Franklin Graham Opens Up About His Rebellious Past and the Prayer That Changed His Life

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Evangelist Franklin Graham recently reflected on his upbringing and faith journey, including his conversion to Christianity. 

In his appearance on an Oct. 15 episode of Fox News host Sean Hannity’s podcast, “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” Graham said he never attempted to be like his late father, Billy Graham, who is considered by many people to be the most influential Christian leader of the 20th century, The Christian Post reported.

“You watch children of famous parents, and they try to be their parents, and they’re not," he said. "And so, they’ve become a disappointment, and they feel like they have failed. I decided right on at the very beginning I was going to find out what God had for me to do and I was going to do it. And if that embarrassed people, I’m sorry, but I’m not Billy Graham."

Graham determined that charting his course, separate from his famous father, involved Samaritan's Purse.

"It was, so Samaritan's Purse," he said. "We work in war areas and famine and storms."

He added that he decided, "We're going to do that the best that we possibly can."

Graham, in addition to Samaritan’s Purse, also heads up Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).  

In his discussion with the Fox News host, Graham revealed that his behavior wasn't always the best while growing up. He had a rebellious streak in his youth, which included being expelled from two schools and wanting to live life “in the driver’s seat” instead of “God running my life,” before recognizing his life was empty without God.

“I just got on my knees one night and I said, ‘God, I’ve sinned against you, and I’m sorry. I’ve made a mess of my life. If you can just take the broken pieces of my life and somehow put it together, you can have it. I surrender.’”

Graham mentioned a prayer that was a big turning point in his life. 

“When I prayed that prayer, Sean, I meant it. And the next morning I woke up, I mean, I didn’t feel any different, but I remember that prayer I prayed the night before,” said Graham. “And I thought, ‘OK, I’ll try to see how it goes today,’ and I’ve been doing that ever since.”

Graham is currently focusing on Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian aid organization he has been leading since 1978, amid relief efforts in Pensacola, Florida, and southern Alabama following Hurricane Isaias. Additionally, he spends about 10 percent of his time preaching, including a recent event in Manchester, England, and upcoming events in Hanoi, Vietnam; Caracas, Venezuela; and Santiago, Chile, as part of his “God Loves You” tour.

“I feel that God has called me to preach, but I can’t be Billy Graham. So I don’t try to copy his format. We just do it a little bit differently and do it where I feel comfortable,” he said. “But it’s the same message. I want people to know that God loves them, that God cares for them. Jesus Christ is God's Son, and He came to this Earth to take our sins. He didn't come to condemn us. He came to save us."

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla/Staff

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.