The sons of Issachar are described in 1 Chronicles 12:32 as men who "understood the times and knew what Israel should do." That gift — the gift of discerning the times — is one of the most urgent needs in the Body of Christ today. We live in a moment unlike any other in modern history. Geopolitical earthquakes, economic uncertainty, a generation without spiritual anchors, and a global Church that is simultaneously experiencing unprecedented persecution and unprecedented revival — these are not random events. They are the contours of a season that God is authoring with great intentionality.
I want to speak to you not as a political commentator, not as a social observer, but as a servant of the Word who has spent many hours in the presence of God listening for His voice in this hour. What I share here is not exhaustive, and I hold it with the humility of one who sees in part and knows in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). But what I am about to share I believe with all my heart — and I believe it will bear witness in your own spirit if you carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The Signs of the Season
Before we can understand what God is saying, we must first read the signs that are marking this season. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they could read the weather — "red sky at morning, sailor take warning" — but they could not read the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3). We must not make the same mistake.
First, we are witnessing the greatest global shaking of human-built systems in a generation. Economic foundations are trembling. Political certainties that seemed immovable have proven fragile. Educational institutions, family structures, cultural frameworks — the things that gave Western civilization a sense of stability — are all being questioned, renegotiated, or abandoned. To the anxious observer, this looks like chaos. But to the prophetically discerning believer, it looks like exactly what Hebrews 12:26–27 describes: "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." God is shaking what can be shaken so that only what cannot be shaken will remain.
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."
Second, we are seeing an unprecedented spiritual hunger among young people. Despite — or perhaps because of — the collapse of confidence in secular institutions, a generation is asking the deepest questions about existence, meaning, and transcendence. They are looking for something real. Something that does not collapse under pressure. And many of them are finding it in Jesus Christ. Reports of revival and mass conversions among university students, young professionals, and even in places hostile to the gospel are increasing. The harvest is not declining — it is accelerating. This is a sign of the Spirit's movement.
What God Is Saying: Five Prophetic Themes
1. "I Am Purifying My Church"
The most uncomfortable prophetic word for the Church in this hour is also the most necessary: God is purifying His Bride. Malachi 3:2–3 describes the Lord as "like a refiner's fire and a launderer's soap" who "will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver." The shakings happening within the institutional church — the exposure of hypocrisy, the collapse of celebrity Christianity, the unmasking of leaders who carried title but lacked character — are not signs of God's abandonment. They are signs of His surgical work.
God is not interested in a performance-driven, image-polished church that attracts crowds but lacks power. He is building a holy, Spirit-filled, character-tested company of believers who are prepared to carry His glory without it destroying them. This purification is painful. But it is purposeful. Do not despise the fire — it is making you ready.
2. "I Am Raising a New Generation of Forerunners"
I hear the Spirit saying in this hour: "Look for the young ones who weep before Me in secret. Look for the ones who are unknown but are consecrated. I am raising a generation of forerunners." John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and Luke 1:17 tells us that one of his purposes was "to turn the hearts of the parents to their children." In this season, God is placing a generational anointing on young people who will not simply inherit the forms of the previous generation's Christianity — they will carry a new wine that requires new wineskins.
If you are a young person reading this, do not despise your youth. Do not let anyone look down on you. Press into God now. Let His Word fill you. Let His Spirit mark you. The world does not yet know your name, but heaven does.
3. "Return to the Altar"
One of the clearest things I sense God calling the Church to in this season is a return to the altar — a return to extended, sustained, corporate prayer and fasting. The great revivals of history — the Welsh Revival of 1904, the Azusa Street outpouring, the great awakenings across Africa and Asia — all had one thing in common: extraordinary prayer preceded extraordinary power.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
The conditions for healing our land are not political. They are spiritual. They begin with the people of God returning to the posture of humility, prayer, and seeking. If we want God to heal our families, our cities, and our nation — it begins at the altar.
4. "Do Not Be Afraid"
Even as God is calling us to solemnity, consecration, and holy urgency, He is also speaking one of His most repeated commands across the arc of Scripture: Do not be afraid. Isaiah 41:10 declares: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Fear is the weapon the enemy is using most aggressively in this season. Fear of economic collapse, fear of global conflict, fear of cultural displacement, fear of the future. The spirit of fear is real, and it is working overtime to paralyze God's people. But the antidote to the spirit of fear is not willful positivity — it is the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind that comes from the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7). Do not let fear make your decisions. Let faith, grounded in the certainty of God's covenant, lead you forward.
5. "The Harvest Is Now"
The final and most urgent prophetic theme I carry in this season is this: the harvest is not coming — it is here. Jesus said in John 4:35, "Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." There has never been a moment in human history when more people were spiritually open, spiritually hungry, or spiritually desperate than right now. The question is not whether God is moving — He is. The question is whether the Church will be ready, willing, and Spirit-equipped to partner with Him in the greatest harvest the world has ever seen.
This is the call on LCWM's life. This is why we burn with the fire of the Holy Spirit. This is why we refuse to be a comfortable religious club — because the fields are white and the workers must go. Every believer reading this is called to be a laborer. Your workplace is a mission field. Your neighborhood is a harvest field. Your family table is a place where seeds of the Kingdom can be sown.
How to Position Yourself for This Season
Understanding the prophetic season is only the beginning. The sons of Issachar did not just understand the times — they knew what Israel should do. Here is what I believe God is calling you to do in this hour: First, consecrate yourself anew. Set aside time for extended prayer and fasting. Let the Holy Spirit do the deep work of purification in your heart that He desires to do. Second, connect with a Spirit-filled community that is burning with the purposes of God. You cannot navigate this season alone. Third, ask God for your specific assignment in this harvest. He has prepared works in advance for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). Seek Him for the specifics of your role in what He is doing.
"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."
God is not hiding His purposes in this hour — He is revealing them to those who are close enough to hear. Draw near. Listen. Obey. The prophetic season we are in is not one of retreat — it is one of advance. The Kingdom of God is not in decline. It is on the move. And you have been placed in this moment, at this time, in this city, for purposes that are greater than anything you have yet imagined.
Would you like to go deeper into what God is saying in this season? Join us for one of our Tuesday Bible Study evenings or visit our Sermons page to hear the full teaching series on prophetic discernment.