Releasing America’s Prophetic Destiny
I shared a strategy yesterday from Holy Spirit via my brother, Tim Sheets. It seemed like a good time to mention the book Chuck Pierce and I wrote about our prayer tour to all 50 states. The book has 7 chapters of excellent teaching and 50 more short chapters - one for each state, giving the prophetic insights Holy Spirit shared with us for the state. The book is an excellent resource and we have offered a significant discount on this great tool. Today’s post is taken from the 1st chapter of the book:
“I knew I was in for a wild ride when the Lord showed me a vision of myself riding with Christ on His white horse - I just didn’t know how wild! But when Holy Spirit spoke to both Chuck Pierce and me in October, 2002 to go to all 50 states in order to network intercessors and leaders, pray for breakthrough, and further shift the nation toward revival, I began to realize just how wild - and long - the ride would be.
“My part of this adventure actually began in September 1998, when I was speaking for Dr. Peter Wagner at a conference in Rochester, New York. Suddenly during the worship, I was given a vision of America. It was as though I was looking down from heaven onto the United States. I then saw the Lord in the middle of the nation, dressed for war and riding a white warhorse. Both Christ and the horse wore very intense expressions, much like Christ is described as wearing in Revelation 19:11-16. He was fearsome and majestic beyond words. His horse was also, and was shifting, prancing, and obviously wanting to run. It was evident Christ was either waiting for a signal, or was in the process of deciding for Himself where to go first.
“Suddenly, He looked toward the East, prodded the horse and they dashed to Washington, D.C., where He struck the earth with a staff, causing flames to spring up from the earth. I knew the flames represented both cleansing and revival. He paused while deciding where to go next, then charged to another part of the nation where He struck the ground again, with the same results. This was repeated, with no visible pattern, until He had crisscrossed the nation many times, and the flames had sprung up all across the nation.
“A short time later, I received the same vision of the Lord on His horse ready to begin this ride. This time, however, I saw myself also in the vision, standing next to Christ and His horse. He looked at me and said, ‘Get onto My horse with Me.’
“With absolute incredulity I responded, ‘Lord, I can’t ride Your horse with You!’
“Sure you can,” He replied, and immediately reached down, put His arm around me and pulled me onto the horse. I was surprised that He did not place me behind HIm, but rather in front where He could hold me securely between His arms as we rode. Then off we went, making the same ride across the nation that I had seen previously.
“Through this vision it was obvious the Lord was telling me I was going to ‘ride’ with Him across America. I did not assume I would be the only believer - or even the primary one - making this ride with Christ. Though I realized I was a leader in the modern-day prayer movement, and knew I might play a leadership role in this effort, I also knew the entirety of the prayer movement would join Him in this endeavor. In other words, Christ was going to release the fire of cleansing and revival but, as is always the case, He would be doing so through His people, partnering with them on this amazing ride.
“Two years later, in October, 2000, just before the national presidential elections I had another significant encounter with the Lord that prepared me for this ‘ride.’ In a Wednesday night service, I walked to the podium in the church where I was pastoring, when a strange feeling began to overtake me. I paused, trying to discern what was happening and, within seconds, was weeping uncontrollably as God began to impart to me His heart for America. I did not feel anger, though I’m sure we as a nation have angered Him but, instead, I felt His great love - the kind of love a father might feel for a prodigal child.
“I began to weep so hard that I could not regain my composure. My wife realized what was happening, had someone close the service, and everyone went home. I was left alone inside the sanctuary. For three and a half hours I wept over America - so hard at times that I was afraid I was injuring myself. I felt as though my heart was literally breaking. I did not know one could cry from so deep a place inside.
“Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”1
“For three and a half hours, I helped God cry.
“Then the Lord led both Chuck and me to go to all 50 states. We were together in Washington, D.C., sharing with one another what the Lord was saying about the nation. Incredibly, both of us said - almost in fear and dread - that God had spoken to each of us to go to every state. We realized we were to take the authority we had been given and “ride” across this nation with the Lord, striking the ground and trumpeting the message of revival. The consensus we had, which we were confident was from the Lord, was that we would:
Gather and network intercessors and leaders in each state.
Seek specific insight and messages for every state. Indeed, we spoke three times in each state, and though some points and truths were repeated a few times, no two messages were ever fully repeated; most were completely different.
Receive and deliver prophetic discernment relating to prayer, events, actions, and strategies for breakthrough in each state.
“Our desire now is that you will use the insights and revelations Holy Spirit gave us by working them into your prayers for your state and the nation. Much has been accomplished to turn America back to God, but there remains much to do. It will be the prayers of the saints that turn the tide! The words of Abraham Lincoln, spoken during the difficult days of the Civil War, are appropriate for today:
I do not doubt that our country will finally come through safe and
undivided. But do not misunderstand me...I do not rely on the patriotism
of our people...the bravery and devotion of the boys in blue…[or] the loyalty and skill of our generals...But the God of our fathers, Who raised up this country to be the refuge and asylum of the oppressed and downtrodden of all nations, will not let it perish now. I may not live to see it...I do not expect to see it, but God will bring us through safe.2
“Like Lincoln of old, my faith is in God - not in America’s great military, our incredible wealth and abundant resources, our amazing innovation and perseverance, or any other natural asset. My faith, like his, is in the God of our fathers, Who is riding across this nation once again, lighting fires of cleansing and revival. And just as He did way back then, He will bring us through once again.
“Why don’t you ride with Him?”
Pray with me:
Lord, You said in Acts 17:26 that You chose the time and place in which we were to live. You chose the nation in which we would be born, and I believe Lord, You did that down to the state and city level also. And with that comes authority and responsibility. As we focused yesterday on the states in which we live, we do so again today. (And those in other nations should certainly focus on their country.)
We decree Your kingdom will and rule to invade these places. We use the legal mottos and stated purposes for these places. We use Your word. And we also pray as led by Holy Spirit. We ask for Holy Spirit to be poured out and for revival to come to these places. We ask that every people group in the world would fulfill the destiny for which you created them...that the gifts and abilities you placed in them as a race would be released to the earth.
Father, let the spirit of faith rise up in Your people as they decree these things. May they do so with boldness and confidence. Let authority be strong in them, and please lead them into specific decrees over their cities, states and nations. In Jesus’ great name we ask, amen.
Our decree:
We decree that God’s purposes for every race He created will be accomplished; and that each one will be visited with great revival.
Click on the link below to watch the prayer.
Click on the link below to purchase "Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation".
______________________________
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, A third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deer Field Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1996), p 12.
William J. Federer, America’s God and Country, Encyclopedia of Quotations (St. Louis, MO: Amerisearch, Inc., 2000), pp 384-385. Abraham lincoln. June 1863, in a discourse with a college President, just weeks before the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. William J. Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, The Christian (New York: The Abington Press, 1913), 109-110. Peter Marshall and David Manual, The Glory of America (Blooming, MN: Garborg’s Heart ‘N Home, Inc., 1991), 4.26.