When IFA Louisiana state prayer leader Lisa Townsend saw that Arkansas Gov. Sara Huckabee Sanders released a proclamation on Oct. 9, 2023, in support of Israel and its right to defend itself from Hamas, its words struck a chord.

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“OK, a proclamation has got to happen in Louisiana too,” she told herself, praying about the idea before tucking it away amid a busy season of ministry last fall. “I don’t remember that I ever said anything to Janie about it,” she recalled aloud of the prayer group’s co-leader, Janie Harris. “But we are pretty much a brunette and a blonde with the same heart and mind.” 

Six months went by during which there was a clean sweep of Louisiana’s government offices in early November. Meanwhile, Janie was elected to the Republican State Central Committee, which helps with party organization and recruiting candidates.

One Sunday morning on April 14, Janie woke up with a sense of curiosity from the Lord: “Why don’t we have a proclamation for the state of Louisiana to stand with Israel?” she wondered. The question stirred her to scavenge for answers, so she texted several of her friends as a sounding board. They mentioned that Louisiana’s former governor, Bobby Jindal, had released a statement years ago about standing with Israel, but it didn’t capture everything that needed to be said in the current climate.

So, Janie continued to comb the internet for Louisiana’s stance on Israel following the attacks on October 7 and increasing antisemitism. Eventually, she landed on Gov. Sanders’ proclamation, and the words struck a chord with her, too. Later that night, Janie sat down to type a simple letter to recently elected Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to request a similar proclamation.

The next day would be one of her first functions with the Republican State Central Committee, and it just so happened to be a timely breakfast with Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. Janie prepared by printing copies of the letter to take with her, including one for the lieutenant governor and additional copies for Republican Party Chairman Derek Babcock, Sen. Neil Riser, and Misti Cordell, Region 5 vice president for the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women.

“I was like the woman going through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment,” she said, describing her arrival among the 70 Republican women crammed into the lieutenant governor’s Pentagon Barracks apartment, the place where he entertains. With her letter in hand, she weaved her way through all those people to get to the lieutenant governor, who had promised Lisa when she met him several months prior, at his inaugural lunch: “Anything that you need for your prayer ministry, we will do.”

Janie brought up her concern for Israel, reminding him that Christians were the backbone of his base, and a proclamation would mean so much to them. Sure enough, he listened, and he delivered on his promise to Lisa, saying he was all for a proclamation. “I will put this in the governor’s hand today,” he said. Not only that, but he also said he would speak to all his colleagues at a conference of lieutenant governors in San Diego the following Tuesday. 

‘That was God!” said Lisa, convinced of the Lord’s favor. Cordell later reported that when she passed Janie’s letter on to Landry, he had already received a copy from the lieutenant governor, who had apparently wasted no time in fulfilling his assignment. Less than two weeks later, Landry declared the week of April 29 Holocaust Remembrance Week in Louisiana, choosing that date because the Seventh United States Army had liberated the Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945. He wrote:

Today we are honored to issue this proclamation and mark the start of Holocaust Remembrance Week in Louisiana. While we mourn the innocent lives lost, this week also serves as an important reminder that Louisiana will always stand strong with Israel, and we will Never Forget the horrors of the Holocaust.

Also on April 29, Landry issued an official proclamation on Israel, stating that “too many young Louisianians understand neither the magnitude of the atrocities that took place in the Nazi death camps nor the full historical significance of the Holocaust.” A few days later, on May 1, all 27 Republican governors, including Landry and Sanders, released a joint statement in solidarity with Israel:

As governors and community leaders, we are honored to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month, especially as Jewish people around the world face unspeakable persecution. Our country has a long history of supporting Israel, and now more than ever, it’s important we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community against horrific acts of antisemitism, religious bigotry, and terrorism both in our country and across the globe. Throughout May, we are proud to celebrate Jewish heritage and the many positive contributions that the Jewish community has had on our nation while reaffirming our unwavering support for the Nation of Israel and her people.

Lisa called it “kairos timing,” referring to the biblical word for a divinely orchestrated, perfect moment of opportunity. She made a connection to a prophecy she heard starting back in 2013 from the founder of Glory of Zion International. “Chuck Pierce has been saying that Louisiana is a ‘government mantel state’ and would be a ‘gateway’ to the nation,” she says.

There’s a beautiful realization in all of this: Don’t think that, just because you are one state, that’s the limit of your influence. Doors may open wider than you expect – and God is able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine! (see Ephesians 3:20).

Did this story of kairos timing encourage you? Share it with friends and family to encourage them to pray for similar stories in their own states!

Nicole Arnoldbik is IFA’s government affairs coordinator. Photo Credit: designer491/Getty Images via Canva Pro.