In her Inauguration Day prayer, televangelist Paula White asked God to give President Donald Trump wisdom - and to unite and heal the United States and bind the "wounds and divisions" seen across the country following a contentious election season.
She prayed: "Gracious God, reveal into our president the ability to know the will, Your will, the confidence to lead us in justice and in righteousness, and the compassion to yield to our better angels. While we know there are many challenges before us, in every generation you have provided the strength and power to become that blessed nation. Guide us in discernment, Lord, and give us that strength to persevere and thrive. Now, bind and heal our wounds and divisions, and join our nation to Your purpose. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. The psalmist declared, ‘Let your favor be upon this one nation under God.' Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to all people and nations under Your dominion, a true hope for humankind. Glory to Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
White, who is Trump's spiritual adviser, joined Franklin Graham, Samuel Rodriguez and other prominent faith leaders in offering prayers and Bible readings at the ceremony.
Before reading 1rst Timothy 2 following Trump's speech, Graham, the son of Franklin Graham, stated, "Mr. President in the Bible rain is a sign of God's blessing, and it started to rain when you came to the platform. It's my prayer that God will bless you, your family, your administration, and may He bless America."
In an earlier interview with NBC Nightly News, White expressed confidence in the President's faith: "I know that Donald is saved," White said in a pre-taped interview. "He's absolutely - received Jesus Christ as his lord and savior."
She added, "I know that he's asked for forgiveness. I know that he has sought and understands the truth of that. I understand on a much more personal level his walk. It's not something he feels comfortable ... He doesn't know our Christian-ese or language. ... But that doesn't mean he's not a man of faith."
White recalled that in 2011, while Trump was debating jumping in the 2012 presidential race, he asked pastors to pray with him: "And we prayed over him. We sat with him for about six hours. This wasn't like-- like an hour or ten minutes; it was six hours. It was an all day meeting and we prayed for hours. And we listened, we talked, we conversed and- and the next day, I called him or he called me, one ... one or the other. And he said, 'I' -- 'I don't believe it's the timing of God.'"
