“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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 7:13-14)

Hearing about all the disasters which are in the world today, Scripture tells us to pray. We are taught to stay in communication with God all the time, this is to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV) In days of distress, God calls us to pray with an introspection in our lives and in the world around us. It begins as we know who we are in our relationship with Him. In these days we must know that we are His. Scripture says, “If my people, who are called by my name.” Today, we are called Christians. This title came from the faithful teaching about God to the church and what the people saw in the lives of the followers of Christ. “So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26b)

As we pray, we are to come to God in humility. We understand that we are saved sinners, but we also know that we are approaching the Holy Lord God, when we come to him. “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5)

It is simple. As God’s children we are to pray. In today’s church, our need is be people of prayer. In various research over the years, the results say that the majority of Christians pray, but they are far from the constant and consistent life of prayer taught by Scripture. When prayer is a part of one’s life, the average time appears to be less than 30 minutes a day and for many 2-3 minutes a day. Therefore, we need to become people of prayer.

Our prayers are to be offered with a hunger to know God, to seek Him. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) In times of distress, this hunger for God is focused on our need of Him in the midst of these challenges. Paul spoke of this hunger to the church in Phillippi.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:8-12)

When we come to Him, He will show us our sin. Even as believers, sin has a way of creeping into to our lives because we still have our sin nature in this life. Paul said, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” (Romans 7:22-23) He brings forgiveness and purification as we turn from our sin. When we do, He gives us victory over sin. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

The result of this passionate and consistent prayer is first, that God does hear us. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Second, He forgives us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Third, He will also bring healing to our land. The transformation needed in the lives of people becomes evident when God heals us of our sin and proclaims His message to the world in need of Him. He offers hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block