Do you believe in miracles? (Flickr )
I'll always remember it. It was January 24, 2015 at The Response prayer rally in Baton Rouge. Thousands of people were crying out to God for our nation when I heard the words below in that still small voice I so love. I've waited nine months to release them on this platform because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what the Lord was saying—and I was waiting for His timing. I believe the time is now. Here is the prophecy:
"My blood is sufficient. My covenant is sure. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is truth. You need not operate in fear but embrace the power to cleanse that's inherent in repentance. I want to cleanse America. But it starts with purifying your hearts.
"The church in this hour must herald the message of repentance in the same way as preachers in the Voice of Healing movement heralded the message of healing. Then will you see the manifestation of My presence and the wells of the supernatural will be unlocked and many who are lost will be restored to My love.
"It starts with the message of repentance. This is the message that I need you to shout from the rooftops in this hour. Everything the church needs to fulfill her call in this hour flows from a contrite heart. You can sound the alarm but without repentance it will fall on deaf ears.
"Many are entering eternity every day without My Son because they have not heard this message. Some of them are sitting in the church right now. Start there with this message and it will position the church to rise up in My power for My glory."
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When I asked the Lord how the voice of healing preachers heralded the message of healing, He gave me three points: repetitive, passionate and scriptural.
The Voice of Healing preachers were repetitive. You heard many of the same core messages about God's power to heal and deliver over and over again in these tent meetings. The Voice of Healing preachers were passionate. Think of A.A. Allen jumping up and down and Jack Coe's exuberant singing. And, of course, the Voice of Healing preachers were scriptural. These preachers knew that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word (see Rom. 10:17) and they kept their messages in line with the Word of God.
Two-Sides to One Word
After much prayer, I've come to the conclusion that there are two sides to this prophetic word: We need to repent in the sense that we need to ask forgiveness of our sins and stand in the gap for our nation. Indeed, we need to see repentance in the church—widespread repentance. But it's not just changing the way we think about sin—and turning away from it—that is required in this hour. We need to change the way we think about the supernatural.
When Jesus rebuked the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for not repenting after they saw the mighty miracles He did (see Matt. 11:20-21), that word repent is the Greek word "metanoeo." Metanoeo means "to change one's mind, i.e. to repent; to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins."
The spirit of religion, along with a lukewarm mindset, prayerlessness and the tradition of men, has all but killed miracles, signs and wonders in our churches. Paul saw this threat in his day, which is why he gave his spiritual son Timothy this advice about those in the church that "have a form of godliness but deny its power." In 2 Timothy 3:5 he said, "Turn away from such people."
We need to turn away from thoughts that limit God in our lives. We need to turn away from a powerless expression of the gospel. We need to turn back toward faith in God to heal the sick, cast out demons and, yes, even raise the dead. God is a God of miracles! Jesus walked on water. Jesus healed a man born blind. Jesus healed the deaf and dumb. Jesus fed many thousands of people with a few loaves and fishes—more than once. Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus healed a man's withered hand. Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus healed a paralytic.
Getting Back to the Great Commission
I could go on and on—and it wasn't just Jesus. The apostles and the disciples in the book of Acts did miracle after miracle—even special miracles so that handkerchiefs which Paul had touched were brought to the sick who were then healed (see Acts 19:11-12). And Jesus told them, "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me will do the works that I do also. And he will do greater works than these, because I am going to My Father. I will do whatever you ask in My name, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:12-13).
The supernatural is part of the Great Commission! A lost and dying world doesn't want to engage with a lukewarm religion. In fact, it's obvious that the world finds lukewarm Christianity tasteless. When Jesus issued the Great Commission in Mark 16, He was very clear that "these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
We need to repent—to change the way we think about the supernatural. We need to believe God to walk in His supernatural power. People are dying and going to hell because the power of the gospel has not been demonstrated. Religion in many cases has replaced relationship. It's time to press into what God wants to do in this hour—and I believe He wants to restore the supernatural to the church in a convincing way. Like Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but power" (1 Cor. 4:20). 
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.
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Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your head from the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA