Yesterday, I stress-ate. I online shopped. I bleached toilets. I scrolled Facebook, and the anxiety crawled up inside me like ants. But today’s a new day, and I know where to go for the Source of wisdom and knowledge, understanding, and peace.

Googling “scriptures on prayer and healing,” I land in Jeremiah Chapters 30, 33, and 37. Those verses will make you shudder. Over and again, we find that people are plagued by the pandemic of sin and guilt. “Enormous guilt and innumerable sins,” says Jeremiah 30:14. Then, they cry out in panic and distress, begging for healing. Time and again, out of His great love for us, God forgives and heals – restoring us to abundance and joy.

Tomorrow is a National Day of Prayer. God Himself has called us to pray. So how do we pray? Do we say “Heal us, Lord!” “Remove this virus from the face of the earth!” Or do we do things His way?

After Solomon built a house for God, he proclaimed His promises and came to God with thanksgiving and praise for His great love. Then he prayed:

“If your people … turn and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people … .”

“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust … whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people … each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands … then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for, you only, know the hearts of mankind.”

See 2 Chronicles 6-7, emphasis added

This kind of prayer ushers in the presence of God – because it honors His identity as Father, Healer, Deliverer, and Savior. It shows true humility, and it calls upon His love to heal us. And guess what? God shows up when He hears a prayer like this.

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and … 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. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”

2 Chronicles 7:14-15

So, when you join in prayer tomorrow across our nation, take note from Solomon. Approach God with humility and thanksgiving, and repeat His promises to restore, forgive, and heal. Pray for healing for the sick, protection for your family, and community. Pray for our leaders and people of other nations, and ask God to wipe this nasty pestilence from the face of the planet, acknowledging it is within His power to do so.

But:

• Start by exalting His name, power, authority. Agree with His identity as the King above all Kings and the Most High above all the earth.
• Declare His power, love, and faithfulness.
• Humble yourself. Admit your sin, and confess the sins of our nation — asking him to “forgive our sins and heal our diseases.”
• Then go out and do something good. Love your neighbor. If they need something you have, give it freely.
• Get in the Word. Study healing, plagues, and prayer.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” and “Bless the Lord who … forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, to crown you with love and compassion.”

See James 5:16 and Psalm 103

The Scriptures show us exactly how to pray to get the ear of God, and it is up to each one of us to follow their lead.

You are part of the answer, — Jen