As government officials and leaders are trying to decide the best course of action on how to safely reopen America, Christians should be looking to the Word of God to lead us on how to pray for our nation. Though the world has forever changed and our lives are different, God Almighty is the same. In the book of Jeremiah, we see that God continually speaks to His people through Jeremiah the importance of repentance and turning back to Him. I believe the same applies to us today. This is a season of repentance and reconciliation, reproof and restoration.
I know, for myself, God has opened my eyes and drawn me closer to Him through this time of shelter in place. The desire to read His Word and study has grown all the more while being isolated. One of my favorite verses and probably one of the most quoted among believers, Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This is God speaking to a hurting, lost, and broken nation. He reminds His people that His plans are good and that, at the end of it all, they have a future in Him.
Verse 12 through 13 of that same chapter are just as beautiful and give even more hope to the exiled, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Verse 14 goes on to say, “I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.”
We must return to seeking the Lord, His will, and His promises. What I truly love is that the Lord Himself said, “I will be found by you.” And, at the end of the day, that’s what we truly need most, to find Him once again, to circumcise our hearts and truly seek Him first. I am so thankful that the Lord allows us to find Him. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we can find Him!
There is healing in a nation’s repentance, and it can start with us. There is hope when a nation turns back to God and seeks Him through it all, and it can start with us. If we want to heal our nation, even beyond the virus, it is our job to humble ourselves, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear us in Heaven and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7).
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it begins with us. May we be the light in the darkness and point to Jesus Christ for our nation’s healing, restoration, and redemption!
Blessings,
Mandy Fender
