The National Prayer March led by Evangelical Rev. Franklin Graham drew crowds to downtown Washington, D.C. on Saturday estimated to be thousands large.
The prayer event was focused on healing the country amid a pandemic, civil strife and division, not to support any specific party or political issue, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which put together the march, said.
However, politics were a prominent feature.
“Father, our country is in trouble. We need your help,” Graham said. “We pray today specifically for the President Donald J. Trump.”
Vice President Mike Pence was among multiple speakers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial who discussed the presidency and Supreme Court.
Pence urged the crowd to pray for the armed forces, the executive branch, Congress and "the remarkable woman that the president will nominate to fill the seat on the Supreme Court today."
"Today, at this Washington prayer march, you continue a great tradition," Pence said. "Since the founding of our nation, the American people and our leaders have gone to prayer in challenging times."
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After the rally, demonstrators walked to eight sites around the National Mall. At each, they were asked to pray on a specific focus, including police officers, government leaders, ending abortion and more.
“These people have come from all over America at their own expense. They’re coming to pray for the country,” former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said while hosting the event livestream. “They’re here to solve the trouble our land is in.”
Organizers say up to 50,000 people attended, making it one of the largest gatherings D.C. has seen since the coronavirus pandemic shut down normal activities in March.
Few masks were seen among the speakers on stage or participants in the crowd, although organizers encouraged everyone to follow coronavirus safety protocols on the event’s website.
