Evangelist Franklin Graham prays for Trump

American evangelist Franklin Graham used his invocation prayer during Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday to hope for God’s blessing on the US President and his next 4 years in office. 

In his prayer, Graham touched on the assassination attempt that just about took Trump’s life last July and said that God alone had saved him. 

“Father, when Donald Trump’s enemies thought he was down and out, You and You alone saved his life and raised him up with strength and power by Your mighty hand,” he said.

“We pray for President Trump, that You’ll watch over, protect, guide, direct him. Give him Your wisdom from Your throne on high. We ask that You would bless him and that our nation can be blessed through him.”

Graham then thanked God for First Lady Melania Trump whom he praised for her “beauty, warmth, and beauty”, and prayed for Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance.

Before concluding, he prayed for Americans to be faithful to God. 

“We remember to maintain our eyes fixed on You, and should our hearts be inclined to Your voice,” he said.

“We know that America can never be great again if we turn our backs on You. We ask for Your help.” 

Graham, the son of late evangelist Billy Graham, was a powerful supporter of Trump’s policies during his last administration. In 2019, he said that his father had voted for Trump and “believed that Donald J Trump was the person for this hour in history for our nation”.

Writing on social media after the inauguration, Graham asked his 10 million followers to hope for President Trump. 

During Monday’s inauguration prayers were also offered by Rabbi Ari Berman, Pastor Lorenzo Sewell and Rev Frank Mann.

Sewell prayed, “Heavenly Father, we’re so grateful that you simply gave our forty fifth and now our forty seventh president, a millimeter miracle. We are grateful that you simply are the one which has called him for such a time as this, that America would begin to dream again.”

Trump didn’t waste any time getting began on his campaign guarantees, signing off a succession of presidential orders on a spread of issues. On day one, he removed the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, began the method to withdraw from the World Health Organization, and declared a “national emergency” on the southern border. He also moved to finish birthright citizenship and pardoned over 1,500 January 6 Capitol rioters.