(2Ch 7:14) If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.

It's a 4 step process according to this verse on how to be forgiven and the land to be healed. Solomon had prayed to God concerning his people in hopes that God would open his ears to their prayers. The above passage is God's response to Solomon. Obviously, Christ has paid the ultimate penalty for our sins. But for one to assume no responsibility just because they are now followers of Christ, in my opinion, is more than naive. Lets take a deeper look at the verse. Humble means to be meek, submissive and penitent. Meek here seems to mean not proud, submissive to the divine will and not complaining about that divine will. Submissive is yielding to the will or power of God, obedient, acknowledging our inferiority. Penitent is one who is sorrowful on account of their transgressions. One who repents of sin. So the first thing we must do is to realize our sin and come humbly before God ready to yield to his will, giving up our own. Pray is to ask God with reverence, adoration and humility. To petition. Reverence is fear mingled with respect and esteem. Adoration goes along with reverence in that it gives God high honor. An example is to bow, kneel or lay prostrate before God. Humility is a deep sense of our own unworthiness in the sight of God. Petition is a prayer addressed to God for something needed or desired. So the second thing we must do is to pray to God, but not with this list of 'you owe me, so give me- give me - give me', but rather with a deep understanding of who we are compared to who God is. A respect and a reverence that brings us to our knees as we petition our great King. Seek is to make a search, endeavor, to discover, to attempt to find. Endeavor means to attempt to gain. An exertion of physical strength or the intellectual powers. Discover is to reveal or make known. We discover what before existed, though to us it was unknown. So for the third thing, we must seek, but how do we seek? We seek by reading God's word. It is all right there before us, we just need to take advantage of it. I discover things in the Bible everyday that make me stand in awe. It has always been there, but only when I seek it out, is when I will find what he wants me to know. Seeking is not always easy either. I did not want to read my Bible tonight. I struggled with my flesh. I wanted to sleep or go on the Internet and just veg out. Seeking God can be such an exertion of my strength and mind, just like the definition says. And many times I don't want to make the effort but I'm always glad when I do. Turn means to transform, to turn evil to good. To change direction. To adapt the mind. Transform Changing from being enmity to God, into the image of God. Adapt To make suitable, to become what we were meant to become and be used how we were meant to be used. Wicked is deviating from the divine law, sinful, immoral. Everything contrary to the moral law. Now the last thing that we must do is to turn. We must turn from our wicked ways. Most people would never admit they are wicked, they define wicked as the very evil who kill and destroy. But God defined wicked as anyone who did contrary to his law. Thus us liars - are wicked, even the little white lies, still make us wicked. We must transform ourselves into the image or likeness of God, turning from our fleshy desires and becoming vessels God can use, the way he desires us to be used.

Now what happens when we humble, pray, seek and turn? He will hear us, forgive us and heal our land. Go ahead and try it. I have, and it is amazing.

All definitions are from the original Websters dictionary.