Donald Trump seems to support prayer—especially public prayer—more than any other president in recent history. Not only has he had people lay hands on him for prayer in the Oval Office, but he also asks several prominent pastors, including Paula White Cain, for prayer and advice on a regular basis.
I recently appeared on the “American Adversaries Radio” show with host Christopher Hart, where we discussed ways Trump has supported and even asked for prayer—even long before he ever ran for president. (Click here or click on the podcast icon in this article to listen to a clip of that interview.)
In 2003, Trump called Paula, saying he regularly watched her TV program. The two struck up a friendship long before the business mogul ever considered running for president. I share this story in more detail in my book Trump Aftershock.
In that book, I also write about how Trump called Paula several years later in 2012 asking her and her pastor friends to pray about whether he should run for president. Paula and the other pastors prayed for hours, and the answer they came to was that it wasn’t the right time. Trump followed their advice, and four years later, he ran for president and won!
After winning the presidency, though, Trump didn’t suddenly back away from his desire for prayer. At his inauguration, he had six people pray, including Paula and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, which is more than at any other inauguration I’m aware of.
One of the most compelling pictures I’ve seen is one in which Trump is sitting in the Oval Office surrounded by Christian leaders who are laying hands on him in prayer. Rodney Howard-Browne took a photo of the impactful moment on his cellphone, and the picture went viral online.
And although Trump is quiet about his personal faith, he seems to like this kind of prayer, which often includes “praying down the anointing” as many charismatics call it. (This is yet another fascinating thing about Trump, since most presidents tend to cater to more mainstream Christian denominations instead of Pentecostals and charismatics. Yet Donald Trump has shown more respect toward Pentecostals than any other president I’ve observed.)
But perhaps Trump’s enjoyment of prayer shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the many Christian influences he has had in his life. He was raised Presbyterian, and as a young adult, he attended Norman Vincent Peale’s church. Peale was well-known for his message on positive thinking, and he even called out Trump as a fine young businessman and a brilliant example of positive thinking. Looking back, Peale’s words seem almost prophetic.
I’ve had the privilege of interviewing four different presidents—sometimes in meetings with other Christian leaders—but never in those settings was prayer involved. Years ago, I was honored to attend the National Day of Prayer at the White House when George H.W. Bush was president. Many talked about prayer at the event, but the only actual prayer given was for the food. Yet Trump has consistently had pastors and other Christian leaders pray over him and pray publicly at national events.
If you want to learn more about how the Lord moved in Trump’s presidential campaign and how He has used Trump since his election, be sure to check out my books: God and Donald Trump and Trump Aftershock.
I also encourage you to listen to my interview on “American Adversaries Radio” by clicking here or scrolling up to the top of this article. And as always, if this article encouraged you, please share it with your friends on social media!
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