Victory is the cry of our hearts, echoing our deepest desires for ourselves and our nation. Every day, we fervently implore, ‘Oh, Lord, bring healing to our land! ‘ I have heard the familiar verse from 2 Chronicles quoted more in the last few years than in the rest of my life.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

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The urgent call for prayer has quickly spread across our nation, sparking a profound and impactful movement. The resurgence of passionate intercession for our country within the Christian community is truly extraordinary. Each week, I am encouraged by the news of new prayer gatherings emerging to pray for our nation, including the recent one in Washington, D.C. A Million Women was a remarkable assembly of prayer warriors from all corners of the United States. It seems like every minister, pastor, and prophet is fervently encouraging everyone to “PRAY! PRAY!”

Are we missing something?

Rightly so. Prayer is crucial and powerful. According to the Bible, prayer can make great power available and is dynamic in its working. However, as we focus on prayer, are we overlooking something important? We pray for the healing of our land, but are we ignoring the necessary steps? The Bible states that if those who are called by My name will humble themselves, pray, and seek My face…”

First, before prayer – comes a humbling of oneself. Perhaps even a humbling of a nation.

A friend once told me that God spoke to her: “There is a pride in America that they are untouchable; they are not.” This is a frightening and profound statement. Why? Because pride makes us touchable and vulnerable. The Bible warns us that pride goes before a fall.

As I meditated on 2 Chronicles 7:14, If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land, the Lord began revealing to me the importance of doing first things first.

The First Requirement for Effective Prayer for the Nation

The first requirement for healing our land is not to pray but to humble ourselves. We see this same thing in the life of Jesus Christ. What was the first thing Jesus did? Philippians 2:8 says, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The first thing Jesus did before He could begin the journey to victory at the cross was to humble Himself. He had to empty Himself of everything He knew about Himself. This was the prerequisite before the long journey that would inevitably lead to ultimate victory. The same is true for us today.

We will not see victory until we first humble ourselves. With hundreds of ministers compelling us to pray, I believe we have a mass number of Christians across the globe praying for the deliverance of our nation. But have we completed the first thing? Have we skipped an important step? Have we humbled ourselves?

Without the first thing, humility, the second thing, prayer, will have no lasting power.

The Consequences of Pride are Unavoidable

It was pride that brought the wrath of God on Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:25-26).

It was pride that brought destruction to Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16).

Andrew Murray said, “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.”

The Bible is clear: only the humble will be exalted. It is also clear that pride goes before a fall. Pride comes first, then destruction (Prov 16:18). Think about that today: if America has felt untouchable as a nation, is that not pride? Would that not come before destruction?

No one wants to see our country destroyed. That is why we pray so fervently. We desire victory for ourselves, our families, and our nation. And we can still have it. It is part of God’s plan for us. Yet, we must do it His way. His way demands that we first humble ourselves and then pray from a place of humility.

We can be proud of our nation without being a prideful nation. We must never forget that we were founded on God and His principles.

We can’t allow pride to remain in us. If we do, make no mistake about it; God will humble us.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Prov. 11:2).

The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished (Prov. 16:5).

The Blessings of Humility are Unmistakable

On the other hand, Proverbs 22:4 says, True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. (NLT) Isn’t this the ultimate vision for our families and our nation? Do we long for abundance, honor, and a long, peaceful life? If the answer is yes, then we must prioritize certain fundamental principles.

Humility must be our foremost concern. Acknowledging our pride in ourselves, our nation, and our leaders is essential. Then, we must seek to rectify it.

Pride promotes anger, hostility, and conflict and ends in disgrace. But when we repent and walk in true humility, we pray with conviction and power.

Please share your prayer for humility in the comments.

Kim Potter is the author of Deeper Still, a 90-day devotional on a deeper relationship with God. She is also the founder of A New Thing Ministries, which sends a daily teaching to thousands of people all around the world. Her articles have appeared on The Elijah List, in Charisma Magazine, and on Spirit Fuel and iBelieve.com. Kim’s message is one of hope. She speaks to the hearts of those who have grown discouraged or disappointed by the circumstances of life, to impart hope. To order her new book or receive her daily encouraging writings, visit her website at www.anewthingministries.com, or Books Archives – A New Thing Ministries. Photo credit: digitalskillet from Getty Images.