Evangelist Franklin Graham Calls for Prayer to Strengthen Trump Against Foes

Evangelist Franklin Graham Calls for Prayer to Strengthen Trump Against Foes
Rev. Franklin Graham speaks during Franklin Graham's "Decision America" California tour at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock, California on May 29, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Tom Ozimek
5/28/2019
Updated:
5/28/2019

Evangelist Franklin Graham is mobilizing Christians across the country to “ask God to protect, strengthen, encourage, and guide the President.”

In a May 26 Facebook post, Graham revealed his plans to make June 2 a “special day of prayer for the President, Donald J. Trump.”

“President Trump’s enemies continue to try everything to destroy him, his family, and the presidency. In the history of our country, no president has been attacked as he has. I believe the only hope for him, and this nation, is God,” Graham said. “This is a critical time for America. We’re on the edge of a precipice. Time is short. We need to pray for God to intervene. We need to ask God to protect, strengthen, encourage, and guide the president.”

“We know that God hears and answers prayer. He can soften hearts and change minds. He is all-powerful, and He rules over the affairs of nations,” the evangelist said.

Rev. Franklin Graham waves to attendees during Franklin Graham's "Decision America" California tour at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock, California on May 29, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Rev. Franklin Graham waves to attendees during Franklin Graham's "Decision America" California tour at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock, California on May 29, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Over 250 Christian leaders from across the country have responded to Graham’s call, signing their names on a statement regarding the “Special Day of Prayer” posted on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

“We the undersigned are calling for June 2 to be a special Day of Prayer for the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, that God would protect, strengthen, embolden, and direct him.

“We believe our nation is at a crossroads, at a dangerous precipice. The only one who can fix our country’s problems is God Himself, and we pray that God will bless our president and our nation for His glory.”

Graham’s Facebook post had garnered over 176,000 reactions and more than 125,000 shares at the time of this publication.

Many of the roughly 42,000 comments include people vowing to join the initiative, while others suggested that all members of the government be included in the scope of the prayer.

Graham is the son of the late Rev. Billy Graham, a prominent evangelical Christian figure of international renown.

Billy Graham died in February 2018, aged 99.

Faith and Government—Will Graham Interview

Recently senior Epoch Times editor Jan Jekielek interviewed Billy Graham’s grandson—Will Graham, who has his own ministry.

Graham was asked about the relationship between faith and freedom.

“How do you see Faith and how that relates to having an open and free society,” Jekielek asked.

“God has given us freedom—period,” Graham responded. “But we can make the choice to live according to His purposes or we can live according to our own purposes. And I think when we live according to His purposes you’ll find out that there is a lot more harmonious action interaction with other human beings.”

Graham said that when people aim to follow religious precepts—he specifically referenced the Ten Commandments—then they are likely to “get along with God. And we’re also going along with our fellow man.”

He added that this “doesn’t mean that we’re not going to have problems among each other. We’re going to make mistakes we’re going to hurt each other. And that’s why I believe that God put rulers in place, kings or presidents, governors wherever they might be in our place to help control that. I believe that the role of the government is to punish that which is evil and to yet promote that which is good.”

Graham said that government is by definition limited in what it can accomplish, so the starting point for a successful society is faith in the divine.

He said when “we put God first in our life” and “love the Lord with all your heart,” one outcome is “love [for] your fellow man.”

“And so now we want to help people in need. We want to help those around us. We want to be good to our neighbors. We want to be good to our fellow man because God that’s what God desires us to do. We’ll start to see a better society when that takes place.”

“It’ll never be dictated by a lawmaker. It’ll never be dictated by a politician or someone in the White House. It is going to be dictated because God changed someone’s heart and I believe that’s the only hope for America or for anyone in this world.”