
Terry R. Baughman
“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 sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).
“I will hear from heaven.” God is our Father in heaven … yet He hears our prayers on earth. Because God is omnipresent the fact that He is “in heaven” does not create a vast distance from Him. On the contrary, He is very near. Near enough, in fact, to hear the faintest whisper of a prayer uttered in faith or cried out in desperation.
In response to the request of the Disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray,” Jesus gave this example, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Luke 11:2). Prayer effects changes in earth to concur with God’s will in heaven. We acknowledge God’s power and authority in Glory while inviting His attendance to our situation in earth. When we become aligned with God’s eternal purposes, things begin to change around us.
God hears prayers! Prayers are always powerful and when they are heartfelt humble prayers of contrition we are assured of a most confident response. A supernatural response to prayers of repentance can always be expected. The impossible becomes possible, every need becomes an opportunity for His intervention.
In the text God instructed Solomon that whenever they experienced times of plagues and judgment that the people should be encouraged to pray in humility, seeking the intervention of God. God promised that when that happened, He would respond. He would hear them from heaven!
May we learn from the lesson to Israel. Undoubtedly, we are seeing the effects of sin and the abandonment of godliness in our society. Things will continue to grow worse and lawlessness will prevail in our country … unless there is a call to repentance, a crying out to God for His mercy. If people will turn their hearts to God; if there can be a genuine turnaround in the population to seek after righteousness, then there is the hope of redemption, the promise of restoration. Then, God will hear from heaven and respond on earth!
This is a time that we as a people need to call on God for our nation. Let us repent of of the evil that is rampant around us. Don’t be afraid to call upon the Lord in your time of despair. Turn to Him when you are overwhelmed. Know that there is a God in heaven who hears you. He will respond when we humble ourselves in prayer.
The psalmist David cried out to the Lord in his distress, “Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1–2). Again when David was assured that God heard his prayer he sang, “The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer” (Psalm 6:9).
God has promised, “I will hear from heaven.”
Scripture:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).