America at a Crossroads

When I was a boy growing up on our family ranch in Washington, my father would often sit me down and remind me of the importance of foundations. He’d say, “Son, if you don’t build right, you’ll regret it later. A crooked foundation makes a crooked house.” He wasn’t just talking about barns or fences; he was talking about life itself.

That lesson echoes in my heart today when I look at our nation. America, too, was built on a foundation a foundation of biblical principles and the Constitution, crafted with the wisdom of our Founding Fathers. And just like on the ranch, if the foundation shifts, the whole structure is in danger.

Here’s the tragedy: many Americans no longer know that foundation. Ask people today about the Constitution and you’ll find confusion everywhere. For example, when a survey asked Americans, what document contains the phrase “Separation of Church and State”:

   •   70% answered, “The Constitution.”

   •   30% said, “I don’t know.”

That means 100% of them were wrong.

The phrase isn’t in the Constitution. It’s not in the Declaration of Independence. It’s not in the Bill of Rights. It doesn’t appear in any founding document at all.

So where did it come from?

In 1801, a Baptist association wrote to President Thomas Jefferson, worried that government overreach might strip away religious freedom. Jefferson wrote back to assure them, using the phrase “a wall of separation between church and state.” But his meaning was crystal clear: the government has no right to interfere with the church.

It was never meant to remove faith from public life—it was meant to protect faith from government intrusion.

And yet, over time, that phrase has been twisted. What was once a safeguard is now a weapon to strip prayer from schools, remove the Ten Commandments from courthouses, silence nativity scenes, and push Bibles out of classrooms. That which was meant to protect our liberties is now being used to take them away.

Scripture warns us that the enemy always seeks to twist what God intends for good. Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. But the devil takes what was ordained as good and tries to corrupt it.

Our founders believed and even prophesied that if America followed God’s ways, she would be blessed. And they were right. America became the most prosperous, blessed, and free nation on earth. But they also warned: if America ever turned her back on God, those blessings would be removed.

Look around today and tell me we’re not seeing this play out. Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

That is where we are.

   •   Burning the American flag was once unthinkable. Today, it’s celebrated.

   •   The Bible was once honored. Today, Bibles are burned in the streets.

   •   America was meant to be a light to the nations. Instead, we’ve exported pornography, abortion, and violence around the globe.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” But instead of shining light, we’ve too often spread darkness.

Since Roe v. Wade, over 60 million unborn children have been aborted. Cities wracked with violence hand kids bulletproof backpacks rather than address the deeper problem of lawlessness. Psalm 106:38 says, “They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters…” It sounds as if the psalmist was writing about us today.

And what about the church? Sadly, the condition of the church often mirrors the condition of the nation. Statistics show 30% of women who have abortions identify as Christians. That tells us something tragic the church has compromised. No wonder Peter warned us: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” (1 Peter 4:17)

We can’t expect the nation to repent if the church won’t repent first.

So where do we go from here?

I believe there are three prayers we must pray:

1. A Prayer of Salvation for the Lost.

1 John 1:9 reminds us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Heaven still rejoices over one sinner who repents. America needs a harvest of repentance.

2. A Prayer of Repentance for the Church.

Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones, and God asked, “Can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3). The answer was yes because the Spirit of God can breathe life back into what seems dead. The dry bones of the American church can live again, but it starts with repentance.

3. A Prayer of Repentance for the Nation.

God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is as true today as it was then: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

Some say it’s too late for America. But I refuse to believe that.

I still believe there is hope, hope if the lost will turn to Christ, hope if the church will repent, hope if the nation will humble itself before God.

Our job is clear:

   •   Don’t love the world. (1 John 2:15)

   •   Refuse conformity to culture. (Romans 12:2)

   •   Be salt and light without compromise. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

We stand at a crossroads. One road leads to further compromise and decay. The other road leads to repentance, revival, and restoration. The choice is ours.

As for me, I will keep praying that America chooses the latter—that we humble ourselves, return to God, and once again become that shining city on a hill.

Because God still keeps His promises.

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray… I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)