If My People Pray

 

 

2 Chronicles 7:11-18

 

June 1, 2023

 

If My People Pray

Thus, Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished.  Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.  When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name 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.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.  For now, I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.  And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel

 

Many years ago, a young salesperson I worked with told me this truth, “there are two things you cannot deal with Apathy and Ignorance”.  So let's look at those words; “Apathy, is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something.  It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, or passion.”  What about Ignorance; “lack of knowledge or information: if you do not know about something, you do not worry about it”. 

 

I’m not sure if these two words define Israel turning from God, but they sure hit the nail on the head when it comes to a large number of those who go by the name Christian.  Oh yes, I’m a Christian I have a Bible on the nightstand, do you read it, not often?  Are you ignorant of God’s promise, and commands?  And the answer will always be; that I’m a good person, and I try to live by the golden rule.  It is called Apathy and ignorance, yet they know a lot about baseball, golf, football, and computers, but not a clue about the written word of their Creator.

 

They look for answers in political parties, and they will not find any, because most of them have one goal to stay in power.  Why because most of them like to be called Mr. or Mrs. Senator, or Congress person, and they make a lot of money.  Not the salary, the under-the-table deals.  Someone ask a question, how could Biden on a Senator's salary own beach property with the home that is on it, and it all be revealed now?  That Bible many do not read tells us that what is done in darkness will be brought into the light.  It tells you to look to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, but many are looking to anything but Jesus, and the reason has to be ignorance and apathy. 

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice