DAY 1

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

II Chronicles 7:14

I love what Oswald Chambers said concerning prayer, “Prayer does not equip us for some greater works—prayer is the greater work” 

Solomon had just finished building the temple in Israel. A magnificent structure that would be the place that God chose to dwell here on earth. As the construction of the temple was finished, Israel had a huge dedication ceremony, and God’s presence was evident. God then appears to Solomon and says to him that there will be times when Israel will be judged for their sin and disobedience but if they will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, God promises to forgive them and heal their land. The first application to this promise is to Israel, however, the same God who made this promise to Israel will hear the prayer of His saints today when they humble themselves and seek God’s face in prayer and repentance.

Revival in our city will come through repentance of our sins. Repentance means turning in a different direction. As we begin this new year with our 10 days of prayer and fasting, what are some sins, attitudes, or behaviors that you need to turn a different direction from? Not only should we repent for individual sins, but in the context of this verse, God told Solomon that He would forgive the sins of the entire nation. We not only should repent of our individual sins, but we should also repent of our nation’s collective sins. We need to repent for the oversexualization of our children that we have allowed and pushed in this country. We need to repent for the injustices that we see in this nation surrounding racism, classism, and other forms of discrimination. We need to repent of our materialism and greed that at times causes us to turn a blind eye to the poor and needy among us. We need to repent of the apathy that has befallen many of our churches across the nation and ask the Lord to wake us up from our slumber and once again return to our first love. 

God has a redemptive plan for our city and we are invited to be a part of that plan as we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our evil ways. Let’s believe for a move of God across our city!. Let’s believe for the Church across New York City to wake up and turn our hearts back to the Father! 

Let me end this devotion by quoting E.M. Bounds, “Every mighty move of the Spirit of God has had its source in the prayer chamber.”