". . . and having done all . . . stand firm." Eph. 6:13

Commentary

A Nation in Need: DC Event to Call for Prayer and Repentance

January 26, 2023

Throughout Scripture, Israel consistently turns its back on God which eventually leads to their exile. They become a troubled nation and live outside of His will. In Ezekiel 14:2, God gave the prophet insight into the hearts of the leaders, and he warns, “‘These men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces.’” Through selfish acts, God’s chosen people desert their Maker and dishonor His sovereign guidance.

Today, the headlines you read on your local news site do not necessarily portray our current nation as being in good condition, aligned with the will of God. Like the disobedience of the Israelites, we too have stepped outside of God’s original design and need redirection back into union with Him.

On December 13, founder and CEO of Well Versed Dr. Jim Garlow turned on the TV and watched as Joe Biden signed into law what he called the Respect for Marriage Act. For the first time in American history, the legislative, judicial, and executive branch of government affirmed everything that violated God’s original design for humankind, described in Genesis 1. “I was stunned at what I was seeing,” Garlow told Family Research Council President Tony Perkins on “Washington Watch,” “ a great celebration in the White House standing for that for which God destroyed Sodom.”

Same-sex marriage is not a new concept to American culture, but widespread acceptance through all three branches of government adds a higher level of threat to principles our country was founded on. “This is kind of a red line when you look at what is being pushed by [the Biden] administration and the policies that are being adopted,” Perkins said.

The Respect for Marriage Act not only attempts to change the God-ordained structure of marriage through federal law, but it threatens to punish those who refuse to embrace it. As The Washington Stand’s Ben Johnson points out, this act ultimately forces “Christian bakers, florists, web designers, and many other professionals to choose between violating their faith or losing their business.”

So, what is the solution for a nation that refuses to align with the will and guidance of God? Well, the good news is that we serve a merciful and just Creator. In response to the disobedience of the people of Israel, God calls them back to Himself: “‘Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’” (Ezekiel 14:6).

In response to our nation’s current state, we must return to the Father through repentance and pray that His will be done. “As Americans have turned to God and prayer and repentance at critical junctures in the past,” Perkins said during his conversation with Garlow, “there’s a growing sense of urgency and understanding that we need to do the same now.”

In fact, our country was founded through the power of prayer. Benjamin Franklin, for example, called his colleagues to a time of prayer for three days. Since then, “there have been a number of presidents that have called us to pray,” Garlow said. These leaders include Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, Franklin D. Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor, and Dwight D. Eisenhower when he helped establish the then-called Presidential Prayer Breakfast.

Following in the footsteps of our nation’s leaders, on the morning of February 1, Garlow and Perkins are organizing a national gathering for prayer and repentance, held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.. By hosting this event, “our ultimate goal is not saving the republic,” Garlow said. It is “obeying God, walking his ways, obeying and honoring and loving Him. However, a side benefit of that is the saving of a Republic.”

At this event, congressional leaders, pastors, and Christian organizations will come together to pray and repent for our nation. Special guests include Anne Graham Lotz, Carter Conlon, Andrew Brunson, Jonathan Cahn, and others who will give brief exhortations. Learn more about the event here

Abigail Olsson is a Brand Advancement intern at Family Research Council.