Evangelism

Highlights from ‘Rededicate 250’ Day of Worship and Prayer at the National Mall

Hundreds of thousands gathered on the National Mall on Sunday, May 17, for Rededicate 250, a day-long event to worship and pray for America ahead of our nation’s 250th birthday celebration. Millions more watched online, as speakers read Scripture and rededicated our country as “One Nation to God.”

Pastors, Christian leaders and politicians took part in the rededication, which marked the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’ call “for the colonies to pause, repent, and seek God’s guidance as war with Britain loomed.” Here are some highlights from the worship and prayer gathering. 

Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, who represents 42,000 churches as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, opened Rededicate 250. He prayed: 

Father, we come before you today not merely to remember but to rededicate. Not just to reflect on history, but to realign our future. … 

The God of righteousness, the God of justice, the God of truth, and the God of love. Righteous Lord, we come before you prayerfully acknowledging that a righteous nation recognizes the image of God in every human being without exception.

He described a “battle in America … between the serpent and the Lamb,” proclaiming “the Holy Spirit of Almighty God” as “the most powerful Spirit in America.” 

Aodhán King, from Hillsong’s Young & Free, led worshippers in lifting up the Lord with songs like “This is Living,” “Take You at Your Word,” “Have Your Way,” and “What a Beautiful Name.” 

Sadie Robertson Huff, author of bestsellers like Live Original and Live Fearless, read from the story of Josiah cleansing the temple, reading God’s Word, and rededication the Kingdom of Judah to the Lord, from 2 Kings 22. 

She called America back to following God, saying: 

This day is not just about rededicating our nation to God, but rededicate yourself to the Lord. Rededicate your family to the Lord. And in doing so, one person under God, one nation under God. 

It’s a powerful thing that Josiah was able to read out the entire scripture and the entire law. But I’ll say this, Jesus Christ sums it up into these simple things. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. and love your neighbor as yourself. And if you do that, the world will change.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson also spoke at Rededicate 250, reminding viewers: 

250 years ago, America was born in a Declaration of Independence that began with the revolutionary acknowledgement that our rights come from God – and not from government. And it ended with an appeal to “divine Providence” for protection. 

The Lord heard that call, and there has been no nation since that time that has been so blessed. We’re so blessed to be here. 

Dr. Carson said, “There is no place like America.” He pointed to “the forging of our Constitution,” our prosperity and culture of freedom, and our “triumphs over slavery, totalitarianism, segregation, hunger and disease” as some of those blessings from God. 

He called Americans to be bold and courageous, pointing to the Paul’s admonition to Timothy, “He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). 

Rededicate 250 included a video from President Donald J. Trump from America Reads the Bible, a week-long event at the Museum of the Bible where more than 475 participants read the entire Bible aloud. 

The clip showed the president reading his portion of Scripture from the Oval Office, 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, which includes the familiar verse:

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

Toward the end of the day, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson led the crowd in a prayer of rededication. After describing God’s protection and intervention in a variety of ways throughout U.S. history, he asked God to move again: 

Lord, just as we humbly sought out your guidance in past trials, we are doing it here again today. We turn to you once again to save us from these afflictions, to deliver us from the forces of evil, oppression, injustice and tyranny – both within our borders and beyond our shores – and Lord, never let us be separated from your mercy and your love.

Johnson asked for forgiveness “of our sins individually and collectively,” concluding: 

Look upon us with favor upon your country as we celebrate this momentous anniversary and let your Holy Spirit descend upon this land so that future generations will look back at this day, in this present age, and once again, see your providential hand at work. I ask this today, Lord, I pray it and I believe it, in your holy name, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

The event finished off with a 30-minute worship set led by Chris Tomlin which included worship standards like, “Good, Good Father,” “Great Are You Lord,” “Our God,” “Holy Forever,” and “How Great is Our God.” 

Watch Rededicate 250 and learn more about America’s 250th birthday celebration at Freedom 250. 

Related articles and resources: 

7 Prayers That Helped Save and Shape America

America’s Birthday Should Be a Declaration of the Right to Life

The Christian History of Thanksgiving in America

On This Independence Day, Clarence Thomas Explains What’s Great About America

Justice Thomas Warns Progressivism Opposes America’s Founding Principles

Mass Worship Event ‘Rededicate 250’ Happening This Sunday in D.C.

