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“Then I will hear… forgive… heal.” When God’s four conditions for revival and restoration are met, then His threefold promise of revival will be fulfilled.
• God will turn away His anger from His people, listen to their desperate cry and be attentive to their prayers (v.15). In its words, the first evidence of revival is that God begins to hear and answer prayers from heaven (vv. 14-15) and shows compassion for His people (cf. Ps 85:4-7; 102:1-2,13; Jer. 33:3; Joel 2:12-13,18-19).
• God will forgive His people, cleanse them from their sins and restore His favour, presence, peace, truth, righteousness and power among them (cf. Ps 85:9-13; Jer 33:7-8; Hos 10:12; Joel 2:25; 2Cor 6:14-18).
• God will heal His people and their land by, again, pouring out rain (i.e., physical favour and blessing) and the Holy Spirit (i.e. spiritual awakening among the covenant people and among the spiritually lost, cf. Ps 51:12-13; Hos 5:14; 6:3,11; Joel 2:28-32).
“Thus saith the Lord, ‘stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths,’ where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for souls. But they said: “We will not walk therein,” (Jer. 6:16).
“Ask for the old paths.” God’s people had strayed from the way of righteousness into idolatry and wickedness, and He called them back to the former paths of the covenant and the Laws of Moses. Likewise, the church must always examine itself to see if it has strayed from the path of the Spirit’s power and the righteousness proclaimed in the NT. The full blessing of God will be enjoyed only by those who ask, seek and knock for His best (cf. Luke 11:5-13) and who are committed to live according to the pattern set forth in NT (see Acts 7:44).
God Wants Us To Call Upon Him. He Wants Us To Pray
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show great and mighty things, which you do not know,” (Jer 33:3).
God assured Jeremiah that he had only to call to God and God would answer (see Psalm 145:18; Is 58:9; Mat 7:7). God is ready to answer our prayers, but we must ask for his assistance. Surely, God would take care of our needs without our asking. But when we ask, we are acknowledging that he alone is God and that we cannot accomplish in our own strength all that is in his domain to do. When we ask, we must humble ourselves, lay aside our willfulness and worry, and determine to obey him.
Answered Prayers—Unanswered Petitions
Not every petition is granted. Job’s demand for answers from God was eclipsed by the awesome privilege of encountering Him (Job 38-41). Modern believers must also cherish communion with the Father more than their petitions.
• Email:[email protected]. Facebook: Yetunde Mercy Olumide
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