2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
[14] if my people, which are called by my name, shall 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 will heal their land.
The Lord was speaking to Solomon, after he had built an amazing edifice as a temple. He had invested a great amount of gold in building the temple, and in fact, it was said that in the kingdom of Solomon, silver was as common as stones. That was the depth and s scope of the wealth of the kingdom, and by human terms, one would assume Solomon could do no wrong. Fortunately for us, God is not the kind that you can bribe with silver or gold, or with amazing sacrifices. From all the records in the Bible, you cannot find a single entry or record where a mortal man was able to manipulate God into lowering His standard simply because of the size of the gift s/he gave to God. This is what gives us hope: that God is faithful to His Word, and if we can only align with His instruction, there is no limit to what He can do in and through us. This is just one of the many lessons that the life of this king Solomon teaches us.
If you just read the verse above, you may not be able to quickly link it to a beautiful edifice. However, the lessons in this verse are many, and the first is that God places great premium on those who have submitted their lives to Him. We are all made in His likeness, but He has a special affection for people who have given Him control over their lives. This means that He can command their allegiance and obedience at any time, and they can approach His throne and ask for anything within His will, and He will do it for them. Israel was not always aligned with God's will, but His love and affection for them would just not let Him abandon them. They would rebel; He would punish; they will repent and return, and He would restore, and after a season of comfort, they would revert to their old ways, and the cycle will repeat itself. In all, God never let go. In the same way, God places premium on those who are His own, called by His name. That identity defines the rest of the verse.
It will be correct to say that other people may pray and seek God's face, but there is no guarantee that they wil be heard, unless they are also His people. Submission to God is an admission of helplessness and surrender. If I think that I can make it on my own, or I can solve my own problems, I would not need God. If I can only turn away from sin and turn to God, He promises to hear my prayer. It is also worth mentioning that though I start on a personal note, God's intervention will impact my community and nation too. One man can indeed change the course of a nation. Esther the queen did it. Joseph the prime minister did it. Gender does not mater; what is critical is that I know who I am, whose I am, and what God demands of me per time. God wants to do mighty things in my life and land, but He cannot force Himself on me, or go against the exercise of my freewill. Nations are waiting for my surrender, because it is by my life of surrender to God that He can use me to change the course of history. Can He count on you? God's time of favour is here.
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