LOUISIANA
At first the capitol didn’t seem impressive but we soon realized it is the tallest capitol building in the United States and has the names of the 13 colonies carved into the front steps. The citizens of Louisiana are resolute and deeply principled people who refuse to rebel against their values. Like a war horse they will run into danger and are fierce in battle. Their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness - and is why they were willing to fight for the wrong values. For a long time Louisiana had more slaves than free men. The state has old, deep roots - the good, the bad, and ugly. Witchcraft and voodoo, poverty and confusion. It’s time for new growth. Roots of righteousness are harnessing the horse. The strength of the horse can then be directed. We saw fresh water flooding the streets of New Orleans. It washed away the swampy sludge of sin, idolatry, immorality, and witchcraft as a fresh wave of the Holy Spirit cleansed people and brought them to Jesus, the “Desire of all Nations”. FLORIDA Florida is the Sunshine State, yet also has severe weather: lightning, tornados, hurricanes, and fog. It is a place of biodiversity with many species of wildlife and plants. The capitol lawn was covered with small acorns, another reminder to be oaks of righteousness. The capitol was under construction and people were rushing around, constantly busy, and there was a cacophony of construction noise. While one of our students walked and prayed, he could spiritually hear giant roots creaking, rising, constricting, and breaking windows. Florida was a haven for slaves escaping from Spain and continues to be a place of freedom, refuge, and rest for many. Britt saw roots dancing like a pod of porpoises, intelligent, playful, and swift. May we be free as Christ has set us free. May we also be unified and stable and pass that on to future generations. ALABAMA Alabama’s state capitol has flags flying from all 50 states, with a native stone from each state set at the base of each flagpole. It is a beautiful site. A celebration of the individuality that together makes us whole. It is a state of diversity - diversity of people and topography. Diversity can lead to division or unity. There is a stubbornness in Alabamians that can be good or bad - depending on what they hang onto. Fighting for racial rights is stubbornness in the right direction. The march from Selma to Montgomery affected the entire country; the civil rights movement shifted the nation. Alabama needs to be unmuted and voice their godly desires. What comes from here affects the nation. Let the children of God cry out and loose righteousness. It’s time to hit unmute. They are about to do something good. May Alabama and all of the United States stubbornly hold onto what is good. The old is gone and the new has come. May there be a birthing of the promises. This is fertile ground. It is named the Black Belt of the South because of the rich nutrients in the soil. May it be a fertile band for righteousness. The Long Leaf Pine grows in stages in order to protect its growth center. It sends down deep roots and looks like it isn’t growing for three years. But then it can grow 15 feet in a year. There is explosive growth. We must tap into the spiritual strength of endurance. The root of this state is good so they must honor others and live honorably. They have a righteous root made to affect the nation and reflect the son of God. Injustice is going to fall. MISSISSIPPI There is a golden eagle on the capitol. Gold doesn’t tarnish and is malleable. Isaiah 40:31. May Mississippi soar. May they walk in the prophetic. Mississippi is in a time of change. Though it has the lowest economy and education in the US, it is first in charitable giving. It is time for light, life, and freedom. Some of the darkest times during the civil rights movement took place here. It was the birthplace of the KKK. Civil rights was a fight for what is right. This year the citizens of Mississippi voted to have a new state flag that removed the Confederate flag and replaced it with Magnolia blossoms. Fierceness is positive when pointed in the right direction. The trees were being pruned on the capitol grounds. Just like Alabama, Mississippi has a fertile Black Belt as well as the Mississippi River Delta. May abundance come and be pointed in the right direction. This is a new season of progress and stability. Be resolute to stand for what is right. May we as a nation look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continue in it - not forgetting what we have heard, but doing it - and we will be blessed in what we do. James 1:25 ARKANSAS Arkansas is the Gem State. There are diamonds here. Ten-year-old Eden said “God is spreading his light like little diamonds.” Britt saw uncut precious stones under the capitol. There was an open stone chest with a taproot. It was full of different colored natural gems. The light from each one blended together to