Franklin Graham Prays at Trump Rally: America's Sins Have Paralyzed It
Leading evangelist Franklin Graham offered a five-minute prayer at President Donald Trump's televised rally in Arizona on Tuesday evening, telling the Lord that America's sins have crippled the nation and that the country is in desperate need of a "shepherd."
The 65-year-old Graham, the son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham and the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, was asked to give an invocation prior to the president giving a 77-minute speech before a large crowd of supporters gathered in Phoenix.
Graham, a conservative Christian who often comments on current events, didn't mince words in his prayer as he called out the American society for ignoring God's Word as it has become "adrift morally."
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"Our heavenly Father, You have blessed our country more than any nation on Earth and we acknowledge that apart from you we have no hope. We come tonight as a troubled nation. We are broken spiritually. We are divided politically. We are divided racially," Graham asserted. "And we are adrift morally, following the whatever direction the wind of popular culture blows with no regard for Your Word or the consequences of our disobedience. We ask tonight for your help."
Graham continued by stating that there are some people in the United States that are looking to "divide" and "preach hate."
"And Father, it is my prayer that you will just shut their mouths like you shut the mouths of the lions years ago," Graham said, followed by a thunderous applause.
Graham prayed that God would "heal our land" and bring the United States together under Him.
"Our sins have paralyzed us. As a country, we seem to have forgotten right from wrong," Graham stated. "You warned us in Your holy word, the Bible, that a day would come when the truth would become a lie and lies would become truth. And we see this happening before our eyes today."
"We come to you this evening confessing our sins as a nation. We confess the sins of our past. We confess to you the sins of injustice, pride, self-indulgence," he continued. "Even though we are rich, we have neglected many of the poor and suffering in our country. We have flaunted sexual immorality to the world. We have failed to protect our young and our innocent. We ask for your forgiveness. Lord, I pray tonight that You would unite us, that You would unite this country for Your glory. Help us to see each other as You see us. And may we truly love our neighbor as ourself."
Graham continued by praying for the president, Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. Additionally, he prayed for the military men and women of uniform, the country's law enforcement officers and peacekeepers.
Graham, who is also president of the evangelical humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse, concluded by calling on God to be America's "shepherd."
"The psalmist, David, the great king of Israel, said that You were his shepherd. Father, we need a shepherd. I pray that You would be the shepherd of our nation, the shepherd that leads us to green pastures and still waters for Your namesake," he prayed. "You are the God who restores our souls. Even though we walk through the 'valley of the shadow of death,' we fear no evil for You are with us and Your rod and your staff, they comfort us, the Bible tells us."
"Lord, I ask that You would anoint our heads with oil and that You would prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. We pray as David did that surely, goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and that we may dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Father, I pray for this nation and Father, I pray that you would guide and direct and that Your will would be done."
