“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...” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

I recently read a friend’s testimony on Facebook about how God answered her prayer. You’d think that I would be overjoyed for my friend but after reading her post I was quite upset. Lord, I said, I have been praying this exact prayer for mmmooonnntttthhhhhsssss ... and you answered her prayer within days…where is the answer to my prayer??? How long do I have to wait??? Can you hear me Lord??? It is in times like these it's important to not rely on our feelings but trust that God does hear and answer our prayers. We can be confident when we approach God, knowing that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us! The key text I’m sharing today is one of my favorite promises on prayer. I pray that this verse will be an encouragement to you as it was for me. It reminded me to trust that God hears and answers prayers!

Called by His name - What does it mean to be called by God’s name? Names carried significant meaning in biblical times. Names were imbedded with promise, signified purpose, they described the character of the individual, authority and even destiny. To be called by God’s name means that we are His, we are His representatives here on earth. When we bear the name of Christ, we should also bear is character and with that name we can claim His promises, we have a divine purpose, and we have an everlasting destiny with Jesus our Savior.

Humble Themselves – Humility is described by author C.S. Lewis as “not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less". Being humble doesn’t mean you are of less value rather it is joyfully recognizing our dependency on our creator. It’s recognizing that its not by our strength but by God’s alone that we acquire our accomplishments and give to Him the honor, glory and praise He is worthy of. It’s seeking to build others instead of yourself. We demonstrate humility by submitting to the will of God, setting aside our own agenda and trusting in His plan for our lives completely.

Pray and Seek My face - A person’s face can tell a lot about his or her character and personality. Emotions that are felt on the inside are expressed outwardly on someone's face. Have you ever longed to see the face of someone you miss? It’s not just their face you’re longing to see but you want to hear their voice and be in their company. In a sense, one’s face represents the whole person. The Hebrew word for “face” in the Old Testament is often translated “presence.” When we seek the face of God in prayer, we are seeking His presence. To seek God’s face means to long to be close to Him, to know Him intimately and consistently abide in His presence.

Turn from their wicked ways - The Greek word for repentance means to ‘to turn one's self about, turn back” or to “change one’s mind”. The Hebrew word for repentance means “to be sorry” or “to regret” but its usually translated “turn”. Genuine repentance is more than just feeling sorry. Genuine repentance is motivated by a desire to act, to turn away or change from our sinful ways and live a life that is pleasing to God.

I will hear from heaven – God hears us! When we come before him in prayer and call on Him, He listens and when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:12-13). We can trust His word and His promises! He hears the prayers of his children, and He is ready to respond. Be patient and trust God’s timing. He will work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We can be confident that our prayers are heard! And if we know that He hears us, we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15). We can have faith that even if our prayers are not answered in the way that we see best, God will answer them in the way that He knows is best!

This article was written by Ms. Autoria Moss, a member of the Berea Seventh-day Adventist Church. Ms. Moss is a Digital Disciple who aims to provide inspiring devotional thoughts, youth program ideas, bible studies and bible-based games for spiritual growth and development.

Find more articles & resources at https://www.thedigitaldisciple.org/


This article was extracted from the Logos for June 3, 2021.

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