make the color of the glory of God. Different colors together made one; without diversity there is no opportunity for unity. May there be unity in the church - may we rise up in the spirit of Elijah and in repentance. The Liberty Bell was stuck and couldn’t ring. May Arkansas fulfill its purpose and let its voice of freedom and liberty be heard. There is strength, balance, order, and intentionality here. The courage of the Little Rock Nine transformed a high school, a region, a state, and a nation. May we move forward and do what is right in the midst of opposition. MISSOURI Missouri is the Show Me State. May they experience the power of God and show Him to others. It is a water gateway on the edge of the old frontier. Flowing water brings life. The Mississippi River is a very important waterway in our nation and the Missouri River brought explorers and pioneers to the West. People were outfitted for the frontier in St. Louis, pulled by hope. Faith pulls us into the unknown. Britt saw roots pulling on that idea of faith. Lifeblood flows like branching streams and roots and veins. Our country needs a resurgence of faith and hope. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24 KANSAS Kansa means “People of the Wind.” The people of Kansas live out their faith with a pioneer spirit. People come to this state and have spiritual encounters. There is fertile soil and silt that allows roots to go deep. An abundant harvest is coming. Kansas is an anvil and the hammer is a root. Hear the ring of the hammer hitting the steel of the anvil. The more you pound it, the more resilient and resistant the steel becomes. Kansas can take a pounding. They survived the Dust Bowl. They are resilient to withstand turbulent weather - tornados, cold, and wind. May our nation come out stronger and be transformed after the pounding. A statue of an indigenous man with a bow and an arrow on his string is on the capitol. The word ‘sin’ is an archery term that means to miss the mark. When we take on the righteousness of Christ we hit the mark. The moon was out when we prayed and it looked like the statue could “shoot the moon” and win every hand. NEBRASKA Nebraska sits on the Ogallala Aquifer - the largest freshwater source on earth. It is a deep reservoir and water changes everything. May we all tap into the reservoir that waters deep roots of righteousness. Nebraska has a unicameral state government - they do not care about political parties but about policies. Political society exists for the sake of noble living. Noble: having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles or ideals. One of our team members saw a sower with seeds pouring out from the front and back of his sack. God said “I will pour out my Word on all the land to all who will hear.” This is a stronghold, a bastion of hope and freedom. It is a new season. The old is passing away and the new is coming. Proverbs 19:21. New life will become more prominent in all the churches as they become free from religion. IOWA Iowa is a place of shelter, a transition point of east and west. It is politically important and stands in the gap. Britt saw explosive growth. He saw roots tilling the land, breaking up the big farm conglomerates that formed in the Great Depression when small farms were forced to sell out. it is the same in the church today - small community churches have given way to massive churches and it is easy for people to hide the ‘me’ in ‘we.’ Each individual needs to take personal responsibility, be a pioneer who stands for righteousness. The people of Iowa have received many accolades for their accomplishments, such as Nobel Peace prizes. God has set up a storehouse of higher ideas in this place. Practical dreamers - visionaries with practical steps to accomplish their goals. Importance and influence can come from this state. There is a magnificent radiance. May this state magnify God so that He, as well as the small things, can be seen. A gold standard hidden in humility. May we all shine the glory of the Lord. MINNESOTA 2 Timothy 2:15. In the early days of this state, grain mills were the foundation of the economy and produced 14.1% of the nation’s flour. Making flour is a process. Harvest the wheat, get rid of the chaff, grind it. The finer the flour the higher the quality of the bread. Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is to be valued more than all others. His Word is like a wheat kernel and the church needs to learn the right handling of the Truth. We must let Truth be the standard and not allow the wheat to be adulterated. May their homes be filled with love and laughter as parents teach and train their children. May marriages be strong and be what others want to follow. May the church have discernment and be unified in love. WISCONSIN Wisconsin is the Dairy state and the chief cheese producer in the US. Dairy farmers are different from cattlemen because they care for their cows for what they can daily produce, not for meat. That is pastoral care. They provide protection for growth and production. As the church we must care for people and provide a place for them to produce and not to be killed spiritually. The capitol building is situated right in the middle of a town. The capitol was historic and majestic yet seemed common in the midst of the businesses across the street. The statue looked gold from one direction and bronze from every other direction. Are the people bewildered and confused? It felt to some on our team that there was a battlefield of heavy oppression at times. People have forgotten history and abandoned what they learned in the past. There are two sides to the coin, may beauty and tranquility not hide corruption. The beautiful fall leaves highlight a season of change. ILLINOIS The capitol is built on bedrock. The original cornerstone was removed and replaced when it cracked and it is now on display. Lord, when we build our life on you, our chief cornerstone, we can be assured that you will never fail us. The building is gilded and magnificent and looks regal and extravagant, like a palace. The external is easy to see and appreciate. May the anointing of God be visible upon us that we might make an impact on the world. The capitol dome is covered in zinc, a protective coating so the steel won’t corrode. Steadfast. Sturdy. Incorruptible. Immovable. The state motto is State Sovereignty National Union. Lord, may you always be our Sovereign, our King. May that be upon which we as a nation unify. We arrived at night. Only one side of the capitol was lit - after we prayed the lights on all sides came on. This is a dim time, but the lamp of God has not yet gone out. 1 Samuel 3:3 God spoke to a little boy and he will speak to each of us. We need to sleep in His presence. We found the biggest acorns we have ever seen. Massive seeds. May we be oaks of righteousness. There is huge potential God has put in the ground here. God provides living water - like a spring in a field. DL Moody was here, there was an outpouring of God, and there are still a lot of Bible-believing people in the state. INDIANA May the Root of David be the desire of the people. There is a heavy Catholic population especially with the Catholic universities. May a great spiritual rebirth come from the college campuses that they would forsake idol worship and false doctrines and hold fast to the root of David. They have legacy and give honor to their forefathers but there is a beauty that is forgotten even by the people who live here. The state is progressive. They are on hold, paused. There are things that should have happened but didn’t. MICHIGAN Michigan’s lovely capitol building and dome became the inspiration for other capitol buildings and established the domed capitol as a powerful symbol of American democracy. It is fireproof and built to accommodate growth. Christman Construction company is doing major renovation at the capitol complex as they replace old systems. It will be the largest state capitol geothermal system in the United States. They are tapping into the underground. May corrupt roots be exposed and cut out and replaced with good fruit. Repentance is coming back. There is progress as they dig deep. They are ready to push out the darkness, change the poverty mindset, and uplift the people. They have resolve like steel. May it be prophetic that our nation’s moral infrastructure will be rebuilt. May Christman Construction speak prophetically to Christ building a new man. Just as the capitol looks good from the front, many Christians “put up a good front”. Likewise, the capitol was under construction in the back. We are all in process and need fortification in our inner man. Britt saw roots under the ground busting up the fallow, tight ground, and it produced an explosion of fruitful plants. Ideas out of Michigan have changed the world as innovation was released to the earth. FORD developed the assembly line and was a vertically integrated business. There is a warehouse of God ideas that we as the church need to tap into. The air has gone out of our nation and our productivity has gone down. Hope is low and frustration is high. We don’t want the church to reflect society but to inspire society. May the breath of the Holy Spirit aerate the soil of our lives. We must not merely sit and observe after the turbulence of the breaking of the soil but actually do something in order to produce life. