Day 2 - Week 42 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Robert J. Morgan states, "In the Bible the definitive book about revival is 2 Chronicles, and this is the key verse."

Revival is usually thought of as a wide-spread turning back to God by large groups of people.  But today, let's think about personal revival and apply this verse to our individual lives.  For I don't know about you, but there are times when I am very much in need of strong spiritual revival, when my spirit has become dry and I have lost my passion.  When my prayer time is lacking zeal and my Bible study is sporadic.  These times set us up for disobedience to creep into our lives, and then we find ourselves farther away from God then we ever intended, and it all starts with the slightest sloughing off of what God is always calling us to do...stay close to Him.

So when we wake up and realize that we are not where we want to be in our relationship with God, what does this verse tell us to do about it? 

First - admit it!  Humble ourselves by saying, "I have really messed up," and I can usually add to that, "again!"   Until we take personal responsibility for falling away, not putting the blame on anyone else, we have not humbled ourselves into the position that God wants us in so that He can restore us.  Remember the prodigal son's statement, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."  That's a statement of true humility.

Second - Pray and seek God.  When we come before God with an opening statement like the prodigal, His heart is softened toward His child.  Pour your heart out before Him and tell Him how you long for His presence and power in your life again.  God's reaction is the same as the father in Jesus' parable, "His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

Third - Follow through with obedience. We cannot continue patterns of sinfulness and expect restoration and revival.  That does not show true repentance.  We can't say, "God, thanks for taking me back, but while I'm here at your house, I'm going to continue the wild living and every now and then jump back into that pig sty."  God brings us back for a better life, a life that He is ready to show us, but He cannot and will not as long as we are stubborn in our disobedience.  We must turn from our evil ways, whatever they are in our life, and ask for God's will over our lives.

When we do the above, then God's promise is there for us...He will hear from heaven, He will forgive us and He will heal our spirits and our souls and restore us to true relationship with Him.  It's where we always want to be....it's where Satan never wants us to be and will do everything he can to keep us in the "distant country" of rebellion.

If you want to read the full parable of the prodigal, I'm including it here...it is such a beautiful story that so perfectly illustrates the actions listed in our verse of this week.

Luke 15:11-32

11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "