My latest piece for the Center for Baptist Leadership reproduced here in its entirety.
I had the chance to pray and proclaim that Christ is King before President Trump. I took it.
On Saturday, I had the chance to do something that I never imagined I would do in the course of my life and pastoral ministry: I offered the opening prayer at a political rally for our president, Donald J. Trump.
As I’ve written about before, for most of my life and pastoral ministry I was what you could call a “normie” conservative evangelical Southern Baptist. I was a NAMB-supported church planter in the inner city of Cincinnati. I’ve spent the last 17 years pastoring the same church. It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve started more intentionally engaging political issues as a pastor, and you can read more about why that is in my latest book, Loser Theology: Why the Weak will not Inherit the Earth.
Since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, my burden to help followers of Christ faithfully navigate the pressing political and moral issues confronting American Christians in our moment has only increased. But even though I’ve done some more cultural and political commentary here and there, first and foremost, I’m local church pastor.
So you can imagine my surprise when, on Tuesday of last week, a member of my church who serves as the Chairman of Kentucky’s Kenton County Republican Party Executive Committee sent me a text, asking me if I would “have any interest in saying the prayer at the President’s rally at NKU on Saturday?”
Even though I had a packed schedule for the weekend already, I decided I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the Apostle Paul urges us, as Christians, “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
We regularly obey this command at my church on Sunday mornings. I saw no reason not to obey it at a Trump rally on a Saturday afternoon.
So I said yes and he put me in touch with the White House team.
Since I’d never done this before, I expected lots of restrictions. I figured the White House would ask to preview my prayer in advance, possibly even edit what I could say.
But none of that happened.
The White House staffer called me to go over a few logistics, but left the prayer entirely to me. That trust and freedom meant a lot.
Over the next few days, I worked through a few passages of Scripture that teach us how to pray for rulers, most notably Psalm 2 and, as previously referenced, 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Most of what I wrote down were things I already pray. This time, I just got to pray them on a public stage.
As the day approached, I prepared my own heart by asking God to grant me the grace to fulfill this honor with the appropriate humility. Taking a massive room and sharing the podium with someone as famous as the President of the United States can easily tempt a man to pray to the crowd and make the moment about himself. I didn’t want to do that.
I wanted Christ at the center. The President deserved honor, and so did the Lord he will give account to.
When I arrived at the arena on Saturday, the place was electric. Music was playing, the crowd was excited, and the whole atmosphere was upbeat and friendly. I enjoyed it.
When the moment came for me to offer my prayer, the announcer introduced me, I walked onto the stage, and delivered it. The prayer confessed our sins as a people, including abortion and sexual immorality, and called our leaders to honor Christ as King. I heard multiple amens across the arena while I prayed, and afterward people came up with kind and encouraging words.
Here is what I prayed:
“Let us pray. Heavenly Father, blessed are you, O LORD, forever and ever, for yours is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. Yours is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, you rule over all, and all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to you (1 Chr 29:10-13, Mt 28:18).
Father, you tell us in your word that all have sinned and fallen short of your glory. We humbly confess our many sins and failures, with which we have grieved and offended you.
We have tolerated evil when we should have stood against it. We have been silent when we should have spoken up. We have allowed abortion to end countless innocent lives in our communities. We have permitted violence to grow in our streets and sexual immorality to spread in our schools. In our churches, we have failed to courageously speak against these sins. In these and many other ways, we have failed to give you the honor due your holy name.
Father, we thank you that you do not leave us in our sins, but you have graciously made a way for us to find forgiveness and hope in the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. You are most merciful. We thank you that, by faith, we can repent of our sins, knowing you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Lord, forgive us.
Your word instructs us to pray for our civil leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2). Give them wisdom as they lead, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way. Father, give wisdom and favor to President Trump and Vice President Vance. Grant this also to our local representatives and those seeking office. We ask you for the eternal salvation of them all.
Your word says that all authority is delegated from above (Rom 13:1, John 19:11), that all authorities are subject to you, and will one day give account to you.
So may our leaders serve the LORD with fear and trembling (Ps 2:11). May they honor Jesus Christ as King and Lord over all, lest his wrath be quickly kindled (Ps 2:12).
Lord, we beg you, heal our land (2 Chr 7:14). Turn the hearts of our nation to you (1 Chr 29:18). May all peoples of our great nation find refuge in the blood of Christ and be eternally blessed (Ps 16:1, Ps 21:6).
We humbly ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
The President wasn’t in the room at the beginning of the rally when I offered the prayer. I was scheduled to open the rally with prayer at 12:15PM. The President was scheduled to speak at 2:00pm. So by the time the President began his speech, I had settled into my seat to enjoy the rest of the rally.
Then came the part that I did not expect.
In the middle of the speech, as he was about to make a promise as President, he said, “I’m not going to swear to God,” and then interrupted himself to make a side comment. Evidently, he had heard my prayer on the video feed en route to the rally. He said, “I heard the pastor give a very beautiful prayer…And this place was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.”
I was stunned. The President listened to my prayer closely enough to comment on it.
Public prayers are still prayers, after all, and God is the primary audience for them. But the corporate nature of public prayer does have an effect on the people who hear them. That’s what I’d been praying for in the days leading up to the rally. I prayed that God would use this prayer to stir the hearts of whoever heard it toward Christ. I don’t know what God will do with it, but I pray those words stay with the President and point him to Christ.
As I walked back to my truck after the rally alongside the sea of other people, a young man who happened to be walking beside me said, “That was an excellent prayer. And I’m not even a Christian!” Knowing that there would be many unbelievers in the audience, I wanted to make the gospel clear. Perhaps the Lord used that prayer to bring someone to saving faith in Christ.
I’m thankful that we still live in a nation where theologically sound Christian prayers can be freely offered in the public square, even prayers that call our nation to repentance for politically popular sins like abortion and sexual immorality.
And while the Republican Party isn’t perfect, I can’t help but notice that, out of our two major political parties, Republicans are the only party that still invites unapologetic and uncompromising Christians to be a part of their movement and platform.
Praying for our President and our nation was one of the greatest and most humbling honors of my life. Now, I’d simply ask that you join me in praying that my prayer would bear fruit in the lives of those who heard it—including President Trump.
Pastor Clary, there are places where I have different opinions, propensities, and values. But on this day, I have nothing but honor for you and your faithfulness to our Savior. Well done!
Awesome! What a great honor. I really like that you agreed to do it, seriously thought about how and what to pray, and delivered it so well. This is how real pastors should involve themselves in the public arena, and lead by word and example. We also pray every Sunday for our leaders (Anglican liturgy - Prayers if the People), and many times by name. Calling America back to Jesus as Lord is the way to go! Amen!