Because the Nov. 8, 2016, election is the most important of our lifetime, Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization said, "We need to pray, and we need to vote." To that end, he hosted a live stream prayer Monday evening on Facebook.
"The Bibles tells us in James 5:16 -- 'The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,'" continued Graham.
Click here to view a recording of Graham's prayer.
He started out by describing how he spent his day today with his father, Billy Graham, for his 98th birthday.
Graham encouraged voters to keep in mind what vision of the country one desires as the 45th U.S. president is elected tomorrow, Nov. 8. "This election is about the future of the United States of America. Tomorrow, we're not only voting for a president, we're voting for a team," he said.
He said both presidential candidates have flawed personalities. But he also said "it's coming down to the Supreme Court" Justice nominations. The next president may appoint two to five justices, and he said he believes it may have an impact on this nation's next 50 years.
"Who do you trust?" he asked.
All political races are vitally important, said Graham, and "my prayer is that God will show up in tomorrow's polls through His people." All through scripture, God uses people, he said.
Because America is facing what he called many giants, Graham prayed that God's church will rise and go to the polls so that Americans see there is a God and that he showed up.
Many people are afraid of the Evangelical community, and are trying to divide it by saying not to vote, he said. "But not to vote is wrong. We shouldn't be sitting on the sidelines. We need the Christian vote to be heard, loud and clear, " said Graham.
He said he thought about sins, such as abortion, sex outside of marriage, pride and same-sex marriage, and that sins often are celebrated. But he instead encouraged others to humbly pray.
He said he wanted to just take a moment to come together to call upon the Father. "We've turned our back on You as a nation, and we deserve your judgment, not your blessing," he prayed. "But we ask for your forgiveness and that you would heal our land, hear our prayers and that your church will rise up across this nation and the voice be heard. We need your favor, Father. We ask for a powerful working of your Holy Spirit."
"We ask You to give us leaders who will look to you for direction and who will preserve our freedom of religion."
Graham said no matter who is elected president, Jesus Christ is still the Lord of Lord and King of Kings.
At the time this article was published, Graham's prayer already had 1.7 million views.
