Franklin Graham invited people around the nation to pray for the United States of America during a Facebook Live event he held at noon EDT on Monday, to mark the start of the Republican National Convention. Watch what he had to say.
Franklin Graham will also hold a Facebook Live prayer event next Monday, July 25 at 2 p.m. EDT, at the start of the Democratic National Convention. Join Franklin in prayer by going to his Facebook page.
This year, Franklin Graham is also going to all 50 states to preach the Gospel and call Americans to pray, vote and engage in the political process.
Below is Franklin Graham’s prayer in its entirety.
Our Father, and our God, we come to You today to thank You for your grace, mercy, and bountiful provision. No nation on Earth has been blessed as much as the United States of America. We praise You today, and we give You the glory.
You’ve given us so much, but with it You have given us great responsibilities, and it’s these responsibilities it seems, Father, [where] we’re falling short. You’ve stated [in] the Scriptures, “For to whomever much is given to him much shall be required” [Luke 12:48]. We remember the words of Your Son Jesus Christ who said, “What should it profit a man (or a nation) if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” [Mark 8:36].
Father, we’re guilty of bowing down to the false gods of materialism, sensual pleasure. We’ve legalized the killing of children in their mothers’ womb. We have legalized same-sex marriage, and Father, I know that this grieves Your heart. As a nation and as a people we seem to be in danger of losing our souls.
We look at a world that is in desperate need of Your forgiveness. We’re in trouble morally, economically, racially, spiritually. We see the wars in the Middle East, the migration of millions of refugees. We see the corruption. We see the greed, the lust. Who can save us? There’s only One, and that is Your Son, Jesus Christ. He alone can comfort and heal the human heart. He alone can forgive sin and give a new life through faith in Him.
We remember this day our poor. The government, in an attempt to help, writes a check—a handout—but unfortunately, this keeps them dependent on government and not You, and it keeps them poor. Give us wisdom on how to lift them out of poverty and not keep them living in poverty. Oh Father, we need Your help.
We remember these seeking justice. We pray for those who want justice, and we know that there are millions who feel that the justice system in this nation is stacked against them, that their voices are not heard. We know that You’re a just God, a loving God, and we ask that You show us how to fix the inadequacies of our legal system that are stacked toward the rich, the affluent, and the politically connected and tilted away from the poor and the downtrodden. Help us, Father, we pray.
The problems of this world cannot be fixed by governments alone. We need You to guide and direct our leaders. We pray now for the delegates as they are gathering there in Cleveland at this great convention, that You will humble their hearts, that they will look to You for wisdom and guidance. We especially want to pause and pray for those who will be nominated this week for President and Vice President [from] the Republican Party for the nation—for Donald Trump, for Governor Mike Pence.
This has been a long journey, Father. There is so much division that has come into this political season, and it has shaken the Republican Party to the core. And Father, it needed to be shaken. Our political system has become corrupt. I pray that Donald Trump and Governor Mike Pence will surround themselves with godly men and women. We ask that You would guide them and the political leaders of this Republican Party and across this country with Your wisdom, with Your wisdom from on high.
We pray for the protection of all candidates running for office this political season, both Democrat and Republican. We pray for law enforcement working in Cleveland at the Convention and across the country today. Put a hedge of protection around them. Send them Your angels to guard them, Father, we pray.
As we go to polls this November, my prayer, Lord, is that You will lead the American people to choose a President who can bring about real change, racial healing and prosperity to all Americans. My prayer is that we will be one nation under God, who can truthfully say, once again, In God we trust. We thank You, Father. We thank You for hearing our prayer, and we pray this in the name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
