On Sunday morning, less than 48 hours after President Donald Trump notified the nation that the U.S. and two of its allies had engaged in strategic airstrikes against Syria because of its recent chemical weapons attacks against its own people, faith leader Rev. Franklin Graham articulated his support for the sitting president — and the need for prayer for Trump’s and the nation’s success.
“I appreciate that we have a president that understands prayer and solicits prayer,” he told “Fox & Friends” on Fox News in a Sunday interview. “Our country is in trouble, and the world is in trouble. The perplexity of the problems that the president faces every day … is just incredible. And he asks us to pray [for him and the country].”
Trump said Friday night during his remarks: “Tonight I ask all Americans to say a prayer for our noble warriors … as they carry out their missions. We pray that God will guide the whole region,” he said in part.
“We should be praying for him,” said Graham on Sunday morning. “We pray for the president. And the Bible tells us [that] God wants us to pray for the president and all those who are in leadership. And the president, in turn, asked us to pray for our soldiers and those that are leading this charge, and for the Syrian people. I just appreciate that we have a man in office that understands the need for prayer.”
Prayer, of course, is something that can bring people together — no matter the difficulties, the challenges, the backgrounds, as the “Fox & Friends” co-hosts noted.
“God hears prayer. If a righteous person prays, the Bible says God hears that prayer,” replied Graham. “So it’s important that we do pray.”
He also said, “Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, the fact is that Donald Trump is the president of the United States. And if he does well, makes good decisions, it benefits all of us as a nation, regardless of our background … We need him to succeed at home, and we need him to succeed abroad. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about succeeding for all Americans. And so I pray for the president — and I’m proud that he’s our president and that he solicits prayer, wants it and understands it. It’s refreshing to have someone like that in power.”
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The “Fox & Friends” co-hosts noted that on Friday night during his speech, the president seemed to lead the nation in prayer at the end of his remarks.
Graham responded, “The president has not been ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ. He hasn’t been ashamed of his faith. And that’s refreshing. And he doesn’t mind pastors like myself mentioning the name of Jesus Christ … He is a man who does want God’s help. And he wants God’s help not only in the presidency, but as he deals with all of the world problems and problems here at home. He wants God’s help. And we need to get behind him and support that.”
The evangelical leader added, “I don’t support every decision. I don’t understand some of the things that he [Trump] has done. But at the same time, he’s still my president and if he succeeds, then my wife, and my children, and my grandchildren — they’re going to benefit from his success.”
“So we all need to get behind that,” concluded Graham.
(photo credit, homepage and article images: Rev. Franklin Graham [1], [2], CC BY 2.0, by Matt Johnson)
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