{"id":27610,"date":"2025-05-27T12:19:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T16:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=27610"},"modified":"2025-05-27T12:19:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T16:19:34","slug":"pete-hegseths-king-jesus-prayer-sparks-criticism-praise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2025\/05\/pete-hegseths-king-jesus-prayer-sparks-criticism-praise","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth\u2019s ‘King Jesus’ Prayer Sparks Criticism, Praise"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gage Skidmore \/ commons.wikimedia.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a prayer at a voluntary Pentagon event and called on \u201cKing Jesus.\u201d He opened the prayer saying he had been called to his current position. \u201cThis is precisely where I need to be, and I think exactly where we need to be as a nation, at this moment, in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ,\u201d he said. \u201cKnowing that there\u2019s an author in heaven overseeing all of this, who\u2019s underwritten all of it, for us, on the cross, gives me the strength to proceed.\u201d He then opened his prayer, saying, \u201cKing Jesus, we come humbly before you, seeking your face, seeking your grace, in humble obedience to your law and to your word. We come as sinners saved only by that grace, seeking your providence in our lives and in our nation,\u201d he said. \u201cLord God, we ask for the wisdom to see what is right and in each and every day, in each and every circumstance, the courage to do what is right in obedience to your will. It is in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that we pray. And all God\u2019s people say amen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event was listed as \u201cSecretary of Defense Christian Prayer & Worship Service\u201d with Hegseth\u2019s pastor, Brooks Potteiger, as the main speaker during the 30-minute event. Hegseth is reported to have plans to make it a monthly event. The New York Times<\/em><\/a> seemed critical of the event, noting it had reached out to Pentagon press secretary, Sean Parnell, as to whether non-Protestant pastors, imams, or Rabbis would be included in the prayer event, without a response. It called the event \u201can increasing infusion of overt Christian evangelization in official government events during Mr. Trump\u2019s second term.\u201d CNN <\/em>also reported that an anonymous Pentagon lawyer called the event \u201cproblematic\u201d for being broadcast. \u201cHaving a broadcast event is obviously an endorsement even if they don\u2019t officially say, \u2018This is a Pentagon event,’\u201d said the lawyer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hegseth snapped back at The New York Times<\/em> on X, sharing the article. \u201cIt\u2019s called: \u2018In God We Trust,\u2019\u201d he wrote<\/a>. \u201cSince our founding, America\u2019s leaders \u2014 and warriors \u2014 have sought God\u2019s providence and protection. We seek to glorify Him as we serve our country. At the Pentagon, we will humbly continue this sacred tradition \u2014 each and every month.\u201d He also appeared to poke fun at NYT for reprinting the entire prayer in a separate post<\/a>. First Liberty spokesperson John Manning defending the prayer, saying, \u201cSecretary Hegseth\u2019s exercise of his religious faith is protected just like it was for the Navy SEALs we represented against the prior administration when it tried to kick them out for their faith objection to COVID-19 requirements,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cWe commend Secretary Hegseth for standing up for the Constitution and against censorship.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a prayer at a voluntary Pentagon event and called on \u201cKing Jesus.\u201d He opened the prayer saying he had been called to his current position. \u201cThis is precisely where I need to be, and I think exactly where we need to be as a nation, at this moment, in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":27613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nPete Hegseth\u2019s 'King Jesus' Prayer Sparks Criticism, Praise<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth leads prayer to "King Jesus" at event, sparking praise from Christians and pushback from secular critics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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