Sunday morning 7th May
“If my people Pray’ 2 Chronicles 7:14
This morning we conclude our short mini-series based around 2 Chronicles 6-7 entitled “If my people pray”. We have previously seen how Solomon prayed, and how God answered his prayer so dramatically and emphatically with a consuming fire that prevented the priests from ministering in the temple courts.
Today we will look at the three things God promises to do for a repentant praying people in His reply to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14;
“ If my people who are called by my name 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.”
He promises to Hear their prayer, Forgive their sin and Heal their land.
In a little over two weeks time, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will convene in Edinburgh, where many important issues will be debated and decided by Commissioners. With this in mind our next three prayer meetings on Wednesday evenings will be dedicated to praying for the General Assembly and focusing on the discussions being held there. There is much to pray about, and much to seek God for, and so all are warmly welcomed to join us for these meetings, to pray that God’s will may be done in ALL the Courts of His church.
This morning we focus on God’s promised blessing;
To Hear His people We believe that God hears and answers prayer, when they call upon Him.
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. 2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. Psalm 65:1-2 (ESV)
To Forgive their Sin God delights to forgive sin, but to know sin forgiven, sin must be repented of, and as a people come back to God in this way, they will know that repentance before God leads to forgiveness from God. The word of God through the prophet Zechariah expresses this truth well.
Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 3:1 (NIV)
To Heal their land Our land needs healing. That is surely obvious to any right thinking person, and only God can bring about this healing. All well meaning human institutions seek to make things better, bring about improvement, but only God can bring this healing to the individual and the nation.
Isaiah 58:8 (NIV)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.