December 2, 2009
Dear Friend,
The mere mention of this little verb, or the Scripture address, 2 Chronicles 7:14, and the succeeding words automatically start rolling off the tongue. The verse is as well-known and as often-quoted as John 3:16. "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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." I can hardly count the number of times I've quoted this verse myself, but in the back of my mind I can't shake off the words of an email blogger who penned these words: "We are all saying the same thing, but no one's doing anything about it!"
How often have we methodically quoted this verse and yet have failed to grasp the power that exists in (what one pastor has tagged) these "forty words of promise." The truth is we can set to memory and acquire the knowledge of countless Bible verses, but until we let those words take root in our hearts and begin to transform our lives they are simply words visible on a page, but lacking visibility in our lives. The key to unlocking the door and unleashing the power in those words is the reason I am writing to you today.
Throughout Scripture we find example after example of a merciful God who postpones judgment and withholds wrath because of the humble and responsive hearts of a people. "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste...I have heard you, declares the LORD" (2 Kings 22:19). Whether chastising His disobedient people to return or warning a pagan nation to repent (see Jonah 3), the Lord shows no partiality when it comes to the repentant heart, for He desires "all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3). "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their evil ways and live..." (Ezekiel 33:11).
The Bible declares, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Only the Lord can. "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind" (Jeremiah 17:9, 10). The heart of man is secure only when it rests in the hands of Almighty God, but we must be willing to allow Him access. The Sovereignty of God does not negate our human responsibility (reference 2 Kings 20:5; Colossians 3:12). We have a choice of how we will live and walk each day - independent and self-sufficient, or fully surrendered and humbly dependent upon God. The Scriptures reveal that the sacrifice of a humble and contrite heart is what is acceptable in God's sight and will receive His blessing (reference Psalm 51:17). The key to revival is found in this posture of prayer (reference Isaiah 57:15; 66:2). "Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up" (James 4:10).
Our inability to engage the culture we live in, causing many to retreat from the church rather than be drawn to Christ, is in direct correlation to the low priority we have placed on prayer. The staggering effect of our missplaced priorities has turned the world on its' head instead of leading them to the Head, Christ Jesus (reference 1 Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 1:18; 2:19). Benjamin Franklin, addressing the Constitutional Convention, may have been influenced by the words of Daniel when he interjected, "How has it happened, sir, that we have not hirtherto once thought of humbly appealing to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings?" (see Daniel 9:13). Franklin went on to remind them, "We had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered..." At what point will we also recognize that the only solution to the problems we are facing is in submission to the One Who holds the answer?
Nineveh believed God and responded to His warning with fasting and prayer (reference Jonah 3); Josiah responded to the Word of God with immediate humility and fear (reference 2 Kings 22); Jehoshaphat responded to the threat of attack by calling the people to fast and pray (reference 2 Chronicles 20); and in each instance the Lord saw the responsive heart of the people and responded by postponing His judgment or delivering them from evil. Without exception God answered His people when they humbled their hearts and sought Him with fasting and prayer!
The times and seasons we are living in necessitate that true followers of Jesus Christ recognize that the promise in the "IF" will become a realilty "WHEN". Jesus exhorted His followers to fast in Matthew 6:16 and even went on to explain the time to fast in Matthew 9:15. The Lord didn't say "if" you fast, He said "when" and He clarified that the time is now, while we are waiting for our Bridegroom to return. Fasting puts us in the proper position to hear from God and provides Him opporturnity to prepare us for His purposes. When we set aside our fears and humbly accept His divine invitation to sit at His table and fast the Lord faithfully provides a fabulous feast of His Word. Prayer and the Word of God go hand-in-hand, "the power of one is dependent upon the presence of the other." The Lord finds great pleasure when His children recognize their great need of dependence upon Him. He delights in our sacrifice and will faithfully respond by filling us with His power, His presence, and His provision. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
The greatest blessings await us when we submit to the Lord with fasting and in prayer - growing in the knowledge our Lord, experiencing greater depths of intimacy with Him, and falling more deeply in love with our First Love. Renewed fidelity will bring the relief we need. When we respond to the high and holy call to pray we unleash God's power in the world and His kingdom progresses while the enemy's plans are trampled. Apart from prayer we are a powerless people. Prayer is God's prescription for reviving the Church and for resurrecting the spiritual foundation this nation was built upon. There is a breech that will only be repaired when God's people begin to fast and pray (reference Isaiah 58:12). It's time we reconnect to the heart of God and accept this assignment of prayer and fervently intercede for all the saints, for our pastors and teachers, our leaders, and countless ministries on mission around the world. We have been given a divine responsibility to pray and God in His divine Sovereignty will faithfully answer. The remedy is ready - the response rests with us!
The door to our relationship with Holy God was first opened with prayer - prayer is our vital connection to an abiding and intimate relationship with our Lord. To keep that flame burning you are invited to join us as we offer the firstfruits of the New Year to the Lord and submit the first 40 days to a period of consecration for the purposes of unleashing His power through prayer and igniting the hearts of all people with the love of God. Before we take another step forward we are surrendering our time to take a step back and return to the place we first met our Lord and Savior - at the foot of the cross (reference Revelation 2:4-5). There is a great opportunity before us if we will answer this call to "humble ourselves", "pray", and "seek His face" - in doing so, we just may see the hand of God move in a mighty way in this new year - but certainly, above all else, we will touch the heart of God!
You are invited to join us as we take a step of faith and embark on a new
40 day prayer and fasting journey
beginning January 1st, 2010
The Year of the Tithe
"Let no debt remain outstanding,
except the continuing debt to love one another,
for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."
(Romans 13:8)
Join us for a preparatory feast as we celebrate
The Festival of Lights
December 12-19, 2009
Information on this devotional journey available below.
Your emails, phone calls, and personal testimonies have been a constant source of encouragement to remain faithful in fasting and fervent in prayer, a confirmation that God's work is being done one heart at a time. Thank you for your prayers and for your obedience and commitment to remain faithful to the Word of God and Prayer! "The One Who calls you is faithful and He will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Peace to the brothers,
and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love, (Ephesians 6:23-24)
Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Psalm 27:4; 13-14
P.S. Trumpet and Torch Ministries is committed to connected people to the heart of God through fasting and prayer and offers meal-by-meal daily devotionals to help guide the spiritually hungry through periods of consecration as they feast on the Word of God and surrender to the Lord in humble dependence and prayer. Visit
www.trumpetandtorch.org to utilize the online devotional journeys, download free copies of the devotionals or request your own copy of one of the 40-day prayer and fasting devotionals.
