God's prescription for national healing

We want God to heal our land. We want our nation to change. But how does it happen?

God has laid it out for us. It starts with his people.

God said, "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT).

Often we pray for prosperity in our nation and in our own lives, but the fact is that revival often explodes when there's calamity. Remember, the Third Great Awakening happened after the stock market crashed.

But what is revival? Simply put, it's to come alive again. Revival is the spark that starts the engine. And periodically we need a new spark.

C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "Many blessings may come to the unconverted in consequence of a revival among Christians, but the revival itself has to do only with those who already possess spiritual life. There must be vitality in some degree before there can be a quickening of vitality, or, in other words, a revival. A true revival is to be looked for in the church of God."

Nonbelievers don't need a revival; they need salvation. But the church needs a revival. Revival starts with us. Then it affects the church. And then the church affects the nation.

We look at this generation and realize that we need another Jesus Movement. Just as in the 1960s, we have violence. We have racial unrest. We have a drug epidemic. There is a sense of hopelessness in the air.

So, how desperate are we for another Jesus Movement? How desperate are we for another spiritual awakening?

The kids of the Jesus Movement are now grandparents. And while we should not live in the past, we can learn from it.

The prophet Habakkuk understood this when he prayed, "I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy" (Habakkuk 3:2 NLT).

Habakkuk was saying, "Lord, I have heard all of these stories about the old days. Do it again. Revive your work again."

The psalmist prayed, "Won't you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?" (85:6 NLT).

I think one of the problems we have in our nation today is that a lot of people think they're Christians when they are not. In fact, the Bible says, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT).

Then there are those who are living a double life. They put on a good performance at church. They say all the right things. But they're living a life that completely contradicts what the Bible says about how a Christian ought to live.

So, what do we do if we want to see a revival?

First, we need to humble ourselves and pray. Of the 12 Hebrew words employed in Scripture to express this single verb "pray," the one used in verse 14 of 2 Chronicles 7 means "to judge self habitually."

Of course, we're quick to judge and criticize others habitually. But the Bible says that we really should be judging ourselves. This means we realize that we have a long way to go. Are you completely satisfied with where you are spiritually? Christians who know what it is to follow Jesus always will realize they have a long way to go.

We must keep growing. We must keep learning and moving forward spiritually. Revival starts with you. It starts with me.

Second, we need to seek God's face. This is effectively prayer that won't take no for an answer. When we're praying for revival, we're praying according to the will of God. And when we're praying for the salvation of loved ones, we are also praying according to the will of God. We need to press forward in our prayer and seek God's face, not backing down.

We cannot organize a revival, but we can agonize for one in prayer.

Third, we must repent from all known sin. First, we humble ourselves. We evaluate ourselves and acknowledge that we have a long way to go. Second, we pray with passion, with earnestness and with a complete dependence on God. And lastly, we must repent from all sin.

All the praying in the world won't help us if we are living in sin. The psalmist wrote, "If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (Psalm 66:18 NLT).

The Old Testament book of Isaiah tells us, "The Lord's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore" (59:1–2 NLT).

To pray and then live in known sin is like hanging up the phone to Heaven. If there is something you're doing that you know you shouldn't be doing as a follower of Jesus, then you need to turn from it. You never will experience personal revival until you do.

Here in our nation, things are looking bleak. But God is saying, "Call on me and watch what I will do. Pray right now. Follow my prescription for revival. Watch how I will intervene."

It is God's desire to bless. In fact, did you know that God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed? Psalm 84 says, "For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right" (verse 11 NLT).

God wants to send revival. Isn't that good to know? But He wants us to participate in the process.

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