The Application Of 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

By Jonathan G. Taylor

[Jonathan G. Taylor is a member of the FIEC Pastors Association and a researcher for the Reachout Trust, which is based in Surrey, England.]

God’s promises in 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 in response to Solomon’s intercession for Israel in 6:14-42 have been utilized and applied in various ways, particularly in recent decades. Hence exegesis of this pericope is needed to provide a foundation for evaluating its use in contemporary settings.

Context

After Solomon had finished building the temple and his own palace (7:11), God appeared to him at night and made a direct reference to his prayer: “I have heard your prayer” (v. 12).[1] The burden of Solomon’s petition in 6:18-40 “is given divine approval.”[2] God’s words in 7:13-15 in reply to Solomon’s prayer “conform very closely to those in which Solomon prayed.”[3] At least seven parallels may be noted.

	2 Chronicles 7	2 Chronicles 6
The heavens will be shut, and there will be no rain	v. 13	v. 26
A locust plague will occur	v. 13	v. 28
Pestilence will occur	v. 13	v. 28
Pray	v. 14	v. 38
Turn	v. 14	v. 38
“I will hear from heaven”	v. 14	vv. 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 33, 35, 39
I will “forgive”	v. 14	vv. 21, 25, 30, 39

God responded to Solomon’s prayer thirteen years later (1 Kings 6:1, 38; 7:1; 9:1-2, 10).[4] Barber argues that this time lapse between the dedication of the temple and the Lord’s response to Solomon was not important, though God’s response to Solomon was.[5] Though the response itself was obviously important, an apparent delay of thirteen years may have seriously tested Solomon’s faith and patience.

Exegesis Of 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

Williamson considered it extraordinary that no commentator before him had associated verse 13 with immediate retribution.[6] However, Allen subsequently notes that the implication, made amply explicit, is that God’s people were suffering the consequences of their willful sin of rebellion.[7] And Tuell unequivocally identifies the connection between Solomon’s prayer and the potential disasters described in chapter 6 as judgments from God.[8] First, drought is mentioned in nearly identical terms in 7:13 and 6:26.[9] Second, the locust plague is mentioned in both 7:13 and 6:28, though different Hebrew words for “locust” are used.[10] Third, both passages use the same word for pestilence (an infectious disease) in 7:13 and 6:28.

These three calamities would have a devastating effect in an agriculturally dependent society.[11] They would provide strong motivation for the people to turn from their wicked ways, and would serve as a reminder not to depart from the covenant conditions outlined in Deuteronomy 28:22-24, 42. The land functioned as a spiritual barometer, registering Israel’s loyalty to God. However, these crises could be overcome if the people repented at the temple.[12]

“My People”

Recent commentators have interpreted the term “My people” in various ways. Pratt is adamant that in this context the term refers only to Israel, as Solomon repeatedly used the term “Your people” in his prayer (6:14-42).[13] This terminology reflects the unique covenantal bond between God and Israel (cf. Exod. 3:7-10; Lev. 26:12; 1 Chron. 17:6-7, 9-10; Jer. 31:33; Hos. 1:9; 2:23).[14]

While that is a sound argument for Solomon’s time, is the same applicable today? In addressing the sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Peter referred to them as a holy nation, God’s own special people, who were once not a people but are now a people of God (1 Pet. 2:9). Could this mean that “My people” in 2 Chronicles 7:14 refers to all believers today? No, because the temple was specifically reserved for God as His “house of sacrifice” (7:12). Thus Tuell supports Pratt’s view that prayer and repentance were not a private affair; worship was expected to take place among the people who were called by God’s name.[15]

“Called By My Name”

Allen observes that the Hebrew idiom underlying the words “called by My name” refers to ownership.[16] Since God owned the Israelites’ lives, they must obey His covenant. If they turned away, another opportunity was offered by means of His grace.[17] Similarly New Testament church-age believers are bought with a price (cf. 1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23); so they too may be described as His people.