Presidential Prayers: Turning to God in Times of Need

Thanksgiving Day Reveals America’s Christian Roots

Thanksgiving Is a Vaccination Against Liberalism, and an Antidote to the Modern Left

Mass Worship Event ‘Rededicate 250’ Happening This Sunday in D.C.

Coming this Sunday, May 17, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will be hosting an event titled “Rededicate 250” — our nation’s largest and most expansive worship service in a long time, designed to help the country spiritually prepare for its semiquincentennial this July 4.

The all-day event, which kicks off at 9 a.m. just in front of the U.S. Capitol, will feature representatives from all 50 states praying for America. The special program has been planned and organized around three main themes or “pillars”:

Pillar I — The Miracles That Made Us: A reflection on God’s providence throughout 250 years, honoring the faith that inspired America’s founders and has carried us forward in every generation since.

Pillar II — The Miracles Still in Our Midst: Personal testimonies of God’s healing in our lives and in our land.

Pillar III — A New Birth of Faith and Freedom: A collective expression of gratitude for 250 years of freedom — and a unified moment of rededication asking for God’s blessing, guidance and grace for the next 250.

Familiar faces and voices known for championing faith and religious freedom in America will be addressing those gathered, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Dr. Ben Carson, Rev. Franklin Graham, Bishop Robert Barron, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Pastor Jack Graham, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Salem’s Eric Metaxas and actor Jonathan Roumie.

“We rejoice in the triumph of the American spirit and in the love and grace of Almighty God,” stated President Trump. “And just as our Founders came together in prayer before declaring independence, thousands of Americans will gather on Sunday, May 17, on the National Mall to rededicate the United States as One Nation Under God.”

At press time, President Trump’s participation in the event has not yet been confirmed. 

This Sunday marks the 250th anniversary of America’s “Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” passed by the Continental Congress in the midst of the American Revolution, which was held May 17, 1776. 

At the time, leaders urged colonists to “confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his [God’s] righteous displeasure, and through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness.” 

Imagine the apoplectic fit that some might spiral into today if the 119th Congress were to issue a proclamation of similar wording.

It would be difficult to overstate the power of having so many Christians gathering and lifting their voices in unified prayer and song. Many churches are planning to send busloads of congregants to the daylong event. Focus on the Family is one of the many organizations sponsoring the special program.

When the French-American military engineer and city planner Pierre Charles L’Enfant laid out the National Mall in 1791 at the request of George Washington, he deliberately designed the space so that it could host just such a gathering. He envisioned the “Grand Avenue” connecting the branches of government to be wide, accessible and expansive. He also believed the city’s noble architecture should reflect moral order and civic virtue.

If you’re not able to attend in-person, Americans are invited to watch and worship online. The TBN and CBN cable television networks will be streaming the day’s events.

Make no mistake: From its beginning, America has been shaped and sustained by the prayers of its citizens.

12 Quotable Gems from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Commencement Address

On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivered the commencement address at Ave Maria University, a private Catholic school in southern Florida founded by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Monaghan.

Governor DeSantis, who is slated to complete his two terms in January 2027 as chief executive of the Sunshine State, has cultivated a reputation for projecting moral clarity and rejecting politically and socially woke ideology.

True to form, during his speech to graduates, the governor urged the Class of 2026 to put on the “full armor of God” as they begin their professional lives. That reference, of course, is to the apostle Paul’s charge to Christians in Ephesus (Eph. 6:10-18).

A former U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officer and Harvard Law School graduate, DeSantis didn’t stop there. Here are 12 quotes that captured the essence of his message – and the challenge and charge he gave the students and their families and friends:

1. “[We’re] not to try to conform our faith to the spirit of the age, but to pursue truth regardless of where those currents are going. We share a faith that is over 2,000 years old. It represents a fixed reality of who God is and what God has done above all in the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ.”

2. “The faith does not depend on what is fashionable or who holds power. It is, in fact, the truth that ultimately will set you free.”

3. “Truth is not subject to a popular vote, and it doesn’t follow popular fads. The church is to shape the times through faith, not to exchange these timeless truths for temporary relevance. North is still north. Right is still right, even when you have to stand all by yourself.”

