Since January, Franklin Graham has been holding prayer rallies in state capitals throughout the United States, sharing the Gospel and urging Christians to pray, vote and engage in the political process. As Franklin has stated at each rally on the Decision America Tour, he is not endorsing any politician or political party.
Throughout the tour, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has heard encouraging stories from Americans who have been inspired to pray, vote and engage after attending a prayer rally in their state. One of those stories comes from a man named Ken, who reached out to BGEA to say that Franklin Graham had inspired him to run for office. One of Ken’s political opponents, Mary, also attended the Decision America Tour, where she, too, was inspired by Frankin’s message. Mary has joined more than 90,000 others in signing a pledge to God and country.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”—Isaiah 6:8
Civil unrest, senseless violence and the rejection of Christian values are unfortunate yet accurate reflections of what America looks like today. How are Christians supposed to respond in times like these?
That’s precisely the question Franklin Graham’s Decision America Tour is answering. He often says “God is the only hope for America,” and he’s calling Christians to pray and get involved in the political realm wherever they can.
When Ken heard that call at the Decision America Tour stop in Tallahassee, he sensed it was from God.
His answer? Send me.
Hearing God’s Voice Loud and Clear
Ken, who lives in Florida, is a former U.S. Attorney who isn’t one to back down from a challenge.
But when he felt a stirring in his heart to run for office the nervousness that came with it was a challenge all its own. He knew he had to seek God’s will more than ever before as he contemplated joining the political race.
“I was struggling with that decision so much so I was waking up early and was just very troubled about it,” Ken said. “What can just one person do?”
One Monday night in January when Ken knew he needed to make a decision, his wife Susan suggested something powerful. “Look, Kenny, let’s get away tonight, and let’s just commit this to prayer,” she said.
The couple prayed fervently that night for two things from God. “I prayed for peace of mind, sort of Philippians 4, peace that passes understanding,” Ken recalled, “and two, I prayed for a sense of calling that this is what the Lord would have me do.”
The very next morning, he was expecting his normal Tuesday meeting with fellow Christian lawyers in the area, but one of them canceled because of the Decision America Tour that day. Although the date had slipped his mind, Ken knew about the event and decided to tag along with his colleague to the Florida State Capitol.
“I was sitting in the back and Franklin Graham said, ‘I strongly urge you to prayerfully consider running for public office yourself,’” Ken remembers.
“I was expecting him almost to say, ‘Ken, I see you back there!’ It was that self-directed, and it was that profoundly impactful for me to hear him say that.”
‘I Want to Play a Part in the Battle’
It was no coincidence that the attorney and the evangelist were both on the Capitol lawn that day. With a newfound assurance in God’s leading after hearing Franklin Graham’s message, Ken decided to enter a national political race.
I felt that the Lord was speaking to me through Franklin Graham, and I want to play a part in the battle to preserve our American principles and way of life.
“God is sovereign,” Ken reflected. “He’s certainly capable of working all things together for good, of working together these events to convey this message in a strong and clear way to me.
“I felt that the Lord was speaking to me through Franklin Graham, and I want to play a part in the battle to preserve our American principles and way of life.”
As Ken relies on God’s provision and guidance throughout the race for office, his encouragement to fellow Christians goes even deeper than politics. He wants people to consider what God is specifically calling them to do right now in their own lives.
“We need to do something as Christians,” Ken says. “[God has] put us here for a reason. Our life is to be lived for a purpose, and in this situation, at this time, what is that purpose?”
