Members of Congress, executive and judicial branch employees, representatives from foreign countries, and others met at the Museum of the Bible Wednesday for the second annual National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance.
They took time to openly confess to God their shortcomings and those of the country, and they begged for mercy and forgiveness:
"Father in Heaven, forgive us for allowing the spirit of the world to creep into the Church, where social justice has been preached instead of biblical truth, where the pews have become complacent because the pulpits have gone silent."
Organizer Jim Garlow of Well Versed, a ministry to members of Congress, says some of the most important voices in American politics were there.
"One of the first [people] I called was Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), and he said, 'If you make it about repentance, count me in,'" Garlow shares.
He says the Washington influencers are trying to set a positive example for the rest of the country.
Lamenting the strife and confusion in the country, the event organizer notes that "the surveys would indicate that church people are not a whole lot different from non-church people."
"That's a problem," he says.
And though there are not enough legislators who see the threat and are willing to take a stand against it, Garlow is confident that God can do plenty through the faithful remnant in D.C.
