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Next to 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the margin of my Bible, I once wrote these words, “My purpose for living.” I didn’t fully understand what the verse meant, but I did know that I wanted to see my country healed. Today, I was prompted to look up each key word in the verse to see the original meaning. This is what I found: When God said “If my people,” He was referring to a congregation, or a group, of people doing something together. It wasn’t just one person here and one person there, but a joining together. The next part of the verse says, “which are called by My name.” This is speaking of their character. Then, it goes on by saying, “will humble themselves.” Looking at the Hebrew meaning of the word “humble,” it is referring to the bending of the knee. I’d heard many say that the physical posture of a person doesn’t matter when they pray. In this verse, it apparently does matter. The word “pray” in this verse is referring to interceding or making requests. “Seeking His face” is speaking of seeking His countenance, or presence. “Turning from their wicked ways” is speaking of the road, or journey, that they’re on. “Wicked” means “evil, distressing, sorrow.” God’s people are to turn from their distresses and sorrows and head another direction. God said that He “will hear from Heaven.” This is referring to hearing them in an intelligent way. It then says that “He will forgive their sin.” This is referring to pardoning their offenses against Him, as well as the penalty for them. The last portion of the verse says that He will mend or repair their land. The word “land” here has several meanings, including the words “earth” and “country.” Based on this understanding, I wrote this paraphrase of this verse: “If a group of God’s people come together and get on their knees, and intercede, seeking His countenance, and get on the right road, God will respond to them in an intelligent way. He will pardon their offenses, and mend or repair their country.” I have been in many prayer meetings, but have not seen this specific type of praying before. I have not seen an entire group of people physically on their knees, humbling themselves in this manner, and interceding, seeking His presence and getting on the right road. Maybe it’s time that we do this now. I have done this in my prayer closet; that is, alone with God, and perhaps that is where each of us needs to start. Then, when we come together for a joint prayer meeting and pray together on our knees, humbling ourselves in this manner and doing the other things written in this verse, God will indeed do what He promised; that is, heal our land. Since God is faithful to do what He said He would do, we’ve apparently “missed it” somewhere. We haven’t understood how to do our part, and therefore haven’t done it. Otherwise, our land would have been healed by now. God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent....Numbers 23:19. What God has promised has conditions. He told us what to do in order to see our land healed. We need to do it. We’ve tried it our way. It didn’t work. How about if we follow the Master’s plan instead? Ann Doupont February 19, 2008
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