What kind of country will the next generation live in?
That’s the question parents, grandparents, teachers and many others are asking nowadays. Not just regarding the job market and economy, but also the moral makeup of America—the concept of truth, right and wrong.
“Where we’re at, our culture—even common sense has been totally thrown out the door,” said Kentucky resident Catherine Myers. “As a nation, we’ve just sinned so greatly against the Lord.”
Myers brought nearly a dozen students from Grace Academy, where she teaches government, to the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort on Wednesday. After touring the state landmark, it only seemed right to stick around for Franklin Graham’s 21st Decision America Tour prayer rally taking place right outside.
“We wanted them to be here to be part of this,” Myers said. “I want them to understand that Christianity is part of our founding principles.
“We need to come back to God and repent and be revived,” she added. “The nation needs revival. It needs an awakening again.”
With rain clouds looming overhead, an estimated 5,800 people made their way to the State Capitol to pray with Franklin Graham. He is nearly one-fourth of the way through visiting every state capital with the Decision America Tour, challenging believers to become “advocates for Christ.”
“We’re losing our country, friends. We’re losing it,” he told the crowd.
Rachel Turner will be graduating from Grace Academy this year and though she’s not completely out on her own just yet, she knows the nation is “not as good as it should be.”
“But because of my faith in God, I know He’s in control no matter what happens. So I don’t try to fear,” she said.
Looking out to a sea of umbrellas, Franklin Graham talked about how we often look to national elections to make a difference, when in fact the local and state government is where change begins.
“School boards may be the most important thing you can vote for,” he said. “They decide the curriculum. They decide the books our students will read.”
As an educator herself, Myers agrees.
“To change things, it has to start at this level [locally] and at the heart.
“I’ve always told [my students] and my daughter, when I was in school everybody went to church,” she added. “That’s not the case anymore. People are being raised totally outside church.”
Truth As It Should Be
Husband and wife Sandy and Sheree Douglass drove from Lexington to attend Wednesday’s event. The pair stopped for a bite to eat at local hot spot, Rick’s White Light Diner.
While chatting with the owner, Rick, about his love for locally grown foods, they got a spiritual revelation.
“If you’re going to talk about food, let’s talk about what food is. It was never intended to come out of a tube,” Sandy said. “Everything we have is so processed. And it’s killing us.”
He then connected that to what’s happening to God’s Word—the Gospel being misconstrued and misrepresented.
“Let’s give [God’s Word] as it was intended,” Sandy said.
Sheree, who’s also a teacher, knows delivering truth to the next generation is especially key. She keeps her students and her colleagues lifted in prayer.
“[Before the school year started], we went around and prayed over all the classrooms, touched the doors. And we have a weekly prayer time for teachers,” she said.
Franklin Graham urged continued prayer after leaving the Frankfort, Kentucky, rally.
“You’ve got to go back and start with prayer,” he said. “If you think you can do this in your own strength, it’s not going to work.
“You’ve got to pray, and as you pray, God will guide you and direct you and lead you,” Franklin added.
“We’ve been talking about doing prayer in our home,” Sheree said. “Many of our friends, our neighbors, they believe in God but they don’t go to church anywhere.
“But a building doesn’t make you a church. “
The couple currently does ministry at a laundromat coincidentally called Miracle Bubbles. Now, they’re even more fired up about reaching others for Christ, one small group at a time.
“We’re just really excited about what happened today. And I have no doubt in my mind that God is doing something,” Sandy said. “He brought us here for a reason. … Something good is going to happen from it.”
