This week, President Donald Trump unveiled America Prays, a White House initiative challenging Americans to dedicate one hour a week in prayer for the nation and its people.
Rooted in the Declaration of Independence’s truth that our rights come from God, not government, the call feels less like politics and more like a reminder of what has always bound us together. From the darkest days after 9/11 to the quiet strength of local churches, Americans have instinctively turned to prayer in moments of chaos. America Prays seeks to recover that same unity of spirit and remind us that liberty endures best when anchored in communities of shared virtues and mutual respect.
Government initiatives should rightfully make you wary of overreach; they do for me. This one is designed to rededicate the United States to the principle of one nation under God, from the Declaration itself, affirming our rights and that government does not grant them; it exists to protect them.
This is more than a ceremonial call to prayer. It taps into what I see as a deep national hunger for community and a longing to find shared values when cultural chaos seems to be dominating headlines. The simple act of uniting in prayer for others offers a reminder that Americans can still come together around timeless truths, regardless of their various religion beliefs.
From its founding, America has relied on faith communities to be pillars of civil society, providing not only spiritual guidance and basic values, but also education, charity, and social connection. In 1787, Ben Franklin wrote that religion is key to sustaining the principles of liberty, saying “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
In an October, 1789 letter, John Adams penned a similar sentiment: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
In that spirit, America Prays seeks to restore that sense of belonging and reaffirm the foundational belief that freedom flourishes best when rooted in shared virtue; “Shared” being key. Certainly, religious beliefs can be weaponized, raining violence and destruction as we saw in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and, of course, in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States 24 years ago today. When religion bonds a community out of mutual respect for life and liberty, the outcome can be very different.
In my lifetime I’ve seen no greater example of that bond and shared values that in the horror of Sept. 11. Our nation experienced one of its darkest hours as more than 3,000 lives were lost to terrorism. But amid the smoke and rubble, Americans turned instinctively to prayer. Houses of worship were filled. Public officials, firefighters, and police bowed their heads before the wreckage. Families prayed for the safe return of loved ones; strangers prayed for each other.
We remembered, in that moment, that our faith and freedom are inextricably and forever linked.
As a new mother on the morning of 9/11, I carried my kids, then a toddler and an infant, to daycare before a long commute into my job at Reuters in Washington, DC, just blocks from the White House and the Capitol. The chaos of the hours and days that followed were surreal, but it was amazing to see government workers, lobbyists, reporters, and police hugging and praying in the streets.
The next morning, I was reunited with my children and husband, and we talked for hours about who in our community was missing, who was hurt, and whose families had been touched by the attacks. As young parents, we committed to building what matters most: a community where our children could thrive, grounded in faith, and surrounded by opportunities that come from hard work, personal responsibility, and all that is made possible by our Declaration of Independence.
But the attacks are not over. Those who sought to divide us on that day 24 years ago, still do. America’s enemies continue to plan violence and widespread discord, infiltrating our institutions and funding aggressive public protests and media campaigns. Recognizing their long game, their drumbeat of disruption, is the first step toward finding our unified voice and prayerfully looking toward the future.
However, that does not mean we should look to government to dictate when or how prayer takes place.
While America Prays is encouraging leaders to defend religious liberty in schools and public life, these freedoms must be protected without expanding federal authority. The White House is issuing new guidance from the federal US Department of Education protecting the right to prayer in public schools. It’s within the proper role of the federal government to protect natural rights, like religious liberty, but we should be cautious that this protection from Washington doesn’t become promotion of any particular religion. So, while encouraging, the policies should be closely watched for signs of overly centralized authority.
Still, the lessons are there; 9/11 taught us that Americans are strongest when individuals, families, and communities act freely, guided by conscience and conviction.
Harnessing civil society to galvanize our fundamental freedoms and values, without blurring religious and governmental authority, could truly lead us to a cultural renewal. As we honor the memory of those lost on Sept. 11 and look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, we must remember that religious liberty is foundational to our nation.