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Franklin Graham calls for June 2 prayer for Trump

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) — Several former Southern Baptist Convention presidents and various pastors have signed a statement initiated by Franklin Graham to urge the nation to pray for President Donald Trump Sunday, June 2.

Graham is president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association founded by his late father Billy Graham.

“We believe our nation is at a crossroads, at a dangerous precipice,” according to the brief statement for the Special Day of Prayer for the President signed by more than 300 Christian leaders. “The only one who can fix our country’s problems is God Himself, and we pray that God will bless our president and our nation for His glory.”

The statement cites the call to pray for authorities in 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

Signers include immediate past SBC President Steve Gaines, senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., along with former SBC presidents Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, and Johnny Hunt, North American Mission Board senior vice president of evangelism and leadership.

Other Southern Baptists include Don Wilton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, N.C.; Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas; Gregg Matte, senior pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church; David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif.; Kie Bowman, senior pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church, Austin, Texas; Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif.; Johnnie Moore, president of The Congress of Christian Leaders; and Malachi O’Brien, pastor of The Church at Pleasant Ridge, Harrisonville, Mo.

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“Through the years our church along with myself personally have prayed for the presidents of the United States,” Jack Graham said on Twitter endorsing the prayer emphasis. “The leaders of our nation are so significant and so important, and our president always needs prayer. This president Donald Trump is no exception.

“And I’m asking our church and churches all across America to join with us,” Jack Graham said, “as we pray that the president would seek God’s wisdom, that he would know His grace and peace, that God would draw him near and close to Himself, and that Donald Trump would continue to lead our nation with strength and wisdom.”

Franklin Graham expanded on his call to prayer on Facebook in comments not included in the statement leaders signed.

“President Trump’s enemies continue to try everything to destroy him, his family, and the presidency. In the history of our country, no president has been attacked as he has. I believe the only hope for him, and this nation, is God,” the BGEA leader wrote on Facebook. “This is a critical time for America. We’re on the edge of a precipice. Time is short. We need to pray for God to intervene. We need to ask God to protect, strengthen, encourage, and guide the President.”

The SBC has focused extensively on prayer for several concerns, with four national and international days of prayer on the official SBC calendar.

Prayer is also a major emphasis of newly elected SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd, the immediate past president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and author of the book “How to Pray: Developing an Intimate Relationship with God.”

SBC PrayerLink includes a newly launched Pray SBC Facebook group for church-authorized prayer leaders.