If you are serious . . .

Yesterday I ran across this passage in the Bible, and it really spoke to me about our current situation in our own country! I'm sharing this account from The Message because the meaning is so clear.

Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: "If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship Him and Him alone, and He'll save you from Philistine oppression."

They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to God.

Next Samuel said, "Get everybody together at Mizpah and I'll pray for you."

So everyone assembled at Mizpah. They drew water from the wells and poured it out before God in a ritual of cleansing. They fasted all day and prayed, "We have sinned against God."

So Samuel prepared the Israelites for holy war there at Mizpah.

1 Samuel 7:3-6

Clean house! Isn't that great? I'm in the mood to do some spiritual housecleaning. I want to get rid of all the weights and sins that are so easily besetting me. I want to put God first in my life!

They fasted all day and prayed, "We have sinned against God." Again, we see those three elements - fasting, prayer and repentance - are necessary for the nation to get right with God.
It's not enough to pray; we must fast. It's not enough to fast; we must repent of our own sins and the sins of our nation. We are waking up and we will arise!!