JUST IN: Speaker Of The House Mike Johnson Leads Prayer At 'Rededicate 250' Event On National Mall

[0:00] Thank you so much, my friends. It is such a blessing to welcome you all here to the nation's [0:04] capital. Thank you. My humble assignment here today is to bring us straight to the Lord [0:15] in a prayer of rededication. Would you join me in that? Would you join me in that? [0:20] Our Heavenly Father, we thank you, thank you so much for this great day that you've given us here. [0:30] And we remember that your mighty hand has been upon our nation since the very beginning. [0:35] Since Christopher Columbus set sail in the new world, since the settlers at Jamestown [0:43] planted the cross at Cape Henry, and since the pilgrims at Plymouth made a covenant to give [0:49] you the glory. In all that time, you guided us at every pivotal moment. And when our forefathers [0:57] took up the great cause of American independence, they turned to you in steadfast prayer. And on [1:04] this very day, now two and a half centuries ago, the Second Continental Congress gathered [1:11] in Philadelphia, facing imminent battle and almost certain death, our founders held a decisive day of [1:19] what they called humiliation, fasting, and prayer. They did that to humble themselves and to seek [1:25] your guidance at the dawn of their fight for freedom. Just weeks later, Lord, on July 4th, 1776, [1:33] you gave 56 patriots the courage and the conviction to sign their names to the Declaration of Independence, [1:42] forming 13 distant and disparate colonies into a new nation, which would become, by your mercy and grace, [1:50] the freest, most successful, most benevolent nation in the history of the world. And in those early days, [1:57] you safeguarded George Washington and his ragtag army as they defeated the mightiest of empires. [2:04] And you gave our fathers the wisdom and faith to establish this new nation premised on the biblical [2:10] and foundational principle that all men are created equal and free before you. Through your divine [2:19] providence, our founders acknowledged and boldly proclaimed the self-evident truth that every single [2:24] person is created in your image and that we are endowed by you, our creator, with our inalienable rights [2:31] to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Lord, we know that that declaration, which has been [2:38] recognized as our nation's creed, has also been the inspiration for the single greatest force for peace [2:46] and justice and human flourishing. It set in motion a change of events that altered the very course of [2:52] human history. And today, as we seek to fulfill its true meaning, those self-evident truths still guide [3:00] our nation and still call us to honor and cherish and protect the dignity of every human life. [3:07] Lord, today our people gather once again in your name. We have humbled ourselves before you. We [3:15] acknowledge that the miracle of our founding and the countless miracles that have followed [3:20] are your doing. We remember that we owe our nation every victory, every hero, every good deed she has [3:27] brought forth to you, almighty God. Amid a bloody civil war, you gave Abraham Lincoln the vision and [3:34] the fortitude to ignite a new birth of freedom. And in the turbulent years that followed, you offered [3:41] us healing and restoration, calling us even then to the better angels of our nature. When our allies in [3:49] Europe fell prey to the dark shadow of fascism, you equipped our greatest generation with the strength [3:56] to defend and liberate Western civilization. You filled the sojourners of the civil rights movement with your [4:02] spirit as they challenged their generation to live up to the promises enshrined in the declaration. In the 20th [4:10] century, you gave brave leaders like President Ronald Reagan the courage and heart to speak boldly to the promise of [4:17] God-given liberty and the emptiness of godless Soviet tyranny. At the dawn of a new century, when terror struck our [4:27] homeland on September 11th, you gave 44 heroes on flight 93, your divine courage to thwart that murderous [4:34] attack. You drove out fear out of the hearts of rescuers and first responders who ran upstairs and into fires [4:43] to help those in need. And in the years that followed, as we cleared the ashes and debris, you healed our broken [4:51] hearts and you revealed again, the fierce, unbreakable spirit of the American people. Every day since, over each of [4:58] our 250 years, America has been a land of hope and liberty, a place of miracles and the light and glory of all nations [5:05] because of you. And now as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, we face a new, new set of challenges in a new era. In recent years, we've seen sinister ideologies so [5:07] confusion and discord among our people. We've witnessed attacks on our history on our heroes and the cherished moral and [5:25] spiritual identity of this great nation. These voices insist to the young and impressionable that our story, the American story, the [5:32] story is one of oppression and hypocrisy and failure, and that this story can only be understood through the lens of our [5:50] sins. Father, we reject that. We rebuke it in your name. Those voices have seek to distort the self evident truth that we know so [6:05] well that our founders boldly proclaim the declaration that our rights do not derive from the government. They come from [6:12] you, our creator and heavenly father. Lord, just as we humbly sought out your guidance in past trials, we are doing it here [6:22] again today. We turn to you once again to save us from these afflictions, to deliver us from the forces of evil, oppression [6:30] and justice and tyranny, both within our borders and beyond our shores. And Lord, never let us be separated from the [6:38] mercy and your love. We pray, Lord, that you continue to bless our president with the wisdom and prudence and strength to [6:46] govern our nation in accordance with your will. We pray that you guide our lawmakers, that you walk with us and grant us the [6:52] moral clarity to rise above partisan differences and give us the wisdom and humility to serve selflessly and sacrificially. Lord, [6:59] protect our service members, our law enforcement officers, our first responders, all those who risk their own lives daily as they administer justice and preserve the peace in our communities and in accordance with your word. Help all our faith leaders and pastors and priests to be faithful in their calling and successful in their ministries to shine your light of hope and salvation across our land. We pray too that you will safeguard all [7:07] houses of worship, that they remain sanctuaries of prayer and peace, that they remain sanctuaries of prayer and peace and peace and peace. Give every American parent the grace they need and [7:14] serve the peace and peace. We pray too that you will safeguard all houses of worship and that they remain sanctuaries of prayer and peace. We pray to all the [7:21] and priests to be faithful in their calling [7:23] and successful in their ministries, [7:26] to shine your light of hope and salvation across our land. [7:31] We pray too that you will safeguard all houses of worship, [7:34] that they remain sanctuaries of prayer and peace. [7:38] Give every American parent the grace they need [7:43] to raise and protect the next generation [7:46] of freedom-loving children. [7:52] Father, we pray for marriages across this land, [7:54] that husbands and wives have the patience [7:56] to love one another in all the days of their lives [7:59] and heal the wounds of broken hearts, God, [8:01] and the battles that we do not see. [8:03] Lord, we ask that you equip our educators [8:06] with the knowledge to teach the truth, [8:09] for they will shape the next generation [8:11] of government and leaders. [8:13] Be with our physicians and our nurses [8:15] and our healthcare workers and give comfort to the sick [8:18] and to those on heaven's door. [8:20] We pray that you bestow upon all Americans [8:23] a renewed love of country, hope for the future, [8:27] and faith in your everlasting mercy and grace. [8:32] Father, we pray mercy upon our land. [8:35] Mercy upon us for our mistakes. [8:38] Forgive us of our sins individually and collectively, [8:41] and help us to devote ourselves with a renewed piety [8:44] and patriotism to the eternal truths of your word [8:49] and to the enduring principles of the declaration [8:52] you blessed us with. [8:54] Above all, Lord, grant us the courage in your favor [8:57] to preserve this republic. [9:00] Instill within us the same devotion that compelled 56 men [9:04] to pledge their lives, their fortunes, [9:06] and their sacred honor to this grand experiment [9:09] in self-governance. [9:10] The same devotion of patriots like a Patrick Henry, [9:14] for whom liberty was worth any price. [9:17] The same devotion of President Abraham Lincoln, [9:19] who at Gettysburg charged his countrymen [9:22] to rededicate themselves to the unfinished work of our fathers. [9:27] Lord, today we pray that you grant us that same devotion [9:30] to these United States. [9:32] Give us courage, Lord. [9:34] Make us worthy of all those who devoted [9:36] and sacrificed their lives, [9:38] so that a government of the people, [9:41] by the people, and for the people, [9:43] shall not perish from the earth. [9:46] Almighty God, we ask that you hear these solemn petitions, [9:49] just as we, in the beginning, [9:50] dedicated this land to your most holy name. [9:54] Today, here, Lord, in this 250th year [9:58] of American independence, we hereby rededicate [10:02] the United States of America as one nation under God. [10:26] Look upon us with favor upon your country [10:28] as you celebrate this momentous anniversary [10:30] and let your Holy Spirit descend upon this land [10:33] so that future generations will look back at this day [10:36] and this present age and once again, [10:37] see your providential hand at work. [10:41] I ask this today, Lord, I pray it and I believe it [10:44] in your holy name, in Jesus' name, amen.