4. “Truth must also be central to our civic life as Americans. I think it’s important to say this [during] the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. This should be a time where we all reflect on the principles on which this country was founded and that made it great.”

5. “[The Founders] studied the history of every republic and the history of mankind. And they tried to draw lessons from them … Every single one of them had failed … [They asked] can we actually have a society where we govern ourselves, where our rights are God-given, not government granted? Where we live under a rule of law, not the rule of individual men? Where government is constitutionally limited? Or is mankind destined to live under various forms of despotism for the rest of human history?”

6. “[The Founders] understood you could have the best declaration of independence in the world. You could have the best constitution in the world. These do not run on autopilot. They require every generation of Americans to step up and defend institutions, defend freedom when they are at risk.”

7. “Our country was founded on principles that were not just time capsules in 1776, 1787 or 1791. These are enduring principles because they are true principles. They are an accurate reflection on human nature. They are an accurate reflection on the fact that government does not give us our rights.”

8. “God gives us our rights and governments must be constitutionally limited. So just as we rely on a 2,000-year-old faith to guide our spiritual lives, we must keep faith with those timeless political truths and those must serve as the foundation of our civic life.”

9. “Human nature has not changed since 1776. The need for constitutional limits on government has not changed since 1776. A free society must be guided by the rule of law.”

10. “Leadership is not cost free. Whenever you stand for something, if you’re making a difference, it’s likely because that’s not easy. It’s very easy to just hitch your wagon to whatever way the winds are blowing. The test of leadership is whether you’re able to dig in, stand up for what’s right, even when it is not something that is popular.”

11. “Technology can be very good but it must be channeled to benefit individual liberty and to benefit humanity. We must not be governed by the almighty algorithm. Technology must enhance the human experience, not supplant the human experience.”

12. “This is the charge to maintain and preserve that sacred fire of liberty. The question as you go out into the world goes back to [Benjamin] Franklin’s admonition [about keeping the Republic]. What does the future hold? Can we keep it? Can we preserve it? Can we make the Republic better?”

We join Governor DeSantis and graduates of Ave Maria University in praying that America will remain committed to preserving and protecting the hard-fought government our founders forged 250 years ago.

Photo credit: Governor Ron DeSantis/X

Religion Increasingly Important to Young Men, Gallup Finds

Young men are increasingly turning to that “Old Time Religion.” Faith is becoming more important to young men, who now surpass young women in saying religion is “very important” to their lives, a new poll from Gallup finds.

More young men today say religion is “very important” to their own lives than at any point in the last 25 years. The share of young men proclaiming the importance of religion has skyrocketed 14% in just the last three years, rising from 28% in 2022 to 42% today. This is a positive development indeed.

In fact, young men are now far more likely than young women (29%) to say religion is “very important” to them. This is also a departure from previous trends, where more young women said religion was “very important” to them, compared to young men, from 2000 to 2020.

As Gallup summarizes,

Young women were significantly more attached to religion than young men were at the start of the millennium, leading by nine percentage points (52% vs. 43%) in calling religion “very important” in their lives. That gap widened to as much as 16 points in the early to mid-2000s before steadily narrowing over the next decade. …
The most recent data mark a clear break, with young men now surpassing young women on this measure of religious importance.

This turning of the tide among men is unique to Gen Z. Among adults age 30 and older, women remain more religious than men, according to Gallup.

The polling organization notes the decline in religiosity among young women:

Young women, by contrast, are now by far the least religious women. At 29% calling religion very important, women aged 18-29 trail the next-least religious group, 30- to 49-year-old women, by 18 points and are less than half as likely as senior women to say religion is very important.

Forty percent of young men report attending religious services at least monthly, compared to 39% of young women. This is the highest reported number for young men since 2012.

Gallup adds that most young men (63%) report affiliating with a specific religion – including Catholic, Protestant, Judaism or another religion. This is virtually unchanged from the 61% who said the same in 2022, but it is up substantially from the 57% who said so in 2016 “and is the highest recorded for young men since 2012-2013.”

What should Christians take away from all this new data?

