When we envision the idea of seeking God with our face down, the picture that comes to mind is one of bowing low before our heavenly Father, and thus it should be. We are approaching Him with abject humility. As representatives of the nations, we are confessing our sins and the sins of our cultures to God, beseeching Him to extend mercy and forgiveness, asking Him to move in His compassion and heal our land.
Yet in the humbling of our souls, let us not discard the reality and power of faith. For without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews. 11:1-6). Yes, let us bow low, yet let us also stand in faith, for the mixture of humility and faith is a potent fragrance.
According to examples in Scripture, this humble yet audacious faith truly moves the heart of God. Consider the Canaanite woman who answered what appeared to be an insult from Jesus: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs” (Matthew 15:27). Hers wasn’t an arrogant reply, but the voice of a desperate woman for her daughter. Jesus’ answer tells me she had the perfect attitude of heart: “O woman, your faith is great” (v.28).
Or recall Elijah as he climbed Mt Carmel and, with his “face between his knees,” prayed seven times that an extended drought in Israel might end. The cloudless sky presented the illusion that the Almighty was unmoved by Elijah’s intercession. Yet when Elijah’s servant reported that there was, in fact, one cloud, a tiny wisp of a cloud the size of a man’s hand, Elijah’s faith recognized God’s answer to prayer. Within a few minutes, this tiny cloud, activated by Elijah’s faith in God, was transformed into a massive downpour that ended three-and-a-half years of national drought.
(See 1 Kings 18:42-45.)
The Bible has many examples of the power of faith when coupled to humility. If we will see a spiritual outpouring in our land, we will need to stay low in the act of intercession. Yet we will also need faith in the goodness of God. Humility empowered by visionary faith equals breakthrough.
Lord, like Elijah, I too bow low before You. I humble myself before You. Forgive our sins, Lord God, for they are many. Show Yourself mighty against our enemies. Master, even as we bow low before you, we refuse to give up on our nation. Lord, forgive, heal and then empower us to bring the lost to You. Let Your name be exalted throughout the land and Your mercy lifted to the heavens. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission http://www.frangipane.org/