How do we ignite revival for America’s 250th birthday?

Every generation needs revival — to rediscover what is good and right and true.

That discovery comes to each generation through witnessing the extraordinary power of the spiritual disciplines of prayer and daily Bible reading. May this generation hear the call! As someone who served in Congress for decades and is now serving on the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation Board, I have lived the power of prayer.

I remember the night before a pivotal vote on legislation to protect our nation from foreign threats like TikTok’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party. After months of deadlock, a group of us gathered in prayer, seeking truth, discernment, and unity. The next day, the bill passed committee unanimously, 50 to 0 — an extraordinary result and nothing short of a miracle. This unanimous vote was birthed in humble dependence on God.

Throughout my years in leadership, the sustaining prayers of friends, constituents, and supporters carried me through long nights, tough decisions, and family joys. Although I hadn't always prioritized prayer, once I did, those prayers multiplied my time, sparked creative ideas, and opened doors to breakthroughs never thought or imagined, from energy policy to protecting our children, empowering those with disabilities, and fighting for veterans. Prayer wasn’t just something personal to me — it was the source of wisdom, humility, and shared purpose that made our work truly effective.

Now, as our nation approaches its 250th birthday in 2026, I hear that same call — not from the halls of Congress, but from the heart of God— to seek Him again. At a time when we are deeply divided, perhaps we could find a renewed unity in prayer. We have seen Republicans and Democrats in Congress, deeply divided political enemies, unite in prayer in response to calamities and great loss. At the founding of our nation, when they couldn’t agree on the Constitution, it was Benjamin Franklin who stood and proposed prayer!

Let us once again turn our hearts toward prayer and His Word. What better way to celebrate America’s semi-quincentennial than by rebuilding a foundation of spiritual renewal, unity, transformation, and revival? I invite you to join me in committing to daily Bible reading and prayer throughout the new year — a year-long journey to deepen our dependence on the Almighty.

Our founders understood this well. George Washington, in his first inaugural address, proclaimed that “no people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States.” He knew that Providence — sought through prayer — had guided our improbable victory in the Revolution. That same hand beckons us to humble ourselves once more. 

Last fall, President Trump launched the “America Prays” initiative from the White House, calling on Americans to dedicate one hour each week to prayer for our country’s strength, peace, and prosperity as we prepare to mark 250 years of freedom. This isn’t merely symbolic — it’s a timely call to rededicate our hearts to the God who established and sustained this nation from its birth.

History bears powerful witness to what happens when a people unite in fervent prayer. Consider the Fulton Street Revival of 1857, sparked by a single lunchtime prayer meeting in a New York office building. Amid financial panic and spiritual apathy, businessman Jeremiah Lanphier called for voluntary prayer, and what began with six attendees swelled to 10,000 weekly across the city, igniting a nationwide awakening that saw over a million souls converted and churches revitalized. Or the First Great Awakening in the 1730s and 1740s, when preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield, fueled by extraordinary intercession, saw God pour out conviction and conversion across the colonies, laying the moral groundwork for our independence. Even in the 20th century, the East African Revival of the 1930s — born from humble prayer groups among missionaries and locals — resulted in a 50-year harvest of faith, church planting, and societal transformation. 

These are not anomalies; they are patterns. As revival chronicler A.T. Pierson wrote, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” One of the mistakes we make in reading history, whether Biblical or history in general, is thinking that those who lived before us were different from us. They weren’t. They had the same fears and the same perceived limitations. If God did it for them, He can do it for us. 

Revival isn’t an outdated idea—it’s a word that still speaks to our deepest need. It means healing in relationships, renewal in communities, reduced despair, more service, and restored trust among neighbors. It’s what happens when hearts turn fully toward God—when prayer replaces pride, and love overcomes division. Revival is when faith moves from Sunday pews into everyday lives, bringing peace where there was chaos and purpose where there was emptiness.

And we need that revival now more than ever. America faces a spiritual crisis as profound as any in our history. Our divisions run deep. Loneliness, anxiety, and despair are rising. Families are fractured, truth feels negotiable, and faith in our institutions is fading. We have gained technology but lost trust. We are more connected than ever, but more isolated than before. We need hope and we need healing in our families and across our land. What might God do if we humble ourselves and pray? 

Without a spiritual awakening, we risk becoming a nation of cynicism rather than courage, grievance rather than grace. But if we return to prayer — if we seek God together — He can heal what politics cannot. He can restore broken marriages, renew civic virtue, and awaken hope in weary hearts. Revival is not a distant dream. It is the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face… then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

This call is personal and local — and national. Pray for your neighbors’ flourishing and your city’s well-being. Extend those prayers to your states, asking that leadership there would be marked by justice, courage, and compassion. And lift up our nation as a whole — that we would be one people under God. Parents, gather your children around the table or bedside to pray together. Pastors, open your sanctuaries for an hour each week and make them wells of intercession. Students, unite before class or after practice to read Scripture and pray for your schools. Leaders, seek wisdom and humility to govern with integrity and grace. 

Across America, God is stirring hearts toward a renewed commitment to daily Scripture and prayer — a movement rising in homes, churches, and communities everywhere. Through the Cathy McMorris Rodgers Leadership Institute, we’re honored to help connect people to these efforts and provide practical resources for those who want to take part or start something in their own communities. You can find tools and encouragement at cmrli.org—accessible for individuals, parents, retirees, and students alike.

America’s story has always been one of improbable triumphs — from Valley Forge to the moon landing — each under God’s watchful hand. As we prepare to celebrate 250 years of resilience and to arise and build for the next 250 years, let prayer be our greatest conviction. Let us unite — in our homes, churches, and communities. Let us read. Let us pray. And let us watch God move. The revival we long for begins on our knees — today.