A new exhibit at the Billy Graham Library entitled “Rooted in Prayer – Biblical Truths for Everyday Living” that opened Thursday shares a glimpse into the heart of a ministry grounded in prayer.
“Prayer is simply talking to God,” said Billy Graham in Rooted in Prayer: A Personal Prayer Journal. “The most important thing I can say about this is that God wants you to talk to Him.”
“From his humble beginnings on a dairy farm, to the national stage praying with presidents and world leaders, Billy Graham was often noted as saying the three most important things to do were, ‘Pray, Pray, Pray,’” said Tom Phillips, vice president of the Billy Graham Library. “Prayer has been, is, and will continue to be the most integral element of Mr. Graham’s ministry. In this exhibit, visitors can see how God was woven into every piece of the ministry from staff prayer time and international Crusades, to the Graham’s daily devotion time spent focusing on God’s Word as a family.”
For more than 70 years, Billy and Ruth Graham, Franklin Graham, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) made certain that prayer was included in every element of their ministry. In this exhibit, visitors can see memorabilia from historic events including Billy’s personal diary used during the 1957 New York Crusade; a clock and watch used by the Grahams in Amsterdam in 1986; a lanyard, program and a copy of the prayer given by Graham at the Indianapolis 500 in 1999; Billy’s sermon notes from the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance following 9/11; prayer cards, brochures and letters from multiple Crusades; photos and more.
Special resources available to visitors include brochures on how to pray for friends and loved ones and “praying on the spot”—a method used throughout the years by Billy Graham and original members of the BGEA Crusade team that placed sticker dots on watches, toothbrushes, mirrors and anywhere they would see it often to remind themselves every time that they saw the dot to stop and pray.
Today, BGEA relies on prayer.
- Billy Graham Library volunteers are available to pray with guests and a room is set-aside specifically to allow visitors a quiet place to spend time in prayer
- Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains are trained to respond in the aftermath of disasters to minister and pray with those affected by tragedy
- My Hope America with Billy Graham encourages people to pray for their friends, family, neighbors and colleagues
- Franklin Graham Festivals and Will Graham Celebrations have teams who spend months praying for the cities, communities and people involved with those events
The “Rooted in Prayer” exhibit runs through the end of June. Admission to this exhibit and admission to the Billy Graham Library is free.
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