43 PRAY FOR RESTORATION.

Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

     —2 Chronicles 33:12–13

Not all afflictions come from the enemy or from worldly persecution. Some affliction comes upon us from the hand of the Lord (Ps. 88:7). Instead of imploring God to vindicate you when affliction comes, pray for God to reveal the source. If God has afflicted you, then …

1.     Implore God. Don’t run away and tried to hide. Come clean. Confess. Run to God in the midst of your affliction. Stop complaining. Don’t become bitter. His affliction is to make you better not bitter.

2.     Humble yourself. Let your pride be crushed. Stop protesting how victimized you have become. Refuse to assert that “I deserve better than this.” Truthfully, when you have done your best, you will still fall short of His best for you. In grace, God makes up the gap between your effort and His expectation. Your best is never a reason for pride; it’s only an opportunity to serve God and see God multiply what little you have done into a great harvest.

3.     Entreat and supplicate. Persistently come into His presence. Prostrate yourself before Almighty God in worship and praise.

4.     Receive restoration. Receiving is much different than taking. The taker believes he deserves to get what he deserves. The receiver acknowledges that he has done nothing to earn the free gift of grace coming from the Father. Receive restoration as a free gift not a right.

Are you ready to pray for restoration? Such prayer moves from self-centered to being centered on God. Restoration never happens because we deserve it; restoration always comes to the humbled supplicant who prays:

God,

Restore me to Your presence, so that I may worship and serve You—receiving your restoration so that I may continually be in Your presence. Amen.