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Michigan is known for their beautiful apple and cherry blossoms; may they symbolize the spiritual fruit to come. OHIO The Ohio motto: With God All Things Are Possible. Ohio has contributed to our nation in substantial ways. It produces leaders - eight presidents and many generals came from Ohio. They honor their past. They have fought for human rights. They are innovators and frontiersmen with fierce courage and strong leadership. What Ohio does is important and affects the rest of the nation. May they have a strong stand for righteousness. Something is shifting. May this state have strong resolve to do right. Courageous to lead the way! West Virginia We arrived at night. Huge oak trees surround the capitol buildings built along the Kanawha River. More acorns covered the ground than we have ever seen in our lives. White plastic temporarily covered the golden dome and scaffolding surrounded it as it was being renewed. The founders built a big capitol building because they saw potential. Strong, common, essential materials were used to create the infrastructure of the dome. There was a gold leaf overlay. West Virginia’s mountaineer people are tough as nails and not afraid to work hard. Valuable salt was mined from the mountains and brought flavor and preservation to our nation. Coal has provided energy for many years and supplied the electricity we depend upon for daily life and technological advancement. Coal has massive amounts of energy and is easy to ignite. May the church arise and allow a steadfast character to be our essential framework and gifts from God to be our beauty. God has put strong character in the ground and He wants to put that in the people of America if we are willing. God is ready to light this nation on fire for Him. As a nation we have hidden treasure that is being renewed and restored and will be revealed. Remember that time and tremendous pressure on coal produces diamonds. You are not forgotten. KENTUCKY We drove through a small neighborhood in Frankfort, turned the corner, and - surprise! There was the beautiful capitol. Hidden beauty. A pair of cardinals was both bright and muted flying from tree to tree. Different colors. Fluttering life. May people of all colors fly and celebrate life together. May God reveal Himself through down-to-earth people who have powerhouse potential. May we resolve to settle issues. Britt saw a vision of a powerful horse with a bridle and harness made of roots. We must open our mouths and allow God’s bit to guide us in voluntary willingness. Without submission the strength of the horse is useless. We need our nation to submit to God. May blinders be removed so we, the people, will see clearly. A wedding party was getting pictures at the capitol. There is hope for the future. TENNESSEE Tennessee is a pioneering state of influence. The Cumberland River weaves around and won’t be stopped by obstacles. May we have confidence and courage that God’s will shall prevail in our land no matter the obstacles. Stay steady. The TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) has produced massive amounts of power. In its beginning it provided jobs that brought people out of poverty. May we as a nation lead people out of poverty to walk in power. May families be strong. May revival in our nation begin in the individual first. Nashville is the Athens, Greece of the south and even has a replica of the Parthenon. May we learn to not be led by our minds but by our hearts and spirits. The sound that comes out of Nashville will be the sound of reformation and cause a ripple effect of unity that touches nations. HAWAII State motto: The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Hawaii is a beautiful state of natural resources and people who value their land. May righteousness, freedom, and belief in Christ come from heaven, for the righteous will live by faith. May a time of rejoicing and a strong sense of community be rebuilt. May the people of Hawaii believe the way Jesus sees them so they can know their true identity. When we were praying, someone saw trees tenderly uprooted. It was with a loving touch that brought healing to deep-rooted pain. That pain had to be uprooted so that it could be revealed and healed. Demonic hopelessness will be replaced by Christ, the hope of glory. Britt was thinking about Banyan trees. Its branches send down roots and the tree becomes a massive structure. The roots are clearly seen. Most of the structure is among the roots. Hawaii is a place to rest - a place to sabbath. In Exodus, God gave the commandment about having a sabbath to the Hebrews. They had been slaves for 400 years. Their value was in their production. God gave a day of rest to former slaves! He was telling them that their value wasn’t in their production but in their person - who they were as His people. That can’t be earned, just like the love a parent has for their newborn. There’s a fresh outpouring coming from heaven that addresses the brokenness that is in Hawaii. A physical heaviness had been on the island since we arrived. The air was humid and the normal cool trade wind was still. Father, may spiritual heaviness be lifted by you. Your heart breaks for those who are brokenhearted. As soon as we finished praying at the capitol, a fresh wind began to blow. Holy Spirit, breathe fresh upon your people. An outpouring of hope is coming.
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