A lot has changed since I attended my first National Day of Prayer ceremony here in Washington back in 1992. But one thing hasn’t — and that’s how meaningful it is to stand in the most powerful city of the world and intercede for this great country alongside so many believers. Thursday night, looking around the Capitol, you couldn’t help but be moved by the rich history of faith in America — and the tradition of a people looking, together, to God. As Congressman Jody Hice (R-Ga.) put it so perfectly, “We are deeply honored, every one of us, to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. It’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had, to be able to come right to Statuary Hall, right in the centerpiece, the epicenter of American government — and to be able to pray and sing and worship and have this kind of service.”

And at a time, no one would deny, when this country desperately needs it. With America fraying at the edges, there is no better reminder than this year’s theme: “Love one another.” Just think, Dr. Ronnie Floyd imagined, if that happened across American life. “How many marriages would be saved and healed? How businesses would experience more prosperity? How many churches would thrive, grow, and explode with the gospel? How much more great things could get done in city governments, state governments, and in the United States government? How much safer would our schools and our public venues become? How much more poverty and homelessness would be eliminated if we learned to love one another? How much more exciting would life be every day if it was permeated by the power of love?”

But for all of the country’s challenges, there’s one thing we can take great encouragement in: this emphasis on prayer comes naturally. We are a believing nation, who — even now — understands the power of seeking God’s face. More people in America do that every day than any wealthy country in the world. According to Pew Research, 55 percent of our nation prays daily — that’s higher, authors point out, than the world average (49 percent) and significantly higher than the 40 percent average of affluent countries.

The reason, they believe? America’s unique emphasis on freedom. With the exception of Barack Obama’s obvious hostility to faith, we are still one of the most “open religious ‘markets’” in the world, if not the most. Under President Trump, that market is only growing. He’s thrown the doors wide open to religious expression — and not just here, but around the world.

The living proof of that commitment was standing behind the podium Thursday night — and not behind bars: Pastor Andrew Brunson. Together with Noreen, they represented so many millions of answered prayers — and the hope we have for others, like imprisoned Pastor David Lin. Let’s pray that next year he’ll be standing where the Brunsons were Thursday — on home soil. He was certainly on my mind and many others as I prayed for the persecuted church and the millions of brothers and sisters around the world pleading for the freedom we take for granted every day.

“Father, in the silence, in many prisons in dark and damp places, there are those in the quietness of their soul crying out to you tonight. Lord, may we become their voices. May we stand with them in solidarity and love. May we see our brothers and sisters. Though we may not be able to touch them, may we be touched by them. Father, we thank you that you hear our prayers, and Lord, even tonight we rejoice that when we pray in agreement — and we reach heaven with our voices — that Lord you… always hear. Often you’ll give us the request we want, like Andrew being returned home. But Father, I pray that none — none — would believe or feel or think they are forgotten. May we never, ever forget our brothers and sisters.”

“And Father, where we cannot reach and where we cannot see, I pray the Holy Spirit would go and stir within them, as Paul said, ‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels — that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying out in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. That the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. Father, tonight, may the persecuted — in places near and far away — know that they are not forsaken, nor forgotten. Burden our hearts that we would continually lift them up before you and equip our hands to courageously help them. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

Originally published here.

The War against Military Sexual Assault

It’s been nine years since Barack Obama and the liberals in Congress began their decade-long march of radical sexual experimentation in the military. While the dust from their forced march has yet to settle, a troubling image of their “new” military is emerging. After a horrifying new survey on sexual abuse in the ranks, Democrats like Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) want the House and Senate to take a “more aggressive approach.” But, as far as military leaders are concerned, Congress has done quite enough, thankyouverymuch.

The “current programs are simply not working,” Speier argued. Of course they aren’t. As Marine General James Amos foreshadowed back in 2010, adding “any element of sexuality” into the ranks wouldn’t just prevent military bonds — it would “destroy [them].” Nine years later, liberals still seem surprised by just how right he was. According to Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine personnel, “there were an estimated 20,500 instances of unwanted sexual contact” (which the Pentagon defines as anything from groping to rape) in 2018 — a 38 percent increase over 2016.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan said Thursday that these are “persistent challenges” for the Pentagon. “To put it bluntly, we are not performing to the standards and expectations we have for ourselves or for each other. This is unacceptable.” As much as military leaders are trying to crack down on the problem, the reality is, there’s only so much they can do. Unfortunately, most of these men and women aren’t just victims of assault — but of the sexually-charged environment that’s been forced on them. Jackie Speier can complain all she wants, but in the end, she’s blaming the military for a problem her party helped create. She voted to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” too, so it’s a little late to be grumbling about the consequences.

Back then, Democrats like her shrugged off the possibility that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would have any impact on the ranks and are even now trying to resurrect Obama’s Operation Transgender, which President Trump has moved to overturn. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that when Congress introduced even more sexual tension into the troops, it put thousands of men and women in defenseless and compromising positions. To the relief of most Americans, President Trump has done everything he can to roll back the social engineering of the Obama years. We continue to be grateful that he had the backbone to roll back the gender confusion the last administration tried to inject into the military in 2016. But on some issues — like this one — it’s tough to put the genie back in the bottle.

The Left spent Barack Obama’s entire presidency sexualizing the military, beginning with the repeal of DADT — and continuing with the push for open transgenderism. Almost a decade later, I guess “we told you so” isn’t a message his party wants to hear.

Originally published here.

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

Next Saturday, May 11, I’ll be in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the invitation of Dr. Emir Caner, who’s graciously asked me to give the commencement address at Truett McConnell. It’s a special occasion for several reasons, but also because this is the 70th anniversary of the university’s very first graduation. A lot has changed from those early days, but, as TMU’s Dr. John Yarbrough points out, “the heart of Truett McConnell has remained grounded in our faith.”

This year’s class will also be making history as the university’s largest — and I look forward to congratulating all 140 of them on their accomplishment next weekend! If you’re interested in learning more about Truett McConnell and its Christ-centered approach, check out the Georgia campus here.

Originally published here.

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.