Heal Our Land
“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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
About the Song
Heal Our Land has been through many iterations over the past 25 years, but the first version dates back to 1993. I was out for a “prayer walk'' at a local park when I felt like the lyrics and melody for a song of intercession were “downloaded” into my heart. Did God inspire this song for a special purpose? I wondered. But even if He did, it was still my job to develop the idea further.
In 2001, I released a version titled “Father, Heal Our Land” to a 9/11 tribute website. I was thrilled to receive positive comments from as far away as the United Kingdom. I knew I had something relatable, not just to my own country, but to others around the globe. I later entered the song into a national competition and was encouraged to keep working on it, which I did. In 2016, I pulled it out again and realized that, while 80% of the lyrics were still relevant, the music needed a major rewrite to give it a more contemporary feel. But rewrites don’t come easy at times, and I struggled with it over the next couple of years. Finally, in 2020, with the whole world in a state of upheaval and chaos, it was time to get it done.
About the Video
I’d like to believe that when a person watches this video, it will be like sending up a prayer of healing for our nation and all nations in the world. Images were specifically selected to be inclusive and relevant to countries beyond our borders.
While on the surface, this video may seem to simply be about how our nation has not physically shared the wealth of our storehouses with hungry and hurting people in third world nations, but on a spiritual level, it is about how the church needs to rise up in this hour and share the message of Jesus Christ with those who are hungry and looking for hope in a hurting world. The images of wheat growing in the field, grain pouring from the harvester’s hands, and the various loaves of bread point to Christ in the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, and illustrate our desire to go forth with a greater resolve to fulfill the Great Commission.