BY Argie Simonis
"If Μy people, which are called by Μy name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek Μy face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2Cr. 7:14
Here we have another very beautiful promise of the Lord that was fulfilled on the cross of Calvary. Our healing and the forgiveness of our sins are already available through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. What I want to focus on is that when prayer and seeking the face of the Lord is done through fasting it is much more effective. With this act we humble ourselves before Him and when we do this there is a promise:
"But he gives more grace. Why he said, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
"... and before honor is humility." Prov. 15:33
Here I would like to say a few words about pride. Many believe that pride is arrogance, self-exaltation and a tendency to be superior and better than others. Yes, this is one form of pride, but not the only one. Anything that tends to lead us to self-centeredness is pride. Some examples:
Worrying about what others think, being ashamed to speak our mind in public for fear of what they will think of us, is pride. When we settle for something we don't agree with, that comes against our principles and don't speak the truth for fear of offending someone, it's pride. When we see a man walking badly and do not warn him for fear of being offended and spoiling our relationship with him, it is pride.
Proud is someone who seeks his own glory and puts his own image above the truth and by extension above God, because God is the truth:
"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6
But when something like this happens, we no longer have the devil in front of us, but God himself because "God resists the proud..." James 4:6
So we continue the fast with these thoughts and trust that as we humble ourselves before the Lord, His grace will abundantly cover our lives.
Amen 🙏
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