The tradition of opening government functions in prayer dates to the Republic’s beginning. A chaplain was first appointed in 1774 to open both the Senate and House in prayer.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower began his first full cabinet meeting on January 12, 1953, with a prayer.
On Wednesday, President Trump invited Scott Turner, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to open the first cabinet meeting of his second administration in prayer:
A former pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, Secretary Turner was also a nine-season player in the National Football League. Prior to joining the new administration, Turner worked with a firm committed to developing multi-family housing. He also served as a representative in the Texas State Legislature. (visit his X page)
Here is the text of Secretary Turner’s prayer:
Father, we thank you for this awesome privilege, to be in your presence. We thank you you’ve allowed us to see this day. The Bible says your mercies are new every morning, and Father God we give you the glory and honor. Thank you, God, for President Trump, for appointing us, for anointing us to do this job.
Father, we pray you’ll give the president and the vice president wisdom as they lead. Father, I pray for all my colleagues around this table and in this room.
Lord God, we pray that we would lead with a righteous clarity. Father God, as we serve the people of this country in every prospecticve agency, every job that we have, we would humble ourselves before you, and we would lead in a manner that you’ve called us to lead and to serve.
The Bible says “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” But Father, we today honor you, and in your rightful place, Father, thank you for giving us this opportunity to restore faith in this country and be a blessing to the people of America.
And Lord God, today in our meeting, we pray that you would be glorified in our conversation.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
