I don’t think any of the prophets have the full picture of what God’s doing at the moment. What if God was withholding certain information so that even the powers of darkness are surprised? Now that’s intriguing! We may not know what it will look like but I’m convinced of this. We need to get ready for the glory of the Lord—for it’s about to be released in America.
Not surprisingly, many people post election are deeply troubled and concerned. To put it bluntly, if someone isn’t concerned—they might be dead!
There’s nothing wrong with feeling that way—Jesus Himself was troubled (concerned) on numerous occasions—perhaps most notably when He was about to be betrayed (John 13:21). But it’s important to note that being concerned or troubled is not the same thing as succumbing to fear. Nor is it the same as giving in to spirits of intimidation or defeat. We may have lost an important battle, but God’s not lost the war by any means.
The Lord’s been downloading some things to me recently—a “mixed bag” really. Some of what I’m hearing is sobering—troubling, even—but there’s plenty that’s full of life and hope.
My goal in this article is to bring you some of what I’ve been hearing—those things He’s specifically put on my heart to share. You could say it’s a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly—including the subject of whether the prophets missed it concerning President Trump’s reelection in 2020.
So why don’t we start right there?
A Flash Back
It’s true there’s a need to be accountable for the prophetic words we might release. So in that vein, let’s flash back to two articles I wrote post election.
In the first article I wrote how I’d heard the Lord say, “This election is a far cry from over—we have to keep praying!” I shared how prophecy—even about the outcome of a national election—can be both conditional and invitational in nature, and that it’s important to understand the crucial role the body of Christ plays in bringing His purposes to pass. I repeatedly heard the Lord say He was allowing the chaos of the elections so that the whole earth would be filled with His glory!
One of the things I shared in the second article was a vision I’d had in which I’d prophesied over President Trump as if I were Father God. I’d told him, “I’m proud of you. Good job—well done—and for that reason I’m giving you four more years.” But I was careful to add I was unsure of whether this meant President Trump would still be declared winner of the 2020 election, or whether it possibly was meant for 2024.
The one thing I was certain of was the Lord showed me the only way four more years would happen is through prayer and fasting—BOTH. It’s not like I have an explanation for you as to why both—it just seems some things in the supernatural require extra effort on our part, like when the disciples were unable to cast out the demonic spirit from the epileptic and Jesus said, “…this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21, NKJV).
I’ll come back to the subject of fasting and prayer later.
It’s Complicated
Remember how I said prophecy—whether it’s personal or concerns a nation—can be both conditional and invitational in nature? That explains why Nineveh wasn’t destroyed when Jonah prophesied it would be, and why the Israelites wandered for 40 years before finally entering the Promised Land. But as if the conditional nature of prophecy wasn’t enough, there’s also the issue of interpretation.
In his word for 2021, Bishop Bill Hamon of Christian International perhaps says it best—“Whether or not a word seemingly comes to pass is just one of the criteria in judging prophecy. There is timing, terminology, interpretation, application, spiritual vs. natural, and our thoughts vs. God’s thoughts about the words being spoken in prophecy.” In short, judging whether a prophecy is accurate or not isn’t always a slam-dunk—sometimes it’s complicated.
This explains how almost the entire Jewish nation missed the coming of their own Messiah, even though the prophecies concerning the Messiah were well known among the religious learned. But they missed the Father’s heart concerning what these prophecies would look like in fulfillment.
There’s more to being a true new covenant prophet than just accuracy (see Deut. 18:22). The mark of a true prophet, according to Matthew 7:15-23, is character—false prophets can actually be accurate and true prophets can sometimes miss the mark. What sets a true prophet apart is that they do the will of their Father. Not that accuracy isn’t important, mind you. It’s like if you say you’re a sharpshooter but keep missing the target; you’d best find another line of work!
I’d like to see less dialogue about who needs to issue an apology, and far more about how to provide good, solid teaching about the prophetic and interpreting prophecy. Perhaps that’s the silver lining here. The church must change its ways as far as how it perceives and judges prophecy.
The Bad and the Ugly
Let’s tackle the bad and ugly. Here’s what I’m hearing—I believe what we have is a nation that’s been under judgment for years. I heard the Lord say that we’d lost our way.
Now stay with me. Think about it. For the most part, traditional family values were still intact in the 1950’s (in the USA), but by the 1960’s a visible shift had occurred.
