Humility and holiness go hand-in-hand with answered prayer!

“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Bible verse above is the overall theme verse for both the National Day of Prayer [www.nationaldayofprayer.org] (America) and the Global Day of Prayer [www.globaldayofprayer.com], two of the largest prayer organizations in the world. It consists of four conditions and three promises from God. We’ll begin by putting this verse in context and then break down its components.

The verse immediately preceding 2 Chronicles 7:14 states “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,…” In other words, when you are a child of God and He smites the land where you living (e.g. your family, city, state, or country), the remedy lies with you, not the lost.

What are the four conditions God demands of His people?
1) “humble themselves” – God tells us to be humble even before we begin to pray.
2) “pray” – By praying we recognize our complete dependence on God.
3) “seek My face” – The presence and power of God change us and our circumstances.
4) “turn from their wicked ways” – God commands us to stop sinning and to be holy.

What are God’s promises to those who obey these four conditions?
1) “then I will hear from heaven” – God will listen to our prayers when we obey Him.
2) “and will forgive their sin” – God will forgive our sins when we confess them.
3) “and heal their land” – Only God can heal a cursed community.

America is in moral decline. Pride, lust (sexual immorality), and greed are rampant. The nation is on the verge of a financial holocaust because of the huge debt of its people and government. Our society is suffering from families breaking up, depression, anxiety, illness, and horrible natural disasters.

If we don’t understand holiness, then nothing else will really matter. There are only two choices in the Bible, darkness and light. Darkness is living in sin and light is living in holiness. You can’t have one foot in both areas. If salt were to represent light and pepper darkness, the salt becomes adulterated with only one grain of pepper. 98% holiness is not holiness. Holiness emanates from the family.

What are you doing to create an environment conducive to holiness in your family?
Make a list of your sins and ask God for His help and you will be on your way.

Prayer Power
Father God, LORD of the universe, You’ve got the whole world in Your hands, including my family. Forgive me for the part I have played in the moral decline of America in the past. Bless me to humble myself, pray, seek Your face, and turn from my own wicked ways so that I may lead my family by example. Take captive every thought of mine to the obedience of Jesus Christ so that I may be holy as You command. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Holy Living [http://wordbytes.org/Bible/HolyLiving1.htm]

Your Daily Blessing News
Starting tomorrow, I will begin doing weekly series on particular topics. For instance, tomorrow we will start a 7 day series titled “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” Each Monday, there will be a general introduction, followed by more elaboration on Tuesday-Friday. The devotionals on Saturdays will be dedicated to sharing personal testimonies. Sunday devotionals will be focused on prayer.
Other sites of interest: The Marketplace & Marriage Connection [www.themmconnection.com]