In the book, “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby and Claude V. King, one of the first premises is the fact that God is always at work. Because He is at work, He invites us to participate in what He is doing. Not the other way around of Him participating in what we are doing. Based on that, let us look at the following scripture from 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV):

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.

How often we have quoted this verse for all types of things and almost always we have concentrated only on the latter half of the verse expressing God’s ability to hear us, His forgiveness, and the healing that will occur to our land. However, let us go to the first of the verse and consider God’s invitation to us.

The word “if” implies condition meaning that we are not obligated to follow God at all because we have a choice. But should we, He (God) declares He has ownership of us. We do not belong to others or even ourselves, we are His people.

God claims us – this is good news! Called, set apart, distinguished for a purpose to humble, subject, surrender ourselves to Him, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, God declares what He must do for His people. And that is something, I believe, we have lost our way in doing.

Our humility is lost by ways of “empowerment,” taking charge, and taking a firmer grip on who is in control, who is in charge of our lives and destiny. I believe the church has allowed itself to be deceived into believing it does not have to repent once faith has been established in its ranks.

Genuine repentance brings revival, brings renewal to the body Of Christ. The Great Awakenings that took place in our country took place because the leadership of the church, as well as the rank and file of the church, called out in total surrender in repentance to a holy God.

Does Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” and 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” only apply to first time believers?

At times today, in 2008, one cannot distinguish anything different between the world and the churches due to the bickering, strife, power struggles, etc., taking place within. Then, the churches continue as though there is nothing wrong within and keeps building bigger and bigger edifices to itself.

It is no wonder why churches have little or no impact in the world any longer. Think about it, how many people in the United States alone claim to be a member of a church? In the top 25 churches in 2005, nearly 170 million claimed church affiliation. (2005 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, National Council of Churches.)

If all of these united in a clear call for direction this nation should take for morality, as well as spiritual direction, don’t you think it would have an influence in elections? In a Harris poll conducted in 2000, 71 percent of all registered voters claimed to be associated with the Christian faith. (News.Excite.Com, April 18, 2000) Don’t you and I think 71 percent of voters could change policy and direction?

Consider this, hasn’t the moral and spiritual direction of our nation already been established because of the state of the churches (people who claim Christ-like behavior)? Never before in our history has there been so many established churches, so much religion and never has there been so much division even within denominations much less the spiritual climate of a nation?

Let us, who are called by His name, truly humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and “turn” (repent) from our wicked ways. Then, and only then, will He hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land.