Family, if we are going to see healing in our land, peace in our nation, and prosperity return. The church has to stand and move in its authority to see the heavens opened and God welcomed to pour out His blessings again.
I believe everyone is doing their best to mold our nation into the image they believe is correct but no image is truly correct if God is not in the center.
The world can not put God at the center only we have the power and authority to do that the tide has shifted to man doing man’s best to create things in man’s image and I believe we need to turn the tide to shifting our nation back to God the only one who can heal, deliver, save, bring prosperity and life…can you work with me this morning to see this begin?
2 Chronicles 7:13-15
When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 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. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
2 Chronicles 7: 19-20
But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
What are today’s statutes and commandments….living as Jesus called us to
John 13:34,35
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
How does Jesus love you? How patient? How caring? Does he ever say an evil or unkind thing about you? Does he always want the best for you, believe the most in you, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things, and bear all things so you might fulfill your call, anointing and be the best you can be!
Are you this in all your relationships? How about in at least all of your relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Luke 9:23,24
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
This word came true….Solomon allowed the nation to turn to other gods and it wasn’t long until the country was overrun. Under Solomon during his last years of life these gods were worshiped let’s see how they fit our culture
Ashtoreth – god of violence, war, create division in the land and confusion is part of how she would conquer
Molech – child sacrifice many have equated this to our love of abortion in this nation, it may be… but I would like us to consider, the abandonment of our children to the world system, sacrificing our children growing in a godly heritage to being given over to the world system.
The temple was not destroyed because the world went bad the temple was destroyed because the people of God went bad, they became violent uncaring toward their brothers and sisters, they began enslaving them and using them, taking advantage of one another, leaving their children to be influenced and lead away by the ungodly principles and thinking of an unrighteous world.
The world is always going to be evil; it is the nature of man-kind it is all the more reason why we must take up our crosses daily.
Jesus said…Matthew 5: 13-16
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
As light, we lead the way, bring guidance and take away the darkness in people’s lives. As salt we add flavor but more importantly, we stop the decay and rot.
The world doesn’t know how to do this and to be honest apart from God the world can’t do this. As God spoke to Solomon, he said when the people of God seek Him, when they humble themselves (admit that we need Him in every way), ask forgiveness for our personal and corporate sin, and then start making the change, loving our brothers and sisters as we should, seeing the brokenness of the world, moving in truth, mercy, and love! Once again the world is a mess, it is broken it can’t do this but if we do this, then God promises to hear from heaven, forgive, heal, and then he will hear our prayers….We need our prayers heard, our nation needs our prayers heard, even the most ungodly need for our prayers to be heard or they have no hope.
Can we do this? Can we be honest with God? Can we humble ourselves before Him at this altar and seek Him? Here is what I want us to do today.
- Right where you are let’s close our eyes and ask the Lord to reveal any sin in us, not to harm us, beat us up or condemn us but so that we might be free. Let’s take a few moments asking the Lord to deal with our hearts….I have been praying in preparation that the Lord would speak quickly to each of us and that we would not be afraid but realize the freedom that comes from repentance “It is His kindness that leads us to repentance” Paul writes in Romans 2:4 . This is the first step to God stepping in and turning our country around.
- Now as we have dealt with our stuff ….in a moment, can we come to the altar and stand in the gap for our nation? Can we take seriously our responsibility to repent for our walls and divisions, our arrogance, pride, our allowing the enemy to have control over so many aspects of our nation, our general walking away from God…Can we spend just a few minutes seeking His face for our nation and the leaders in our communities….I don’t want to be labor this but the world doesn’t have control, they think they do but God really does and he asks His people to take time to stand in the gap
Practical….please lead out in prayer if you want seek the Lord for our region, state, and/or nation. Ask the Lord for the right heart before you pray. If you can, kneel, please come and do that, if you need to stand that is fine if you need to sit please sit in one of the front rows but let’s gather to pray for our nation so God will move for us!
This may be the most important thing you do all year. Don’t worry we aren’t going to belabor this….I want this to just be a start and ask you to do this all week as the Lord shows attitudes, fears, anxieties, jealousies, envies, insecurities and other things than need dealt with and as you listen to the news and discussions around you, and you learn how to pray rather than worry. God’s promises are true and we can change our nation as we pray!
Please come!