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.

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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.