God’s Burden for America: A Leader’s Journey

I was alone in a hotel room near the National Mall in Washington, DC—the day before more than a million men assembled for the Promise Keepers Stand in the Gap event, the largest gathering ever in Washington, DC.

That day, I was suddenly overwhelmed with grief for my country.

I couldn’t remember what triggered this burden other than the Holy Spirit.

I had been engaged in some meetings with Gary Bauer and the Family Research Council before the event, but I couldn’t connect those discussions to what I was experiencing.

A Grieving Burden As God visited me that day in the hotel room, I literally fell to the floor sobbing uncontrollably.

My wife had been out with other ladies and returned to find me on the floor still unable to control my grief.

She could not understand what was happening, and I could not even speak coherently.

The only thing I knew was that I grieved for the condition of the United States.

I didn’t remember knowing why, and I didn’t know any next steps.

As the months went by, I couldn’t connect this event with what I was doing.

Then years went by, and this encounter began to slip into the background, unexplained.

A Decade of Connection In 2007, a decade later, God began to stir something in my heart that related to how unity among Christians in the workplace could make changes in their society.

With the global awareness I had developed, I began thinking about the role of leaders throughout the workplace in cities all around the world.

On Saturday, July 11, 2015, I was discussing the first chapter of Nehemiah with a couple of other leaders.

We wondered what were the reasons for Nehemiah’s reaction to the news about his people and the city of Jerusalem.

As I related our discussion to my wife, she reminded me that I indeed had had such an experience—the day before the Promise Keepers rally in Washington, DC.

Understanding God’s Call Only now, almost another decade later, have I glimpsed what happened in that hotel room.

Only now am I beginning to understand why I have a relentless drive to see societies change, especially my own.

Only now have I connected my 1997 encounter to the Cities Project Global vision.

God places burdens on the hearts of leaders.

These burdens are not arbitrary—they’re part of His grand design to transform cities and nations.

When the Holy Spirit lays a burden on your heart, it’s worth taking seriously.

It may take years to understand its full significance, but God’s timing is perfect.

If you sense God stirring a burden in your heart for your city, your nation, or your sphere of influence, don’t dismiss it.

It may be the beginning of a divine assignment that will unfold over years or decades.

That’s how God transforms the world—through leaders who are willing to carry His burden for the places they’re called to serve.