Page 8 - Good News April 2017 paper

"IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE about the Pharisee and the tax
CALLED BY MY NAME will HUM- collector? The Lord did not listen
BLE themselves, and PRAY and to the Pharisee. All his boasting
SEEK My face, and TURN from and self-righteous prayers were
their wicked ways, then I will hear totally ignored by God, because
from heaven, and will forgive their his heart was full of pride. But the
sin and heal their land" (2 Chroni- tax collector, who humbled him-
cles 7:14). self before God, went home
It should be clear from this Scrip- justified!
ture how crucial the Church’s role If there is anything God despises
is for the destiny of the nations! it is pride! "God resists the proud,
God promises that He will bring but gives grace to the humble"
healing to the land, IF His people (1 Peter 5:5). If therefore, we have It is time for us to make concrete Lord as it is learning to listen to
will fulfil their calling and play pride in our hearts, we have requests to God for our nation. what is upon His heart. It is the
their role. It is an amazing thought turned God into our enemy and He Like the Scottish reformer, John experience of many that we can
that there is a possibility for our will be resisting us all the way. Knox, who came before God in a be seeking God for a long time
nation to experience the healing Without learning to humble our- time of great need for Scotland and wonder why we never find
power of God, and how we need selves and to live in humility, we and prayed: 'Lord, give me Him. The reason is that we seek
that power among the nations shall never be able to lay hold of Scotland or I die!' God honoured Him according to our mindset and
today! the grace of God! this faithful man of prayer and tradition instead of seeking Him
God has set up four requirements The second requirement is gave him Scotland through sen- according to His way!
for His people to fulfil before He PRAYER. There has never been a ding over the land what is known We must learn to lay down all of
can come and heal the land. It is national revival anywhere in the as the Presbyterian Revival. our own self and come before God
important for us to observe that world at any time in history that In the third place we have to SEEK with empty hands - ready to hear
there are four, not one! was not generated through God’s face. This is more than just His voice and do His will. That is
The first one is: HUMBLE your- prayer, and I mean real prayer: praying. It means that we actually what it means to seek God’s face,
Miederpark
Miederpark
selves! What would it profit if we massive, united and persevering come face to face with the Lord. and that kind of consecration and
prayed and prayed and prayed, prayer by a hungry and desperate God wants us to get away from availability is a requirement if we
and God did not listen to us? Church! We need to ask God to do praying our own thing, and come are going to see God heal our
Unless we know how to humble great things for our nation to the point where we can be fully land!
Apteek
Apteek
ourselves before God, we can because He is a great God, worthy available for the burdens of the The fourth requirement speaks
forget about being heard in of great petitions and well able to Holy Spirit. about REPENTANCE: Turn away
heaven. give us exceedingly far above Seeking God’s face is not so from your wicked ways.
Remember the parable Jesus told what we ask or even think! much taking our concerns to the Continued on p. 9
Continued on p. 9