“I see a plague coming on the world and the bars, church and government shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless believers into radical prayer, into their Bibles, and repentance will be the cry from true men of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world.”
This was a prophecy that was circulated and going viral on social media just a few months ago that was attributed to the late David Wilkerson. But quickly, it was questioned and then attacked. Was it truly a word from God? Or was it manufactured in a time where the national and global consciousness is heightened and alarmed with the ongoing ‘pandemic’?
These were answers I wanted to get to the bottom of, as I love the Holy Spirit and all things truly prophetic.
I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Stephen Strang, the founder of Charisma Media. On my podcast Adventures in the Spirit with Jared Laskey, he addressed this prophetic word. It also begins his new book, God, Trump and COVID-19. Stephen said that his friend Mike Evans picked up his Bible one day, and the handwritten note with David Wilkerson fell out, shaking Mike to his knees in prayer.
Dr. Michael Brown even weighed in on the conversation about the validity of the prophetic word. Many people say it very well could have been a word because David Wilkerson was known to give such words. If you have ever read The Vision or Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth by Wilkerson, you can see those words being in the same vein. But then others, even other prophetic ministries, distanced themselves from it or tried ignoring it.
But Strang said that he emailed Gary Wilkerson, the son of David Wilkerson, who said, “I have read the post, and we at World Challenge have no written quotes exactly like the one circulating widely, [though] I do feel it could very well be something my father would have said.” And being the well-trained journalist that he is, Strang included it in his book, saying, “It was a prophetic word Wilkerson gave Mike, who wrote it down and stuck it in the Bible he used at the time. It stayed there until Mike found it not long ago.”
The word struck a chord around the world, giving hope to many and calling people to prayer, which we all should be doing anyway. But have you sensed the Spirit of God calling you to more prayer, to stay up late to pray? Around the world, more people are being called to prayer through what I call the Holy Spirit’s 24/7 Prayer Watch, initiated by Him alone. Could it be a sovereign and divine summons to pray for a Third Great Awakening in America that spreads around the world?
Please listen in to my interview with Stephen Strang and weigh in on the prophetic word here. {eoa}
Jared Laskey, M.Div., M.A. Christian ministry, is the founder of Fireborn Ministries and host of the Adventures in the Spirit podcast. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. Jared loves teaching people how to hear God. He has recently published the Spirit-Empowered Journal, available on Amazon, and a mini e-course, Fellowship with the Holy Spirit. His testimony of how God supernaturally healed him of PTSD is in Joan Hunter’s new book, Miracles for Veterans.