President Donald J. Trump’s inaugural address was full of many promises for the future. But charismatic believers may have been most delighted by the promise of America united, once again, under God.
The inauguration ceremony featured six prayers by key figures, including Franklin Graham, Paula White and Samuel Rodriguez. The new president referred to God three times in his speech. The ceremony was so Spirit-saturated that an uninformed observer could easily mistake the inauguration ceremony for a church service.
The ceremony’s invocation began with Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York. “Give us wisdom, for we are your servants weak and short lived, lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws,” he prayed. “Indeed, though one might be perfect among mortals, if wisdom which comes from you be lacking, we account for nothing.”
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez spoke next, praying scripture from Matthew 5:3-16: “Blessed are those who are pure at heart, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will called children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. And, God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you, and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.”
Paula White-Cain concluded the invocation, praying: “Gracious God, reveal unto our president the ability to know the will, Your will, the confidence to lead us in justice and righteousness and the compassion to yield to our better angels. While we know there are many challenges before us, in every generation, You have provided the strength and power to become that blessed nation. Guide us in discernment, Lord, and give us that strength to persevere and thrive. Now, bind and heal our wounds and divisions, and join our nation to Your purpose.”
During his inaugural address, President Trump quoted Scripture, saying, “When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The Bible tells us, ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.’ We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.”
Later, Trump acknowledged the power of God. “We are protected, and we will always be protected,” he said. “We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.”
He concluded his remarks by publicly thanking God, at which point the benediction began. Rabbi Marvin Hier began, saying, “Eternal God, bless President Donald J. Trump and America, our great nation. Guide us to remember the words of the psalmist: ‘Who may dwell on your holy mountain? One who does what is right and speaks the truth.'”
Franklin Graham remarked on the ceremony’s rainy conditions, suggesting it could be a sign of God’s favor. “Mr. President, in the Bible, rain is a sign of God’s blessing,” Graham said. “And it started to rain, Mr. President, when you came to the platform. And it’s my prayer that God will bless you, your family, your administration, and may He bless America.”
Finally, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson concluded: “Today we pray for our 45th president, the vice president and their families. Give them the wisdom to guide this great nation, the strength to protect it and the hands to heal it. We bless President Donald J. Trump. We ask that you give him the wisdom of Solomon, the vision of Joseph and the meekness of Christ—Solomon, who kept peace among many nations; Joseph, who dreamt better for the people; and Christ, who accepted us all.”
Believers, let us keep our new president and vice president in prayer as they begin the difficult task of leading this country.
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