- Well, joining us now isthe Reverend Franklin Graham,

who leads the Billy GrahamEvangelistic Association,

and Samaritan's Purse.

Reverend Graham, thanks forbeing with us all the way from

Boone, North Carolina.

- Thank you.

It's a privilege to be with you.

- Have you heard from the White House

or President Trump himself?

Are they aware of what'shappening this Sunday?

- Yes, they are aware andappreciative of the prayers.

Every time I've been with the President,

he's always been appreciativeof anybody that prays for him.

- Reverend Graham,

can you tell us what thisday of prayer will look like?

And can folks join you online?

- Yes, they can.

I'm gonna be doing a Facebook Live prayer

early in the morning.

But this is not trying tohave everybody at one time.

It's just that for churches, for pastors

to lead their congregations in a prayer

and this is not a political endorsement.

It's just simply prayingfor the President.

The Bible instructs us to pray for those

that are in authority.

And I think if people wouldjust pray for our President,

pray for this nation, thatGod will hear those prayers

and answer those prayers.

We need to pray for,not just the President,

but for his family, forMelania and for Barron.

How difficult all of this has been.

Two years of investigation.

And night after night accusations

after accusation after accusation.

And now for the report to come out

that there was no collusion

and now they're talking about impeachment.

All this just rips our country apart

and rips our presidency apart.

The President is the President.

He won the election.

It has been very difficultfor his enemies to accept that

but my prayer is thatpeople tomorrow, on Sunday,

will pray that on June the second,

just pray for the President.

That God will give him strength,

give him wisdom as he leads our nation.

- In a statement Reverend,

you say that "God can softenhearts and change minds."

Whose hearts and minds areyou asking God to touch here?

- Well it's our whole nation.

Our nation has a huge problem.

And the fighting inWashington is just incredible.

It didn't used to be that way.

And it's not just the fighting,but it's become hatred.

And my prayer is thatGod can soften the hearts

of all the politicians

so that he can bring them together.

That they'll work together

for the better of all Americans.

But the focus tomorrowor excuse me, on Sunday,

is the just to pray for the President.

That God would strengthen him.

That he would sense the prayers

of millions of people behind him,

and that he would be faithfulto carry out the duties

that he was elected to do,

and that he will seek God's face

for every decision that he makes.

- Reverend Graham, I thinkit's important to note

in 2012, you issued a call for pastors

to pray for then PresidentObama daily saying,

"Prayer must never be partisan."

Yet you've also been avigorous and faithful defender

of President Trump morethan any other president.

How do you avoid theperception that's out there?

Some have already said thatthis is weaponizing prayer

and political evangelism.

How do you avoid the perception that

you're not advocating for Mr. Trump?

- Well, first of all, prayer is a weapon.

We could go straightto the throne of grace.

We go directly into God's presence,

and God hears prayer and answers prayer.

But I prayed for President Obama

on all 50 state capitol steps.

We went across the country.

We prayed for our leaders,

and he was the Presidentof our nation at that time,

and I prayed for him.

And for us to pray for thePresident, this one day,

I know people gonna criticize you.

You can't do anything withoutsomebody being critical.

And I just, you know,

I don't pay attention to these critics.

I'm just gonna do what Ifeel God's calling me to do.

And that's to pray for our President.

He wants us to pray for him.

And that's what I'm gonna do.

And I hope millions ofothers across this country

and around the world will join me.

Because if the Presidentmakes a good decision,

it's good for all of us.

If he makes a bad decision,

it's gonna affect all of us.

So by prayer, God hearsprayer, he answers prayer,

and God appreciates prayer.

He likes it when his children talk to him.

- Reverend just a few seconds left here,

but what's been the response so far?

And can you measure howthis special day of prayer,

can you measure of how effective it'll be?

- I have no clue, Jenna.

I really don't.

All I know is God calls us to pray.

And I felt in my heart,

I was in Manchester, NewHampshire, speaking and preaching,

and just God laid it on my heart

that we ought to do this this Sunday.

So I'm just trying to respond to a call

that I believe God has given me on this.

I want to be obedient to him.

We know God will hear theprayer of one righteous person,

and if two join me, or three, or four,

or a hundred, or whatever.

I believe God will hear those prayers.

- Now, Reverend Franklin Graham,

thank you so much for being with us.

And we know many, manypeople will be with you

this weekend to pray.

- Thank you, Jenna, God bless.