By 1962 prayer had been removed from schools; reading the Bible was forbidden in classrooms by 1963. In 1967 Hollywood moved away from a wholesome standard of production code (the Hays Code), in favor of a less moral standard of rating (the MPAA). The 70’s brought Roe vs. Wade (1973), and then fast-forward to the legalization of gay marriage in 2015. Already in 2021 we’re seeing further huge shift in the wrong direction.
Friends, the previous four years of the Trump presidency confirm to me that we have invaded the 7 mountains of culture. The number of solid biblical counselors Donald J. Trump utilized is astonishing. His firm stance in support of pro-life, pro-Israel and pro-traditional family values, as well as his support for religious and personal freedoms is almost unparalleled. Any time you try to get to the top of a mountain—it’ll be resisted. The Trump administration didn’t just positively impact one mountain or one nation, but many.
We’re at that point—I feel it, a tipping point—where things will never be the same. I do think that things are about to get difficult, but that doesn’t mean the pendulum can’t swing back the other way. It’s not going to be easy, and this doesn’t change the fact that we have to stay engaged in the 7 mountains of culture. If there’s any chance for a scenario where we fought and won reelection, whether or not it’s in 2024, we have to stay engaged. Again, just recently I heard the Lord say, “This kind only comes out by fasting and by prayer.”
You know, I think the Lord has brought us back to that. I’ve heard the Lord say He has “a surprise” in store—I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the surprises. But we’ve got to stay diligent in prayer and fasting to see it manifest, especially for the next 9 months. It’s extremely important that we do this.
The Good
I’ve saved the best for last—the good and the glory.
I get it—things look dismal. But here’s what I’ve discovered. When things are most distressing or confusing, you have to keep your eyes on what God is saying and doing—those are the things that are good and positive and true (Phil. 4:8).
I heard the Spirit say, “It’s been a challenging time, obviously—but God wants us to prosper.” He’s repeatedly directed me to Jeremiah 29:5-14, the context for which was the Israelites’ captivity. They were instructed to build houses, plant gardens, establish families and to increase. In short, God told them even in captivity, He had plans for them to prosper—but He also told them they needed to seek Him and to pray in order to see the turnaround they desired.
We also need to focus on the harvest. God’s eternal purposes still stand. Jesus said, “… Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35, NKJV)
And don’t fret about judgment for those operating outside the will of God—believe me, He’s got that handled (see I Cor. 5:9-13).
A Street Named “Glory”
I had an intriguing encounter early one morning recently when I was half awake and half asleep. I heard the Lord say, “What if you could name a street after anything you wanted—what would it be?” Immediately in my spirit I responded with absolutely no hesitation or forethought. I said, “Glory.”
Then I fully woke up and my mind took over. I wondered, “Why did I say that? Should I have responded by saying, ‘Miracle,’ or something else?” Ah, but here’s the thing. The glory is where everything happens—including miracles and surprises.
What is a sign? Is it not an indicator of things to come? What if that street named “Glory” in my encounter bore a signpost? Is it not then beckoning us to come this way—to not quit or turn aside—but press on to where the glory lies ahead and anything’s possible?
I’m convinced that everything comes back around to what I heard last November—that the Lord is allowing the current turmoil and chaos so that the whole earth will be filled with His glory (Isa. 40:5; Hab. 2:14).
I don’t think any of the prophets have the full picture of what God’s doing at the moment. Even the great prophet Elisha at one point admitted there were things God had hidden from him and not told him (2 Kings 4:27). What if God was withholding certain information so that even the powers of darkness are surprised? Now that’s intriguing!
We may not know what it will look like but I’m convinced of this. We need to get ready for the glory of the Lord—for it’s about to be released in America.
GOD BLESS THE USA!!
Published on Charisma Magazine.
Diane is a writer, speaker and minister ordained with both Christian International and Generals International. Her articles are regularly featured on The Elijah List, as well as platforms like Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, Intercessors For America and others. She and her husband, Allen, co-founded Starfire Ministries with a vision to see the kingdom established beyond the four walls of the traditional church. They host a podcast with Charisma Podcast Network, and serve as Church Mountain, Regional, and Montana Coordinators for the Reformation Prayer Network, and as Media Mountain Leader/Facilitators for C.I.’s Culture Influencers.
