Is It Time To Seek The Lord?

Part 1 – The Background and the Blessing

There are times when the Spirit of God moves in obvious ways — when people are desperate, when the bottom has dropped out, when tragedy drives hearts to prayer. But there are also quieter seasons, when everything seems fine, when the bills are paid, the barns are full, the church looks steady. That’s when the greatest danger lurks — complacency.

The story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14–16 shows that God can send revival not only in adversity but in abundance. Revival is not limited to war, persecution, or collapse. It can happen right in the middle of comfort. And if God can awaken a nation at peace, He can awaken His people today.

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1. A Revival Born in Prosperity

When Asa became king, Judah was stable. Trade was thriving. Walls stood firm. No enemy threatened the gates. It would have been easy to adopt the national motto, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” But Asa wouldn’t settle for status quo. He saw the quiet drift of hearts away from God and knew that spiritual decay doesn’t always come with smoke and ruin. Sometimes it comes softly, disguised as contentment.

So Asa began to tear down idols, cleanse the high places, and call the people back to covenant faithfulness. He didn’t wait for a crisis. He acted in prosperity. He risked unpopularity, even economic loss, because he believed righteousness was worth more than comfort.

That’s already a sermon for us. We pray for revival when life hurts; we rarely pray for it when life’s good. But God’s greatest works often begin when someone dares to disturb the peace of a sleepy heart.

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2. Reformation vs. Revival

Reformation and revival are cousins but not twins. Reformation starts when the Word of God reforms thinking and behavior — a moral course correction. Revival begins deeper, when the heart awakens, repents, and receives life from above.

Reformation can be managed by human effort; revival must be breathed by God. You can rearrange habits, rewrite schedules, and still remain spiritually lifeless. But when God revives, life surges where there was form without pulse.

Asa’s reforms were the kindling; God’s Spirit was the flame. The king called Judah to obey the law — but the people needed more than rules. They needed renewed hearts. So do we. Discipline can clean the surface, but only grace changes desire.

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3. The Gift and Test of Prosperity

The Chronicler says, “the land had rest.” Peace is a gift, but also a test. Ease can dull the edge of dependence. Asa understood that peace time is training time. He built fortified cities, organized defenses, and kept the nation ready. While others grew comfortable, Asa prepared. That’s faith in action — grace that doesn’t get lazy.

We often assume prosperity follows revival. In Asa’s story, prosperity preceded it. Blessing itself became the stage for awakening. Sometimes God’s goodness, not His judgment, pierces our hearts. Romans 2:4 says, “The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” When we realize we’re unworthy of such favor, that’s when revival begins.

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4. Seeking the Lord

The phrase that defines Asa’s life appears again and again: “He sought the Lord.” In 48 verses about Asa, the verb seek appears nine times. That’s not repetition; that’s emphasis. His success and his failures both hinge on that single practice.

To seek the Lord is not a casual glance toward heaven; it’s pursuit. Psalm 105:4 says, “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.” It’s relational, not theoretical. Like searching a crowd for the one face that matters. That’s what worship is — locking eyes with the God who already sees you.

When Asa called the nation to seek the Lord, he was inviting them into that intimacy. He destroyed the idols, yes, but more importantly he cleared space for relationship. Seeking means tuning every other noise down until only God’s voice remains clear.

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5. Why Revival Rarely Lasts

Many reformations fade because they stop at behavior. People clean up, straighten out, but never kneel down. Judah had reformation long before it had revival. And reformation without revival produces religion without life.

Man can reform; only God can revive. You can manage habits through discipline, but you cannot resurrect a heart through willpower. Revival is God breathing life into dry obedience — and that’s why we need Him daily.

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6. Peace Through Obedience

When Judah sought the Lord, 2 Chronicles 14:7 records Asa’s testimony: “The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.”

Peace wasn’t the absence of enemies; it was the presence of God. The nation’s security wasn’t in its walls but in its worship. And the same is true for us. No amount of savings, status, or strategy can do what the favor of God does for a soul that seeks Him.