Even when the temple was built, God-fearing foreigners were permitted to pray toward the temple (2 Chron. 6:32-33). Selman notes that any who acknowledged God’s name and authority could pray with the confidence that they would be heard.[18] Similarly Leviticus 19:34 confirms God’s ruling that strangers dwelling in Israel should be treated as their own. Thus Thompson concludes, “In years to come if this people, called by God’s name, that is carrying His mark of ownership, would repent and inquire of the Lord, he would forgive them and heal this land.”[19]

Nevertheless in Solomon’s day Israel was a theocracy, operating under a separate dispensational era. Therefore while the term “My people” may have been extended to believers of the present age, the provisions of the covenant with Israel cannot be transferred to a contemporary setting.

“Humble Themselves”

God called on Israel to humble herself, that is, to recognize her sin and acknowledge her dependence on God.[20] The Hebrew verb for “be humble” (כָּנַע) means “to be subdued or brought low.”[21] Renn cites other Scriptures (2 Kings 22:19; 2 Chron. 12:7; 34:27) that refer to humbling oneself before God (cf. Lev. 26:40-42).[22]

McConville mentions that humbling in 2 Chronicles 12:6-7 requires a reform of one’s attitude toward oneself and “a renunciation of some wrong course” that “involved an arrogant rejection of God.”[23] McConville observes that God’s people in 7:14 are required not to turn from their “sins” but from their “wicked ways,” that is, from willfully rebelling against God’s covenant.

The temple is pivotal in this passage. Humbly abandoning disobedience and praying in God’s temple could result in God extending His grace.[24] This acknowledgment of personal sin and pleading for God’s mercy are similar to David’s repentance (Ps. 51:1-2). A prayerful attitude is contrary to asserting oneself and recognizes God’s right to judge one’s life.[25]

“Seek My Face”

Seeking God’s face describes the desire to determine God’s requirements and standards.[26] “Seek” is an intense verb that denotes searching, inquiring, beseeching, begging, and desiring.[27] Hill notes that this verb is frequently used in desperate situations in which God is the only possible hope for deliverance (e.g., Deut. 4:29-30).[28]

Seeking God’s face would result in His people turning from their wicked ways. Turning, that is, repenting, signifies a change of direction away from sin and toward God. Hill cites Ezekiel 18:30-32, in which God called on Israel to turn and live.[29] Hill’s observation is apt, since on both occasions Israel had deliberately rebelled and faced immediate dire consequences.

Repentance would ensure that God would hear from heaven and restore their land as He had done with the exiles in the time of the writing of Chronicles.[30] Devotion called for a reformed lifestyle;[31] otherwise willful disobedience would continue.

I Will “Forgive” And “Heal Their Land”

Second Chronicles 7:14 and 30:18, 20 indicate that forgiveness and healing are of the same work of God.[32] The word for healing (רָפָא) means to be repaired or made whole.[33] Mounce records other instances where healing was related specifically to the land (cf. Exod. 15:26; Deut. 29:22).[34] When the sins of the people brought disaster to the land, sincere repentance brought healing.[35] Selman argues that the spiritual and moral aspects of healing make Old Testament healing consistent with the New Testament.[36] However, this may be an inductive fallacy in assuming that the covenant promises relating to healing the land and prayer in the temple are congruent with what healing pertains to in the New Testament.[37]

God added, “My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place” (v. 15). This points to God’s presence, watchfulness,[38] and concern (cf. 2 Chron. 6:20, 40; Ps. 34:15). Solomon’s intercession had been answered; God would respond to the prayers of His people in that place.[39]

In 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 God’s promises include three parts: (a) a summary of disasters (v. 13), (b) God’s declared purpose to forgive and heal (v. 14), and (c) the assurance of His attentiveness and nearness (v. 15).[40]

Analysis Of Contemporary Use Of 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

Healing

Cathers views 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a prescription for individual and national healing today.[41] He says that a person journeys through dry periods in his spiritual walk when he is not humbly praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from sin.[42] So believers need to pray for themselves and their nation, since healing results from being properly related to God.[43]

Similarly when Benny Hinn was in Trinidad and Tobago, he cited 2 Chronicles 7:14 and prayed that that nation would be healed.[44] Nigeria’s president Olusegun Obansanjo deployed two representatives to meet Hinn for a revival service.[45] One representative quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14, requesting that Hinn pray an anointing, healing prayer over Nigeria.[46]

