“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. “Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. (Eze 36:24-28 NKJ)

The Word of God can express the will of God. However, nothing is guaranteed.  Sometimes in the Word expresses the foreknowledge of God and the reality of man’s rebellion, that goes against and in opposition to the divine Will of God. The Jews rejection of Jesus as Messiah may have surprised the disciples, yet scripture in other places talks about the gospel and the outpouring of the Spirit being poured out on all flesh.

Contextually, Ezekiel is talking about Israel and a:

1.      Returning to a land

2.      Cleansing

3.      Filling with his Spirit

4.      Salvation (new heart + spirit)

5.      Transformation (change)

6.      Causing the people to want to keep the commandments (Dabar = words) and statutes

This isn’t a case of choosing four out of six.  When this happens, you will see everything mentioned in Ezekiel take place. Israel will be changed, not the man-made political state of Zion we see today. The Orthodox Jew will tell you; they are looking for a city who’s builder is God.

So what about America? Why is it that we seem to expect God to turn a blind eye to all our antics, such as ‘manifest Destiney’ (typical of all imperial colonial empires, not just America) and bless us anyway? As a Christian how should I pray for this great nation?

1.      Pray for the land. Asking forgiveness from those First Nation peoples that I (we) oppressed and stole from. Then ask God for forgiveness for the way we have taking his creation and in places made it void and empty. (Fracking, oil exploration, open cast mining, dumping of waste and chemicals) Then and only then, asking him to bless the land.

2.      Cleanse us from all idolatry. (our trust in the power of money, military might and nationalism that takes the place of God)

3.      Ask him to pour out his Spirit on all flesh. (Joel 2+3)

4.      Give America a new heart and spirit

5.      Change us.

6.      Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. (Pro 3:5-7 NKJ)

Then and only then can we truly ask God to bless America.