America’s days of prayer: “Nearly 250 years ago on June 12, 1775, the Continental Congress appointed a day of fasting and prayer so that Americans fighting for their liberty could seek the help of the Almighty. … John Adams wrote of his first national day of prayer, ‘Millions will be upon their knees at once before their great Creator, imploring His forgiveness and blessing and asking for His favor on the American cause.’ Beautiful. Today, more than 2½ centuries later, in the heart of a free and proud America, we rejoice that God answered those prayers.”

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Those were not the words of a preacher but of President Donald Trump, reminding the nation of the importance of prayer—and that God answers.

“We’re bringing back religion in our country, and we’re bringing it back quickly and strongly—because for America to be a great nation, we must always be ‘one nation under God,’” he said. “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

President Trump put the spotlight on God’s intervention in U.S. history in a way few other modern leaders do. I’m glad he did. But there was also something critical missing from his speech.

When I saw enthusiastic headlines about President Trump hosting a day of prayer and talking about fasting, I thought of an article Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker wrote at the start of his term: “The Most Important Presidential Proclamation Trump Should Make.” He wrote that if America is to turn around, it needs a day of prayer and fasting. Wow! I thought. Has President Trump actually followed that advice?

Sadly not. Mr. Hilliker wrote: “In this moment, far more people should be talking about God and asking for His pardon, mercy and favor. But almost nobody is talking about repenting of the sins that got us into the messes we are in.”

Even in a day focused on prayer, “repentance” was not once mentioned by Mr. Trump or any of the preachers he hosted. One did pray saying, “[We] humbly come before you today acknowledging our shortcomings and asking you to forgive us of all our sins.” That was the only mention of “sin” in the entire event. President Trump used most of his speech to highlight his achievements—not to remind the nation of what it needs to change.

Abraham Lincoln’s brief proclamation appointing a day of prayer and fasting mentioned “sins” five times, “repentance” once and showed clearly where the nation had gone wrong.

“At this crucial moment, with two futures before us, we Americans must humble ourselves, repent before God, and beseech His favor,” concluded Mr. Hilliker.

As our In Brief brings out, “bringing religion back” in this way fulfills a specific Bible prophecy about the Trump presidency. It is a step in the direction Mr. Hilliker described, but it falls far short of the repentance and change necessary.

The day British politics changed? Yesterday may well have been a turning point in British politics. For perhaps the first time ever, Nigel Farage is looking like a future prime minister after his Reform party swept to victory in local elections. He picked up one more seat in Britain’s Parliament in a by-election, after the previous M.P. was forced to stand down. The 6-vote margin of victory is the narrowest ever for a by-election in British history. Reform has gone from never controlling any local county councils to winning at least three, and it has won at least one of the six mayoral elections. Votes are still being counted. If these results were replicated at a general election, Reform would have a comfortable majority in Parliament.

“There has been no mood like it—this furious euphoria, this rage for hope—since the Brexit vote,” wrote Allison Pearson. “Friday morning was keenly anticipated by Farage supporters as children long for Christmas Day. The present to be torn from its wrapping would be nothing less than this: We get our country back.”

That may be a little premature. A general election is likely four years away. But this looks like the day that Reform stopped being a minority, protest party and became a real contender. Anger over mass migration that has only increased after Brexit is driving a major shift here in Britain.

In his article: “Britain’s and Judah’s Governments Fall—America Next?” Mr. Flurry described the way Bible prophecy forecast a resurgence in the U.S. “Could the same thing happen in the UK?” he asked. It was a question, not a prediction, and the answer still isn’t completely clear. A reprieve in America may be enough to allow God’s message to go out around the world. But today’s news shows that a major shift in Britain is possible.

Opposing migration is extremist: Germany is anxious to ensure it doesn’t experience a similar change. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, officially labeled Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) an extremist entity. This will allow it to spy on the party, tapping phones, monitoring computers, and sending in undercover agents.

To an extent, I agree. Some AfD leaders exalt Germany’s Nazi past and want to celebrate the “achievements” of its soldiers in World War II and erase memorials to the Holocaust.

But that’s not why the BfV is going after them. Instead. it cites “xenophobic, anti-minority, Islamophobic and anti-Muslim statements made by leading party officials.”

“The AfD represents an ethnic concept that discriminates against entire population groups and treats citizens with a history of migration as second-class Germans,” said outgoing Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

In other words, they speak out about Islam and they want to deport migrants.

Given the clear damage mass migration and radical Islam have done to Germany, these are not extreme positions. But the German government is going after those who hold them. According to recent polls, the AfD is Germany’s most popular party. Attacking it like this could backfire big time. If the German people aren’t given a way to change course on mass migration democratically, they’ll do it undemocratically. This kind of political maneuvering is leading to radical change in German politics: the prophesied rise of a strong German leader.

IN OTHER NEWS

Mike Waltz is out as President Trump’s National Security Advisor. Instead he’ll be the next ambassador to the UN. Some speculate that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were pushed out for adding Jeff Goldberg to the infamous Signal chat. Others say Waltz was too much of a Russia and Iran hawk. Perhaps his ouster makes a nuclear deal more likely.

European fears grow: The Russian Army is expanding along its western borders with Eastern Europe, Peter van Halteren writes, and it’s making Europe nervous.

Russia mobilizing: And the Kremlin has reported it is ready to mobilize its troops “at any moment,” again threatening the security of Europe. Peter van Halteren again reports on the latest developments.

Israel seeks total victory: Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s “supreme goal” in the Gaza war is to destroy Hamas, our In Brief reports. Prioritizing recovery of the hostages will only encourage Israel’s enemies to take more in the future.

MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, whom the left believes should not have been deported, is the subject of a newly published body-cam video. It shows police pulling Abrego-Garcia over while he was driving the car of a convicted human smugger. Abrego-Garcia had eight passengers and $1,400 in cash. The police in the video were convinced he was trafficking those passengers. His deportation looks less like a mistake all the time.