Heavenly Father we pray and ask today that you will heal our land.  We are in desperate need of your presence in the hearts of the people in our nation.  Oh Lord, let it start with a change in each of us.  Heal our hearts, our minds and renew a right spirit within us.  Give us a desire to seek the things that you seek Father.  To see what you see in each of us and to love as you love us.  Father, you said if we would humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways, you would hear from Heaven and heal our land.  This is our prayer today Oh Lord.  Help us, heal us.  For we know that it is only by your hand that we can be saved.  Bind the kings of selfishness and fear in our hearts.  And fill us with compassion, joy and love for one another.  We stand in the need of your grace, mercy and power.  We thank you and praise your Holy Name for being Just, Holy, Righteous and Sovereign.  We seek your face Father and commit our ways to your ways.  We love you and ask this in Jesus, most precious name, Amen.

“He knows, He knows.  Let your burdens come undone. Lift your eyes up to the ONE who knows.” – Jeremy Camp

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV  14 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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We can protest, riot, debate, pass laws, pass blame or just pass the time, hoping it will all die down and go away.  But we will not find the answers to the core of the problem with our nation, society and even ourselves, until we recognize that we need help.  Not the help that we can manufacture, but help from the ONE who is more than able to get to the core of the problem.

Some may disagree with me, but I have come to believe that the core of our problems today is nearer than we may believe or want to believe.  It lies within each of us.  It is a spirit or attitude of SELFISHNESS.

We want what we want.  In the time frame we want.  In the manner that we want.  In the quantities that we want.  We just WANT.  We try to convince ourselves that we want better so that we can help others, but it is a subtle lie that we tell ourselves.  For we want what we want because we believe it will satisfy what we feel is missing in our lives.  This selfish desire gives birth to fear, doubt, frustration, anger, indifference, hate, etc., when it is not fulfilled.

It blinds us to the love of God and our created purpose.  And when we no longer can see the true meaning and value of the life God has given each of us, then there is no way to value the life and purpose in others.  So we take and fight and hate and hurt others so we can fill our personal world with things that perish and have no true eternal value.

It is only when God allows a significant event in our lives for us to realize that only God can fill what is missing in our hearts.  When we finally stop looking to fill this void by our own means and surrender to God; only then are we able to get out from under this controlling spirit of selfishness.  It is at this point, where God begins filling us with the fruits of His Spirit that allows us to be used by Him to make a difference in this world.

Remember Jesus said that we are the “Light of the world.”

Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

That light is not something we manufactured on our own.  It was given to us, it was placed within us.  A candle cannot light itself nor can a light bulb power itself.  It needs an external source.  God is our only source that can light the light within us that will chase away the darkness in our lives, homes, community, nation and society.

I truly believe 2 Chronicles 7:14.  Until we as Children of God all come to believe it as well, we will continue to look out at our society, shaking our heads in disbelief, in disgust, in fear and in hopelessness, simply waiting for Christ to return so this will all be over.  But God did not tell us to go and hide in a building every Sunday or in the comfort of our religion.  No He said, to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked(selfish) ways.  And later on, He says to let our light shine before men.

I wonder what our lives and society would look like if we would just do what God has said?

And yes, it starts with me.