if my people will pray

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 sins, and will heal their land.
 
We love to quote this Scripture, but do we really understand what this Scripture is about?  The only people saying this prayer are intercessors and intercessors are not compromisers.  The folks who pray in earnest have already turned from their wicked ways.  The righteous live to seek His face every day.  What in our land needs to be healed?  Christians take this Scripture out of context and turn it into a prayer.  If we will go to the proceeding verse then verse  fourteen will become more clear.
 
2 Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land,
or if I send pestilence among My people.
 
Solomon and Israel just spent many days offering sacrifices to the Lord, they were in good standing with the Lord.  In these two Scriptures God is telling Israel what to do if they should ever return to their wicked ways.  God promises to heal the land, that means the draught, the swarm of locusts and the plagues of sickness.  Healing the land has nothing to do with the leaders of government, these Scriptures applied to Israel and any error they would lend themselves to.  This prayer suggestion was for Israel, but God gave us our prayer to pray for our nation.
 
1 Timothy 2:1-2 first of all supplications, prayer, intercessions and giving thanks be made for all men: for kings, prime ministers and presidents, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.
 
This invitation to pray is for the new covenant church and it applies to our times and conditions.  One day I asked the Lord how long it would take for the leaders to change so I could lead a quiet and peaceable life.  He said the conduct of leaders has nothing to do with my peaceable life.  He told me that when I pray, then I could lead a peaceable and quiet life.  We have better promises founded on better promises and we should accept these promises rather than the ones God made with Israel.  People who practice wickedness are not praying.  Todays intercessors are not practicing sin.  An intercessor has sanctified themselves and God hears and responds to their prayers.
 
Israel was told what to pray for should they backslide and move away from the will of God.  They were praying for themselves but in the new covenant, God wants His people called by His Name to pray for the entire world.  An intercessor is always given specific instructions of what to pray for and it almost always pertains to the sin and errors of the temporary non-believers.  If a man was not an intercessor and God showed him the conditions of people he would be nothing more than a judge.  God shows intercessors intimate details of sinners lives because He trusts them to pray and not judge.
 
Prayers spoken in faith and love open doors for the Holy Ghost to enter the sinners thinking.  God gave dominion to man so he cannot do what he pleases, prayers give him permission.  When Jesus went to His home town He could not heal everybody because some would not receive from His anointing.  He could not force anyone to be healed or saved.  We need God and He needs our prayers.  What an honor to be an intercessor.