Franklin Graham and Other Faith Leaders Offer Prayers for Trump on Inauguration Day
Evangelist Franklin Graham and other faith leaders offered prayers during Monday's inauguration, seeking God's guidance, wisdom, and protection for President Donald Trump as he leads the nation over the next four years. Graham, the president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association delivered the opening invocation alongside Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
"We pray for President Trump, that You'll watch over, protect, guide, direct him," Graham prayed. "Give him Your wisdom from Your throne on high. We ask that You would bless him and that our nation would be blessed through him."
Graham also prayed for First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance.
"May he be a strength to President Trump, to stand beside him, to hold up his arms like Aaron held up the arms of Moses in the midst of battle," Graham prayed, referencing Vance. "The prophet Samuel reminded the people it was You that brought them up from the land of Egypt. And he said, 'Now stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord.'
"So Father, we take this moment to stand still, to remember the great things that You have done for this nation. Thank You for the protection, the bounty, the freedoms that we so enjoy. We remember to keep our eyes fixed on You, and may our hearts be inclined to Your voice. We know that America can never be great again if we turn our backs on You. We ask for Your help, and we pray all of this in the name of the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Your Son, my Savior, and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen."
Prior to his prayer, Graham turned to Trump and told him, "Mr. President, the last four years, there are times I'm sure you thought it was pretty dark, but look what God has done. We praise Him and give Him glory."
I was honored to give an invocation at our nation’s 60th presidential inauguration ceremony before President @realDonaldTrump and Vice President @JDVance were sworn in today. I urged those in attendance to stand still and remember the great things that God has done for this… pic.twitter.com/qcSD6s6Z4I
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) January 20, 2025
Dolan also prayed for wisdom for Trump.
"We, blessed citizens of this one nation under God, humbled by our claim that In God We Trust, gather indeed this inauguration day to pray for our president, Donald J. Trump, his family, his advisers, his cabinet, his aspirations, his Vice President, for the Lord's blessings upon Joseph Biden, for our men and women in uniform, for each other, whose hopes are stoked this new year, this inauguration day," Dolan prayed.
Dolan referenced King Solomon.
"God of our fathers, in Your wisdom, You set man to govern Your creatures, to govern in holiness and justice, to render justice with integrity," Dolan prayed. "Give our leader wisdom, for he is Your servant, aware of his own weakness and brevity of life. If wisdom, which comes not from You, be not with him, he shall be held in no esteem. Send wisdom from heavens that she may be with him, that he may know Your designs. Please, God, bless America. Please mend her every flaw. You are the God in whom we trust, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen."
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, leads the opening prayer at Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/eXWFI1ZG3R
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) January 20, 2025
Three faith leaders delivered closing prayers. One of those, Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell, quoted Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech as part of a prayer that drew loud applause and went viral on social media. This year's inauguration fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Sewell is senior pastor of 180 Church.
"We're so grateful that You gave our 45th and now our 47th president a millimeter miracle," Sewell said, alluding to Trump's assassination attempt.
"We pray that You use our president that we will live in a nation we will not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character," Sewell said.
"Let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire," Sewell said. "Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous hilltops of California. But God, we're asking You not only to let freedom ring from Stone Mountain, Georgia but Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill in Mississippi, from every state, every city, every village, and every hamlet. And when we let freedom ring, we will be able to speed up that day that all of Your children, black men and white men, Protestant and Catholic, Jew and Gentile, will be able to sing in the meaning of that old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last, free at last. Thank You, God Almighty, we are free at last.'"
Pastor Lorenzo Sewell's prayer at Donald Trump's inauguration was powerful! pic.twitter.com/wxUKQJXPKO
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) January 20, 2025
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published January 20, 2025.
