to be humble, but what if nobody notices?" God makes forgiveness contingent on people being humble. Why? Because pride is the root of all rebellion. And if I come to a place of restoration still clinging to my pride, it is guaranteed I will rebel again in short order. This is why God says often in the Word, "I resist the proud, but give grace to the humble." When we pray, we must be humble-it is really the first act of sincere prayer, isn't it? Proud people never really pray. People who really pray  cannot remain proud. The Lord says to His people, "Look, I want to work with you here, but we have to get this thing straight first. I'm in charge, and you're not." And pray The next logical step after humility is prayer, then. What kind of prayer? You know, it doesn't seem to matter. Very often in the Word you will find encouragements to pray and jumbled all up together are the different kinds of prayer - praise, petition, thanks, awe, intercession. Have you noticed that? Here's what I've discovered: whenever I need to return to the Lord after a season of rebellion and sin, it doesn't matter what kind of prayer I pray, as long as it is sincere prayer, and I am humbling myself before God, I get broken. I may be in a time of public worship and the words of a public prayer or a song of praise get caught in my throat, and I am brought to my knees before Him. Full repentance takes place-and I didn't even pray a prayer of repentance yet! I may be just praying a prayer of thanks to the Lord. Suddenly I am convicted by an unconfessed sin. Or I may begin a short prayer time with the Lord bearing the burden of someone else who is in need of healing, and I end up on my face before Him, asking forgiveness for my rebellion. Why is this? Because God knows our hearts; the Holy Spirit is intimately familiar with everything in us. And once genuine connection is made between me and holy God, my sin becomes painfully obvious. And I have to either deal with it, or stop being sincere in prayer-one or the other. That's the stuff of the next phrase in verse 14 And seek my face God says that true prayer is that which is motivated by a desire on the pray-er's part to make an intimate connection with Him. How often we reduce prayer to some ritualistic form of petition. We ask God to bless our meal, or our home, or our worship service, or our children, or our sick friend. We even come interceding for the nations or asking Him to bring revival to our city. But we really don't "connect" with Him in our hearts. I think we may have the hint of a cure for ineffective prayer here. Maybe God is looking for a personal connection more than a prayer list! Maybe He is saying He wants us to seek His face and not His hand all the time. Why, yes! That's what it says right here, "Seek my face." When Krista was a four-year-old, one night I sat on the edge of her bed and, after finishing her book, I said, "You pray tonight." She said (and I quote, because I went into the kitchen and wrote it down on this paper right afterwards): "Dear Jesus in heaven; I love you. I hope you're having a good time up there. Amen - Did you hear what I prayed? I couldn't think of nothin' else!" I would suggest to you that some of the things we say to God in our moments of honest exchange with Him, things that would not pass theological muster, a sheer blessing to Him! "Seek my face-find that place of real conversation with Me!" Particularly when repenting of our sin, we must never fake sincerity and say we are sorry for our sin when we are not genuinely repentant. Why? Because, not only does that kind of veneer prayer not get past the ceiling, but it also drives us deeper into a place of self-deception and hiding from God. And turn from their wicked ways Here is the stuff of repentance. Changing. What God wants out of a prayer of repentance is the heart attitude that "I am never going to get myself into that state of sin and rebellion again! I hate the pain of separation from you, I don't like who I am when I am apart from you, and I vow to never sin again!" The word repent means "turn." God's whole agenda toward one of His children who backslides into sin is to use whatever He can to get that child to the place where he says, "I'm really sorry; and I intend to never go there again!" THEN You know we talk so often about God's unconditional love that sometimes I'm afraid we've convinced ourselves that His forgiveness is unconditional. I hate to burst your bubble, but God says, "If.then!" I will hear from heaven A teacher raised her voice toward one rebellious young boy in her classroom to add emphasis: "Do you hear me?" Under his breath the troublemaker muttered, "I hear you, but I'm not listening!" There is a difference between hearing (which God always does, because He's God) and listening which is the term the Lord uses here to say "I will act on that!" Sincere prayer is a beautiful thing to God And will forgive their sin There it is-what we really need when we've gone off in rebellion. David said, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." There is no more peaceful and contented place in life than to be hiding nothing from God. This is the promise to every believer who has not been all he knew God wanted him to be in the year 2000. He says, "Bring me sincere repentance, a humble heart and an honest attempt at seeking my face, and I will make your 2001 fantastic!" You know, our biggest plague in life is guilt. Knowing we've done something to offend another and not having the situation resolved. Sometimes we would give anything just to hear some significant other say, "I forgive you-really, it's okay now." If you've sinned you've offended God. Wouldn't you love to hear Him say, "I forgive you-really it's okay now"? And will heal their land To the Israelite, their land was very important to them. It was central to who they were. This is the land God gave us-it is the real, geographic expression of His blessing to us. This is our promised land. Sin had defiled the land and it was no longer the land of milk and honey to them. Here's God's promise: If you will seek my face, humble yourselves and repent of your sin, I will heal your land. What's your land today? What is it in your life that has been corrupted and defiled because of your willful resistance toward God? What is it that has suffered devastating effects because of your sin? Your family? A significant relationship? Your job? Your health? Your future? Your self-esteem? Your hope? Hear the word of the Lord today:. "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 heal their land." Here's His offer for His people today. But don't come to Him seeking His hand. Seek His face. Look for that pure and wonderful communion with Him. And remember, this promise is for those who are His children already, but have strayed. For those who have not yet given their lives to Him, the promise is available as well. The same principles apply, but you need to receive salvation. PRAYER AND MINISTRY TIME       [Back to Top]