How big is our prayer vision? Can we pray for God to transform nations?
If so, is it something that ordinary people can do? Or, do we have to be super pray-ers?
I believe ordinary people can pray for big things. But there are conditions for results.
The biggest condition is the state of our hearts.
God put it very clearly to Solomon in a vision one night after the dramatic dedication of the temple where God's glory filled the new building. God says that if his people wander away from him, he will punish them. But he offers hope in this wonderful statement in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
"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, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
There is much that appalls Christians - and others, too - in the world around us. We often feel helpless in the face of rampant sins and widespread violence.
But God pointed Solomon to the answer. We need to seek God with all our hearts and seek forgiveness for our own sins. Once we do that, we can look for God to bring healing to our society.
Revivals throughout history have shown this to be true.
The book of Nehemiah is an example. Nehemiah, a Jew who was a high official in the Persian king's court, is deeply upset by news of the destruction in his native city Jerusalem. He reacts by coming before God in repentant prayer.
His prayer in Nehemiah 1 is a model for us today. He confesses to God that the Jews have sinned against him - and he includes himself. I think that is vital - we must begin by pointing our fingers at ourselves.
He asks for forgiveness and then requests that God give him success in seeking the King's permission to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. The King grants him that request and Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem as governor and repairs the walls and restores the city.
As well, I have just been reading in Alex Rowlands' book The Presence: Experiencing More of God about the 1949 revival on the Scottish island of Lewis. It began with a vision by two elderly women of a church packed with young people even though youth had long since abandoned the church.
They suggested to the church leadership that they should join them in their barn and pray about this for two nights every week. They did this for six weeks until one of the elders read aloud Psalm 24 which says: "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart."
The elder fell to his knees on the barn floor and cried out: "God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure? It is not the young people of this island that need reviving. It's me!"
Shortly afterwards, a great four-year-long revival broke out with young people and old flooding the church to be touched in extraordinary ways by God. Not only did it bring many into the kingdom of God, but it changed the whole of life on the island.
If we want to see our land healed, we need to pray for ourselves first. Do we hunger and thirst for more of God? Do we love our fellow believers or do we think and speak badly of them? Do we cling to our sins and turn a blind eye to the needs of others? Do we have God's heart for those who do not know Jesus?
Like Nehemiah, I confess my hands are unclean. I need more of God.
If so, is it something that ordinary people can do? Or, do we have to be super pray-ers?
I believe ordinary people can pray for big things. But there are conditions for results.
The biggest condition is the state of our hearts.
God put it very clearly to Solomon in a vision one night after the dramatic dedication of the temple where God's glory filled the new building. God says that if his people wander away from him, he will punish them. But he offers hope in this wonderful statement in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
"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, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
There is much that appalls Christians - and others, too - in the world around us. We often feel helpless in the face of rampant sins and widespread violence.
But God pointed Solomon to the answer. We need to seek God with all our hearts and seek forgiveness for our own sins. Once we do that, we can look for God to bring healing to our society.
Revivals throughout history have shown this to be true.
The book of Nehemiah is an example. Nehemiah, a Jew who was a high official in the Persian king's court, is deeply upset by news of the destruction in his native city Jerusalem. He reacts by coming before God in repentant prayer.
His prayer in Nehemiah 1 is a model for us today. He confesses to God that the Jews have sinned against him - and he includes himself. I think that is vital - we must begin by pointing our fingers at ourselves.
He asks for forgiveness and then requests that God give him success in seeking the King's permission to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. The King grants him that request and Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem as governor and repairs the walls and restores the city.
As well, I have just been reading in Alex Rowlands' book The Presence: Experiencing More of God about the 1949 revival on the Scottish island of Lewis. It began with a vision by two elderly women of a church packed with young people even though youth had long since abandoned the church.
They suggested to the church leadership that they should join them in their barn and pray about this for two nights every week. They did this for six weeks until one of the elders read aloud Psalm 24 which says: "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart."
The elder fell to his knees on the barn floor and cried out: "God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure? It is not the young people of this island that need reviving. It's me!"
Shortly afterwards, a great four-year-long revival broke out with young people and old flooding the church to be touched in extraordinary ways by God. Not only did it bring many into the kingdom of God, but it changed the whole of life on the island.
If we want to see our land healed, we need to pray for ourselves first. Do we hunger and thirst for more of God? Do we love our fellow believers or do we think and speak badly of them? Do we cling to our sins and turn a blind eye to the needs of others? Do we have God's heart for those who do not know Jesus?
Like Nehemiah, I confess my hands are unclean. I need more of God.
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