First, it’s undoubtedly good news that young men are turning back to religion, especially since adults’ self-claimed religiosity has been in decline for years. Many young men, unattracted by the rot offered by much of today’s culture, seem to be looking for transcendent meaning amid the cultural ruin. And that deserves praise.

Second, Gallup’s data (taken from 2024 and 2025) was largely collected before Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10, 2025. Call it the “Charlie Kirk effect,” it’s possible that, in future survey data, we will see Gen Z men returning to faith in even greater numbers.

Third, while it’s good young men are turning to religion in general, there is only one true religion – the faith founded by Jesus Christ. As He taught, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV).

Christians – both young and old – should view this interest in religion among Gen Z men as a perfect opportunity to engage them in conversation, answer their questions, pray with them and guide them towards faith in the One for whom we “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord” (Phil. 3:8, ESV).

Related articles and resources:

The Benham Brothers: Sharing the Christian Faith, Bold and Broken

Street-Smart Faith: Speaking Truth with Grace

Is Religious Faith Gaining Influence in America?

Young Men Are Returning to Church

Why Gen Z “Nones” Are Reconsidering Religion

More Young Adults Turning to Faith After Pandemic, Study Finds

Photo from Shutterstock.

Speaker Mike Johnson Helps Kick Off ‘America Reads the Bible’ in D.C.

Close to 500 people, individuals ranging from President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson to government leaders and everyday citizens, are delving into God’s Word this week as part of “America Reads the Bible” – a nationwide movement spearheaded by the non-profit organization “Christians Engaged.”

Focus on the Family’s Tim Goeglein will also be participating. 

The prelude to the historic event began on Saturday night at Washington, D.C.’s National Community Church. Coinciding with the celebration of America’s 250th birthday this coming July, the kickoff event featured teaching from historian David Barton and corporate worship led by Leeland Mooring. Actresses Candace Cameron Bure and Patricia Heaton, along with Hollywood producers Cameron and BJ Arnett, also addressed those gathered.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who helped kick things off on Sunday morning at the Museum of the Bible by reading from Genesis, also spoke on Saturday evening. During his remarks, he shared a personal testimony of how his fireman father’s tragic injury back when he was a boy compelled him to turn to God in desperation.

“My father was burned so badly and so severely, he was permanently disabled in the fire, but at the time, he had a 5% chance to live,” Johnson recalled. “When I was age 12, I got down on my face before the Lord, and I pleaded for the life of my father. He spared my father’s life, and he went on to live another 30-plus years.”

Speaker Johnson, a strong Christian who regularly invokes God’s Word in speeches and interviews, suggests the Lord used that trauma in a redeeming and personal way. 

“That event, that moment in my life, made the promises of Scripture so true,” he said. “I actually saw a miracle. It’s a long story. There’s actually a book written about this experience with my father. It was a miraculous set of circumstances, and God answered our prayers. And to me, from the time I was 12 years old, I knew that God’s Word is flawless and true, that these are real promises, that we can rely upon it.”

President Trump is also participating. His portion will be airing on Tuesday evening between 6 and 7 p.m. ET. Last week, from the Oval Office, he read from 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, which includes the familiar verse:

… if my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

In a statement released prior to Saturday night’s festivities, President Trump noted and affirmed the foundational underpinnings of Scripture in America’s founding.

“In every generation, through every trial and triumph, God’s Word has guided our people and our country to incredible new heights,” the 45th and 47th president stated.  During the first inauguration, George Washington, setting a precedent for all future Presidents, put his left hand on the Bible and took the oath of office, after which he kissed the Bible.”

He then added:  

“Of the many influences that have shaped the United States of America into a distinctive Nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.”

Other members of the Trump administration expected to read from the Old and New Testaments includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, HUD Secretary Scott Turner, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles. 

You don’t have to be in Washington, D.C., to participate. The marathon Bible reading can be streamed in real time via the Pure Flix app from Great American Media.

Critics and skeptics have tried to diminish “America Reads the Bible” by labeling it performative and simply a public relations stunt in an election year. To be sure, God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7), and anytime His Word is read aloud in public is a very good thing and a wonderful opportunity for hearts and minds to be transformed by the sheer power of its sound.

Please join us in praying for this outreach.