More prayer, less breakfast

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump prayed with hundreds of politicians and faith leaders Thursday morning, carrying on a National Prayer Breakfast tradition that goes back nearly 75 years. In events at the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Hilton, members of Congress delivered readings and prayers, including one from a Hindu text read by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and one from the Quran read by Rep. André Carson, D-Ind. At the Capitol, Trump spoke for nearly 30 minutes, calling for unity and raising legislative issues he wants to address, including cabinet confirmations and a bill to address air traffic safety. Meanwhile, attendees at both locations dined on breakfast fare.

In recent years, some Christians have criticized the National Prayer Breakfast for being heavy on breakfast and light on prayer. Led by Jim Garlow, a former megachurch pastor and dispensational Bible teacher, about 300 conservative Christians, including roughly 30 members of Congress, gathered the day before the National Prayer Breakfast at the Museum of the Bible for a more focused prayer meeting—breakfast not included.

“Today we gather here not to appeal to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, although we are grateful that God has given a reprieve to this nation through Donald Trump,” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said at the event, which is called the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. “Today we make our appeal not in the authority of a political party or in the name of a denomination we come in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ who has been given all authority in heaven and on Earth and we have been commissioned to operate in that authority today.”

Garlow coordinated the first gathering for prayer and repentance in 2023 with the aid of Perkins and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Garlow served on President Donald Trump’s faith advisory team during the first administration and produces a daily radio commentary. On his website, Garlow says his mission has been to “encourage those who run for office.” Garlow and his wife run the organization, Well-Versed, which partners with the Family Research Council to host the annual prayer gathering, now in its third year and typically scheduled for the same week as a National Prayer Breakfast.

The gathering featured a continual flow of prayers from members of Congress, activists, and leaders from foreign nations who read over a simple piano or violin instrumental. Many attendees sipped hot beverages purchased from a nearby coffee cart. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, prayed for pro-life measures and asked forgiveness for paying for a girlfriend’s abortion more than 40 years ago. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., prayed for recovery from recent wildfires in his state and for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was in Washington for meetings.

The National Prayer Breakfast included members of Congress from both parties. Democrats such as Rep. Hilary Scholten of Michigan, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Rep. Jared Huffman of California attended. Huffman, the only humanist in Congress, posted a video on X protesting the prayer breakfast before arriving to watch Trump’s speech.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., prayed at both gatherings. At the Museum of the Bible, she said the country needs to ask forgiveness for straying from God’s will: “We ask that in this uncharted time … that we not forget each and every day that we are called to your purpose.” At the National Prayer Breakfast, she followed a Muslim and a Hindu recitation with a prayer calling God the Creator of all things. She also prayed for protection for Trump and his family.

“We need any and we need them all,” Britt told WORLD after the breakfast when asked which of the two events she preferred. “You can feel people turning their eyes back to the Lord, and it is essential as we work to bring this nation back. I am hopeful that this has sparked in the hearts of individuals all across our country.”

While speakers at the National Prayer Breakfast talked about faith, religious expression, and unity as important parts of American society, those at the gathering for prayer and repentance emphasized the need for divine intervention in the U.S. government.

“The only way that we can make America great again is if you make America righteous again,” Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., prayed at the Museum of the Bible, referencing Trump’s campaign slogan.

At the museum gathering, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jewish rabbi and founder of the Beth Israel Worship Center, likened Trump to the Bible’s King Jehu, known for destroying idol worship in Israel. Cahn has published several books on apocalyptic prophesy, which he says is now being fulfilled. At the prayer gathering, he pointed out that Jehu defeated a reigning queen similar to how Trump won the 2016 election over former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

“Jehu was wild, impulsive, and unpredictable—so Trump,” Cahn said during his prayer. “Jehu, who forged an alliance with the religious conservatives of his land, so Trump forged an alliance with the religious conservatives of his land in order to become king.”

At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Trump kept his references to God at a minimum, speaking more about the importance of faith to the country.

“From the earliest days of our republic, faith in God has always been the ultimate source of the strength that beats in the hearts of our nation,” Trump said. “We have to bring religion back. We have to bring it back, much stronger.”

He said religious expression took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic when churches shut down due to social distancing restrictions, but he said he wasn’t blaming anyone. He said his main message to leaders was to never give up. Trump spoke about a new national park he wants to build with statues of great Americans, and he said Congress needs to unify by confirming his Cabinet nominees. He described issues such as border laws and men in women’s sports as divisive because it’s “hard to find a middle ground.”

Trump said he and his family are “more religious” now after he survived an assassination attempt last year: “It changed something in me. I believed in God, but I feel much more strongly about it.”