February 12th, 2023

Most of the prophets in the Old Testament wrote about a remnant in Israel who would return to the Lord after turning their backs on Him. Micah is one of them. "The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many people like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations in the midst of many peoples..." (Micah 5:7-8)
 
On Wednesday, February 1, there was a remnant of congress people (16) who met before dawn in the Museum of the Bible. Their unique gathering was called "The National Gathering of Prayer and Repentance." Almost 60 individuals from different nations, organization, and political districts met to humble themselves and seek God's face. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Majority Leader, Steve Scalise led those who came from Congress. The event, co-hosted by president of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, and Pastor Jim Garlow, included Anne Graham Lotz, Ambassador Sam Brownback, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, former congresswoman Michele Backman, and 19-year-old Jacob Kersey, the young man who resigned from the Georgia police department after coming under fire for posting a Bible verse about marriage.
 
As they prayed, many confessed our sins and asked God for wisdom. Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL) humbly asked God to intervene and deliver us from going our own way and thinking our own thoughts. She cried out, "Help us to acknowledge our need of You, our need to weep and mourn over our pride, our immorality, child abuse, and idolatry. Draw us back to You and to Your Word." Representative Daniel Bishop (NC) prayed, "We repent for acquiescing in the status quo. Forgive us for our lack of courage, our resignation, our cynicism, our hopelessness, our narrow self-interest, and ambitions. Forgive us for making our government an idol and then for turning a blind eye as its instrumentalities have accumulated power and turned it against the humanity, the dignity, and the rights with which You endowed the people."
 
Leader Steve Scalise read from Psalm 33. In this psalm we are told to sing a new song to the Lord. It continues:  "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love...Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people revere Him...Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance...But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You."  
 
Truly, the Lord is the only hope for our nation. I am sure He heard the prayers of the remnant who met at the Bible Museum. We must join in their prayers of confessions and repentance to our God. We must pray for the fear of the Lord to fall upon the people of the United States of America and that all of us would revere Him.