As the biblical month of Elul arrives, it’s time to prepare our hearts to connect with the King of Kings on a deeper level. Known as the month of reflection and repentance, Elul is a unique time to hear the awakening blast of the shofar (trumpet) that our Creator and Savior are playing. During this season (which began on September 4, 2024 and ends at sundown on October 2), we are urged to open our ears so we can hear and heed the voice of the Lord as he prepares us for the year to come.

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek” Psalm 27:8.

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Freedom’s Call and Elul

Recently I was looking at my calendar and contemplating what I might focus on during Elul this year. As I mulled this over, my attention shifted to a postcard that was hanging on the door. The postcard featured a small version of one of Norman Rockwell’s most beloved paintings titled Freedom of Speech. This particular painting is part of a famous series created by Rockwell in 1943 during the height of World War 2. Inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech on January 6, 1941, Rockwell went on to create four iconic paintings that would brilliantly capture the essence of the freedoms articulated by the president. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Fear, and Freedom from Want–essentially, these were the freedoms Americans were fighting for during the war.

In October 2016 I visited the Norman Rockwell Museum with my family and we had the privilege of viewing all four of these paintings in person.

Freedom of Speech depicts a blue-collar worker (whose face resembles Abraham Lincoln) standing up at a public forum or meeting. The audience intently focuses on him as he exercises his constitutional and fundamental right to speak freely.

Freedom of Worship illustrates a moment of prayer among people of different faiths. Each person in the painting has the right to worship God in their own way.

Freedom from Fear shows two children resting safely in their beds as their parents watch over them. While the mother tucks them in, their father stands nearby, holding a newspaper which describes the bombing blitz happening just across the ocean during World War 2.

Freedom from Want portrays family and friends on Thanksgiving Day as they prepare to partake in the abundant feast set before them. Their smiling faces depict no sign of despair or hunger as the matriarch of the family serves a plump, juicy turkey.

These Four Freedoms are Under Attack

When I gazed upon these four paintings at the museum years ago, the 2016 presidential election was less than a month away, and tensions in our nation were high. Looking at each painting, I realized that all four of the freedoms portrayed by Rockwell were under attack. In that moment I knew the battle to protect them would only grow more intense. I felt a strong urge to pray for the United States of America, a country where citizens have been blessed with the right to worship freely, speak their minds, and live a secure and prosperous life.

Flash forward to 2024. Eight years have passed since I glanced upon the Four Freedoms paintings. Another presidential election is looming. Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear, and freedom from want are all in danger of being erased by those who favor radical Marxist agendas. The ideals under attack during World War 2 are the same ones being threatened today, but those who would see them removed are resolute and determined to eradicate them at record speed. The list of threats is long but includes the relentless censorship of conservative ideas, the criticism and persecution of those who practice the Christian faith, the targeted attacks on children/young adults and their God-given identities, the systematic destruction of our nation’s borders, major breaches of trust in government agencies, a broken election system, and the controlled demolition of our country’s energy and food supply.

President Roosevelt delivered his famous Four Freedoms speech to Congress on January 6, 1941. Does the January 6 date look familiar? Exactly eighty years later, on January 6, 2021, an event labeled and propagandized by liberal media as the “January 6 Capitol Attack”, or the “J6 Insurrection,” threw the United States into a political tailspin as an all-out assault on freedom began that day. Unsubstantiated arrests were made as well as baseless criminal indictments. A smear campaign at the highest levels sought to silence dissent and label anyone who disagreed with the official narrative as a domestic terrorist.

The King is in the Field During Elul

While there are many critical issues that need prayer at this time in history, the biblical month of Elul brings with it a blessed opportunity to meet with Jesus. Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel explains, “Each day of the month of Elul (except for Shabbat and the last day of Elul), the Jewish people sound the shofar (ram’s horn) as a call to repentance. The Jewish people teach that the ‘King is in the Field’ during Elul — God is readily accessible, willing to hear our requests and listen to our fervent prayers for the coming new year.” He adds that the Hebrew letter for the month of Elul is yod, which represents the concentrated power of God.

Intercessors, this special month is an opportune time to seek Jesus with our requests. It’s interesting to note that Elul derives from an ancient Akkadian word meaning harvest and is similar to the Aramaic root verb which means to search. Now is the season to let God search our hearts as we pray for a great harvest in our lives, as well as our nation. Elul precedes the High Holy Days that fall in the biblical month of Tishrei, which are Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The Bible refers to these Holy Days as feasts, which is translated as moed in Hebrew. This word means an appointed time or meeting. The implication is that the feasts are an important time to meet with God.

Praying for Israel during Elul

Elul is also the perfect time to pray for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Pray that many hearts would be open to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as He waits in the field to usher them into His kingdom. Also pray for the protection of the land and people as they live under the constant threat of attack. Pray that Israel’s leaders would heed God’s voice and make wise decisions.

Repentance Opens the Gates of Freedom

As we pray about preserving freedom during the month of Elul, we must never forget that the most important way we keep this blessed gift is through repentance. Though Elul reminds believers to turn away from their sins, it also calls them to turn toward God. Strategically, we must do an about-face when it comes to all the sins and distractions that are pulling us away from the King of Kings.

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want — a just government can attempt to protect them all. But the truth is that only God can secure these freedoms.

 This is why we should never give up praying for our country, especially during the appointed time of Elul. No matter what happens in the United States of America, we can walk through it with our Savior. As the war rages on every side, He is always with us.

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8).

It is customary to sing the Psalms during the month of Elul. Therefore, intercessors might consider praying through different ones, using them as tools of intercession for ourselves and the country. Above all, let the Holy Spirit lead.

Lord Jesus, we are so thankful for the freedom, security and abundance we have been blessed with. During the season of Elul, guide us individually and as a nation, so that we may have true repentance and restoration. Protect our rights to speak and worship freely so we can proclaim your name to the ends of the earth.

Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger and former teacher who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the United States. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. She is also the author of Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus, and her first children’s book, Hallelujah’s Great Ride, was released in September 2023.