Pastor Josh Howerton: America Is a ‘Prodigal Nation’ Finding Its Way Back to God

Pastor Josh Howerton of Lakepointe Church in Texas says he’s witnessing a “resurgence of the purposes of God” across America as the nation grows increasingly weary of what he describes as “a non-ignorable dark force in the world.” Howerton, whose megachurch draws approximately 30,000 people weekly, made the comments during an episode of “The Shawn Ryan Show” released Monday.

When host Shawn Ryan asked why Christianity seems to be “the one religion that is totally acceptable to disparage,” Howerton replied bluntly: “That’s exactly what the Bible said was going to happen.” He explained that attacks on Christianity are part of a broader spiritual battle. “There’s this tacit assumption throughout the entire Bible that Satan is really over all of the world’s systems,” he said, “and that’s why everything in the world aligns against one thing in particular: Christianity, Christ and Christians.”

Howerton believes the devil has gained significant momentum by shaping contemporary culture, but he sees a pattern: “The devil always overplays his hand.” As an example, he pointed to the widespread promotion of transgenderism and castrating children suffering from gender confusion. Men are now asking, half seriously, “Who’s going to tell my son he can’t be a chick?” The church, Howerton said, has become one of the few cultural spaces still standing against that shift.

While religious attendance and Christian identification have been declining for years across the U.S. and the West, Howerton says the tide is turning domestically. Citing conversations with pastors across the country, he reports church leaders are seeing more people getting saved and baptized than ever before.

He attributes this shift to rising awareness of moral decline. “The obviousness of darkness has become so smack you in the face” that people, especially young men, have “awakened to the reality that there was a non-ignorable dark force in the world.” That awareness, he added, naturally leads people toward faith: “If there’s a darkness, there must be a light. And that light has a name, and his name is Jesus Christ.”

Ryan agreed, pointing to unprecedented distrust in U.S. institutions. “We’ve been lied to a lot by pretty much both sides of the political spectrum,” he said. Both political parties have let down their supporters. “We can’t even figure out what gender people are anymore. There’s just nothing to really ground yourself in anymore anywhere except the Word.”

Howerton warned against political idolatry. “I’m not going to trust a king. I’ve really got to put something in the king of kings,” he said. He then invoked the parable of the Prodigal Son, comparing America to the wayward son who eventually realizes, “Everything else didn’t work, but I know I can go home to dad.” Howerton believes a similar realization may be dawning across the country: “We tried everything else, and it didn’t work. I wonder if I could go home to my Heavenly Father.”

Howerton also addressed unforgiveness, describing it as “a portal straight into your soul for Satan and demons.” He explained that when Jesus called Satan “Beelzebub,” meaning “Lord of the Flies,” He was drawing a comparison to how flies infest untreated wounds. Unforgiveness, Howerton said, is an open wound that invites demonic activity. “When we forgive, we pull Heaven down into our lives, and when we choose not to forgive, we pull Hell up into our lives.”

Pastors are reporting unprecedented salvations and baptisms. Young men are awakening to darkness and turning to the light. America, the prodigal nation, is finding its way home.

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