So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them. Psalm 106:23 (NIV)

Last week was the National Day of Prayer. It is a designated time to pray for our nation. More times than can be counted, prayers were offered for America to repent of something.

Here is what I find lacking in many prayers: the American Church to repent.

We always seem to equate America with Israel in most conservative evangelical circles. That is not the correlation we need. Israel is loosely equivalent to the Church. So, our prayers to get America to repent are off… seriously. It is the American church that stands in need of prayer.

I have been looking at intercession and find myself activated by Moses and his intercession for Israel. He took an entire rebellious people, put them on his back, and brought them before the Lord asking for mercy.

This is where I find myself challenged. With social media and the internet it is easy to lay open the deep signs of the American Church. Let’s face it, the last 25 years have proven to be one hot mess. From the Roman Catholic Church abuses uncovered in the Boston Globe investigations in 2000 to today, no sector of the American Church has been left untouched. Conservative, liberal, fundamentalist, small churches, big churches… it’s just ugly.

And two things have stood out to me: it’s so tempting to chuck it all and go find something else entirely. And I get it. I am NOT going to bash those “deconstructing.” It’s tempting.

The second thing is this: there hasn’t been any call I’ve seen for real repentance in a big way for any church body in America.

No solemn assemblies. No calls for repentance on the National Mall (except for “godless” America).

There have been policy changes, tightening up of safety standards… plus doubling down of circling the wagons and denying any big problems. There has been a “waiting it out” strategy because one thing is true of Americans: we have short memories!

So, it is very easy to call out the problems… and then what? I am not saying NOT to call out the problems. Dear Lord, Moses called out Israel constantly.

But who will now be Moses? Who will decide to shift prayers from “God save America” to “God save the American Church?”

Israel didn’t “deserve” saving! That’s why it’s called mercy. The American Church needs mercy. So… who will be Moses, willing to put this hot mess on their back and carry it to the Lord?

Who is willing to stand in the breach and keep God from unleashing his wrath on this mess? We stand in need of mercy… and an intercessor can help lead the way.