A group of evangelical leaders prayed over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, with Vice President Mike Pence in attendance as well.
Following a meeting hosted by the Office of Public Liaison on Monday, the evangelical leaders met with President Trump and administration officials in the Oval Office.
Johnnie Moore, the president of the KAIROS Company who was present at the prayer meeting, snapped a photo of the laying of hands on Trump that is garnering immense attention on social media.
In a statement emailed to The Christian Post, Moore described the event as "a very special moment but it was also not an unusual one."
"Various ones of us have prayed with him many times and have been praying for him for a long time ... We believe we are a praying nation, and we begin by praying for our leaders," stated Moore.
"As you know, most evangelicals believe it's a sacred responsibility to pray for the president, and this is very much in our tradition as Americans who once took — and sometimes still do take — this responsibility seriously."
Moore also noted that while he and the other evangelical leaders had prayed for former President Barack Obama, "it's different with President Trump."
"When we are praying for President Trump we are praying within the context of a real relationship, of true friendship," continued Moore, calling it "a visit among friends."
"Evangelicals feel the door to the White House is as open as it has ever been before, even compared to Reagan according to several that were there whose career began back then."
When he first declared his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2015, Trump's relationship with evangelicals was a tenuous one.
Many prominent evangelical leaders endorsed other Republican candidates, especially U.S. Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas.
However, after securing the Republican nomination and since taking office, Trump's support among evangelicals has grown and remains steady despite his controversies.
Moore is not the only evangelical leader to see the Trump administration as offering unprecedented welcome for evangelicals.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, told CP in an interview in May that there has "been no American president in history who has reached out to evangelicals to the extent that President Trump has done."
"People would be surprised at how many believers there are in the Trump Administration. Very dedicated Christians," said Jeffress.
