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Intention

We must humble ourselves, pray and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways

Scripture

‘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

Reflection

The pivotal word defining our call is ‘If’. Most every response from heaven hinges on this tiny conjunction. All the possibilities of all of our lives hang on ‘if’. This Scripture is saying God will heal our entire nations entirely, ‘IF’, we will humble ourselves and pray.

It’s an astonishing insight that God’s own people are here disconnected from Him, and have to be commanded to pray. One would think that if we are His people we would be communicating with Him, yet He calls us to pray, promising that ‘if’ we do, there will be answers. The most natural thing for believers is to pray. Yet it is also too easily smothered. Revival is God’s people praying again.

Pride increases when prayer decreases. Praying lowers pride. Prayer says we are insufficient in ourselves. We need God. We need to pray.

‘And seek My face’

God’s face is discovered in prayer. We have no relationship with God without prayer.

‘And turn…’

The power to turn from evil is found in prayer. Without prayer we are powerless. Evil gains ground in the prayerless soul. In prayer we find desire and strength to destroy sin’s power over us. It is one thing to know the work of the cross. We can be told that sin’s power is broken over us, but this victory really only materialises in prayer.

If our spiritual life is strong we are empowered to do what God wants. The ability to surrender, the capacity to do the will of God requires the fuel of the Spirit which fills us as we pray.

This is not the prayer of a single person. It is the prayer of a people. ‘If’ we get ourselves together in prayer united for the same purpose we unleash the greatest power the Kingdom has. Entire nations will be healed in these days through the power of humble, united prayer from the gathered church.

God has promised that our nations will be healed, delivered, restored, favoured, if we, the people of God in our nations, will call upon Him. All that’s required is IF!

Where are they?
Who is there?
Who has felt the cry to breathe again,
Air from another world,
They breathe this wind with voice from there,
‘He sounds like no other’,
They rush to hear the sound of the people of ‘If’,
Who heard ‘If’, and said ‘we will’,
Deep into the dark night,
Their prayers pierced through the noise,
Of an Earth mad with anger. 

Broken-hearted they cry for others,
As though it was themselves,
But their highest cry is for His face,
And seeking they find,
Emerging glowing,
Different, calm, unassailable,
The faces of lions, kings even!
This secret place discovered by the tribe of ‘If’,
Them who said ‘Yes’, and did.
Their land heals, their walk is strong.
They wear the face of Eternal’s realm.
This ‘If’ people.

This devotion was from Phil Pringle’s book, If? The Art of Prayer.

Video

Prayer

Our Father in Heaven,

We pray as a combined people, united together in a love for You, one another and our nation.

We repent from all of our shortcomings, our wicked ways and we come with a broken heart but full of faith that you will open the Heavens with rain for our land and revival for our people.

Turn our hearts again oh God towards You that we may be experiencing times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord right across Australia.

We pray together in the name of Jesus,

Amen.

Author Bio

Ps Phil Pringle, along with his wife Chris, founded C3 Church Global back in 1980. Now a movement of 500+ churches in 60 countries, C3 has a reach of more than 100,000 people worldwide. Although in high demand as a key communicator on faith and church planting, Phil’s great love is the local church and winning people to Christ. He is committed to developing leaders who have a heart for people, who plant churches that are the hope of the world. You can find out more at his website.

21 Days Prayer Points

1. Pray that God would rule over this election, that righteous leaders would be elected to govern this nation in truth and justice because, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.” Proverbs 29:2
2. Pray God’s blessing upon all our current parliamentarians and leaders, including their families and all the candidates of all the parties standing for this federal election. 1 Timothy 2:1-3
3. Pray for a multiplication of prayer and unity across the Body of Christ in Australia, that people will wake up to the dangers facing our nation and respond in prayer. Ephesians 5:14
4. Pray for a Revival for Australia, Spiritual Awakening and Transformation for our nation, and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16

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