2nd Chronicles 7:14-15, “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. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.”
Everyone quotes 2nd Chronicles 7:14 without quoting the next verse...
“Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is
made in this place.” God is watching and waiting, listening for the cry
from the lowest and weakest saint who wants to live for God, humbly praying
for God's help and guidance; desiring to think, live and do right.
In Ezekiel 22:30, God said that He “SOUGHT for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and STAND IN THE GAP BEFORE ME for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” God's eyes were open and His ears attent for ONE MAN to stand before Him in prayer, for the nation, bridging the gap. But the Bible says that God couldn't find even one man.
God doesn't change (Malachi 3:6). God is immutable, meaning that He cannot change. God is perfection and can never be anything less. There are some things that God cannot do. Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie. God cannot destroy the world by flood because He promised never to do so again, signified by the beautiful rainbow in the sky.
The God Who spoke the universe into existence by the Word of His mouth, Who breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, Who keeps the solar system in harmonial balance; continually has His eyes open and His ears attent for the prayer of every saint.
Revelation 5:8 is a wonderful Scripture,
which has a precious little, often overlooked, truth tucked away; “And
when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell
down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and
GOLDEN VIALS FULL OF ODOURS, WHICH ARE THE PRAYERS OF
SAINTS.” The prayers of the saints are as pleasant aromas
to the Lord. You don't need to be a seasoned theologian or an expert in
eschatology (the study of last things), to know that this verse teaches that
prayer makes God happy. While all the deeper-lifer Christians try to figure
out what this verse means, I'm going to be praying for the Lord to bless and
guide me. I'm going to be praising His holy name and proclaiming, “Hallowed
be Thy name.” If Christians would obey what they do understand, instead of
debating what they don't, we could reach this world for Christ.
God Offers to Heal Our Nation
2nd Chronicles 7:15 says that God's eyes are open to our ways, and His ears attent to our prayers. America is a mess! Our land needs healing! The answer is not at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC (i.e., The White House)! The answer is not on television. God knows the answer is not in Hollywood. The answer is not education, reformation, rehabilitation, nor legislation; but rather, is regeneration!!! People need to get saved! God will not bless a nation of Christ-rejecters! Increasingly, America is turning its back on the God of the Bible.
Fewer and fewer people are truly becoming born-again Christians. With wolves like Billy Graham leading our churches into apostasy; and evil greedy publishers like Zondervan and Nelson corrupting the Bible; and Modernists like John MacArthur corrupting our churches doctrinally; and apostate entertainers like Michael W. Smith leading everyone into an ambiguous, one-size-fits-all religion, where nothing matter but worshipping the god of your choice; hardly anyone will enter into Heaven. Jesus asked if He would find faith when He returns (Luke 18:8)? The implied answer is “No!” But there is no doubt that the Lord will find MUCH heathen religion, all following corrupted modern Bibles (if they even use a Bible at all).
God lays the burden of having our nation healed at the feet of every born-again believer. We are responsible for the continued mess in this country. If God's children don't fight against evil, then who will? If not us, who? If not here, where? If not now, when? 2nd Chronicles 7:14-15, “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. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.”
We are not listening to God. We have rejected God's Word, and so He has rejected us as a nation. Our nation is falling to ruin before our eyes. It is our fault as Christians for letting this happen. It's like a leak at a dam. The leak is easy to repair when it is small; but if you procrastinate and allow the leak to get worse until the entire dam gives way, well now you have a big problem! We have a big problem in America today!
God promises to heal the land if Christians
will humble themselves to pray, seek God's face, and turn from evil. The
phrase “seek God's face” is very interesting. In fact, it is fascinating . .
.
Seeking God's Face
What does it mean to seek God's face? Genesis 33:10, “And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.” God turns His face toward those whom He is pleased with; and God turns away His face from evildoers.
Psalm 27:8, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” David determined in his heart to seek God's face, as God desires from all of us. Just as a proud earthly father looks upon an obedient child with joy and contentment, so does God's face shine down upon those saints who obey Him. For those believers who live in sin, shaming the name of Christ, God turns away His face in frustration and grief. The Bible tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). That is very interesting. God is grieved when we do wrong, particularly when we fight with other Christians and fail to love one another. Jesus spent much time teaching His disciples to love one another. Yet, look how cutthroat the world is today, even in religious circles. A mature believer has learned to love. God's love is unconditional. We love others because of who WE ARE, and not because of who they are. This is God's love.
The Bible teaches that Satan (which means accuser) accuses the brethren day and night before God's throne (Revelation 12:10). This explains why God gladly boasted in the presence of Satan of Job's faithfulness (Job 1:8). Can you imagine all of the horrible things that Satan throws in God's face all the time about others, attacking and defaming Christians? God likes to brag on His children who make Him proud, just as earthly parents like to brag if their children honor them. When you attack someone, you are behaving exactly like Satan. That's what he does. That's all he does! Jesus said in John 10:10 that Satan is a thief who comes only to kill, steal and destroy. But, praise God, Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundantly. As Christians, we are supposed to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2nd Timothy 2:3-4); not cutthroat assassins.
Jeremiah 33:5, “They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.” God turns away His face from those who disobey Him. Saul could not find the presence of God in His life, because of unrepentant evil. If a person disobeys God and lives in unrepentant sin, then they will not find the sweet fellowship with God that can only come from obeying the Lord (James 4:8-11). God will hide His face from those of His children who dishonor Him.
Jacob said in Genesis 33:10 that he had found
grace in God's sight, AS THOUGH, he had seen God's face. Seeking
God's face means seeking to please God. God will turn His face in joy toward
those of His children who abide in His Words (John 15:1-7). We were created
to please God. Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy
PLEASURE they are and were created.” If we strive to please God in
all our ways, acknowledging God, then He will turn His face toward us
(Proverb 3:5-7).
Conclusion of the Matter
According to 2nd Chronicles 7:15, God's eyes are watching, and His ears are listening. The ball is in our hands. Will we do things God's way; or our own way? Proverb 14:14 says that the backslider in heart shall be filled with his OWN WAYS. Most people these days couldn't care less about what God thinks. This is why women dress immodestly (1st Timothy 2:9). This is why people file for divorce (Jeremiah 3:20; Malachi 2:16; Matthew 19:8). This is why women have abortions (Exodus 20:13). This is why homosexuality is now accepted in society (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:21-32). This is why pastors of America's largest churches endorse a Communist U.S. President who won't even salute the flag (Jeremiah 10:21). This is why people watch evil pictures on television (Numbers 33:52; Romans 1:32).
God is watching. Proverb 5:21 and 15:3, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. ... The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
God's eyes are watching, and His ears are listening. May we all seek the face of God in our lives, by pleasing Him.
