Following last weekend’s controversial ReAwaken America event at a Texas church, concerns resurfaced about the phrasing in some of Michael Flynn’s recent prayer-like language. The convicted-but-pardoned former national security adviser under President Trump has faced accusations including devil worship and cult-like messaging.
While leading a prayer at a Nebraska church in September, Flynn referred to “legions” and “sevenfold rays,” causing some QAnon adherents to claim he follows Satan. Flynn strongly denies that, telling radio host Paul Oebel, “People need to stop overthinking what everybody is saying.”
Michael Flynn Speaks of Being ‘Freeborn’
On September 17, Flynn led a prayer at Pastor Hank Kunneman’s Lord of Hosts Church in Omaha. “We are your instrument of those sevenfold rays and all your archangels, all of them,” he said. “We will be the instrument of your will, whatever it is. In your name, and in the name of your legions, we are freeborn, and we shall remain freeborn, and we shall not be enslaved by any foe.”
As seen in videos posted online, Flynn used almost-verbatim language from Elizabeth Clare Prophet, who led the 1980s doomsday cult The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT). The cult, which has ties to theosophy and the “I AM” cult movement, has a much smaller following these days. But it maintains a publishing arm, Summit Lighthouse, amid renewed interest in doomsday teachings.
Jim Stewartson, who calls himself an “Anti-disinfo activist,” posted a side-by-side comparison of Flynn’s September prayer and Prophet’s prayer from 1984. In addition to “sevenfold rays,” other similar phrasing includes “I will not retreat,” “I will be the instrument of God’s will, whatever it is,” “I AM freeborn and I shall remain freeborn,” and “I shall not be enslaved by any foe within or without.”
Stewartson tweeted, “He just changed ‘I AM’ to ‘WE WILL.’ Please share this with [Flynn’s] cult. It’s important that they know he is not a Christian.” He also described how Flynn used similar “I AM” terminology in previous speeches.
Author Karen Piper tweeted, “Why the heck is Flynn making people recite [Prophet]? He said he carries the prayer in his pocket!” Piper shared a link to a book containing the prayer, noting, “It’s not something you would just happen upon. [Flynn’s] QAnon friends probably got him into it.”
