A New Name for California
by Chris Leeper, trusted PRAY CALIFORNIA Partner,
Co-Founder of 40 Days of HOPE, Co-Leader in HOPE California
“You shall no longer be called California, but Beulah, for the LORD delights in you.” These were the words I heard during a 40-day fast in 2018. When I heard those words in a prayer meeting, I did not remember what Beulah meant, so I had to Google it to make sure I was declaring something accurate over California.
Beulah comes out of Isaiah 62:4, “You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight is in Her, and your land Married (Beulah); for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” The LORD was speaking HIS narrative over California. HE delights in HIS people, and the land is married to HIM; our state is covenanted to GOD.
How California Got Its Name
In 1510, a popular Spanish novel titled “The Adventures of Esplandián” spoke of an island east of the Asian mainland near to what the book called the Terrestrial Paradise. In this novel, the island was called California, and it was full of beautiful women and gold. It captured the minds of the Spanish sailors, and when they discovered the Peninsula of Baja California, they thought it was the island referred to in the book; hence they called it California. This novel had such a stronghold on the Spanish that they mapped California as an island for 200 years even when they knew it was not an island. It took an edict from the King of Spain declaring that California was not an island for them to start mapping it properly.
It is important to know this history and understand that California received its name through “lust and greed” and that the identity of California comes from the enemy and his narrative over this state. When the LORD spoke, “You shall no longer be called California, but Beulah for the LORD delights in you,” HE was identifying this state as being covenanted to HIM and breaking the false narrative of the enemy in the minds of HIS people.
California Belongs to JESUS
It is time to operate in the LORD’s narrative for this state. California belongs to JESUS; this is the narrative the LORD wants us to embrace and believe. For too long, we have listened to the voice of the enemy and agreed with his narrative that we are “Forsaken” and our land is “Desolate,” but the LORD wants us to know that HIS delight is in us and our land is covenanted to HIM.
When we operate in this narrative, no weapon formed against us will prosper. We will have the boldness of the children of Israel when they understood that the land before them was the Promised Land of GOD. Our founding fathers believed America was this type of promised land and that GOD, in HIS sovereign plan, gave us this land for the propagation of the gospel to the entire world. In addition, they believed that we had the opportunity as “We the People” to cultivate and bring the Kingdom of GOD to earth without the tyranny of lords, aristocrats, kings and dictators.
Much of this Christian history has been lost in our day, but the time for the children of GOD to arise, declare the narrative of the LORD, and lead our state and nation into its true identity is now. The LORD is not intimidated by the current condition of California but is waiting for HIS people to cooperate with HIS plans, to pray, act, and lead in the power of the Holy SPIRIT and the wisdom of HIS Word. If we will rise up in the will and ways of the LORD, our enemies will be scattered, and California (Beulah) will be a city on a hill where “her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.” (Is 62:1)
I believe Isaiah, chapter 62, is GOD’s chapter for this hour of history in California. Read it, study it, live it, and we will see a massive shift in our culture for the good of all of mankind.
Chris Leeper
PRAY CALIFORNIA encourages you to participate in HOPE California and see in which way you want to be part of the fast, the prayer, the 10 stadium events or the week of outreach called “LOVE WEEK“.