The Four P's

“…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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Notice how God describes us as His people and as those who are called by His name and belonging to His family. He goes on with His words asking for our humility and repentance providing forgiveness and healing in our lives.

This tiny verse tucked away in 2 Chronicles is the formula for having a joyful earthly life and a promised eternal life. Being called by God’s name means we have acknowledged that He is Lord and Savior who sacrificed His life on earth to give us life with Him in Heaven. That is the first step in obtaining a deeper relationship with God. Jesus Christ did the hardest part and the first step for His children in offering Himself up to God to deem us worthy to enter the Kingdom.

I like to call the following steps required the 4 p’s – Pause, Pray, Pursue and Pivot. When we pause, we acknowledge that we are sinners and humble ourselves before God to position our hearts to be forgiven. We then pray for God to receive our repentance of sin in our lives so we have a more pure heart. When we pursue God and seek His face, He will reveal Himself to us showing His character and His promises. The final step is to pivot on our pilgrimage through the urgings of the Holy Spirit. When we are getting ready to take a misstep in our Christian journey, the Holy Spirit will guide us to pivot and turn away from that path.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life, you may obtain the gift of eternal life right now by pausing and praying the Sinner’s Prayer. Upon completion of this prayer and pursuing Christ in your life you will receive “healing from your land” and eternal life. Everyone can come and no one will be turned away.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

If you decided to repent of your sins and receive Christ today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.

- Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.

- Spend time with God each day. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.

- Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.

- Find a local church where you can worship God.