For Cathers’s assertion to be correct, “My people” must refer to repentant Christians. However, Standford correctly observes that “My people” cannot parallel all Christians in their respective lands.[47] Standford aptly questions whether any nation can be described as Christian.[48]

While Standford fails to determine whether a promise made to Israel can be automatically applied to the church, he does suggest what “healing the land” means. The text refers, he says, not to healing the land politically or morally, but to blessing it with fertility and increase.[49]

Ice and Dean note that God’s promise was made to Solomon and pertained to Israel following the dedication of the temple.[50] Their contention is just, since God’s reply was a response to Solomon’s petition in 6:20, 28-30, 40. Moreover, God’s words are congruent with the terms Solomon employed regarding heaven being shut up, the occurrence of locusts or pestilence, and His ears being open and eyes attentive to the people’s prayers made “in this place” (6:40). Therefore Ice and Dean are also correct in equating “this place” (7:15) with the temple.

While seeking God’s face supports Cathers’s opinion that healing is derived from a relationship with God,[51] it does not mean that 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a blanket promise to be applied to all Christian individuals and their nations today. Likewise Hinn’s citing of this verse while praying for Nigeria’s healing, though based on scriptural principles, relies on the assumption that a precedent under different covenant conditions should achieve a similar outcome. Nor did his prayer take note of the agricultural aspects of the land being healed.

Gruen is convinced God will hear from heaven, forgive sins, and heal America if Christians grasp 2 Chronicles 7:14, repent, and apply it.[52] Gruen separates the responsibility for America away from sinners and onto God’s people.[53] However, as Ice and Dean note, God is not expected to fulfill promises to the church or America that were intended for Israel.[54] Since the Mosaic Covenant was made with Israel, the promise in verse 14 applies solely to Israel.[55] Also Deuteronomy 11:16-17 underscores the point that healing the land relates specifically to the judgment of drought mentioned in 2 Chronicles 7:13.[56]

Charisma magazine notes that supporters of racial reconciliation insist that God is using haunting images of lynchings to pull at the hearts of His people and thus to facilitate healing in America.[57] Some African Americans are urging Congress to issue a national apology for having endorsed slavery, and they use 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a model prayer,[58] suggesting that Christians must humble themselves for their churches’ having been involved in slavery and lynchings.[59] While humble repentance may be required to achieve reconciliation between ethnic groups, healing in that verse relates to the physical healing of the land of Israel, not to national sins such as racial discrimination.

MacArthur makes an accurate distinction between Israel and America in relation to 2 Chronicles 7:14. America, he correctly notes, is not a covenant nation, and there is no promise regarding her physical ancestors.[60] However, MacArthur cites Galatians 3:29[61] to confirm that covenant blessings apply to Christians.[62] If God blesses America, he says, it will be for the sake of His people, although the whole nation will be the beneficiary and numerous spiritual blessings will result.[63] However, healing of the physical land of America or blessings on American citizens do not relate to this passage. The verse promises spiritual blessings, which result from obedience.[64]

God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer has often been utilized as a prayer model in contemporary evangelicalism.[65] According to Christianity Today this passage can be divided into stages and at each stage one may insert descriptions, needs, and temptations of a particular nation.[66]

Prayer Model

The Global Day of Prayer movement developed a prayer guide for the ten-day period from May 21 to May 31, 2009. Each day participants were encouraged to read a designated prayer passage and to pray as if answering a summons from God.[67] All nations were invited to voice Solomon’s prayer so that their prayers could be heard, people forgiven, and lands healed.[68]

The first day in the Global Day of Prayer Movement commenced with the words “If My people.” The prayer application exhorted “His people” to pray for others as they gathered before Him as families and churches.[69] The focus on day eight was “heal their land.” The vision for that day was renewed hope for the earth to be restored, sick societies lifted, and relationships healed.[70] Participants were encouraged to pray that Christ would direct leaders of business, education, and government so that the curse of corruption would be overcome throughout communities and entire cities.[71]

