…and My people who are called by My name humble themselves

and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven,

will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14

I realize in this passage that God is talking to an entire people group and not an individual.  However, I believe there are some things we can take from this and apply personally.  I see this as God’s prescription for healing and it has four steps.

First, recognize that we are called by His name, we are His.

Second, humble ourselves.

Third pray.

Fourth, turn from our wicked ways.

I was real excited when I read this passage this morning. Until the word humble came along. I tripped on that, I had to look it up and then had to repent and have meditated on the implications of that word all day.

Humility could be defined as coming to grips with who and what you really are. A very weak and flawed being who is ever prone to evil and very insecure and fragile and vulnerable in ten thousand ways. If you could see the truth, humility would come very naturally.  When you humble yourself, you are beginning to see things as they really are.

So, my translation would be that humility comes when I recognize that I am a sinner that has been saved by grace.  And because I have been saved by grace, I now belong to God.  I am the “land” God desires to heal. You are the land He desires to heal. We are called by His name and He promises that as we recognize the truth of who we are, and whose we are, He will hear our prayers, forgive us of our sins, and heal our land.

Gracious, heavenly Father, I submit to Your plan and Your purposes for my life, even Your pathway for this healing to manifest fully. Forgive me for all the times I have tried to have healing my way, to do things that seems expedient to me, easiest to me, least painful to me, when You have a more complete view of healing than I ever could have. Grant me the grace to humble myself and seek Your face and pray. And please keep Your eyes and ears on me perpetually. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I would love to hear from you. Please let me know if I can be praying for you as well.

pic credit: cslewisinstitute.org

pic credit: thegospeltruth.org