Our Influence with God

In 11chronicles 7:14 It says “ 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 its My will to hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Among all the other promises that God gives us in His word, this is very clear-cut and I believe clearly stated by Him. If we ever needed a healing in the land, it is never more needed as it is today. God has called us to stand in the gap to be a part of the healing process for this nation.

Let us tear this scripture apart and define the contents of its meaning. King Solomon had just completed the house of the Lord. This was something God had him build so that, He could live in it here on the earth and have fellowship with His people. God was trying to communicate with Solomon that, He wanted to have a relationship with His people in this house.

Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Corinthian church states this in 1Corinthians 6:19-20 “our body is the temple and sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, whom we received as a gift from God. We do not belong to ourselves to do our own thing. We were bought with a price-purchased and paid for by Jesus sacrifice on the cross. So now we can honor and bring glory to Him in our daily relationship with Him, because we are His children.” The very fact that we are born again believers, have been adopted permanently into God’s family, and are His sons and daughters, qualifies us to be called His people. The word called in the Hebrew is gara: which means to be addressed by name and to be met in person. Where it says my name, this represents all that God possess.

In the book of acts 4:12 it states, “There is no salvation in anyone other then Jesus Christ, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by and which we must be saved.” This word saved in the Greek is sozo: meaning, to deliver, protect, heal, preserve and make whole. We can see here how much more saved means then, Jesus saving us from an eternity in hell by Him dying on the cross for our sins and fallen nature. It must be made perfectly clear that this salvation starts with a very real encounter and call by God to us personally. Just like us being introduced to a new friend, or us in our daily encounters meeting people in our daily activities. This encounter with God must be personal and heart felt which brings us into to a new dimension into the Spirit and kingdom of God. Have you had this first encounter with the Spirit of God?

In John 1:12-13 John states, “but to as many that do receive and welcome Jesus, to them He gave His authority, power and privilege to become His children. That is to those who rely on all His name represents. In turn, we do not owe our birth into the kingdom through our own willful and physical efforts. Nor can we inherit the kingdom because our earthly father is saved and get in on his coattails, but only because we have become new born again creatures that has been impregnated by God’s own sperm into our being.” This has to be our rock solid foundation and roots in Jesus if, we are going to have the confidence that God is going to hear our petitions for humanity including ourselves.

So now that we know the bases of our salvation. The next thing this scripture tells us is to humble ourselves before we pray. This word humble is a characteristic of the Holy Sprit and only He can motivate and initiate this type of Spirit from within us. It is only by us allowing the Holy Spirit to operate His perfect will that puts us in the position for Him to channel His perfect petitions to God the Father on our behalf. The word humble in the Hebrew is kana: meaning, to bend the knee, to defeat in battle, to overcome fear, or subject our will to another. The word pray is paisa: meaning, to judge, to intercede with a deep feeling and conviction with serious intent. Let me say that, we will only be lightly touching this definition of prayer in this article. We see here that this is nothing like a simple prayer over our food or saying an Our Father with no more understanding then, a ritualistic expression of words.

James 5:16 tells us, “The earnest heartfelt and continual prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available and is dynamic in its working.” Prayer is us becoming one in a relationship by coming into agreement with the mind of Christ that we received the day we were born again. Prayer is having a continual conversation and relationship with the Holy Spirit by feeling His passion and commitment to the world He created that was sabotaged by Satan in the Garden. Only people who are hungering and thirsting after God can tap into this power that will be needed, to cast off the cunning deceptions of the Devil. It is the Holy Spirit’s power operating and being energized by Him in us that breaks the demonic forces at work in people’s lives.

This scripture goes on to say that, we need to seek God’s face. The word seek is baqush: meaning, to search out in worship and a requesting of the Lord.

It can only be obtain by some effort and it must be to a completed end.

The word face is paneh: meaning, many things but primarily it is an attitude of going to war over a cause with intensity. It also means we live in an atmosphere of divine power like the air we breath to stay alive. You can see that, this has to be a top priority in our life and not a commitment of a casual pursuit.

In Mathew 11:12 it states, “Since the day that John the Baptist came on the scene, until this present time. The kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault and violent men must seize it by force as a precious prize. Our share in the heavenly kingdom has to be sought for with the most ardent zeal and intense exertion.”

Let us remind ourselves that, this is a spiritual warfare going on with in our minds. It is the Holy Spirits power alone working in us and showing us our weapons and how to use them that will make us become overcomers. Being a born again Christian and standing in the gape for God, is not a game of playing church and living a life of obligation to religious systems of legalistic observances.

