2 Chronicles 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.
“…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” ~Matthew 6:9
During the Dedication of the newly constructed Temple, Solomon prayed to God, asking Him to forgive and restore the people of Israel when they sinned (2 Chronicles 6:12-42). God then told Solomon (in the verse above) that, when the Israelites sinned, they would be restored after going through a four-step process. God’s Word is eternal; therefore, this four-step process has unequivocal application to Christians today. Christians ARE God’s people called by His name.
STEP 1: Humility
The first step in spiritual restoration is humility. To start the restoration process we must first recognize our nothingness before an Almighty God. I have neither rights nor commendation before God. On my own, I am both guilty and unworthy to be in his Holy presence. God is everything; I am nothing.
…the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. ~Habakkuk 2:20
STEP 2: Prayer
The second step in spiritual restoration is prayer. Prayer is an act of humility. Prayer is NOT presenting God with a list of desires. God DOES care about our needs and He instructs us to “cast all our cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7).
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” ~Matthew 6:10
However, Jesus showed us that the primary purpose of prayer is to prepare persons to perform the perfect will of God (Matthew 6: 9-13, Luke 22:42).
And he… prayed, Saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” ~Luke 22:41-42
After we humble ourselves before God, we then seek to discover His will for our lives through prayer.
STEP 3: Communion/Fellowship
The third step in spiritual restoration is communion with God: ‘seeking God’s face’. To ‘seek God’s face’ is to live in His presence: to commune/fellowship with Him. Prayer is the doorway through which we enter into communion with God. Scripture instructs us to seek God, and to do so “continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 27:8, Psalm 105:4). To commune/fellowship with God is to live one’s life every second as if serving before God’s throne in heaven. It is to be in constant dialogue with God. It is to be intimate with God: talking with Him “face-to-face”:
“Give us this day our daily bread.” ~Matthew 6:11
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend… ~Exodus 33:11a
To “seek God’s face” is to walk with God as Enoch did: in such close fellowship that the line between earth and heaven becomes blurred. When Moses communed with God he came so close that after the experience his face shone (Exodus 34:34-35). Paul communed with God and was caught up in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-3). God wants to lead us from humility into prayer; and from prayer into communion with Him.
STEP 4: Repentance
The fourth and final step in spiritual restoration is repentance: turning from “wicked ways”. Repentance is the offspring of communion. This is not the same “repentance” that is a prerequisite for salvation (Acts 3:19), because this passage was addressed to “my people, which are called by my name”. So, God was addressing those who are already in the fold. Repentance for believers is described in Romans 12:2 as transformation by a renewing of our minds.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” ~Matt. 6:13a
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” ~Romans 12:2
God intends to bring us from humility into prayer, from prayer into communion with God and finally communion gives birth to repentance (mental renewal): a change in mindset allows us to turn from our “wicked ways”.
Start… and You Will Finish
These four steps of spiritual restoration, though sequential, are not independent of each other. The believer that humbles himself before The Almighty God will pray, because he recognizes that he must submit to the will of the Lord of Hosts. The believer that discerns the will of God through prayer must also ‘seek God’s face’, because to walk in the will of God is to walk in communion with God. And the believer that walks in communion with God cannot help but have his mind renewed.
please help me, I am undergoing a process spiritual rehabilitation, It is very shameful, fearful, painful. I need someone to pray for me. I was homosexual before but I fall again. My testimony as christian was destroy. I am confuse, doubt, and emotionally depress. Please help me in prayer. May God bless you richly! Thank you so much!
We are thankful to God that he used this message to give you a blessing. May His name be glorified.
Regarding your struggle with sin, please be assured that many, many believers also struggle with repetitive sin. Indeed, the fact that you are remorseful is an indication of God’s activity in your life. He hasn’t given up on you and neither should we. We pray that you will overcome this weakness as He transforms you by the renewing of your mind. Study His word constantly, pray without ceasing and draw strength from The Holy Spirit which indwells your life. We will lift you up in our prayers.
Finally, I recommend that you read “Sin doesn’t come in Sizes“, it might help you to gain perspective on your situation.
God bless!!
really the word is so reviving and opening of mind ,,,,the word itself is making us to understand that we are nolonger the same if we are in Christ and he has made it possible for us to be called his children not only that but if we go in wrong ways but he never forsake us but always brings us back through is mercy.
