Pat Boone Challenges Church to Spiritual Awakening
“Pat, what happened to your white shoes?” asked a fan.
“Oops! They’re white on the bottom” Pat Boone quipped as he was caught without his trademark white buck shoes, part of his image as one of America’s most beloved heroes. But he has a much deeper concern: Challenging the church to prayer for awakening.
For Boone, a descendant of iconic frontiersman Daniel Boone, love for America and love for God have been a lifelong trademark, beginning when the young singer held a ranking second only to that of Elvis Presley. He held this title until only a short time ago, hosting his own television program at age 23 and selling 45 million records in all. He also supported Barry Goldwater in his run for president in 1964.
Boone was one of seven people including his mentor, Harald Bredesen, who were present for what has become known as the “Reagan Prophecy,” which came in October 1970 in Sacramento, California, when Ronald Reagan, then governor of California, was campaigning for reelection.
At a meeting with Reagan and his wife, Nancy; Reagan’s legal affairs secretary, Herbert Ellingwood; Boone and his wife, Shirley; George Otis and Harald Bredesen, Harald suggested, “Why don’t we take hands and pray?” And as they gathered to pray, the presence of the Holy Spirit fell on the group.
Suddenly George Otis began to prophesy, saying, “My son, if you walk uprightly before Me, you will reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” leaving everyone shocked and quiet, with Reagan stunned.
Following his election as president, Reagan brought many believers, including beloved prayer warrior Dick Simmons, into his transition team. Bredesen related years later that when asked about the prophecy, Reagan replied, “I think of it often,” confirming its effect and foreshadowing a similar series of prophecies and miracles that have spoken to many about the miracle of 2016 and the coming 2020 election.
In 2003, Boone was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and says he recently learned he’d recorded more songs in his career—2,300—than anyone in history, with 12 motion pictures and a number of bestselling books. But his real concern is for America. Missing his beloved wife, Shirley, who went to heaven in 2019, without whose prayers and exhortation many of us would not be serving Christ today, he is challenging the church to rise to the challenge of believing God for a spiritual awakening. His prayer is that God will do what He did once before in his lifetime, when through prophecy, He reached down and used one of the most unlikely of men—a Hollywood B actor with little spiritual background—to bring America back.
“Except the Lord build the house, those who build labor in vain; except the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Ps. 127:1).
Bestselling author of God, Trump and COVID-19 Stephen Strang says, “God is sovereign and has a will that is described in the Bible.” He joins with Boone in praying that America’s approximately 200 million Christians will fall to their knees and beseech God to perform a miracle so the 59 million believers who did not vote in 2016 will step up to play their essential part in the journey of bringing America back. {eoa}
Amir George is the author of Liberating Iraq and directs The World Helpline at theworldhelpline.org.
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