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Pastor Jack Hibbs Faces Congressional Backlash After Praying in Jesus' Name at House of Representatives
Pastor Jack Hibbs accepted an invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson to pray and open the 118th Congress, but what happened next sparked national controversy. After being given instructions to deliver a gender-neutral prayer that avoided mentioning Jesus, Hibbs made a decision that would lead to condemnation from 26 members of Congress. Drawing from historic prayers dating back to 1774 and Abraham Lincoln, he delivered what some are calling "the prayer heard around the world." The biblically-based prayer mentioned sin, judgment, and explicitly invoked Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, violating every restriction placed on him. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was among the first to condemn him, while other members of Congress privately thanked him for being the first to pray a genuine Christian prayer in years.
Pastor Jack Hibbs received what many would consider a tremendous honor: House Speaker Mike Johnson invited him to pray and open the 118th Congress on January 30th. This wasn't Hibbs' first time praying before Congress—he had done so back in 2013. But this time would be different.
Before delivering the prayer, Hibbs was given strict guidelines. The prayer had to be 150 words or less, gender-neutral, and could mention "God" but not define who God is. Most importantly, he was instructed to avoid using the name of Jesus because that would be considered too divisive.
Hibbs had prepared what he calls a "milk toast, pre-approved prayer" that followed all the rules. But standing at the podium, something changed. "I realized, what am I doing here? I'm going to go into this house that has very much forsaken God, and if I get arrested, shot, die, whatever, I've got to stand for the truth," Hibbs explained.
The Historic Prayer
Instead of delivering the sanitized version, Hibbs looked to history for inspiration. He drew from prayers offered by previous chaplains and leaders dating as far back as 1774, incorporating elements from Abraham Lincoln and other historic figures. The result was a prayer that was two-thirds based on great preachers and chaplains who had gone before him, combined with his own biblical convictions.
The prayer itself was straightforward and biblically grounded:
"I ask you today Father to bring to us a Great Awakening of righteousness and confidence in you who alone is mighty to save. Hear My Cry in this hour of great need that we might be humbly blessed before you in the repentance of our national sins. You almighty God are the source of all wisdom and there is no wisdom but that which comes from you. So please come upon those here who are the stewards over the business of our nation with your wisdom which comes from above and with your holy fear, knowing that your coming day of judgment draws near when all who have been and are now in Authority will answer to you the great judge of heaven and of Earth for the decisions that they make here in this place. I offer this prayer to you father in the name of Jesus Christ our son, your son and our crucified Savior and resurrected Lord. In Jesus name, amen."
The Immediate Backlash
The response was swift and polarized. Twenty-six members of Congress, including Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, condemned Hibbs for the prayer. According to Hibbs, the specific violations included:
Saying "Father" instead of a gender-neutral term
Mentioning "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," which was considered evangelism
Implying that America is in a state of sin and needs forgiveness
Suggesting that the United States was founded upon Judeo-Christian values
The condemning congressmen and women sent a statement to Speaker Mike Johnson claiming that the assertion of America's Judeo-Christian founding was "systematically false." Hibbs found this particularly troubling. "All you've got to do is read the state constitutions. Look at all of what was going on in the 13 colonies, but even before that, read the first paragraph of the Mayflower Compact," he responded.
Ilhan Omar was among the first to object, with Hibbs noting the irony: "It's funny that goes against her religion. We're in America, we have religious freedom, but I can't pray a prayer that is in line with the Bible. I'm sure that if I was in line with Allah and the Quran, she would have had great joy out of it."
Private Support Versus Public Condemnation
Despite the public backlash, Hibbs received a very different response from many members of Congress privately. "Congressmen and women came up to me after I prayed, gave me a hug, and they said, 'You know what, we haven't heard a Christian prayer here in years. Thank you,'" Hibbs shared.
The prayer also resonated far beyond the halls of Congress. The audio from C-SPAN was shared widely, though Hibbs notes some have unfortunately edited it. Responses came from as far away as Germany and London, with people thanking him for praying a biblically based prayer. One person told Hibbs that "this just might turn out to be the prayer that was heard around the world."
The story even became trending news on Fox Digital, demonstrating the prayer's cultural impact weeks after it was delivered.
The Sacred Space and Its Forgotten Meaning
Hibbs described the profound symbolism of the location where he stood to deliver the prayer. Before approaching the podium, he was told that only three people stand at that specific location: the President, the Speaker of the House, and the Chaplain. "This is hallowed ground," they told him.
The visual reminders of America's religious heritage were impossible to ignore. Above his head on the wall were the words "In God We Trust." Even more striking, when standing at the podium looking straight ahead up the aisle, there is a full face depiction of Moses—the only lawgiver throughout human history shown in full face rather than in profile. All the other historical figures are shown from the side.
"I wasn't about to give some milk toast, Godless prayer with Moses looking right at my face. No way," Hibbs said.
Where Did These Rules Come From?
Hibbs clarified that the restrictive prayer guidelines did not come from Speaker Mike Johnson. Instead, they originated from the chaplain's office, which has been following rules imposed decades ago. "To all credit and honor to the chaplain and to the chaplaincy office, they are obeying rules that have been imposed upon them many, many decades ago," Hibbs explained.
The chaplain's office simply regurgitates what they've been told regarding the limits and rules for religious affairs. Hibbs and others are now trying to trace the origin of these restrictions to understand who implemented them and when.
The Broader Implications
For Hibbs, the controversy reveals something deeply troubling about the state of the nation. "We've got elected leaders who don't even know the basics of our founding as a nation. It certainly is indicative of how much peril we really are in," he observed.
He sees America as having systematically removed God from public life: "We've forgotten God. We've kicked them out of court, we've kicked them out of school, we've kicked them out of government."
Both the chaplain's office and Speaker Mike Johnson have faced significant pressure because of the prayer. In response, Hibbs is launching a letter-writing campaign to encourage and support both the chaplain and Johnson, as letters of gratitude and offers of help continue to pour in from across the country.
A Stand for Truth
Hibbs remains unapologetic about his decision to pray according to his biblical convictions rather than following the prescribed guidelines. "I presented accurate biblical theological truth, and it didn't go over well," he acknowledged.
The pastor views his choice as a matter of integrity in the face of significant pressure to compromise. The prayer has become a symbol for many Americans who feel that genuine religious expression has been marginalized in public life, while also highlighting the ongoing tension between religious freedom and secular governance in American institutions.
As the controversy continues to generate attention weeks later, Hibbs maintains that the response—both positive and negative—proves his point about how far America has drifted from its founding principles. Whether one agrees with his theology or not, few can dispute that his prayer sparked a national conversation about faith, freedom, and the role of religion in American public life.
