a call to pray

'When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,

or command the locust to devour the land,

or send pestilence among my people,

if my people who are called by name

humble themselves,

and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.'

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

I know I posted this yesterday, but as I was reading through this again today, I was blessed by my daughter's child like faith. Faith in a God that cares about the smallest things of life. Simple yet profound understanding that there indeed is nothing that is too hard for God and that often His timing is not our own.
Now if she would only remind her mother of that simple truth...

May 5, 2011.

National Day of Prayer in the United States of America. 

A nation once founded and grounded upon the truths of God's Word. 

A nation that has since turned its back upon the very God the settlers came to freely worship. 

I am always thankful for this day and encouraged by those that take time to pray corporately and read Scripture for the sake of our nation, our leaders, our communities, our churches, our homes, our children, our marriages. 

This passage has always been one of my favorites. 

It reminds me that God only tolerates sin and apostasy for so long. 

There will come a time when God will say, "Enough" and will allow pestilence, famine, drought and desolation to take its toll upon those that will continue to turn their backs upon their very Creator. 

He is perfectly righteous and altogether good. 

His holiness is complete and He is jealous for the affection of our hearts. 

When we repeatedly turn away and trade the beauty and purity He has given for the trash of earth, He will allow pain and natural consequence to run its course. 

As we read on however, we see that God is waiting to be just. 

He is waiting to deliver us from our wicked, whorish ways,

and return us to right relationship with Him. 

He is calling us to humble ourselves, pray, seek and turn. 

So many get angry with God because "He doesn't answer prayer!" when they continue to live in sin and unfaithfulness to God. 

Our prayer is more than just words. Prayer is a life lived in communication and fellowship with a Holy God. 

Prayer starts with humility--confessing a need for One greater than ourselves. 

Seeking His face the way we would seek a lost child or a missing diamond from a beloved heirloom. 

Desperately looking. Desperately wanting. Desperately pursuing the heart of God. the face of God. 

Then...when our hearts begin to take hold of Him, we forsake all others and cling unto Him alone. Our hearts are fully satisfied and fully saturated having found everything we could ever want or need within the beauty of His presence. 

It is then and only then, 

that He will hear from heaven and heal our land. 

I don't know about you, but my land needs forgiveness. My land needs healing. 

My nation. My community. My family. My marriage. My spirit. 

He will hear, forgive and heal.  

If we will humble. pray. seek. turn.

What would our lives look like--what would our nation look like--if every day was a day of prayer? 

I plan on finding out.  Won't you join me? 

peace. 

<><tce