WASHINGTON – At this time of deep division in our country, there may be a tendency to feel that there is no hope in Washington, DC. However, a department is working hard to overcome this sentiment.
Their mission is simple – to provide prayer and pastoral support to all God has put in place.
At Hope to the Hill Ministries in DC, the goal is to encourage, support and serve powerful and stressed politicians.
“The idea is that we focus on their faith. Their faith journey. How things are going for them in their life – and they see that we are not asking questions about how they feel about this issue. or this problem, ”Hope told George Roller of Hill.
The only thing Roller and his colleague Nathan Kistler want from members of Congress is to bond and pray with them.
“So many members, when you walk into their office, say, ‘Well, what can I do for you today? And we’re just saying we don’t want anything from you. We just want to know how we can pray for you, ”Kistler told CBN News. “And it’s amazing to see members – I had something, that they shrug their shoulders a little bit or cry because they never had anyone in their office asking how they could pray for them. ”
As a non-partisan organization, Hope to the Hill avoids talking about politics.
“It’s a divided moment in American history,” Kistler said. “There are a few things to me that are transcendent beyond party lines and politics, all of those things, and one of the most important is prayer.”
This approach also helped them cross party lines to create prayer partners.
“We can surround this chamber of the House together, Republicans and Democrats, and seek the face of God in the midst of whatever is happening,” United States Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA ).
McMorris Rodgers told CBN News she appreciates their ministry more than ever today.
“Remember spiritual warfare and the importance of prayer. The importance of reading the Word of God, putting on the armor of God and being more aware of what God might be doing in a day or in a conversation and bringing it all down to him – his advocate, its ambassador here on Capitol Hill day in and day out, ”continued the Washington State representative.
U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) told CBN News he agreed with the ministry’s goals.
“Even if it’s just to come and pray for a few minutes, to have someone there pray for you and about the issues that you are facing because many members of Congress, the main issues that we face are not not what is happening in our country which is quite stressful, but these are issues that they face with their families because of the separation, ”explained Loudermilk.
While in Congress, Loudermilk said he survived the Congressional shooting, an assassination attempt and a near-fatal car crash.
“One thing God has used in all of this is to teach me that we have to go through these times to become stronger warriors for Christ,” Loudermilk said.
The Georgian congressman believes God will bring America through these troubling times of deep political divisions.
“God is not done with America yet,” Loudermilk said. “He must take us to the edge of the abyss to see what will happen if we do not turn our eyes to him and put our eyes back on our cause, and that cause is the cross.”
Hope to the Hill also trains lawmakers on how to share their faith with others.
“One of the members of that group that day told me that he had used what he had learned. He shared the faith with another member of Congress and that person prayed to receive Christ,” Roller recalled.
He also told the story of a time he gave a Bible to an unbeliever who lay unused on his desk for over a year.
“One day the man was fascinated by it, so he opened it and he started reading, and reading over and over again,” Roller recalls. “Through this process he came to faith in Christ. Since then he has been to a Bible college in town, and now he preaches on Sundays when he is home and is still a beloved member. of Congress and he loves Jesus. ”
Roller and Kistler also recommend that believers call their representative’s offices to offer encouragement to their employees.
“Just say hello, I pray for you. God loves you. I love you, and we appreciate the work you do and build a relationship,” Kistler said.
This is likely to make their day since most calls in the office come from angry people.
“People can call and encourage and build a relationship with people here because when the time comes when you might have to have a tough talk with them about something that you don’t agree with them on, they will want to hear what you have to say because you’ve actually shown that you care, ”Kistler explained.
Roller and Kistler both see Washington, DC as one of the most valuable and fertile mission fields on the planet. They want to share the hope that no matter how divided things seem, God is raising up a mighty remnant in the American capital.
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