“I Must Have America!”
In October of 2000, just before the national elections, I had a life-changing encounter with the Lord. I was pastoring in Colorado at the time, and during a Wednesday night service, I walked to the podium to begin a message. Suddenly, a strange feeling overtook me; I felt a wave of heaviness and disorientation. I paused, trying to discern what was happening, and within seconds was weeping uncontrollably. I was so overcome that I couldn’t speak; I simply lay my head on the podium and began sobbing.
No one present knew what was happening, but Ceci and my staff were aware by now that this was the Lord at work in me. And it wasn’t stopping! She and my associates quickly decided that the best thing to do was send everyone home, put some worship music on a loop (repeating), and lock me in the building alone with the Lord.
God began imparting His heart for America to me, and it was overwhelming. I did not feel anger - though I’m sure we as a nation have angered Him - but instead felt His great love. I began to feel His grief, as well, the grief of a father for a prodigal. For three and a half hours, I wept over America, so hard at times that, as strange as it sounds, I was afraid I might die. It felt as though my heart was literally breaking. I did not know it was possible to cry from so deep within.
“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 just 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 that night, I helped God cry.
At one point, as I lay on the floor holding and weeping over a U.S. flag, Father God spoke the following to me: “I must have this nation. For what I am going to do on the earth during this season of time, I MUST HAVE AMERICA.” And I knew that from that moment forward, my purpose in life was to help Him get her back.
My love and prayers for America are always filtered through this visitation. My interest in government is motivated by it, as well. My heart is not aligned with any political party; I’m aligned with a purpose: turning our nation back to God through a Third Great Awakening, enabling us to once again partner with Him to reach the nations.
While watching a speech like last night’s State of the Union Address, I always process it in light of the 2000 visitation and its resulting purpose. America alone is never the totality of my thoughts when listening; I am always asking questions inwardly, such as, “Where are we in the process, Lord? What does this mean to Your plans, Holy Spirit; how does it impact the coming revival here and around the world?”
When I listen to President Trump, I am not focused on his personality, and I am certainly not moved by the criticisms of legislators who vote to kill babies in the womb and mutilate the bodies of confused children. I can look beyond Trump’s flaws to his policies, and forgive his past sins in order to agree with his present desires to make America and the world better. It seems somewhat senseless anyway to reject someone whose life God spared, then placed back in the presidency. The Lord seems to have more grace and mercy than many religious people. Continue to pray for our President, and for our entire government.
Pray with me:
Father, we pray for our President, asking You to give him strength, endurance, wisdom, a pure heart, sound counsel, and protection. We pray that he is used to enact policies and plans that please You and align with Your purposes. We ask that You keep him bold and fearless, while enabling him to temper his words with wisdom. We pray that he becomes even more open regarding honoring You and appealing to heaven. We pray against any and all deception. Protect him and his family.
We pray for our Congress. We ask that in the midterms, leftists and Marxists don’t regain control. We pray that righteous laws are passed and unrighteous laws are defeated. We pray for Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Thune, and other Congressional leaders, that they would make wise decisions and lead with wisdom and truth. We pray for their safety, as well as their families’.
We also pray for the Supreme Court, that You make it more honoring of You, and Your truth. Remove false ideologies from the Court, and remove justices who refuse to honor Your truth. Finish Your work of restoring it to You. And we pray for the safety of the justices and their families.
And we pray for America, asking You to strengthen the growing revival, especially on our campuses. Release undeniable signs and wonders, confirming the gospel of Your Kingdom. Release Your strong arm against those who divide our nation for power and control; heal our nation. AND USE AMERICA TO HELP GENERATE THE GREATEST REVIVAL IN EARTH’S HISTORY! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that America shall be saved!
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