Payne contends that from its outset Israel’s temple was designed as a house of prayer for all nations (Isa. 56:6-8).[72] To a degree that supports the use of 2 Chronicles 7:14 by Christianity Today and the Global Day of Prayer movement, since God-fearing strangers who lived in Israel were permitted to pray at the temple. In Old Testament times aliens who came to faith in the Lord were guaranteed reception as proselytes to Israel (Exod. 12:38, 48; Ruth 1:16; 2:12).[73]

However, while Payne provides ample scriptural justification for (a) the purposes of the temple, (b) Israel’s election, and (c) the spiritual privileges granted to God-fearing sojourners in the Old Testament, he does not cite evidence in support of the use of this passage as a prayer model.

God’s eyes and ears being open and attentive to prayer made in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 7:15) has been extended to apply to forgiveness of sins and healing of lands on a global scale. However, the context is largely ignored in an effort to claim this promise and apply it as a prayer formula in numerous ways for which it was never intended.

In the Old Testament the term “My people” was a common phrase pertaining to Israel (Num. 6:27; Deut. 28:10; Isa. 43:1; 63:19; Dan. 9:18-19). Because Israel was under the Mosaic Covenant and the church is not, God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer relates to Israel, not the church. Israel was a theocracy, whereas the church is not a nation in a designated land.

Second Chronicles 7:14 has also been used as a prayer model for nations struggling to defend themselves or struggling for freedom.

Woolmer notes that a personal or national crisis seems to be needed to motivate individuals to pray collectively.[74] For example England was united in prayer in the darkest days of World War II, and South Africa was united in prayer prior to Mandela’s election.[75]

Some people pray this passage as a prophecy in which they anticipate blessing if the conditions are met. Conversely, if God’s people fail to fulfill their part, then they cannot expect God to do His.[76] However, this view again ignores the context of the passage and overrides the details in the verses that precede and follow 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The Global Day of Prayer movement extended the concept of God’s healing the land to the earth being restored. Premillenialists, however, argue that this will not occur until the messianic era commences after the tribulation. And after the millennium there will be new heavens and a new earth (Rev. 21:1).

In summary, then, 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 supplies an answer to Solomon’s prayer in chapter 6, namely, that God would hear the prayers offered in or directed toward the temple.77 Any prayer application that ignores the original context is unwittingly attempting to widen the parameters beyond the literal boundaries intended.

Revival

Second Chronicles 7:14 is also a popular “revival text.” Wallis views it as one of the most significant statements in Scripture that sets the pattern for revival.[78] He says the outworking of that promise is seen in Josiah’s reign in 34:27,[79] when the people of Judah humbled themselves before God. Before that, Judah humbled themselves before the Lord (12:6-7), and so God delivered them from invasion by Egypt. Hezekiah and his people repented of their pride (32:26). Manasseh humbled himself before the Lord, and so God brought him back to Jerusalem from his imprisonment in Babylon (33:12-13).

However, Wallis is making the assumption that the phenomenon described as “revival” occurred in the Old Testament. Many authors assume the same. Deere believes that if the church would follow the counsel of 2 Chronicles 7:14, she would experience revival.[80] Based on that same verse Gumbel thinks Christians should pray collectively for the Holy Spirit to revive the church.[81] Backholer says the promise in the verse pertains to a prayer for revival[82] and that Christians should pray and plead[83] as a condition for God to work.[84] Duewel exhorts believers to stand in faith, asking God to fulfill His promises (e.g., 2 Chron. 7:14) as they pray for revival.[85]

In 1994 William Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade, convened an unprecedented prayer gathering in Orlando, Florida, which attracted over seven hundred Christian leaders.[86] The meetings focused on 2 Chronicles 7:14, and a mighty revival was anticipated in America.[87]

Bright’s use of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is typical of many in evangelicalism who view the verse as a blanket promise for revival, a basis for receiving blessings from God. Unfortunately, however, the physical healing of Israel’s land is wrongly equated with spiritual promises and blessings.

