Thousands gathered on the National Mall Sunday for a historic day of national prayer and worship ahead of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with attendees expressing hope for a spiritual renewal and a cultural shift in American society.
Christians from around the world braved occasional light rain, hot weather and long security lines to participate in Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving. Several prominent religious leaders and Trump administration officials addressed the crowd, which extended beyond rows of chairs to blankets spread across the grass with the U.S. Capitol in the background.
Rededicate 250 is one of several events planned as part of the public-private partnership initiative Freedom 250 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Multiple attendees highlighted their hopes for American culture moving forward.
Parish Clinton, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. military, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, told The Christian Post that Rededicate 250 may be the “most important event” in his lifetime, "probably in several lifetimes.”
“I don’t believe anything I did, with two combat deployments under my belt, is as important as being here to support this today, to rededicate our nation back to God,” Clinton said.
“Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I believe it’s that important to this nation, that we are lost without God,” he added, saying the Lord has blessed this nation "immensely over the last 250 years.”
“We are living under a form of government that is not meant for an immoral people. We have got to get our morals back in line with what Jesus taught and what the Bible says.”
Clinton said the U.S. is “doomed without God” at the center, believing that the country could not have “gone through World War II” and “would not be anywhere close to where we are without God.” He called for renewed support for the national motto “In God We Trust.”
“Our Founding Fathers would not recognize us right now as a nation, and I believe that’s a tragedy,” he said.
‘A shift in history’
Cindy Herzog, who traveled from Vine Grove, Kentucky, to attend Rededicate 250, called the event “a shift in history.”
“We’re in a time right now where we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and follow, be good followers,” she said. “Whatever He shares with us, we have the opportunity to join in the truth, to love people well, to stand with people well during this time and to step out and believe for the impossible for our nation, for our family, for our lives.”
Rather than viewing the event as a government endorsement of religion, Herzog described the gathering as “an endorsement of unity” around "bringing our nation back to what our Founding Fathers based our country, our nation on.”
“It’s amazing that we can gather here today,” she added. “Freedom of speech, that we can gather here to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
“I just think there’s going to be such an amazing shift in our nation,” she predicted. “Everyone will be seeing, sensing and experiencing what’s going to happen in our nation after today.”
‘Without Him, we’re broken’
Shaystin Rogers of Warren, Rhode Island, said he attended Rededicate 250 “to glorify God and to rededicate this country to Him.” He sees the event as aligning with the biblical mandate to “pray for our leaders and those in authority.”
“If we don’t seek and pray, how can we ever expect anything?” he asked. “We have not because we ask not. So, if we seek Him and we ask forgiveness of our own sins, we pray for those in authority because God has put them in that position to bring glory to Him.”
Rogers described Rededicate 250 as an “amazing” witness to nonbelievers.
“Even those who do not believe can respect that without God, the nation cannot be fulfilled to all that it’s called to be,” he said. “Without Him, we’re broken, we’re lost, we’re searching for identity in all the wrong things. It’s only through Jesus.”
Alex, who traveled from California, identified himself as a native of Romania and an “adoptive son of America." He attended the event to “pray for America, pray for this country, [and] pray for the president," emphasizing the importance of allowing “God to change the people’s hearts."
Even if you have good laws, if the people don’t respect [them], it’s not helping too much," Alex said. “When they change their heart, there’s going to be a totally different change and they’re going to see the whole America. And that’s what I’m praying for.”
Alex believes that “God still has to work with President [Donald] Trump," adding that he believes Satan wants Trump dead.
“That’s why [God] saved him a couple of times, even a couple of weeks ago,” Alex said.
“The devil [wants] him dead, [but] God [protects] him and he still [has] work to do with this country,” Alex said.
‘We need to come back to Christ’
Ekemini, an Atlanta resident originally from Nigeria, encouraged Americans to travel abroad so they can better appreciate the freedoms they enjoy in the U.S. She described the Trump administration’s celebration of Jesus Christ as “everything.”
“You’ll know that God is faithful to America, so we need to appreciate America and pray for her,” she said.
“Coming here is a freedom that God has given to us and we cannot take it for granted,” Ekemini added. “We can worship God freely.”
“I pray I can take this back to my country too,” she declared, referring to the spiritual revival she said was unfolding at Rededicate 250. “I would like to also be a change in Nigeria by His grace.”
“We need to come back to Christ. Jesus is our Lord, and as we humble ourselves before Him, He will heal the land,” she concluded.
Shelley Benn traveled from Minneola, Florida, to Rededicate 250 with her sister “to pray and to stand with the body of believers as the president of the United States rededicates this country to God.”
“As a body of believers, we need to come together and overlook our small differences and pray to God and submit to the Lord,” Benn said.
She also rejected the idea that the event constituted a government endorsement of religion.
“Our government actually was created with biblical principles and you’ll find that in many of our founding documents,” she said.
Benn carried a flag emblazoned with the words “Appeal to Heaven,” referring to a national prayer movement that seeks to “appeal to Heaven for our country.” The flag was also flown by some sailors and soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
‘God told me to be here’
David Harvey of Meridian, Idaho, who traveled to Washington for the first time to attend Rededicate 250, said that "God told me to be here."
“I believe that this nation was founded on the Christian faith,” Harvey said. “If you don’t have Jesus in your heart, then you can’t understand the mind of Christ and what’s really happening in the world.”
Joe Johnson of Asheville, North Carolina, visited Washington for the first time to attend Rededicate 250. He came to show support for Trump, who he says is "cleaning the world up."
“The world is being cleaned up,” Johnson asserted.
Johnson shared his personal experience with God’s grace with CP, saying he has been sober since 2004 and acknowledged that life remains a “constant struggle.”
“That’s what life is about. We are tested constantly by God,” he said.
Highlighting how both Jesus and Moses were tested by God, Johnson added that “there are no exceptions to that rule.”
He described Rededicate 250 as an opportunity “to turn this country around with the spiritual guidance of Christ.”
This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
