Ronnie Floyd: The Christian church must meet this historic American moment

OPINION:

For the first time in 132 years, the United States of America has re-elected a president to non-consecutive terms. After losing his reelection in 1888, President Grover Cleveland was elected to another non-consecutive term as our nation’s president in 1892. While President Cleveland’s story is now in the history books, we have lived history in the past few days, witnessing the re-election of former President Donald J. Trump to serve as our 47th president beginning on Jan. 20, 2025. Our 45th president will also become our 47th president of the United States.

This past season of American life has been deeply polarized and divided. I hoped and prayed that the election would be clear and decisive about who should lead our country. Finally, the American people have given President-elect Trump a clear and astonishing landslide victory. This historic moment in America’s history is an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, undeniable century moment.

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Therefore, the church must answer this moment in time. While some may want to sound an alarm like those on the far left are doing, we need to realize that 81% of evangelicals and 56% of all Catholics resounded the same as the rest of America did by giving this mandate for change through this election.

The church’s participation in the voting process is the first step in answering this moment in American history. The church cannot ever play dead in the public square. Furthermore, if the election had gone the other way, the church would still need to answer this moment.

While we thank God for America and love our nation, our allegiance is ultimately to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, whom we believe to be the Savior of the world. We must approach issues in the public square and everywhere else with a biblical worldview. The Bible is our ultimate authority for faith and practice, and Jesus alone is our King.

Therefore, something is in the air at this historic moment in America. Understanding the times, God will show us what we must do. To answer this moment in time, we must take these actions daily and seasonably:

• Pray for the leaders of America. Yes, all of them, regardless of their beliefs and actions.
• Set aside a day, a few days, or even seasons for prayer and fasting for our communities, states, and nation.
• Call your local church to pray for our nation when facing various crises.
• Teach, preach, and call upon God to send the next Great Spiritual Awakening in this historic moment in America. While we observe and respect landmark moments like this, we know God’s ultimate solution to people’s problems and a troubled nation is God’s giving America the next Great Spiritual Awakening. A spiritual movement like this will redefine America’s entire future.
• Extraordinary prayer, joined with fasting, can usher in the next spiritual revival and Great Spiritual Awakening in America that will transcend all denominational, generational, cultural, racial, and ethnic lines.

I believe in the supernatural power of prayer and fasting! America needs a genuine spiritual movement of God like this. This is our greatest hope.

As the church, we respond at this moment in our history by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone, everywhere. Jesus is still the answer for the world today.

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Dr. Ronnie W. Floyd, Pastor Emeritus, Cross Church, past President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, and former President of the Southern Baptist Convention.