21 April | Teens
«If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.» 2 Chronicles 7: 14
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God gives us a very important instruction to answer our prayers. Let's see if you can figure out the secret: “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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The secret of this prayer lies in its beginning: “if.” This “if” indicates a condition. For example, your parents may have said something like, “If you clean your room, you can spend half an hour longer watching videos on your tablet.” This means that “if” you do your part, your parents will do theirs.
The prayer we learn today teaches us that “if” we sincerely ask, “if” we humble ourselves, and “if” we seek God, He will hear us and answer. Perhaps the problem in our spiritual journey is that we are not crying out enough. Crying out to God means asking with great will and with all your heart, every day, without giving up. Sometimes we may pray hastily or without much attention, but God wants us to really talk to Him, expressing our feelings and desires in every word. If we do, God's promise is wonderful: He will hear us from Heaven!
Take Action
Choose a quiet place in your home and decorate it with things that help you focus on God. Use that space each day to pray calmly and sincerely, remembering that God is ready to hear and answer your prayers.