The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s “50 Days of Prayer for Our Nation” kicks off today and “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” will take place on Sunday — just the latest prayer initiatives calling America back to God as we approach the Nation’s 250th birthday.
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, Americans are being asked to pray individually and collectively for our nation, and there is no shortage of ways for Americans to get involved and pray for our country’s spiritual renewal — both in-person and online.
For example, Franklin Graham is asking Americans to unite for “50 Days of Prayer for Our Nation,” beginning today, May 15, and concluding on Independence Day. “This is a critical moment in our history,” Graham said in a video. “There is nothing more powerful that we can do for our country, our churches, and our families than to come together in prayer before God Almighty.”
The 50-day campaign will feature daily video segments led by Christian leaders representing every state. These leaders will offer petitions for American households, the various branches of government, and the nation. Graham will kick off the event today and also deliver the final prayer on July 4, with a focus on themes of divine mercy, national direction, and gratitude for the country’s founding.
The initiative draws inspiration from biblical mandates calling on believers to seek spiritual welfare for the land. Graham notes that Psalm 33:12 promises: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
Organizers are encouraging public participation through the website OneNationUnderGod.com and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association mobile app. The mission of the campaign is to foster national unity and encourage spiritual renewal across the United States.
The call to prayer also focuses on the biblical instruction found in 1 Timothy 2:1–2: “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
The 50 Days of Prayer for the Nation campaign coincides with “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” on Sunday, May 17, on the National Mall, where thousands are expected to congregate on the National Mall and help rededicate America to God.
As the Standing for Freedom Center reported earlier this week, the gathering is one of several national events planned to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is free and open to the public, with livestream options available through partner organizations.
Several political and religious leaders are scheduled to participate either live or via video message. They include Pastor Jonathan Falwell, Bishop Robert Barron, Pastor Jack Graham, Pastor Gary Hamrick, and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
Liberty University holds a prominent role in the May 17 Rededicate 250 gathering, with the school’s participation reflecting its longstanding emphasis on Christian worship in public life. In addition to a primary speaking role for Liberty Chancellor Jonathan Falwell, the Liberty Worship Collective and LU Praise will perform with other musical artists on the National Mall.
The Standing for Freedom Center has also invited Americans to join “United We Pray: 250 Years and Counting,” an online collective prayer event that kicked off last fall and will run through the end of 2026. Those who sign up will receive a weekly devotional, a passage of Scripture, and a prayer to help Christians navigate our current season of cultural, political, and spiritual tumult and unite in prayer with other believers who love our country.
All of these events are being done in conjunction with the “America Prays” initiative announced by President Trump at the Museum of the Bible last fall. Numerous organizations are working in conjunction with the initiative, including Pray.com, Hallow, the National Religious Broadcasters Association, the Faith and Freedom Coalition, and Intercessors for America.
Another ongoing initiative is AWAKE America, which is hosting city-wide rallies and online prayer events to specifically ask God to bring about a Third Great Awakening in America. The initiative began in January 2021 and is ongoing, with 1,260-plus days of prayer already logged by more than 560,000 prayer warriors from 50 states.
All of these collective calls to prayer — whether in-person or online, public or private — reflect a long heritage of American political leaders and pastors asking Americans to do their part in asking God for His protection, His blessings, His guidance, His forgiveness, and His help in sparking revival and restoration.
Those calls included the Continental Congress issuing proclamations during the Revolutionary War for days of “publick humiliation, fasting, and prayer”; President Lincoln’s establishment of a national day of Thanksgiving in the midst of the Civil War; President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s six-minute prayer as the invasion of Normandy began; and Congress’s establishment of the National Day of Prayer in 1952, which to this day requires presidents to issue an annual proclamation.
As Scott Turner, a pastor and the current secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, contemplated when the America Prays initiative was first announced:
“What if 1 million people prayed for our country every single week between now and next July 4th? More specifically, what if believers all across this great nation got together with 10 people — friends, family members, colleagues, work associates —10 people each week to pray for our country and for our fellow citizens?
One million people, every single week, 10 people getting together to pray for our country and for our citizens. Think about the miracles that would take place over the next year. Think about the transformation we could witness in communities all across the land, sons returning to their fathers.
Daughters returning to their mothers. Families coming back together. Health being restored. Financial needs being met. Mountains being moved. Think about it. If a million of us every week got together and prayed for this great country, how many know that God is well able to do it?”
Prayerfully, millions of Americans will get on their knees and ask God to again shed His grace on our Nation, and by July 4, 2026, everyone will know exactly what God is well able to do.
America will not be renewed by politics alone – it will be renewed when truth is spoken, repentance is practiced, and God’s people refuse to go silent. Your tax-deductible gift helps the Standing for Freedom Center call Christians to courage, confront cultural darkness, and keep hope alive for the next generation.