Dwight Pentecost notes that John the Baptist, functioning as an Old Testament prophet, called Israel to repentance, as the basis for receiving Messiah’s blessings.[88] Jesus offered the covenanted kingdom to Israel, but the nation rejected Him and His offer.[89] When He returns to establish His millennial reign, Israel will repent and satisfy the requirements of Deuteronomy 28 and 30 and 2 Chronicles 7:14 (cf. Zech. 12:10).[90]

Spiritual Warfare, Repentance, And Community Transformation

Others use 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a basis for focusing on spiritual warfare and repentance that leads to community transformation. The assumption is that if individuals are faithful in spiritual warfare and repentance, then spiritual transformation will follow. Communities around the globe commit themselves to radical repentance and use spiritual mapping in an effort to transform communities.

Ortlund believes prospects for this generation hinge on confidence in God’s offer in 2 Chronicles 7:14.[91] Because conditions change, strategies must be changed and implemented.[92] He says the church must obey the Lord through worship and prayer as they advance against satanic opposition.[93] Though new situations may require differing strategies, Ortlund did not investigate the context of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to determine whether the application is valid.

Carr views this verse as basic to releasing God’s power, which in turn will make the church greater.[94] Making a covenant with others to repent and seek God’s face will result, he says, in true revival.[95] However, this verse says nothing about the church being made “greater.” The blessings were for the rulers of Israel in David’s kingdom (7:18), not modern church leaders focusing on revivals.

In quoting 2 Chronicles 7:14 Otis argues that a community may be positioned for a visitation by the Holy Spirit.[96] Oloyede contends that God’s representatives in a church can turn the tide regionally and citywide.[97] Community transformation, he suggests, is not a whimsical event; it is the result of a process.[98]

Similarly Bucknell maintains that a church can turn back from spiritual decline by following 2 Chronicles 7:14.[99] Social problems result from an increase in sin.[100] Hence spiritual mapping is used to saturate an area with prayer in order to break generational sins in that location.[101]

While there is scriptural justification for believers to engage in spiritual warfare (2 Cor. 6:7; 10:4; Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Tim. 1:18; 1 John 5:4), emphasizing spiritual warfare based on 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a misapplication of that verse. Humbling oneself, praying, and seeking God’s face were related to Israel’s repentance, not to the church fighting dark forces in spiritual warfare.

No scriptural evidence supports spiritual mapping and warfare to achieve community transformation. Though Daniel 10:13 and 20 indicate that angelic beings govern specific national territories, a mandate for spiritual mapping and warfare is not given. Also social problems or disasters are not automatically the result of generational sin (Luke 13:4). Otis, Oleyede, and Bucknell attempt to apply to their communities God’s answer to Solomon. However, God’s promise to Solomon related not to the church but to the nation Israel and the agricultural prosperity of that region.

The Application Of 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 In Contemporary Evangelicalism

Although Israel in the Old Testament is not congruent with contemporary evangelicalism, the principles of God’s promise to Solomon apply to a certain degree.

The principles of prayer, humility, seeking God’s face, and repentance are prescribed for believers now (James 5:13-18). However, since neither the church nor any nation is a theocracy, healing of the physical land is not guaranteed. God’s blessings are attached to obedience, His wrath extends to sinfulness,[102] and forgiveness is based on humility.[103]

Allen argues that the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is so lavish that it spills over into Christian experience.[104] And Wilcock argues that Solomon is an example of a believer engaged in true intercession before God.[105] Erickson notes that the Old Testament prophets often stated that God called Israel to repent and return to the Lord (e.g., Isa. 59:20).[106] Forsaking sin and entering into fellowship with God[107] are obviously pertinent for believers today.[108]

Second Chronicles 7:14 is also cross-referenced frequently with James 4:10 in various study Bibles.[109] The principle is that humbling oneself is a prerequisite for God’s intervention and deliverance.

Kistemaker affirms Solomon’s contention that confession of sin and praying for one another are vital ingredients for healing within a Christian community (James 5:16a). When sin is confessed, prayer is powerful and amazingly effective (v. 16b).[110] In a similar way Israel’s confession, prayer, and repentance were effective, resulting in the land being healed.

However, James 5:13-18 is not entirely parallel to 2 Chronicles 7:13-15. The latter relates to the physical healing of Israel’s land, whereas the James passage pertains to healing of individuals. Hall argues that prayers asking God to send rain and heal droughts are similar to prayers for God to heal people. Hall says that as the prayer of Elijah refreshed the earth with rain, so the prayer of a righteous believer can result in the refreshing and healing of a Christian afflicted by sickness caused by sin.[111]

Conclusion

In contemporary evangelicalism 2 Chronicles 7:14 is frequently taken out of context, largely because verses 13 and 15 are ignored. The phrase “My people” is often understood to mean either “Christians” or a designated nation, though the context clearly shows that it relates to Israel. Similarly “heal their land” is often wrongly used as a prayer formula in an effort to initiate a revival or spiritual awakening. However, a cursory analysis of verse 13 reveals that the “healing” pertained to providing rain and removing locusts and pestilence, again in Israel.

However, that does not mean that this passage is homiletically redundant. While it is not a blanket promise, the principles of humbling oneself, praying, seeking, and repenting are as applicable today as they were in Solomon’s era. Being humble, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning (repenting) are necessary for forgiveness. However, since no nation on earth is a theocracy, no guarantee exists that if those four conditions are met by believers, their nation will be healed.

