One explanation for the stubbornly high approval rating for President Trump among conservative evangelical Christians is that so many preachers and televangelists continue to portray Trump as God’s chosen instrument to save America—and Trump’s opponents as enemies of God and agents of Satan. A recent example comes from John Kilpatrick, who preached on Sunday—the day before Trump was implicated by Michael Cohen’s guilty plea—at Kilpatrick’s Church of His Presence in Daphne, Alabama. A video excerpt of his sermon was distributed on Tuesday by the Elijah List, an electronic newsletter and aggregator of news and commentary from the prophetic world.
While Kilpatrick said twice, unconvincingly, that he was “not being political,” he portrayed the success of Trump’s presidency in stark spiritual terms.
Kilpatrick warned that “what’s happening right now in America is witchcraft’s trying to take this country over.”
“I don’t see how President Trump bears up under it,” he said. “He’s as strong as I’ve ever seen a man be.”
Kilpatrick told his congregation that Trump needed their constant prayers because “Jezebel is getting ready to step out from the shadows.”
Jezebel is a figure from the Hebrew scriptures, a wicked queen who promoted the worship of false gods and persecuted the prophets of Yahweh. In Pentecostal circles, a “Jezebel spirit” can mean anything from sexual immorality to duplicity to false teaching.
Kilpatrick seemed to use Jezebel as a stand in for the “deep state,” on which Trump-supporting “prophets” have urged God to wage war.
God told him to pray for Trump now, said Kilpatrick, because “there’s about to be a shift, and the deep state is about to manifest and it’s going to be a showdown like you can’t believe.”
“So I’m coming to you as a prophet, and as a man of God, and I’m telling you, it’s time to pray for the president,” he said, adding that God warned him that “there’s going to be an attempt to take him out of power.”
Kilpatrick led an extended period of prayer in which he and members of the congregation prayed in tongues, interspersed with him whooping and praying in English:
We lift him up, Lord. Come, make him bold! Make him strong! Keep him Lord, with Your keeping power. … Keep him, Holy Spirit! Keep him, Holy Spirit! Preserve him, Lord! Don’t let him lose his voice! Make him stronger than ever, Holy Spirit! Make him more resolute than he’s ever been! Lord, let no weapon be formed against him that’ll knock him out of power. Help him, Lord. Strengthen him, Lord. Come upon him, Lord!
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In the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, Holy Spirit, move Holy Sprit! Move,Holy Spirit! Flush out every witchcraft spirit! Flush it out! Flush it out, Lord! Flush it out! Flush it out, Lord! Flush it out! Flush it out in the open! Let’s see who it is! Let’s see what’s going on! Flush it out! Flush it out! Flush it out!
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This is a crucial moment! There’s a lot hanging in the balance, Lord. Make this man like a Moses, unintimidated!
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Cry out to the Lord. We’re praying for America! Lord, we’re not going back! We’re not going back under Jezebel. We’re coming out! We’re coming out! We’re coming out! We’re done with Jezebel!
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Lord, the soul of this country’s at stake. The very soul of this country’s at stake, Lord.
There’s another prayer that I want you to pray before we leave. It’s almost like a stupor has come over America. It’s like no matter what’s reported on the news, no matter what’s discussed on panels, it’s just not sinking in. It’s not sinking in. Lord, remove the veil. Life the veil! Let it begin to soak into this nation. There’s a battle for the soul of America. Lord, I ask in Jesus’ name. Expose those shadow spirits. Expose who the shadow government is. Snatch the curtain up, Lord. Then America will really be free. Then the church will not be contained anymore. Then the economy won’t be con—Lord, snatch the curtain up in the name of Jesus Christ!
I wanna say this, I’m not being political. Don’t get me wrong, because I see good and bad in all of it, trust me. But it’s almost like Trump is going in and trying to take America by the hand and say, ‘we can be great again,’ and they’re trying to trip him every time he moves.
God, help this man. I ask, Lord, help him! Father, topple Jezebel! Topple the powers that be! It’s time! Containment is over! Let’s go! Let’s move! Let’s go! Let’s go! It’s now! It’s time! Let’s go! C’mon!
