A key principle in looking at our situation is the way God holds cities (or countries) accountable based on the degree of knowledge they have about him and his will. In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus condemned his own home-base town, Capernaum, saying that if the miracles done there had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have remained. It would be like telling a small, blue collar Midwest town that they would be judged more harshly than Las Vegas. Why? Because they had far more exposure to the truth.

For many years I have spoken and written about the need to pray for God’s mercy for our country. Since that time, it’s hard to even recognize our country from what it even was then.

At the time, I and many others were focused on the risk of new terrorist attacks following 9-11. By God’s mercy and thanks to many prayers, and the hard work of many here and abroad, follow-up attacks were averted. This article details dozens of those near misses, most foreign, some domestic. But since then, our country has become a very different place. From a biblical standard, it’s hard to imagine what has taken place in just several years.

A key principle in looking at our situation is the way God holds cities (or countries) accountable based on the degree of knowledge they have about him and his will. In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus condemned his own home-base town, Capernaum, saying that if the miracles done there had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have remained. It would be like telling a small, blue collar Midwest town that they would be judged more harshly than Las Vegas. Why? Because they had far more exposure to the truth.

The application to America should be clear: because of our extraordinary exposure to the Gospel, we are without excuse. This should lead pastors and church leaders to lead their congregations to plead for mercy and repentance for this county, not just occasionally, but frequently. And not just to preserve our economy and comfort.

We have foreign enemies rebuilding in Afghanistan with open borders to our south, and China overtaking us in Asia and elsewhere. Not to mention the moral collapse we see within our country every day. God alone can turn the tide. But we have the responsibility to ask and plead. And not just occasionally, but often. The American Church must be the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) if our country has any hope. And that does not come without regular emphasis from church leadership.

Pastors and church leaders, please don’t get distracted. Keep your eye and airtime on this pressing need. Our country and its people may depend on it.

Steve Hall helps lead a ministry, Joseph’s Way, that helps equip churches and families to prepare for emergencies (physical, financial, and legal) in ways that equip them to help others during a crisis. He is a graduate of the UVA School of Law and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Steve has served as both an Elder and Deacon in evangelical presbyterian churches.