Notes

1. Sara Japhet, I & II Chronicles: A Commentary (London: SCM, 1993), 615.
2. Leslie Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, Communicator’s Commentary (Waco, TX: Word, 1987), 238.
3. J. G. McConville, I & IIChronicles (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1984), 138. Andrew E. Hill reasons that this unit is a confirmatory dream report, since the theophany repeated the pattern of the Lord’s earlier appearance to Solomon at Gibeon (cf. 1 Kings 3:5). While the resemblance between the two events is noteworthy and the deduction is logical, the text neither confirms nor negates Hill’s assumption (1 & 2 Chronicles [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003], 399).
4. Richard L. Pratt Jr., 1 and 2 Chronicles (Fearn, UK: Christian Focus, 2006), 340.
5. Cyril J. Barber, 2 Chronicles (Fearn, UK: Christian Focus, 2004), 58.
6. H. G. M. Williamson, 1 and 2 Chronicles, New Century Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 225.
7. Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, 238.
8. Steven S. Tuell, First and Second Chronicles (Louisville: John Knox, 2001), 142.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Japhet, 1 & II Chronicles, 615.
12. Leslie C. Allen, “2 Chronicles,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999), 3:500.
13. Pratt, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 342.
14. Ibid., 239.
15. Tuell, First and Second Chronicles, 142.
16. Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, 239.
17. Ibid.
18. Martin J. Selman, 2 Chronicles: A Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1994), 338.
19. J. A. Thompson, 1, 2 Chronicles, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994), 235.
20. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 342.
21. Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon, 1955), 488.
22. Stephen D. Renn, ed., Expository Dictionary of Bible Words (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005), 502.
23. McConville, I & II Chronicles, 139.
24. Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, 239.
25. Hill, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 400.
26. McConville, I & II Chronicles, 139.
27. Hill, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 400.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Barber, 2 Chronicles, 58.
31. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 342.
32. Selman, 2 Chronicles: A Commentary, 339.
33. Brown, Driver, and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, 950.
34. William D. Mounce, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 324.
35. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 343.
36. Selman, 2 Chronicles: A Commentary, 340.
37. Israel was a theocracy and the people prayed at the temple for healing of the physical land if they repented from their wicked ways. Although the principles of 2 Chronicles 7:14 remain, since God does not change (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; James 1:17), one cannot assume that all the covenant promises in 2 Chronicles 7 apply to believers today.
38. Hill, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 400.
39. Tuell, First and Second Chronicles, 143.
40. Selman, 2 Chronicles: A Commentary, 338.
41. Rich Cathers, “2 Chronicles 7:12-14,” http://www.preceptaustin.org/2_Chron-icles_commentaries.htm., 1 (accessed on August 20, 2009).
42. Ibid.
43. Ibid.
44. B. Press, “Miracle in Trinidad,” http://www.christianresearchservice.com/Benny-Hinn.html., 1 (accessed August 24, 2009).
45. M. Seun, “Benny Hinn was in Nigeria. Redemption Camp, April 29-30,” http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-155.0.html (accessed on August 24, 2009).
46. Ibid., 1.
47. John L. Standford, Healing the Nations (London: Monarch, 2000), 25.
48. Ibid.
49. Ibid.
50. Thomas Ice and Robert Dean, Overrun by Demons (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1990), 153.
51. Cathers, “2 Chronicles 7:12-14,” 1.
52. Ernest J. Gruen, Touching the Heart of God (Whitaker, PA: Springdale, 1986), 126.
53. Ibid., 127.
54. Ice and Dean, Overrun by Demons, 153.
55. Ibid.
56. Ibid.
57. Vivian Lowe, “The History America Chose to Forget,” http//www.njale.com-/news8.htm, cited in Charisma Magazine, November 2000, 1 (accessed on June 30, 2009).
58. Ibid.
59. Ibid.
60. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 498.
61. Ibid.
62. Ibid.
63. Ibid.
64. Ibid.
65. “Prayer for Your Nation,” Christianity Today, http:www.christianitytoday.com-/biblestudies/questions/spirituallife/pray3.html (accessed on August 24, 2009).
66. Ibid.
67. G. Power, “Global Day of Prayer 10 Day Guide,” http://www.globaldayof-prayer.com/downloads/GDOP09Int_Guide.pdf, 1 (accessed on August 24, 2009).
68. Ibid.
69. Ibid.
70. Ibid.
71. Ibid.
72. J. Barton Payne, “2 Chronicles,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 462.
73. Ibid.
74. John Woolmer, Thinking Clearly about Prayer (Grand Rapids: Monarch, 2001), 228.
75. Ibid., 229.
76. Matthew Backholer, Revival Fires and Awakenings (Liskeard, UK: Diggory, 2006), 209.
77. Williamson, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 225.
78. Arthur Wallis, Rain from Heaven (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1979), 97.
79. Ibid.
80. Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 159.
81. Nickey Gumbel, The Heart of Revival (Eastbourne, UK: Kingsway, 1997), iv.
82. Backholer, Revival Fires and Awakenings, 149.
83. Ibid., 162.
84. Ibid., 169.
85. Wesley L. Duewel, Touch the World through Prayer (Grand Rapids: Asbury, 1986), 176.
86. Dave Roberts, “Victory on Your Knees,” Alpha 6 (1995): 4.
87. Ibid, 4-5.
88. J. Dwight Pentecost, Thy Kingdom Come (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1995), 196.
89. Ibid., 204.
90. Ibid., 312.
91. Raymond C. Ortlund, Revival Went from God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000), 171
92. Ibid.
93. Ibid.
94. Alan Carr, “2 Chronicles 7:14 God’s Recipe for Power In the Church,” http://ser-monnotebook.org/old%20testament/2_chron7_14.htm, 1 (accessed on August 24, 2009).
95. Ibid.
96. George Otis Jr., Informed Intercession (Ventura, CA: Renew, 1999), 55.
97. Jonathan D. Oloyede, “Glory House Prayer Letter,” http://www.prayer-alert.net/PrayerAlert/Letter_to_UK_Leaders.pdf, 1 (accessed on August 24, 2009).
98. Otis, Informed Intercession, 55.
99. Paul J. Bucknell, “Revival: God’s Action Plan (Part II) 2 Chronicles 7:14,” http//www.foundationsforfreedom.net…/2Chronicles07.14Revival2.html, 1 (accessed on August 24, 2009).
100. Ibid.
101. Lowe, “The History America Chose to Forget,” 1.
102. Peter Beck, “The Change America Needs,” http://www.crosswalk.com/bloggs-/beck/11603794, 1 (accessed on June 6, 2009).
103. Ibid.
104. Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, 239.
105. Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chronicles: One Church, One Faith, One Lord (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1987), 152.
106. Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 936.
107. Ibid.
108. Ibid.
109. Examples include the New King James Bible, the Key Word Study Bible, and the New Geneva Study Bible.
110. Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Epistle of James and the Epistles of John (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986), 178.
111. R. Hall, The Letter of James (Valley Forge, PA: Trinity International, 1997), 268.