God’s Dream to Transform America

One of Chuck Pierce and my stops on the Time to Plow tour was Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. It would be hard to find a place with a stronger connection to the birth of America and the American Dream than this historic location. It has, in fact, been called “the cradle of liberty” and “the womb of the revolution.” Faneuil Hall was where Samuel Adams and other Founding Fathers gave many of their impassioned speeches urging the colonists to fight for independence.

For me, speaking in this historic room was both inspiring and a bit intimidating. As I worshiped, I inquired of Holy Spirit what He wanted to say to me about the evening and what he might want me to share. He began highlighting the fact that this was a place of dreams, a building where an oppressed people dreamed of freedom and liberty. In many ways, the American Dream found its next expression in this very room. 

Holy Spirit then focused me on information shared with me before the meeting began. The name Faneuil comes from the same root word as “Penuel” in the Old Testament, which means “the face of God.” It was at Penuel that Yahweh finally conquered and captured the heart of Jacob, transforming him and changing his name to Israel (Genesis 32). Only then could God use the man Israel to fulfill his role in birthing the nation of Israel, through which He would bring the Messiah and restore His dream of a family.

Then, the connections began taking place in my mind:

  • God’s dream of freedom for His human family was in part, birthed at Penuel.
  •  The American Dream for freedom was also birthed, in part, at Penuel (Faneuil). 
  • Both dreams were essential to the salvation of humankind—Israel would birth   the Savior, America would trumpet this good news: the gospel.
  • Then Holy Spirit said, “Just as I rescued My dream at ‘the face of God’ (Penuel) by transforming Jacob, I will rescue My dream by transforming America through a face to face encounter with Me. I will have My dream!”

“A man came and wrestled with [Jacob] until the sun came up. The man saw that he could not defeat Jacob. So he struck Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint. Then the man said to Jacob, ‘Let me go. The sun is coming up.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will let you go if you will bless me.’ The man said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he answered, ‘Jacob.’  Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with men. And you have won.’ So Jacob named that place Peniel. He said, ‘I have seen God face to face. But my life was saved.’” (Genesis 32: 24-28 and 30; ICB)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

  • Intercede for face-to-face encounters between the Lord and His people, especially those He has called to lead in this season.
  • Thank God for America’s Christian heritage and our forefathers who stood in the gap in prayer and in action to see it manifested.
  • Pray for the future of America and its connection to God’s overall dream for the restoration of His family.
  • Do you need to wrestle with God for your own future and to see His dreams fulfilled in you? Let Him fully conquer your heart.
  • Ask the Lord to restore “family” to the Church. Ask Him to heal families within the Body of Christ, as well.

A prayer you can pray:

Father, restore, restore, restore restore, restore. Restore us, restore the Church, and restore Your vision for this nation. Restore relationship with You. Restore Your dream of family and help us participate in that. Come and look at us. Look at us in worship. Look at us in prayer. Look at us in a depth of relationship with You and look at us in our lost and sinful condition. Restore us to Yourself through the revealing of the work of Jesus on the cross. Change us. Transform us. Your Presence will do that. Your face-to-face Presence makes us hunger for You and thirst for the righteousness that only You give. Give us the passion for You and Your purposes that You placed burning in the hearts of America’s leaders so long ago at Faneuil Hall. They were transformed and set on fire by Your Presence and confrontations. They saw You in Your Word, and they knew what to say and do to shift a nation. Do the same with us, Lord. Let us wrestle with You until we are dream-restorers, too. Let us know what name You would give us and let us live that name. Let us see our families restored. Show us what we can do to help restore Your family to You. Heal us and we will be healed. Restore us and we will be restored. Let Your dream be fulfilled in Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

Today’s decree:

God will transform America by face to face encounters between His people and Himself!