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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will read from 2 Chronicles 7 during a nationwide Bible-reading event this week, a passage organizers say was deliberately reserved for the president because of its decades-long role as a call to prayer in America.
Trump is set to read 2 Chronicles 7:11–22 from the Oval Office as part of “America Reads the Bible,” a weeklong event marking 250 years of the Bible in America and featuring nearly 500 participants reading Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.
Organizers said Trump’s section was not assigned at random.
The event’s online schedule shows the 2 Chronicles 7:11–22 reading was reserved as a “special guest” slot during a prime evening hour on Tuesday, alongside figures like former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and members of Congress.
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In this photo shared with Digital, Bunni Pounds speaks at the lectern during the National Religious Broadcasters conference in Feb. 2026. (Courtesy of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB))
“We needed somebody special to read Second Chronicles chapter seven,” Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christians Engaged, told Digital.
“As my director and I were praying over different sections of scripture, it came to us that this is such a critical passage for the body of Christ,” she said.
Pounds said the passage, particularly verse 14, has been central to American prayer life for decades, often invoked during times of national reflection.
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US President Donald Trump bows his head in prayer during the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton in February 5, 2026. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
“It comes at a time where the Israelites were experiencing hardship and God spoke and said, ‘If my people that are called by my name would humble themselves and pray,’” Pounds said. “We’ve prayed this scripture for at least the last 50 years of American history on National Day of Prayer and other moments in this country.”
Verse 14 reads, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
“And so we instantly said — who needs to read that? The President of the United States,” she added. “We set it aside for him and have been praying for that for the last year.”
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Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion with Latino community leaders at Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida, on October 22, 2024. (Chandan Khanna/AFP)
Pounds said Trump’s participation sends a broader message about faith in American life.
“I think he’s sending a message that faith matters in this country, and that it’s important not only personally, but for our nation overall,” she said.
She added that the selected Scripture speaks to the country’s current moment.
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President Trump is set to speak at the Museum on the Bible on Monday to support religious liberty in education, according to a White House spokesperson. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We’re making a statement during this week as America reads the Bible, that there is so much in the Bible that we can gain wisdom and discernment from, there is so much that can heal our families, that can rescue us from depression and anxiety and can heal our inner cities and heal our land… I believe the president’s saying that by reading this scripture specifically,” Pounds said.
The White House echoed that theme in a presidential message commemorating the event, calling the Bible “indelibly woven into our national identity” and urging Americans to “rediscover” its role in shaping the nation.
The event, held in partnership with the Museum of the Bible, will run from April 19 through April 25, and include nearly 500 Americans participating in a public reading of the entire Bible.
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Hands folded in prayer on a Holy Bible in church concept for faith, spirituality and religion, woman praying on holy bible in the morning. woman hand with Bible praying. (iStock)
According to Pounds, all participants will read from the King James Version Easy Read edition, which was licensed for the event’s livestream and a later audiobook version from the week’s readings.
The event will feature a wide range of participants, including actress Patricia Heaton, Candace Cameron Bure, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and House Speaker Mike Johnson, each reading portions of Genesis during the opening hours.
Readers range from elected officials and pastors to single parents and small business owners, reflecting what Pounds described as a nationwide cross-section of Americans.
Worship music will accompany each hour of the readings, with different ministries and organizations partnering throughout the event.
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Pounds said viewers watching Trump’s reading from the Oval Office will notice the weight of the moment.
“They’re going to see how passionate he is about it, how deliberate he was,” she said. “It really struck me to see the leader of the free world reading scripture from the Oval Office.”
“There’s a humility on him… and I don’t believe that he would have read it if he didn’t believe it,” she added.
The White House did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
“America Reads the Bible” begins 9 a.m. ET Sunday.
