“When I think of what my children and grandchildren are facing today, I realize that if we don’t get involved now, it may be too late.”
Just a few months after Franklin Graham made that comment last fall, he was on his way to Des Moines, Iowa, to begin his 50-state Decision America Tour, calling Christians around the country to pray for their nation and live out their faith.
Why?
“The moral and political walls of our nation are crumbling,” Franklin Graham said earlier this month. “Our nation is in trouble. And there’s not one political party that can fix it.”
So far this year, Franklin Graham has visited four states along the tour and has three more coming up in February—South Carolina (Feb. 9), Georgia (Feb. 10) and Hawaii (Feb. 24).
Over 11,700 people have come out to be part of the prayer rallies in Iowa, Tallahassee, Baton Rouge and New Hampshire as the tour continues gaining momentum. The gatherings hinge on God’s words in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Some who have attended the rallies say it’s time for Christians to speak up; they can’t afford to stay silent as any mention of God is steadily weeded out of daily life.
“We need a revival among Christians to stand for our values and our beliefs,” said Alicia Cortez, who joined the first tour stop in Iowa. “Right now, we still have religious freedoms but they’re taking them away, little by little.”
Fellow Iowa resident, Roger Sutton, agreed.
“We need to take a stand, instead of saying, ‘poor us,’” Sutton said. “From the town council to the school board to the statehouse, we need to start standing up. This could all go away in a heartbeat.”
Many people have driven hours to attend the rallies, and hundreds have endured freezing temperatures to stand in their state capitals and call the nation to revival. They’re people of all ages and from all backgrounds. They’ve taken time to pray not only for America but to ask forgiveness for their own sins.
“Before our nation can be healed, our individual hearts must be healed,” Franklin Graham said during the latest stop in New Hampshire.
At each stop, Franklin Graham is explaining the Gospel, and people are responding. They’re also being encouraged to vote for people who stand for biblical values in upcoming elections and to start community prayer groups that will keep America covered in prayer long after the tour moves onto the next state.
While each state anticipates its own prayer rally, some people who have already been part of one acknowledge that it doesn’t stop there. They look forward to seeing what happens next as Christians across the country unite in prayer and live out their faith unashamedly.
As Tallahassee local Becky Soto said, “I think this will be the start of something big.”
