With All of Your Heart

"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence 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 will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place."

(2 Chronicles 7:13-15) 

On the radio the other day I heard a guy say the average American "christian" can tell you who is currently in the lead on "Dancing with the Stars" and what football team is in first place on "Sports Center"—but most of us are asleep at the wheel when it comes to knowing the Word of God and discerning the spiritual times in which we live.

And I think he's absolutely correct—sad to say.

In the above passage from 2 Chronicles, most of the time people quote only verse 14: 

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray..."

And certainly, we all want God to hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal our messed up land.

But I've noticed that, for some reason, verse 13 (which gives the context for verse 14) is always left out when people quote this passage. 

"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people."

This an extremely sobering reminder that it is God who His judgement on any nation ("Christian" or not), who continues to reject Him, and sins against Him.

And we need remember that God is speaking to His people in this passage. 

We must repent of any wicked ways that we are practicing, if we want God to hear our prayers and heal our land.

Since we men are supposed to be the spiritual leaders in our homes, I am going to call out Christian men here. 

If you, mister Christian businessman, are praying for God to "heal your nation" and restore it to its former "godly Christian nation" status, but you are secretly surfing porn on the Internet at night after your wife and children have gone to bed, don't you think for one moment that God is going to listen to your polluted prayers. He is not going to heal your land when you are the one who is soiling it with your sin.

• Is this how you love God with all of your heart?
• Is this how you love and honor your wife & children?
• Is this what it means to you to be a man of integrity?

If you continue, unrepentant, practicing your sin, what you can expect is to bring further judgement from God on this nation. You can expect further locusts devouring the land. You can expect further droughts. And you can expect further pestilence.

If you say that you love God, then humble yourself. Pray and seek His face. And then turn from (repent of) your wicked ways.

Then, and only then, will God heed your prayers.

Then, and only then, will God be open to healing your land.

Fortunately, for all of us sinners, God has made this promise:

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

If God has convicted you today through this message, then share it with a brother, or two. With anyone who calls themselves a "Christian" but who is practicing sin.

—Love the Lord your God with all of your heart.

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.