The Course of a Nation Is in Our Hands

Editor’s Note: Today’s Prophetic Insight is a word that was given to Cindy deVille on the morning of the National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2009, and was published on May 12. You can listen to an audio clip of it at shekinahtoday.org. The word is preceded by an introduction from the author.

It was great to see many Christians throughout the land gathering to pray for America on Thursday, May 7, during our National Day of Prayer. As my husband, Darrel, and I began to pray, God began to speak and share His heart with us. As God’s people we want to see a great awakening and reformation, but do we realize what we are asking for? Do we understand that this kind of thing does not come without a price, without sacrifice?

When we study the Great Awakenings of old, we see that they were birthed only through much prayer and travail. A little dab will not do us. I believe we are standing on the threshold of the greatest outpouring we have ever seen, an outpouring of the glory of God in the church and then in the earth. This is not a small thing but a great, big thing that God is going to bring forth by His Spirit, and it will require great prayers ascending to the throne of God.

We can fight day and night to change laws and legislation, but only God can change the heart of a nation. We must cry out to Him according to His way (see the prophetic word below).

We must ask ourselves: Are we willing to pray the price? Are we willing to lay down our lives as living sacrifices? Are we willing to repent and turn from our own ways? Are we willing to do whatever it takes to see our churches and this nation change?

How badly do we really want this? Are we willing to settle for much less than God’s very best, or will we rise to the occasion, step up to the plate and do whatever it takes? The course of our nation is truly in our hands! God is waiting on us! If we will but pray, doing things His way, then we will see a new day!

God says:

“If My people will continue to pray,
If they will press in, not just one day, but every day,
If they will pray.
If they will humble themselves before Me, and if they will begin to pray,
If their prayers would pour out like rain, like rain, like rain.
Let their prayers pour forth. …

Have them come to My throne, have them come to My throne.
If they will pray and if they will press in every day,
If they will pray, if they will press in—they will see everything change.
They will see the things within their government changed.
They will see things in high places moved, changed, rearranged, and come in line with what is divine, and come in line with what I am calling this nation to.

So tell My people, tell them: If they will pray, if they will pray, not just today, not just one day,
But if they will pray everyday,
If they will cause their prayers to pour forth like rain,
Then I will pour down My presence upon this nation.
I will pour down upon My church.
I will pour down upon My people.
And that which many have tried to do through the decades and have failed,
I shall do and I shall turn by My Spirit.
I will change this nation.

So I am calling My people to pray and to come to Me, for only I have the power,
Only I contain the power to turn this nation back to Me.
So tell them to come to Me, and to cry out to Me and to not let go,
To not quit, to not back down, until they see Me crown their efforts and their prayers with success. Until they see Me come and pour out My Spirit upon this nation.

Tell them, tell them—the course of the nation is in their hands.
If they will but pray …

Turn, turning, turning from their own wicked ways.
If they would turn—for it is the effectual and fervent prayer of the righteous,
The righteous, the righteous that will accomplish and avail much.
It is the prayers of the righteous man and woman that stand before Me—
those who are in right standing before Me—
Those are the effectual and fervent prayers that will change this nation.

So do not come to Me and cry out with hidden sin in your heart,
With unforgiveness and hatred.
But come to Me as a holy people—for I am holy.
Come to Me as a righteous man and a righteous woman,
Come to Me, stand in My presence, and cry out to Me,
Then I will hear you, I will hear you, and I will answer you.

Do you not think I have the power to change a whole nation? I do.
But I am waiting upon you.
I am waiting upon you, My church.
I am waiting upon you to turn to Me with all of your heart.
To lay aside all of your idols.
To lay aside all of the things that are coming between you and Me.
You must be doers of My Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

These are not just dead words I speak to you today.
But I am showing you the way to turn this nation.
If you will but listen to Me and heed, and do My word that I have spoken to you,
Then you will see everything change.”

“If My people … will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14, NKJV).

About the author: Cindy deVille is the co-founder, with her husband, Darrell, of Shekinah Today Ministries (shekinahtoday.org). She is a prophetic minister and intercessor who “has a strong desire to see the church return to her first love.”

Prophetic Insight is a weekly bulletin offering timely and relevant messages for the body of Christ from recognized prophetic voices. It is prepared by Maureen Eha, features editor for Charisma magazine. If you’d like to share a message with Maureen, send it to [email protected]. And please spread the good news by sending this e-newsletter to your friends.