Faith leaders, dignitaries and patriotic Americans gathered for a night of prayer and reflection at the Christian Inaugural Gala in Washington, D.C., which was held just hours before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
The event, held on the evening of Jan. 19 at the Westin Downtown, highlighted the intersection of faith and patriotism, with speeches that called for unity, divine intervention and a recommitment to the nation's founding principles.
Dutch Sheets, author and founder of Dutch Sheets Ministries, delivered the night’s keynote address. He emphasized the spiritual and patriotic DNA of the U.S., pointing to historical figures like Patrick Henry and Sam Adams as symbols of the enduring American spirit.
“It seems to me that their love of liberty and the willingness to preserve it at all costs made its way into America's genetic code,” Sheets remarked.
“When times get hard, the cultural storms come and the debris piles up, when the border is open and the terrorists arrive, when the foundations are destroyed and the government becomes corrupt, when decency and common sense are abandoned and children are being mutilated, I'm going to need some patriotic Americans who will climb to the top of the devastation and boldly announce that the storm will not destroy us. It's clear that a new day is coming."
“What must we do [as] a nation when a mutation occurs, creating a genetic disorder, with the generational flow of the Founding Fathers is interrupted, when the American spirit of patriotism seems to have been lost to liars, revisionists, lovers of self, globalists, godless politicians, and it pains me to say it, weak preachers?” Sheets asked.
“Well, the recovery begins with someone [...] climbing the debris pile and shouting, 'No, our roots are not dead. It's not in our nature to surrender to the storm. We will not give up our God-given destiny or surrender our inheritance.'”
Sheets closed his address with a prayer for the nation and Trump. “We pray for Donald Trump and we pray for his team. We pray that you would encounter him in a dramatic way. Fill him with your spirit, bring him into a deeper walk with you than he's ever had. We don't know his spiritual condition, but we know he is a God-honoring man. We know he loves to be around believers. We know he loves the church, Lord; we just ask you to invade his life with your strong anointing from Holy Spirit. Give him a love for your work. Give him a love for spending time with you. Surround him with people that speak to him in a way that causes him to come closer to you and give him wise counselors.”
Sheets also prayed for the government’s leadership, asking, “Let there be a hovering presence of Holy Spirit over the White House, over every branch and every office that's connected to the Executive Branch of our government.”
"Our hope is not in him [Donald Trump]; our hope is in You,” he concluded. “You have said America will be saved, and you are the only one who can save her.”
Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, also briefly spoke, highlighting a renewed sense of expectancy among Christians ahead of the next four years.
“I've been preaching for 40 years, and I've never felt expectancy like I feel now,” Franklin said, attributing this shift to divine intervention.
“This is our nation. We are the voice, and we are the people who decide,” Franklin declared, urging attendees to remain steadfast in their faith and patriotic duties.
In a video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the Christian community for their unwavering support.
“We believe in the values that our two countries share, and we are willing with our brave soldiers to stand up and fight for these values,” he said. Netanyahu expressed gratitude for the consistent backing of Israel’s right to defend itself, adding, “I know that in this and in so many other tasks, we have your support because we have no better friends.”
Bishop Joseph Garlington highlighted the vital role of prayer and intercession in shaping the nation’s destiny.
“Grant us the grace to be authentic intercessors for our nation,” Garlington prayed. He urged attendees to persist in their spiritual efforts, emphasizing that continued prayer is essential for sustained transformation.
The event also featured performances from music artist Danny Gokey and comedian Jeff Allen.
