America turns 250 years old on July 4. Franklin Graham wants every day between now and then to count.
The president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has launched a 50-day national prayer initiative called One Nation Under God, which began May 15 and runs through Independence Day. Each day at noon Eastern Time, a pastor from a different state leads a short prayer for America - one pastor, one state, 50 days, all 50 states.
Graham announced the initiative on X, writing: "In 50 days, on the 4th of July, America will celebrate its founding as a nation 250 years ago. Just think of all that has happened in this country from 1776 to 2026. What started as a small group of people searching for freedom to live out their faith has become the greatest nation on Earth."
The call is simple and personal. "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," Graham said.
The first prayer was led by Pastor Jim Lowe of Birmingham, Alabama, who prayed that God would grant every political leader in the nation wisdom - not human wisdom, but wisdom from God. "It is my prayer that we will become a nation of people who will be one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all - for blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," he said.
This is not the first time Graham has called the country to this kind of collective prayer. In 2016 he prayed at all 50 state capitals. In 2020 he led a Prayer March on the National Mall. His father, Billy Graham, stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in 1952 and called on Congress to establish a National Day of Prayer - which was enacted that same year.
The campaign runs alongside the broader national observance of America's 250th anniversary, but its focus is firmly spiritual rather than ceremonial. In a nation increasingly marked by division and uncertainty, Graham's call is a reminder that the answers America needs will not ultimately be found in politics, power, or prosperity - but in repentance and a return to God.
Graham will personally close out the 50 days on July 4, thanking God for how He has blessed the United States and seeking His mercy, direction, and provision for the next chapter of the nation's story.
You can follow along daily and join in prayer at OneNationUnderGod.com or through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association app. Prayers are posted each day at noon ET.