This word violent man literally means that,

The next part of the scripture we are using says that God wants us to turn from our wicked ways. The word turn is shuwb: meaning, many things but primarily, to fetch home again, repent, restore, and recover or to weep. The word wicked is ra: meaning, evil, harmful, mischievous, or being wretched. The word way is derek: meaning, a mode of action, a conversation, a guide or a way of walking. It is very interesting to note that when we pray for something or someone how the Holy Spirit first begins to expose any healing in our own soul that has to take place.

We need to understand that any thing contrary to God’s will is considered wicked in God’s eyes. When we live in ignorance of God’s principals and miss God’s perfect will it becomes harmful and we miss God’s total inheritance that He gave us when we became born again believers. Sin in any form is defined in scripture, as missing God’s inheritance and His perfect will. It is a cancer of the soul.

A lack of hungering and thirsting after God with out passion keeps us in a state of being vulnerable to Satan’s devices. King David was known to be a man after God’s own heart because in Psalms 139:23-24 he states, “Search me thoroughly O God, and know my heart! Try me, and know my thoughts and see if there is any wicked and harmful way in me, and lead me in the way of your eternal purposes.”

This is the attitude we must have to keep our hearts pure and functioning in a loving relation with the Holy Spirit and we must not allow our camaraderie with the Holy Spirit to be broken in any way. Our friendship of walking and grazing in God’s rich green pastures and allowing Him to be our Shepard and Guide is the Devil’s main target that he wants to derail.

Now that we know, what it is going to take to get God’s favor. The next part of this scripture says that it is God’s will to hear from heaven. The word will is ratson: meaning, a debt as something owed, a delight, and reconciliation between two parties. The word hears is shama: meaning, indeed listening and to proclaim to be sound. The word heaven is shameh: meaning, a lofty place and seating or celestial place where God’s providence is doled out to His people. Providence meaning, God’s future care and nature being exercised over the entire universe.

Scripture tells us that God’s laws of a vibrant life are already written down from the beginning of time. It’s His extreme pleasure to reveal to us His laws and plant them deep into our lives so that when the time is right, we can speak the completed work by God into existence by the Power of the Holy Spirit speaking through us and bringing His kingdom into this world. When we are ignorant of God’s concepts of thinking then, we become sheep lead to the slaughter. These constant reoccurring scenarios must end if; we are ever to take our rightful place as God’s heirs of eternal life.

So now if we have come this far God says He will forgive their sin. We know that the word will is ratson: meaning, a debt, as a favor owed, a delight, and a reconciliation between two parties. These are God’s feelings and His ultimate purpose. The word forgives is calach: meaning pardon or spare. This is such an uplifting concept compared to some of the preaching and teaching I have heard over the years.

This forgiveness has nothing to do with a harsh rebuke or I told you so attitude. His forgiveness is like a soothing ointment on a sever burn that takes away the sting and soulish pain we suffer at times throughout our lives.

I have come to believe through countless experiences in life with Him that if, we can learn to be child like, acknowledge our limitations, and not try to help God out in the predicaments that we get ourselves into. Peace will have its perfect rule in our being.

The last part of this scripture states that “He will heal their land” The word heal is rapha: meaning, to cure or make whole. This wholeness is in spirit, soul and body. The word land is erets: meaning, country or wilderness world. This temporary world that we now live in the flesh is our wilderness world. We are destined to be eternity people. It says in Mathew 4:1, “the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness and as He was being led in His wilderness walk He was tempted by the Devil.” Jesus example was He always fought the Devil with the word of God. He proclaimed what was already finished in the heavenlies and walked in a security and awareness of His Fathers voice.

Acts 10:38 tells us that “God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with strength and ability and power; He went about doing good and in particular curing all that were harassed and oppressed by the power of the Devil, for God was with Him.” If there is going to be any healing in this land it is going to be done by us as we allow the Holy Spirit to use us for God’s purposes. Maybe you not pastoring a church, or not some great Prophet or have some Evangelistic ministry. However, being one of God’s kids, do not let anyone make light of you’re giftings and great purpose God planted in you to do and be about your heavenly Fathers business in the market places of your life.

I have personally done more ministering outside the church structure the last forty years that I have ever done in the structure of the church. We are living I believe in the last round up. Never before, have I seen the great need to minister to the hurting and disillusioned lost people and I am also talking about born again believers. Individually we are to minister in the settings that God has us in. This is being involved with our families and friends and the people we meet everyday

God is and will always be faithful to His word. Scripture states that it is the entrance of God’s word into our mind and hearts that gives us a clear vision of knowing the power we have in God to change circumstances. It is as we get our attitudes focused on His priorities alone that, we will receive His favor.