Am grately Blessed and refreshed. Thank you.
Praise the Lord!!!
i feel much blessed and thankful to God for this massage.. I am renewed in Jesus name
Thanks for sharing vhuhwavho! Please pray that God will continue to work through Reflections in The Word to bless others and Glorify Himself.
Take care, and we hope to hear from you soon!
Thanks for enlightening me the word “Restorer” came to me spiritually n this breaks it down so perfectly for me. Thank you
THANKS, Angie!!!
Please keep us in your prayers that God might strengthen and lead us.
God bless you.
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I am a man of God who have mission to de populate the kingdom of hell and to populate the kingdom of heaven I fell into sin and I sincerely need prayer for restoration
Hi Enoch,
Sadly, many of us do fall into sin. In The Bible, David, Peter, Abraham and many more stumbled. But, Praise be to God, He lifts us up when we turn to Him and repent. Whatever, the sin is that you fell into, do not stay down. Turn to God, call on Him repent and recommit your life to His service. And then, by the grace fueled empowerment of God, sin no more.
May God bless and keep you my brother.
please kindly pray with me i need more of God in my life,marriage and to make heaven.
I feel so privileged to have read your work.
Hi BJ,
Thanks for stopping by and many more thanks for your encouragement. However, the privilege is all mine: I am blessed and honored by those who chose to visit this website.
Take care and may God richly bless you.
thank you
I need mental restoration from my schedule.
Hi Svetlana,
Could you explain some more what you mean?
Hello, my name is Elaine and I was raised by my uncle who’s also the pastor of the church home that I grew up in. He’s a great man one of God’s chosen. Love him very much. I was raised being taught about the goodness of our heavenly father. But as all children do we go on to live our live in what ever way that may be. Thinking that we know it all, we can do it all, And the world is ours. Giving into any pleasure we desire. Even unto the love of money, etc . etc basically all things not of God. I myself am guilty of this. But in the last few years my life has been spinning completely, completely out of control. My health started depleting , my job went from bad to worse still employed but I started getting garnishments from my pay. Not able to pay my bills. I was working O T like a crazy person. Then I got hurt on my job. Because of working so much. Ended up being off work. Had to have surgery do to my work injury. Work comp. Denied my claim. So now I’m not working and I have no income. The Devil is all over me. Anyway I was totally lost. Went to my basement got down on my knees told God all about my trouble. FAITH…… me raised by a man of God’s own choosing so I knew I knew. So I kept on praying, praying and praying. I was doubting my FAITH. Oh I’m 42 years old 2 children. Things had got so bad. I was truly, truly sinking !!! Went to bed that night but not be for talking to God again. This time it was different it was different. I renewed my faith in the Lord JESUS Christ. And miracles started happening. We must have faith when we Go in secret prayer with the father. I am a witness that he will hear you when you pray he will, he will answer! !!! But you must it is a must that you have faith in your heart when you are talking with God. He will show up. PLEASE, PLEASE try him he’s real. AMEN.
Amen, Elaine, Amen!
Hi my name is Rockson. I’m nineteen years of age and really love ❤ to do the work of God almighty but I it’s not easy for me. I pray effectively, do evangelism, winning souls for Christ but my Christian life is very tough not easy at all. So what should I do to help me fulfill my dream? I really needs support to help me wins more souls.
Hi Rockson,
It’s wonderful to meet a brother in Christ. And it’s inspiring to meet a brother in Christ who earnestly desires to serve Him as you do.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us.
To address your question, Rockson:
FIRST remember that you do not win souls, none of us can do that. Believers are to teach/proclaim/share the Gospel. It is The Holy Spirit at work in the soul of an unsaved person and “wins” that soul for Christ (read Romans 10, Matthew 13, John 12). So your job is to keep on teaching/proclaiming/sharing the Gospel with as many people as God leads you to. God will do the rest.
