Pathway to Healing: Humility, Prayer, and Repentance

"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 and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land." Now with every promise of God, there's always a premise. There are conditions, there are requirements. [05:43]

The number one cause of all our problems is pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, thinking we don't need God. We think we're God. We don't even think about consulting God in much of the time in what we're doing. James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." [07:36]

We spend more time accusing others and excusing ourselves, than we spend practicing humility. We spend more time accusing others and excusing ourselves, than we do practicing humility. Now let me show you some verses where God talks about this tendency, James 4:12. "God gave us his laws so he alone can rightly judge us." [08:42]

The first step to any kind of healing, the first step to any kind of recovery, national or anything else, in your home, in your marriage, is humble confession. That's the first step. So let me just be frank, let me ask you a question. Do you want to be healed? Do you want your family to be healed? [11:00]

We must not only confess humbly, we must pray sincerely, pray sincerely. This isn't mouthing prayers that we've prayed all our lives. It's praying from the heart. "If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray," and pray. This is not half-hearted praying. [13:20]

We spend more time complaining than we do praying. We spend more time complaining than we do praying. Praying changes things. Complaining, worrying, being anxious, griping, never changes anything. Now this is not a new problem. This was a problem back in Hosea's days, years, and years ago. [14:21]

We must seek God intensely. We confess our sins humbly and we pray sincerely and we seek God intensely. "If people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face." Now this kind of seeking God is not some casual pastime. It's not a pursuit in your spare time. [19:17]

Because in Hebrews 11:6, it says this, "God rewards those who earnestly seek him," not in their spare time but earnestly, sincerely seek him, intensely, seek him, earnestly. You don't become an Olympic athlete in your spare time. No, you gotta make it your primary motivation in life. [20:05]

We must turn back to God completely, not half-heartedly. "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways." He says, "Then I'll hear from heaven and I'll forgive their sins and I'll heal their land." [24:49]

Repentance simply means to change your mind. This is the way I used to think about that. This is the way I think about it now. Turn from your wicked ways, make a U-turn. Now, when I say that phrase, wicked ways, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking about there are people out there who are wicked. [25:36]

There is only one solution. It's not a political solution. It's not an economic solution. It's not an educational solution. It's not a psychological solution. It is a spiritual solution. Our hearts must be changed by God and only he can change hearts. Acts 3:19 says this. "Repent and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out." [29:38]

If we do what he tells us to do, then he will do three things. Let's review the verse again. "If my people," this is a promise to Christians, to believers. "If my people who are called by my name," are you called a Christian? Are you called by his name? "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'll do three things. [30:54]