Written by Uyoyou Christiana
Charles-Iyoha
One
of the weapons of warfare is repentance.
All sin is meant
to be acknowledged and repented of as stated in 1st John Chapter 1
verses 8 to 10, 2nd Chronicles Chapter 7 verses 13 to 14, Joel
Chapter 2 verses 12 to 32, Jonah Chapter 3, 1st Kings Chapter 18;
and then God Who is compassionate and rich in mercy forgives. Unfortunately,
not everyone acknowledges, confesses and repents of sin. There are people and
nations who always excuse their sins and blame their utterances and actions on
the utterances and actions of other people. Rather than admit their wrong doing
to God and repent, they blame other people. God is never pleased with such
people as what pleases God is a contrite and broken spirit.
True healing for
the nations and individuals and people start when they genuinely turn away from
their evil ways to God in repentance, thus re-establishing fellowship with God,
and the presence of God in their lives.
A number of
Biblical cases attest to this. Adam and Eve excused their disobedience to God,
the first sin that got humans into trouble away. They both played the game –
Adam blamed his wife and his wife blamed the serpent. Please see Genesis Chapter
3. Their son Cain did not blame anyone though; but he did not admit to wrong
doing. Rather, he said that his punishment was too much for him. Please see
Genesis Chapter 4 verses 1 to 16.
King Saul of
Israel also played the blame game not once but twice. He blamed the people for
his actions – first he offered burnt offerings to God – what he was not
qualified to do (1st Samuel Chapter 13 verses 1 to 14). Secondly, he
spared Agag, the King of Amalek, the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings,
the lamb, and all that was good. In point of fact, the Bible records that Saul
and his men were unwilling to utterly destroy them as commanded by God. Please
see 1st Samuel Chapter 15. And when confronted with his sin, he said
the spared goods were to offer a sacrifice to God. Significantly, he eventually
acknowledged his sin but only after Samuel told him that God had rejected him
from being king. It is also instructive that he did not repent but wanted
Samuel’s company around him just to gain honor despite being told that he had
lost the throne. Saul was more interested in the honor and applause of men more
than the grace and mercy of God. Eventually like every other unrepentant
sinner, he lost the presence of God and fellowship with God (Genesis Chapters 3
verses 22 to 24, 4 verse 16, 1st Samuel Chapter 16 verses 14 to 23,
18 verses 10 to 12) ; key requirements to healing the nations. In his quest to
hear from God, he turned to divination and eventually died in battle. Please
see 1st Chronicles Chapter 10 verses 1 to 14.
David sinned
severally against the Lord and each time the prophet of God accosted David with
his sin, he acknowledged the sin and repented of the sin. Two examples will
suffice. David numbered the men of Israel and incurred the wrath of God against
the nation (1st Chronicles Chapter 21). David immediately repented
when accosted and begged God to allow the judgment fall on him and his family.
Additionally he quickly offered the required sacrifices to God and judgment that
had begun against the land was stayed. The other example was his sinful liaison
with Bathsheba and the consequent murder of Uriah and acquisition of Bathsheba
as wife (2nd Samuel Chapters 11 and 12). When Nathan the prophet
confronted David with his son, David acknowledged his sin and humbled himself
in genuine repentance before God.
Manasseh sinned
greatly against the Lord yet when he repented, God forgave him and stayed
judgment (2nd Chronicles Chapter 33, note verses 10 to 16).
King Rehoboam of
Judah and his people repented of their sins against God and they were spared
the destruction planned against them by the King of Egypt. Please see 2nd
Chronicles Chapter 12.
Whenever
individuals, families, Churches, communities and organizations as well as nations
genuinely repent of their sins before God and turn away from such sins, God
forgives and brings healings in diverse areas.
Genuine
repentance by the people and the leadership of the people helps to turn the
wrath, judgment and condemnation of God from the people and the land as well as
seal up every access and legal ground that the enemy had to afflict the people
because of sin and God’s anger. Repentance and acknowledgment of sin is
therefore a critical first step to healing the nations as it is one of the
weapons of spiritual warfare. In every Holy Spirit backed intercession for
peoples, nations, and the land, the intercessors commenced intercession by
acknowledging their sin/s as a nation, repenting of such sins and asking for
God’s mercy and forgiveness.
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