When we take a look at what is going on today in the world, in our country, and even in the Church, we do not have to look far to see that we are in a sad state. Sexual immorality, violent crimes, and almost every evil imaginable are being promoted as good. Our governments are out of control and seem bent on taking away our freedoms that have been fought so hard for. Although the Lord may bring national judgment upon the United States, this is not His will for us. As a good heavenly Father, He would much rather see us turn around before He has to step in with that type of correction. The question to ask then is, how do we change course and get our nation back on track to serving the Lord, and restore the freedoms we have been so blessed with? As with all important questions in life, the answer is found in the Scriptures.
After Solomon had dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him in a dream. He told Solomon that if His people had turned away from Him, and as a result were experiencing national discipline, the Lord would offer them a means of escape. He said to Solomon, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 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.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) Let’s go ahead and examine this passage a bit closer.
The Lord says “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people.” This very passage is proof that the Lord does use events such as drought, pest infestation, and sickness and disease as a means of discipline for a nation that is going astray. I think it is interesting that people today attribute strange weather to Global Warming or Mother Nature, but the Scriptures are full of examples of the Lord using weather and other natural disasters to accomplish His will. In the days of King David, there was a famine in the land because of King Saul. Saul had killed the Gibeonites whom the children of Israel had made a peace treaty with in the days of Joshua. Proper justice had not been executed, and the Lord brought the famine on the land for three years until the house of Saul had been properly dealt with (2 Samuel 21:1-21). For the wicked king Ahab and his wife Jezebel, the Lord withheld rain for three and a half years from the land of Israel for their leading the entire nation into idolatry in the worship of Baal (1Kings 18). In early Plymouth, a drought lasting from the third week of May through mid-July, threatened to wipe out the pilgrims’ corn crops. This caused them to declare a whole day of prayer and fasting in which they humbled themselves before God and asked forgiveness for their sins. The Lord answered their prayers. According to Governor Bradford, “All the morning, and the greatest part of the day, it was clear weather and very hot, and not a cloud or any sign of rain to be seen; yet toward evening it began to overcast, and shortly after to rain with such sweet and gentle showers as gave them cause of rejoicing and blessing God. It came without either wind or thunder or any violence, and by degrees in that abundance as that the earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith. Which did so apparently revive and quicken the decayed corn and other fruits, as was wonderful to see, and made the Indians astonished to behold.”
While we cannot attribute every natural disaster or trial in life to the Lord’s discipline, we can see that the Lord does use these things at times to get our attention. To explain all them away to climate change, Mother Nature, or coincidence is an indication of the hardness of our own hearts to spiritual things. Unfortunately, our human nature is far too prone to straying into sin, and it is through these types of things the Lord uses to awaken us out of our slumber. We get so wrapped up in what we are doing, and we need to be sobered up a bit. These things may be a warning signal that we are going astray, and that we are about to head into certain peril if we do not change course. The good news is that the Lord’s discipline is always remedial or corrective in nature. His goal is to provide temporary pain on a smaller scale in order to avoid far more serious consequences in the future. Much like the child who insists on playing in the street, his loving parents will discipline him to prevent him from becoming seriously injured or worse. It is in these times of trials that, if we are wise, we will cry out to the Lord and ask Him to search our hearts. The Lord then lays out the conditions for which he would bring revival to His people (if we do, then He will respond).
First, the Lord says “if my people, which are called by my name.” Who are the Lord’s people? They are not those liberal politicians, university professors, those in Hollywood, or the drug dealer on the street. Those individuals do need to repent, but that is not who the Lord is referring to in this passage. In Solomon’s day it was the Children of Israel, in our day it is the Church (both Jew and Gentile). The apostle Paul stated in Romans 11 that the Church, as the wild branches, have been grafted into the olive tree. They are those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins. It is not enough just to believe in God, for even the demons believe in God and tremble (James 2:19). We must believe on Him. This means to put our complete reliance and trust in Him and what He did by shedding His blood on the cross for our sins. If you are reading this today, and you have not chosen to place your faith in the Lord Jesus, you have no basis for which to call yourself a Christian, nor can you expect to benefit from the promises and blessings found in His Word. The Scriptures say, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2), and “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Choose this day to place your faith in the Lord Jesus and receive eternal life. So, we can see then that those who are truly born again are the Lord’s people and are called by His name. The Lord addresses His people first, because judgment must first start at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
Second, the Lord says we need to humble ourselves. The Lord says a lot about pride in the Scriptures. Consider the following passages: “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2), “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18), and “…for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1Peter 5:5). First, pride can keep us from salvation. If we cannot admit we are wrong, and have sinned against God, then we will not see our need for a Savior. Perhaps maybe we can admit we are wrong, but we are too proud to profess faith in Jesus Christ for fear of what others may think. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) We need to confess Jesus as Lord, and we need to confess Him before others.
Pride can be a problem for the believer as well. Pride says the principles found in the Scriptures do not apply to me. We often make exceptions for ourselves, while holding others to a higher standard. Pride says I’m a good person, and keeps me from receiving correction when it is based upon Biblical truth. If you or I am proud we will have difficulty admitting when we are wrong, and the message of correction will be offensive to us. Most importantly, it will keep us from receiving the Lord’s correction, and thereby will stunt our spiritual growth. None of us enjoy being corrected, but it is a necessary part of life and of the Christian walk. Proverbs says, “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.” (Proverbs15:10) We all have pride to one degree or another, but a good measure of how much pride we have is how offended we become once we receive Biblical correction. If we want to see revival, we need to humble ourselves before a great and mighty God, and remember that He is the potter who wants to shape us as the clay into His image. Humbling ourselves is the first action required, because pride will prevent us from doing the rest. We must be humble in order to take the next steps.
Third, the Lord says His people need to pray and seek His face. One of the major trends we see in Church today is that it is common to emphasize worship over prayer. However, that is not the way it is emphasized in the Scriptures. This is not to diminish worship in any way, for worship is an important part of the Christian life. While prayer certainly includes worship, it is much more than that. This can be an easy trap to fall into, for prayer is probably one of the most difficult of the Christian disciplines. It’s much easier to sing worship songs and have a feel-good experience, but prayer takes work and perseverance. Paul instructed Timothy, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1Timothy 2:8) He told the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer is how we seek the Lord and communicate with Him. As we prayerfully read the Word, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Scriptures to us. It is how we praise Him, and how we request things from the Lord in times of need. It is how we receive forgiveness as we confess our sins unto Him.
Perhaps one of the most challenging things about prayer is that we do not know how to pray. This was even a struggle for the disciples, for they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus responded to them with what we know today as the Lord’s Prayer. “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” (Luke 11:2-4) Now Jesus was not saying they had to pray this exact prayer every time, but He was laying out a pattern or model for them to follow. We pray to the Father through the Son Jesus Christ. We see praise (hallowed be Thy name), supplication (give us this day our daily bread), and asking forgiveness of sins. Again, this is a basic model to follow, and as we step out in prayer the Lord will lead us. I often wonder how Roe vs. Wade would have turned out differently over 50 years ago if the Church at large had been praying. How would the Supreme Court have ruled on same-sex marriage if the Church at large had been praying and fasting? The Scriptures say that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). If we want to see revival in our lives and in our nation, we need to be men and women of prayer.
As I previously stated, prayer is how we speak to the Lord and seek His face, and the Scriptures, in tandem with the Holy Spirit, are the primary means by which He speaks back to us. If we neglect to read the Word, we are missing out on what the Lord wants to communicate to us. Joshua charged the children of Israel, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8) Paul told Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15) Every revival we have seen throughout history has always been characterized by a renewed hunger for the Word of God. We can see examples of this in the Word as well: In times of revival in ancient Israel, they returned to reading the Law (Nehemiah 8), and in the Church the Apostles devoted themselves to the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:2-4). It is over time that people begin to question the accuracy and authority of the Scriptures, and liberal theology begins to take over. You can see this in our own country. Most of the liberal churches today were once solid Bible preaching churches who gave into the pressure to become culturally relevant. As they have done so, they have lost their witness, and have become just another social organization. Paul also told Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) If we want to see revival in our nation, we need to return to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, and not cave into the pressure to be politically correct. We need to stop picking and choosing which passages we accept and which ones we do not, and take the whole counsel of God’s Word as valid for us today, regardless of what others are saying around us. This does not mean we will agree on every point of doctrine, but that we should agree on the fundamentals that are plainly taught in the Scriptures.
Lastly, the Lord says we need to turn from our wicked ways. Now when you start talking to Christians about turning from their wicked ways, this is often when you begin stepping on people’s toes. It is so easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, rather than measuring our own lives up with the Word of God. James says that the Word of God is like a mirror (James 1:22-24). God’s Word gives us an accurate reflection of how our lives are measuring up to His standard. If we were to just look at the Ten Commandments, this is enough to show us how unworthy we truly are. If we have told a lie, we have born false witness. If we have used God’s name as a curse word, we are guilty of blasphemy. If we have hated a brother or sister, Jesus states that we are guilty of murder. If we have lusted in our hearts, Jesus says we are guilty of adultery. These are only four of the Ten Commandments, but James says if we have broken the Law in one point, we are guilty of all (James 2:10).
Lest we think we are somehow not guilty, Paul says in Romans, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) John wrote in his first epistle, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1John 1:8) There is not one of us, believer or nonbeliever that can say we are without sin. As believers we are a new creation in Christ and are no longer under the sentence of the Law; however, we still have to deal with the sin nature. There is a sanctification process that takes place in our lives that does not stop until we reach Heaven. We should always be like David in asking the Lord to search our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24). As we ask the Lord to search us, He will reveal those things that are unpleasing in His sight. Even when we are actively seeking the Lord, we still have sin in our lives that the Lord wants to deal with.
All those whom the Lord used mightily throughout history had a real sense of unworthiness, and simply had to trust in the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ. When Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord he said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5) Job, a man whom the Bible refers to as being perfect and upright, said the following after the Lord spoke to Him out of the whirlwind, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6) Jonathan Edwards, a man the Lord used powerfully during the first great awakening in the American colonies stated, "I am nothing, and can do nothing: I desire your prayers that I may be more sensible of it, and that God would grant me his presence and assistance, and again grant me success.” It is when we have come to an end of ourselves and trusting in our own righteousness that the Lord can truly use us for His glory and in His service.
The point in the Lord revealing our sin to us is not to condemn us, but to cleanse us of it and remove it from our lives. The Scriptures say, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13) Also, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9) So then, this is not a bad thing, but a good thing. Oh, the peace we have when we allow the Lord to lift the burden of sin from us and to cleanse us on a continual basis.
There have been times in the past that it seemed as if there would be a revival, but it did not last because the message of repentance was missing. For example, churches filled shortly after 9/11 as people began to seek the Lord, but it quickly faded because the message of repentance was lacking. Repentance is a crucial ingredient in revival, for without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). If we as the Church want to be effective in seeing souls won for Jesus Christ and becoming true disciples, we must allow the lord to weed out those things in our lives that will be a hindrance to His working. If we want to see revival in our country, we need to get back to calling men and women to repentance, and if we are going to call others to repentance, repentance must start with you and me.
It is then after we have humbled ourselves, prayerfully sought the Lord, and repented from our sins that the Lord says He will respond to us. He says He will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. By humbling ourselves we have placed ourselves in a position to where He can exalt us in due time (1Peter 5:6). If we have sought Him, He will be found of us (1Chronicles 28:9). As I previously stated, if we have confessed our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) It is then that He can remove His chastening hand from upon us, and bring healing to us and our nation. It is when revival takes place in believers that the Holy Spirit can move through them with power to bring conviction of sin to the lost and show them their need for a Savior.
It may seem a daunting task to seek the Lord for a revival for an entire nation, but it should really start with you and me as individuals. Each of us individually need to seek the Lord for revival in our own lives, and as He does bring a personal revival, it will naturally spread to others around us. This would hopefully affect our churches, communities, and eventually happen on a larger scale. This nation has had two great awakenings, as well as other significant revivals. There is no reason why another great awakening is not possible. The Lord has laid out the steps for us to take if we want to see revival happen in our land, and I truly believe He will honor His Word and bring revival if we sincerely seek Him for it. It may not be a quick and easy process, and it may not truly bring America back to greatness again. However, the alternative will be much worse if we do nothing. How much better would it be to have the U.S. fall from its standing in the world because the rapture happens rather than the Church sitting idly by while our society unravels before our eyes? Although we certainly care for our nation, ultimately it is not about the United States, for nations rise and fall. It is really about souls being won for the Kingdom of God, so that they can receive eternal life rather than eternal punishment. Our citizenship is in Heaven where the King of Kings is, and we will eventually rule and reign with Him. So, let’s be about His business until He returns.
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