The Threefold Promise to Hear, Forgive, and Heal

If my people, who 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. — 2 Chronicles 7:14
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. — James 4:10
Charles Spurgeon

Author

Charles Spurgeon

Summary: Though we bear the Lord’s name, we still sin and need to seek his mercy without delay. We must humble ourselves, recognizing the ingratitude of our sins after receiving so much love. Let us pray for forgiveness, cleansing, and freedom from the power of sin; let us seek God’s face and his favor in Jesus. Our plea must be accompanied by a genuine rejection of sin: we cannot ask God to return to us without turning away from sin ourselves. Thus we receive the promise that God will hear, forgive, and heal.

Seeking God's BlessingHearing God's VoiceGod's JusticeHumility and PrideThe Promise of RestorationResponding to Offense

Called by the name of the Lord, we are nevertheless men and women who go astray. How great a mercy it is that our God is ready to forgive! Whenever we sin, let us hasten to the mercy seat of our God in search of forgiveness. We must humble ourselves.

Should we not be humbled by the fact that, after receiving so much love, we still transgress? O Lord, we prostrate ourselves before You in the dust and acknowledge our cruel ingratitude. Oh, the infamy of sin! Oh, the infamy that is seven times more terrible in people so favored as we have been!

Moreover, we must pray for mercy, cleansing, and deliverance from the power of sin. O Lord, hear us now, and do not silence our cry.

In this prayer we must seek the face of the Lord. He has left us because of our faults, and we must plead with Him to return. O Lord, look upon us in Your Son Jesus, and smile upon Your servants.

This must be accompanied by our rejection of sin, for God cannot turn to us unless we turn away from sin. Then comes the triple promise to hear, forgive, and heal. Our Father, grant us this triple promise at once, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Source: The Checkbook of the Bank of Faith. Translation by Allan Roman.

http://www.spurgeon.com.mx/chequera/meditames/octubre.pdf