Heal our land

 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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ~2 Chronicles 7:14

Yesterday we celebrated America's "birthday".  The day we declared freedom from what believed was tyranny and oppression from the mother country.  Our declaration to be free inspired many other nations to set up governments where the voice of the people can be heard. The Fourth of July is a day of celebration.  Time spent with family, friends, and loved ones.  

It is a day to count our many blessings, but it is a day of somber contemplation as I look at the sickness in our land.  A sickness that pervades our world-sin.  We have teenagers killing each other.  Disasters and devastation all around. Politics run a muck and people hurting.

Just this past Sunday a guest pastor spoke to the men of our church for Men's Day, but his word resonated with me.  Point 1-  it begins with the believers.  We are the people called by HIs name.  We have to be accountable  as the church universal and stand up.  Point 2- We must stand up and humble ourselves unto God.  We must remember that we are solely reliant upon Him.  It is HIs shed blood on Calvary that cleanses us and sets us free.  We must submit to Him.  Point 3- We must pray and seek His face.  His word tells us to in Mathew 6:33 to first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteous and He will take care of the rest.  He will supply all that we need.  Point 4-  We then must repent. We must turn from or wicked ways.  We must turn from unforgiveness, a haughty spirit, a critical spirit, self-righteousness, pride and thing that would block our relationship with God and others.  We must turn away from all of that and turn to God.

For doing this, He will forgive our sins and heal our land.  Our land, for all its blessing in spite of us, needs healing.  Our world needs healing.  We need God.

Lord,  I thank You for allowing me to live in this country.  I thank You for the blessing that flow, but I confess that as  your child I need to humble myself and seek You more.  Not the blessings, but You. I need to repent and turn away from the sin that so easily trips me up.  I need to do this individually and collectively as member of the body of Christ.  Hear my prayer Lord and heal our land.  In Jesus name. Amen