I Prayed have prayed
Lord God, thank You for this encouraging message that really applies to all of us. Jesus, we pray for the pastors throughout DC, that they would lead with humility and vulnerability. We ask that they would not partner with the spirit of the age, but that they would partner with Holy Spirit in the work that He is doing.
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In a time when the nation’s capital is in such turmoil and division, I want to give our prayer warriors the insider perspective from a pastor on the front lines in Washington, D.C.

I interviewed a pastor of a growing, mostly young church in DC, with many governmental and political leaders attending. With his perspective, hopefully our intercessory community can better pray with divine wisdom, God-given strategy, and fervent hearts.

Q: What do you sense God is doing in DC right now?

A: I think God is raising up a unified, authentic church in Washington DC. I sense that this church looks different, does things differently, is young. I sense God creating new wine skins, made for new wine.

Q: You pastor a church in DC that includes many who work on Capitol Hill, in the political realm, the federal government, the national intelligence community, etc. How can Christians around the country be praying for them and for your church?

A: I think perhaps the biggest prayer for those in leadership may be what Jesus prayed in John 17:14-15, “…the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” The atmosphere in DC can be intense, both in and out of the work environment. I’m praying that those in our churches would be in the world, but not of it. That they would continue to find their identity, hope, and calling in Jesus. The answer for a lost and broken world is not a church that looks just like it, but a church that is radically different because it’s defined by God’s love, built on God’s Word, and filled with God’s Spirit.

Q: What do you wish praying Christians around the country knew about DC?

A: Above all, I would want the church around the country to know that God is at work in Washington, DC! I know the news about politics coming out of DC is so negative, but I’m more concerned with people. To that extent, I can say that on Capitol Hill and beyond, God is at work.  When I think about Washington DC, I see movement and I am encouraged.

Q: What common misconceptions do Americans have about the nation’s capital and how God is working there?

A: I’ve noticed an understandable tendency to think of Washington DC in strictly national terms; after all, it is a federal city. Sometimes our prayers and hopes for this city can tilt toward the grandiose, i.e. “If we just get that right man in office,” or “God give your church favor and influence,” etc. These are fine prayers, and we’d be happy to have ALL of them answered.  

Still when I consider scripture, and, in particular, Jesus’ description of the kingdom in Matthew 13, I see something different. I see a kingdom described that operates like a mustard seed or like yeast that slowly works it’s way through dough. I don’t want to see the church pin our hopes solely on the grand and influential, because God is at work planting seeds and working through this city and this nation like leaven hidden in flour.

Q: What is the biggest need for pastors like you in the Washington, DC area?

A: The atmosphere in DC, particularly in the political and professional realm, is one of high achievement and low vulnerability. That atmosphere is not just practical, it’s spiritual. What I’ve needed as a pastor in this city, and what I’d encourage other pastors to find, is how to come with a different spirit. In a city that is so driven to succeed, how can the church march to a different beat? Pastors here are leaders of leaders. I think a temptation can be for pastors to try and match the level of drivenness they see in their people. While ambition is not bad, I believe this city longs for authentic community where trust and humility can be cultivated. As a pastor I want to lead the way in that. Additionally, I have learned that leadership is lonely at times and scrutiny can be high. In our church we use the term “marvelous comrades” to refer to those who are with us through thick and thin, and are for us no matter what. Every leader needs a few of those!

I’m thankful for this perspective! With this in mind, let us pray:

  • Father, we ask that You bless the “hidden leaven” of Christian leaders You have all throughout Washington, D.C. Preserve them and keep them close to You as they transform DC from the inside out.
  • Jesus, we pray for the pastors throughout DC, that they would lead with humility and vulnerability. We ask that they would not partner with the spirit of the age, but that they would partner with Holy Spirit in the work that He is doing.
  • Father, we thank You for what You are already doing in DC, and we ask that You create these new wine skins in our nation’s capital!

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:16-17)

 

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Casey Harper is a writer in the Washington, D.C. area covering national politics. He has worked for The Daily Caller, The Hill, and Sinclair Broadcast Group. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Casey’s work has also appeared in Fox News, Fox Business, Washington Examiner, and USA Today. Follow him on Twitter: @CaseyHarper33.

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CN
November 6, 2021

Lord, plant the ongoing seeds within men’s and women’s hearts…in D.C. – seeds that desire to be servants of the people of this nation and of the Most High God. Many within D.C. swore to the people that elected / appointed them that they would “serve our nation and the people”. Many have forgotten their promise. Many chose not to and turned their back on promises and the people, instead becoming self serving. Some have gotten lost in their roles and everyday duties.
Bring forth bold leadership throughout the city that will call and challenge people to return to our foundations of serving You Lord and the people. Amen.

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marlene bickel
November 6, 2021

What matters is; that He knows our name.

11
Gloria Robles
November 6, 2021

This is such an encouragement on so many levels. God is at work in DC, glory to God. A church with a large younger following is praiseworthy. It’s the younger generations that are the most impressionable to fake news and deception. This made my heart so full. Lord finish what you have begun in DC. I once heard Tim Sheets talk about the priestly anointing. He said the Lord amounts the head with oil and everything trickles down. He anoints pastors and leaders and it flows into the body of Christ and then we pour into the lives of those around us. I pray that what God is doing in DC (our capitol) would begin to trickle and flow down into other churches in and out and even reaching governmental leaders.

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Linda k Rice
November 6, 2021

Very good. Fix our eyes on the one before us an on Jesus.

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Lisa Jacobson
November 6, 2021

Why is this pastor not named? His church? His comments are neither inflammatory nor prideful that need to be hidden for him or for the people who participate in the church. His thoughts align with the Bible, and this piece is well written, so it would have been helpful to know why the pastor and the church are anonymous. Is there concern other people will not come to the church? That congregants will lose their jobs? That other pastors will resent they themselves weren’t interviewed? Presently this is America, not Iran or China.

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    Deborah
    November 6, 2021

    I was wondering the same.

    10
      HC
      November 8, 2021

      Why do we need to know the pastor’s name? The Sadducees and Pharisees wanted fame and recognition. We should pray that our pastors walk in humility and not look for recognition or reward from man on this Earth. When they walk close with God, their words are given from God not themselves. This pastor points to the very words of Jesus. We don’t need names, we need to pray for these pastors to be bold, speak God’s truth and walk humbly in a wicked and depraved generation. Thank you for sharing how you see God moving in our nation’s capital. I pray that you and all the other pastors in DC will be emboldened to share the Good News, that scales will be removed and that lives will be changed. Our hope isn’t in our leaders, our hope is in God alone! May He fill you with His peace, love, humility, wisdom/discernment and courage to continue to share His Truth to a broken world!

      4
brian
November 6, 2021

Thank you, Casey. This is indeed encouraging. I have prayed long and hard for revival in our nation, and for it to begin in Washington, D.C. Perhaps, that is coming to pass? Anyway, the fact that there is a new sense of urgency in the church in D.C. is encouraging. I pray, Lord, that you will give all the pastors in D.C. wisdom, guidance, and enthusiasm as they minister to their congregations. Let miracles, signs, and wonders come to pass. In Jesus’ name.

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