As the nation once again confronts the solemn memory of September 11th, a quarter-century after the horrific attacks that forever altered America’s landscape, Rev. Franklin Graham is issuing a clarion call. The president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan’s Purse urges Americans to remember the profound turn toward faith that followed 9/11 and to urgently "turn back" to God in these challenging times.
"September 11 is a day I’ll never forget," Graham told Fox News Digital, reflecting on the sheer scale of suffering he witnessed firsthand. "It’s impossible to describe the tremendous amount of pain that I witnessed at Ground Zero in the aftermath. There were so many who were in shock and grieving. It is still hard to fathom the depths of evil that caused so much destruction."
Indeed, 9/11 stripped away veneers of invulnerability, forcing a nation to its knees. In the wake of unspeakable tragedy, a striking spiritual awakening swept the country. Churches swelled with congregants, and public spaces became impromptu prayer gatherings – a testament to America’s deep-seated spiritual roots, often overlooked in times of ease. Graham’s prayer for the nation today is a return to that earnest reliance on faith.
"As we observe the 25th anniversary of this day when our world changed forever, my prayer is that America will recognize our need for God like we did after 9/11," Graham reiterated. The sentiment echoes his legendary father, the late evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, who delivered a powerful address from Washington National Cathedral during a national day of prayer and remembrance post-attacks.
"We’ve always needed God from the very beginning of this nation. But today we need Him especially," Billy Graham proclaimed at the time. "We’re involved in a new kind of warfare. And we need the help of the Spirit of God."
Franklin Graham powerfully affirms that urgent plea today: "Just as America needed the help of God then, we still need His help today."
These crucial themes are brought to life in BGEA’s new 30-minute program, "A Day That Changed Our Lives Forever," hosted by Graham. The special features powerful testimonies from survivors who vividly recount the terror, the devastation, and the profound faith and hope that miraculously emerged from the ashes.
Among the most compelling accounts is that of Genelle Guzman-McMillan, the last person pulled alive from the World Trade Center rubble. Buried for an agonizing 27 hours beneath the ruins, unable to move and facing certain death, Guzman-McMillan found herself crying out to God for forgiveness and a desperate second chance, remembering her late mother.
At a point of utter despair, she recalled a pivotal moment. "God, are you listening to me? Please show me a sign," she pleaded. What happened next remains an inexplicable miracle. "And then someone grabbed me by my hand," Guzman-McMillan describes in the special. "He told me his name is Paul."
Paul held her hand, offering comfort and unwavering assurance. "You’re gonna be fine. Help is on the way. I’m not gonna let you go," she remembers him saying. As rescuers’ radios became audible, Paul encouraged her to keep calling out until a rescuer’s voice declared, "I see her."
"I just knew I was going to go home," Guzman-McMillan recounted, still marveling at her survival. "I am the last survivor, buried for 27 hours. I myself couldn’t believe that I survived it." For her, Paul was undeniably "an angel looking out for me." She firmly states, "I wasn’t hallucinating, I wasn’t dreaming. I knew the conversation that I had. Something happened under that rubble. I found Jesus that day."
The special also features the harrowing journey of Sujo John, a father-to-be who worked on the 81st floor of the North Tower while his pregnant wife was on the 71st floor of the South Tower. After his own escape, he endured agonizing hours believing his wife had perished. Then, a miracle: his cellphone rang.
"I picked up that call thinking this is going to be the worst news of my life," he remembered. It was his wife, who, by a few precious minutes, had been late for work that fateful morning. "She thought I was dead," John said. The couple arranged a meeting place and ran toward each other, both miraculously surviving the unimaginable horror.
Franklin Graham himself arrived in New York after the attacks, witnessing the heartbreaking scenes of people desperately holding photographs of missing loved ones. His response was immediate and profound: he began calling pastors, urging them to come to New York to offer comfort and prayer to grieving families. This direct, compassionate action ultimately led to the formation of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, an international network of crisis-trained chaplains who continue to minister to those facing emotional and spiritual needs after tragedies.
The powerful special, "A Day That Changed Our Lives Forever," is airing on Fox News Channel. Twenty-five years after the day that shook the world, Graham’s message resonates with timeless truth and urgent purpose for a nation adrift. "My prayer for our nation is that we will turn back to the God of Heaven who has brought us to this day and sustained us every step of the way." It is a profound call for America to reclaim the spiritual fortitude that has always been the bedrock of its greatness, a return to the foundational faith that truly makes us America First.
