As violent protests ensue over the death of George Floyd, Evangelist Franklin Graham is calling for the church to pray.
Graham, who serves as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and heads up humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, stressed the importance of prayer in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“As Christians, the greatest weapon and the most powerful defense we have is prayer. Our country needs prayer in a critical way,” he asserted
Graham then called for churches to “have a special time of intercession for our nation in their Sunday morning services”, whether it was online or in person.
“Will you pray, and will you share this with your pastor?” he asked.
Graham continued, imploring the church to pray for peace, perspective, patience and an outpouring of God’s wisdom.
He wrote, “We need to pray for PEACE, because “’the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God’ (James 1:20).
“Pray for PERSPECTIVE, because ‘the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere’ (James 3:17).
“Pray for PATIENCE, because of God’s ‘kindness and forbearance and patience’ toward us all (Romans 2:4).
“And pray for an OUTPOURING of His wisdom and direction for our leaders and officials who are dealing with this crisis. Ask God to change hearts and heal this divide in our nation.”
Graham concluded by encouraging people to “ask God to change hearts and heal this divide in our nation.”
CBN News reports that a dozen trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are serving in Minneapolis, Minnesota where Floyd was killed last week.
The chaplains noted the grievances that local church leaders are having as they cry out to God amid the violent protests.
Franklin Graham’s sister, Anne Graham Lotz, led women to pray for America on Pentecost Sunday.
In the event titled “Turning to Jesus: Calling Women to Pray,” Lotz made the following prayer:
“Dear Lord God of Pentecost, You are the One who promised You would not leave us like orphans, but that You would come to us in fullness of power and peace! (John 14:18; Acts 1:8).
And on Pentecost over 2,000 years ago, You did! You kept Your promise! You poured out Your Spirit on all people.” Lotz prayed. “On that great day when the church was born, Your Word says that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Acts 2:17, 21),” she concluded.
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer. Visit his blog Blessed Are The Forgiven.
