What Will It Take?

This is a departure from this month's theme. I felt so moved by hearing an answer to my thought. Because of this experience, I am also journaling this verse, one phrase as a time.

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quiet spirit 

Recently, as I read our local newspaper, I became sad about the violence occurring in our cities, our nation, and our world: People unable to peacefully resolve their differences, others, carrying weapons going into schools and taking out the lives of defenseless children and those called to educate them.

 

Memorial Day weekend saw multiple mass shootings across our nation. These followed the Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York tragedies.

 

As I was working in my kitchen, I wondered, “What will it take for order to come back to our world?” I received an answer to my question. “If my people. . .will humble themselves and pray.”

 

 If My people who are called by My name,

            The Lord is speaking about those who say they belong to Him. 

            He knows our hearts.

 

will humble themselves”

            We must recognize our sin, confess it to Jesus and leave it with Him.

 

 and pray

            Go before the LORD and ask Him to guide us, to help us conquer these sinful                issues.

 and seek my face.

            Diligently look for the LORD. Spend quantity time with Him.

 

 and turn from their wicked ways,

            Renounce and forsake the evil thoughts, and actions. Move away from anything              that God dislikes in us. Repent from the questionable language and behaviors.

 

 then I will hear from heaven

            The LORD patiently waits to hear us calling out to Him. He listens whenever we call upon Him.

 

and will forgive their sin

            God, in return, will forgive His people of their sin. He will not remember them.

 

 and heal their land

            God will heal those things that continually vex His people.

 

Some things to think on:

 

1.         Do we need to humble ourselves?

2.         Have we harbored “Christian” sins in our hearts?

3.         Do we truly pray, seeking His will or do we dictate to God what we want?

4.         Do we spend quantity time in prayer as we  seek His guidance, or do we pray on the run?

5.         If we have any bad thoughts and habits, do we want to give them up?