Christians Gather in D.C. to 'Submit' America to God
WASHINGTON – A small but energetic crowd gathered at Lafayette Park across from the White House Friday to pray for America to return to God.
The passionate prayers, which many times appeared more like preaching, drew "Hallelujah's," "Yes, Lord's," and hand waving from the crowd. Participants of the D.C. pray-for-America gathering, organized by www.praylive.com, came from as far away as California and as close as Maryland.
"We are doing this because America is in desperate need of prayer," said Wenda Royster, co-founder of www.praylive.com. "We have such disrespect for God in this nation today. We are praying 2 Chronicles 7:14. We are coming back to God. A place where we know we can get results. We can't get results anywhere else but looking to God. That is why we are here."
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More than a dozen pastors and intercessors led prayers at the gathering. A theme that ran across several different prayers was bringing prayer back to school. Several of the prayer leaders called on God to bless America's children and raise up an "excellent" new generation.
They also prayed for God to give wisdom to Members of Congress and the president.
"In your mighty name, release your strategies to our president and our Congress men and women so they would lead this country faithfully," prayed the Rev. Jacqueline Reeves of Spoken Word Ministry in New Jersey. "Give our leaders wisdom to lead this nation for the glory of God, hallelujah."
"I submit this country into your hands," she declared. "We give America to you, Lord. And I pray that your people will seek your face 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
The prayers were focused on spiritual revival in America without wading too deeply into controversial issues such as abortion and homosexuality. There were brief prayers for God to deliver the youth from drug addiction and sexual promiscuity, and Royster mentioned same-sex marriage while talking to The Christian Post about the need for the event.
"Lord, your Word says if we seek you with all our hearts we will find you. So our purpose today is seeking and finding you," prayed Reeves. "We want to be one nation under God."
"We desire to partner with you for a better America. A healthier America. A peaceful America. A spirit-filled America. A world where you will get all the honor, all the glory, and all the praise."
The group concluded by singing "God Bless America" in English and Spanish.
Praylive.com is an internet radio station broadcasting prayer 24/7 across the United States and around the world. Praylive.com says it is moving towards also offering Spanish and French prayer programming.
Royster emphasized that the D.C. prayer event as well as praylive.com is non-denominational.
"It is unfair for us in this season to walk down Baptist street, and make a right on Methodist street, and turn up Pentecostal boulevard," Royster said. "We got to unite and be one. We have a president that says this is not a Christian nation."
