Conditions for Revival (Spiritual Renewal)

“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.”—II Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

Knowing that America has and is turning away from God and seeking its own way, I was thinking of this verse from 2nd Chronicles this morning. Surely enough, when I turned in my Bible to the passage, it was underlined, with notations beside it, indicating that my husband Grover had earnestly preached more than one sermon using this text, as well as other pastors who have been my spiritual teachers in the past. I read the whole 7th chapter of 2 Chronicles. In context, it was the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem that King Solomon (son of King David) had built during his reign. Solomon ruled for 40 years around 1,000 BC. Some scholars set the dedication of the Temple at 1004 BC, but we cannot be sure of that exact date. A great celebration, one week long, saw the people worshipping God, rejoicing, and making sacrifices. The verse quoted above contains the direct words of God as to how renewal and revival can come to God’s people. It does not take the dedication of a magnificent house of worship but inward changes in God’s followers to bring revival. May we heed and hear God’s word for renewal today.

If—that’s conditional. We must make the determination to do what God asks us to do, and follow Him. He stands ready to bless us, but we must meet His requirements. Here are those requirements:
1. Humility. No “better-than-thou” attitudes. Become meek, lowly, Leadable.
2, Pray. Petition God. Implore, supplicate, ask, intercede, beseech, request.
3. Seek God’s face. Yearn for God, search for Him, hunger for Him. God alone!
4. Turn from wicked ways. Repent. “Volte-face”—about face. Abandon sin.

The conditions are ours to do, to meet. The promise, when we’ve sincerely accomplished the four steps above, follows: God promises: “I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin (that’s corporately, as a nation: in community, as our church; and individually, I, myself!) I will heal their land! Do we want God’s promise fulfilled for our nation, our faith community, ourselves individually?

I do! I will be sincerely praying that these conditions for our revival (spiritual renewal) be met!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, January 29, 2010