- Years before he becamepresident, out of the blue,

Donald Trump called Paula White-Cain.

He said she had the it factor.

Now, the two pray togetherin the oval office.

It's the latest stop inPaula's unlikely journey

and it all began when shewas just a messed up girl

from Mississippi.

(whoosh)

(uplifting music)

- [Voiceover] In her childhood,

Paula White-Cain experiencedtragedy and heartbreak,

and abuse that shatteredher dreams for a future,

but when she came to knowGod, his love healed her

and bought her a greater purpose.

- See, what we need is somefaith that gets activated.

What we need is some faith here

that says all things possible.

- [Voiceover] Paulalaunched a global ministry

and ultimately became a spiritual adviser

to President Trump.

Now, she shares herremarkable journey of faith

in her book, Something Greater.

- Paula White-Cain is here with us now.

It's great to have you on The 700 Club.

- It's fantastic to be with you.

- New book out, Something Greater.

- Yeah!- Yes, a long time

in the coming.

- Terry, nine years,

- Wow.

- and two years of writing.

I really had to land some things,

and people are saying it is a page turner,

and I believe it is something

that really ministers to people.

- Talk a little bit,everybody wants to know today,

how in the world didyou begin a relationship

with Donald Trump?

- Yeah, they think itcame about from politics.

He actually called me fromwatching Christian television,

and said 'you've got the it factor',

and then I said, 'sir, wecall that the anointing',

and he begins to almost verbatim repeat

to me three of my sermonson value of vision.

- [Terry] Wow.

- And so, he begins to tell me his life,

about being confirmed presbyterian,

raised in Norman Vincent Peale's church

until, and he went into deepsermons, his faith walk,

his mother, who was a veryGodly woman, a woman of prayer,

and one thing led to another,

he said 'are you ever in New York?',

I was doing a bible studyfor the New York Yankees,

and so not only with then Mr.Trump, now President Trump,

but with the family, with his staff,

and so this was a relationshipthat really developed

that was pastoral and, as theysay now, spiritual advisor.

- When you're with him in the White House,

and you're in the Oval Office,

and you have an opportunity to pray,

that's such a weighty responsibility.

How do you pray for him?

- Depends on the day,

it depends on the situation,

but I always, I pray forhim every single day.

And we pray, sometimes I lay hands on him,

and praying by revelation,

always praying the word of God over him,

securing his purpose, his calling,

his destiny, his family, his mind,

the wisdom of God.

Sometimes there's veryspecific things that we target

and we pray together, you know.

There was a picture that went viral

of many of us in the oval office

that had gathered and people were like,

'what's going on in the White House?',

and we're like, 'this is really normal'.

This is a man and a president

who loves prayer, and loves God,

and I think people get kindashocked or amazed by that.

- Yeah.

I love that he sees to recognize

that there's value to that for him.

- Absolutely, and he says it all the time,

he says we worship God, not government.

- Your book Something Greater,

let's go back to the beginning for you,

it really starts whenyou're five years old

and you have such arelationship with you dad,

such a powerful relationship

with your dad- [Paula] Right.

- Talk a little bit about him.

- You know, my dad was alarger than life figure to me,

not only with that natural stature,

but I was daddy's girl,I was his princess.

I didn't realize thedysfunction of our family,

why we would move so much,

my father came from apretty well-to-do family,

and was very irresponsible with the wealth

and with his, just beinga man, and so my mother,

who was the entrepreneurand backbone, I think,

was really like, 'it's enough',

and she took my brother and I to Memphis.

And on a stormy night when itwas thundering and raining,

my father came banging on the door

and I'm thinking 'hey, daddy's home',

only to open that doorand him grab one arm,

my mother the other, andthey begin to tug at me,

and my father begins tobash my mother's head in.

I'd never seen violence,

I'd never seen that sideof my father, and he said,

'Give me Paula or I'll kill myself'.

The police came, took my father away,

and that night heproceeded to take his life.

And so, my life, at five years old,

- [Terry] I can't imagine.

- Yeah, you form these conclusions,

like 'why wasn't I enough'.

My mother lost herself,became an alcoholic,

though very successful in business,

two masters, a doctorate,

no foundation of Christ,no church, and so.

- But what happened to you in all of that?

Because you were five,

and then in the nextfew years of your life

you really became the caregiver

in your family.- Very much,

which happened often,

- [Tammy] Sure.

- because although my mother was present,

the alcohol, and heraddictions, and her survival,

and dealing with her owndemons, took her away from me.

But, I had a great encounterat eighteen years old.

- At eighteen, tell me about that,

your boyfriend's uncle, I believe?

- Yeah, I was chasing a guy.

My story always seemedto have this guy in it

but it lands with the right one.

I was at his house, and sohis uncle looks me in my eyes,

said I have the answersto the pain and problems,

or the solution to your pain and problems,

the answers to your questions.

And I look at him very defensive,

like, 'what do you have to say',

because I was just broken inside,

I had a void.- [Tammy] Well,

protecting yourself.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- And so he opens upthis book, it's a Bible.

I had seen a church, butdidn't really understand,

heard the name of Jesus,but with all due respect,

it was like the toothfairy or Santa Claus.

He leads me to the Lordand my life is radically,

I mean, Terry, I walk outside

and for the first time it'slike the grass is green,

and the sky is blue, and Iknow real love, real love.

- [Terry] It all makes sense.

- It just, well yeah, I justknew, like, I was really loved,

and the pieces start coming together.

And so I get this book, this Bible,

and I do nothing but just immersemyself in the word of God,

and I begin to ask God,'who are you, who am I,

and what's life all about?'.

And that's so much of something greater

- [Terry] Yes.

- because Ecclesiastessays God has put eternity

in our heart, a divine sense of purpose,

and all of really wannaknow, who are you, God?

Who am I?

What is my why?

What am I sent here for?

What's this dash between the dates?

And we talk a lot about purpose,

but most people, I don't think,

understand how to reallydefine it, develop it,

and walk in it.

- [Terry] Yeah.

- And I knew from very earlyon, when God called me,

what to do to preach the gospel.

And it wasn't like I was behind a pulpit

or building a church, I mean it was,

I was cleaning the church, doing nursery,

and I lead people through that,

but also through very dark,dark times of my life.

- Well, the subtitle of Something Greater

is Finding Triumph Over Trials.

What would you say to people

who are watching andlistening to you right now

who are facing things thatseem impossible to change?

- You know, I thought mychildhood would be the worst,

but it wasn't, and in my midlife

I went through some very undesired things,

I talk about it very openly,we came against pornography,

went through an investigation,

there was criminal IRS, FBI,

my ex-husband had a completebreakdown, got drug addicted,

had several fears, I keptbelieving for my marriage,

it broke, found out thatmy son was a drug addict,

my daughter died of cancer,

things that you'd go, 'my goodness'.

It reminds me of Psalm 89,Ethan is writing and saying,

'God, you're faithful to all generations,

and verse 34 says you willnot alter your covenant',

and then he goes on to say,

almost like God canceledcovenant, like, what's going on,

how could this be happeningto your servant, David,

it's like you've cast this crown

and it's become, you know, just dust,

you've let his enemies come in.

But he leaves it in the hands of the Lord,

and God says 'I willnot cancel my covenant,

which means I will notfold what is written'.

God's covenant, his word,is faithful and it is true,

and you might be in a season,

that you're in a depressedtime, a dark time,

you're in a difficult time,

how can I ever get through this?

I'm telling you, don't let go of God,

because God will never let go of you,

and I started by justsimply being grateful.

Tell God something you'regrateful for right now,

in the midst of all the mess,

because that means youunderstand God's grace,

and step by step, God bringsyou to something greater.

Something greater's not abigger house, a bigger car,

a better job, somethinggreater is your portion,

is God's peace, his purpose, his love.

- Thank you, what a greatword for all of us today.

For more of Paula's story,

her book is called Something Greater,

and it's available in stores nationwide.

Wonderful to have you here Paula.

- Thank you so much, Terry.

- Thank you so much, whata great word you bring.