SECOND, though sharing the gospel is a critical part of a Believer’s life, it is not the only part, and it is not our only purpose. God made us to glorify Him. And He enables us to do that in many ways. For example, Paul was a great missionary who spread that Gospel far and wide on his missionary journeys. But, later on, God transitioned Paul from missionary work to writing letters to early churches who needed encouragement and correction. In so doing, Paul, through those letters, assembled/codified the Christian doctrine in the Bible for Believers to live by until Christ returns. God absolutely wants us to share the Gospel of Christ, but sometimes He has other work for us to do as well.
THIRD, The support any believer needs should come from his/her local church assembly. Pray that God will find a good bible believing church for you. And become a part of the fellowship there. God will use the members of that church to support your growth as a man of God.
God’s best to you Rockson. Keep in touch.
iam hapi to read such a great msg in my transformation week. the devil has fought me for the last years but after accepting Jesus as my personal saviour. this week I set to free every perao. oppressed because of ( iam forgiving every person who hurt mi in any way) I have chosen to declare God’s goodness and let him do good work in me. please let’s stand still because the one we believe in is living
Amen!! That is both great news and a great message, Patrick!
Now study God’s Word (the Bible) and the Holy Spirit will cause you to grow spiritually.
Praise be to God.it is not untill i found this page that i got peace.I love God and i alway desire to serve and live for Him fairhfully.But every moment i decide to do so,i go for months and i find myself back in sins in a way i don understand.it has pained my heart always .I serve as a keyboardist in church….i feel it hard to confess to my pastor.but the bible says…confess ur sins and u shall be forgiven…..I hav confesses and repented before God though l feel I need that power to hold me from sins of commission.am sad because this falling and rising is becoming a trend and i want to grow spiritually to be able to overcome.help me out of this Kadesh barnea.David.
Hi David,
What you describe is a problem for many Christians. So much so that we wrote about it a while back, click this link to read it https://reflectionsintheword.org/2010/05/19/sin-doesnt-come-in-sizes/. It is one of our more popular articles and we hope it has been of help to those who have read it.
Here is an excerpt:
“It is the combination of God’s mercy (as He patiently works with us) and His Word (as it transforms our mindset) that ultimately breaks the power of sin over our lives… If God has started the transformation process in us, He won’t stop working (even if He has to use with trials to get it done). God won’t quit on you… so don’t quit on yourself!!!”
Don’t give up David.
Hope I Have Gotten Much More Than What I Wanted In This Page. This Post Just Helped Me Prepare A Song Lyrics On “Restoration” In Line With D Steps, Which We Would Present In My Local Church For A Competition. Off Course, Am A Keyboardist In My Church.. Thanks Dave. More Grace To Dispatch The Gospel. Prince
Good morning all,
I was just thinking on the word restoration while praying, so I decided to search the web to see just what the bible really says about restoration, especially about breakups/separation/divorce, etc. and once I came across your site and I began to read and I only read a couple sentences and I was TRULY BLESSED by my readings/findings from your insight… Thank you SO MUCH, I just feel like crying, because what I read was just that GOOD… May God Continue to so Richly Bless You…
Thanks for your encouragement, sister Andrea. Please keep us in your prayers.
God bless you!!!
May God bless you
Hello, I am on a quest to restore my heart from the pain endured in my past. This process has taught me so much because I didn’t realize I was hurting.
Im ronald Okuyi Akula from Kenya. thank you so much for this piece of work.Its quite encouraging
What if missed repentance step in restoration process, God gave me a chance too repent return and believe or listen to voice of deception in that moment enemy had heart blocked with lies and made me.think God was against and had me.leave God and listen to him to fall away and now I am a lost person and don’t have the spirit and I want to come back and be a Christian enemy had stronghold on me and I want to return and not be with the enemy please help someone I failed and turned back but I want to come back. Marsha
Dear Marsha,
I hope to reply in more detail soon. But, in the mean time, remember that nothing can separate you from God’ love. If you are His child, He will always make a way for you to come back to Him.
Romans 8:34-39
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Marsha,
In the sequence, repentance is the fourth and final step. Therefore, if you “missed it” it might just mean that you are still working on step three, communion/fellowship.
In addition, the steps are all ongoing: they overlap. As we grow in fellowship with God, He is also transforming us to be more and more like Jesus.
Finally, don’t forget Philippians 1:6
It is God who sees us through to the end. If we put our trust in Jesus for our salvation, God is at work in us thenceforth for our sanctification. So DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE.