This is one of the conditional verses in the bible. It is a direct response to the prayers of Solomon concerning the dedication of the temple.
Solomon had earlier prayed to God to make the temple a house of prayer where all issues of concern will be addressed and the needs of people will be met.
God said I have heard your prayer, but He put a condition.
“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,”
Oftentimes, we ignore the conditions, we only go for the promises of God.
God is available and willing to do anything we ask in prayer but we must turn from our evil ways. You cannot be wallowing in sin and keep asking for forgiveness all the time.
Sin is an abomination to God. God’s hand is not short that He cannot save, and neither is His ear deaf that He cannot hear our prayers. Our iniquities have caused the separation between us. ( Isaiah 59 verses 1 to 2 )
God still hears prayers today but you must depart from your wicked ways.
Who wrote 2 Chronicles 7:14 and when was it written?
2 Chronicles 7:14 was written by Ezra. It was written during the fifth century BC.
Some researchers believed it was compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern bible scholars as “The Chronicler”, and had the final shape established in the late fifth or fourth century BC.
What is the context of 2 Chronicles 7?
The context of 2 Chronicles 7 is about the dedication of the temple and the second appearance of God to Solomon.
After the work of the temple in 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon prayed an extensive prayer on the temple, asking God to hear all the prayers that will be prayed in the temple. He mentioned almost all the situations that may cause the people to run to the temple to pray to Him.
These situations can be when people go out to battle against their enemies wherever God sends them, or even when they are defeated by an enemy. The heavens may also be shut up and the rain ceases because they have sinned against God.
It may also be that there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is.
Solomon asked the Lord to hear all their prayers including the prayers of a foreigner, in as much as the people have returned to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness.
2 Chronicles 6, verses 29 to 30
“Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),”
He concluded his prayer by saying now, my God, I pray, let your eyes be open and let your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. (2 Chronicles 6 verse 40)
This was the powerful prayer of Solomon that caught God’s attention. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices which brought glory to the house.
That was a sign that God answered Solomon’s prayers in 2 Chronicles 6. Solomon went further to consecrate the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord;
for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which he had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.
The people celebrated for fourteen days. Seven days for the dedication of the altar, and another seven days for the feast while Solomon continue to accomplish all that came into his heart to beautify the house of God.
The Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
This is a personal confirmation to him from God and It is the second appearance of God to Solomon in response to his unmatchable sacrifice.
The first appearance was in 2 Chronicles chapter 1 verse 7 when Solomon offered a
thousand burnt offerings on the altar of God.
The chapter ended with God’s reassurance of the throne of Israel to Solomon. This was based on the fact that Solomon has to walk before God as his father David did, and also did according to all that God has commanded him, keeping His statutes and judgments.
What is the message of 2 Chronicles 7:14?
The message of 2 Chronicles 7:14 reveals God answers the prayers of believers that have genuine repentance.
God has good plans for his children. His plans for us are plans of good and not of evil, to live an expected end. He is also such a merciful God. He does not want any sinner to perish but to have eternal life.
God expects His children that have gone stray to humble themselves and run back to him, He is our only hope.
James 4 verses 6 and 7 says,
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble. Humility Cures Worldliness. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Pride does great damage. The first thing to do is to accept that you are wrong before you can run to Him. The holy bible defines humility as the fear of the lord in Proverbs 22 verse 4. ( New International Version )
Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life
If you fear God, you will not take pleasure in disobeying his commandments but rather come to Him to seek His face and mercy.
God said I will hear their prayers and I will heal their land. But they must repent in truth. You can be wrong but the bad thing to do is stay wrong.
God answers our prayers in various ways. Solomon prayed for God to hear their prayers and forgive them, God answered but with conditions that the people must repent and turn from their wicked ways.
“If My people who are called by My name,” meaning
“If My people who are called by My name,” means the people of Israel who belong to God.
God had chosen the Israelites to be the entity of his love and blessing. He always refers to them as “My People”. The Hebrews are God’s chosen people.
These people are the descendants of Abraham. After redeeming them from Egypt, the Lord said to them in, Deuteronomy 7 verses 6 to 8,
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
They were referred to as God’s people in several texts in the old testament. Anyone who also has true faith in God and has a cordial relationship with Him is someone who is called by His name.
Some people call themselves God’s people without having a relationship with Him. The statement is very clear. His people that are called by His name are those that belong to Him.
“will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,” meaning
“will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways” means God is ever willing and ever ready to accept us if we can meet up His terms.
God’s promises are Yea and Amen. His word always produces what it talks about. Every word of God produces results and when we say amen, “so be it”.
However, it always places responsibilities on us. The phrase above mentions four things demanded by God from his children. Humility, prayer, seeking God’s face, and repentance. A closer look at the conditions reveals they are in a prescribed order.
The first among them is humility. Without humility, we cannot have a smooth walk with God. Before destruction the heart of a man is pride and before honour is humility.
God will surely convict you of your sins by His Spirit. Only the humble will acknowledge and ask for his mercy.
Colossians 3 verse 12 says,
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;”
It is not enough to acknowledge that we have sinned. We must also ask God for forgiveness. Go to Him in prayers and ask for His mercy.
David says, I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. God will forgive but we must confess.
Proverbs 28 verse 13 says,
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
Prayer is asking but seeking the face of God is a step further. To seek means to crave for something with all zeal and zest with the desire that you will find it.
Seeking God involves our hearts. It is a heart connection between God and man.
Jeremiah 29 verse 13 says,
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
When we seek God’s face means pursuing a cordial and deeper intimacy with God.
The last condition given in the bible verse is genuine repentance.
Our lives must also be turned to God. God wants to see the sincerity in us.
For you to be fully acceptable by Him, you must turn from your wicked ways. True repentance is the one that comes combined with turning from sin into righteousness.
“then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” meaning
“then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” means God will never forsake his children.
Forgiveness must go with our prayer requests. That’s why we should pray for forgiveness for our sins as we are making requests from God. When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. He said in verses 11 and 12 in Matthew chapter 6,
“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
God says He would hear from heaven and heal the land of Israel.
What is the difference in biblical translations of 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV, KJV, NIV & ESV)?
2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV biblical translation “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.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV biblical translation “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 NIV biblical translation 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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV biblical translation “If my people who are called by my name 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.”
There is no difference in the four translations between NKJV, KJV, NIV, and ESV
The four translations are written almost the same and have the same meaning.
How do I apply 2 Chronicles 7:14 to my life?
Applying 2 Chronicles 7:14 to my life is to continue to seek the face of God in my walk with Him.
My people as stated in the scripture are not only for the people of Israel but also for individuals that care. A true believer in his own house must also be humble and seek God in prayers.
God was talking to the entire nation of Israel but the nation is made up of the people. Maintaining a cordial relationship with God empowers true believers to live within His plan and purpose for their lives. Psalms 91 verse 1 says,
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
God has always desired to have an intimate relationship with us but iniquity has separated us from him. A relationship is only as strong as the communication within that relationship.
The best way to improve your relationship with God is by spending more time in His word. Some people often ask, what if I stumble on a verse in the scripture during my word study, could that be God talking to me?
Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. He will help you to understand and reveal precisely how the word applies to you.
What is 2 Chronicles 7:14 prayer?
Father, thank you for your love and your mercy shown towards me. I approach you today with a lowly heart. Forgive me for my sins and hear my prayers. Help me to grow in my relationship with you all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Conclusion
As Christians, it is important to strive every day to repent of our transgressions and endeavour to be more like Christ. Then you can call on God in times of need and He will answers.
This gospel should also be taken to the entire world by christians today.
Most of the nations of the world have turned their back on God. The national repentance of a nation starts with individuals. We need more repentant people in our nation today.
Our church today is not excluded. If God decides to show everyone the result of their sins, we will be amazed. The first place of concern should be the churches.
Pastors should seek the church audience to speak the word of life, youth pastors should also be aware that there is no new generation truth, truth is truth.
Our God is good, His mercy endureth forever, and He will show it to whomever or any nation that comes to Him. May He show His mercies in our lives today.
Be a wise and active labourer of the kingdom of God.
Daniel 12 verse 3 says,
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.”
I see the star in you come alive.
