A Call for Help | Billy Graham TV Special
As followers of Christ, we’re called to share the Gospel with a broken and hopeless world. But when a crisis pushes people further into anxiety, fear, and isolation, the challenge of reaching those in need increases. See how God uses a fledgling team to answer the desperate calls for help with a much-needed message of hope and hear powerful testimonies of lives changed for eternity. Do you want to talk or pray with someone? We have members of our team available 24/7 who would be glad to pray with you. You can call the Billy Graham Prayer Line at 855-255-PRAY.
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I didn’t really have answers I didn’t
really have no one to go to I’m kind of
getting a little bit
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emotional we live in a more isolated
Society than ever before they don’t know
where to go and what to do
you have no idea how to get out of
it when people get desperate they do
desperate
things and they seeking
help we knew people needed hope but what
do we do
now sometimes you just can’t map it all
out if you try to sit back and figure it
all out you’ll never get it figured out
enough you just have to start
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helping heighten states of emergency
Across the Nation as Corona virus virus
emergency in the US the number of cases
soaring official taking Extreme Measures
to keep
thetion some hospitals bracing for a
surge beds are filling with patients as
the I think in
2020 we didn’t fully understand Co we
are heading in the wrong
direction America the
anxious it was like a tidal wave coming
and nobody saw it coming the like
shutting downen danger of coron with a
mounting sense of anxiety and depression
the daily death pole is also headed in
the Direction there is this overwhelming
sense of danger and a helplessness I was
so scared they feared for their lives
some people were very desperate they
were on lockdown they literally had no
one to talk
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to I was in Savannah I had a friend call
me and he said Franklin have you thought
about putting the gospel on TV and doing
it in 60 seconds just a quick how they
can be saved how they can have their
sins forgiven and pray a prayer with
them I thought absolutely we need to do
that I just thought there’s an urgency
we need to do this and do it now people
were
dying I this was
serious we didn’t plan on this we didn’t
foresee this we weren’t ready for it but
I think if you try to sit back and and
figure it all out out you’ll never get
it figured out
enough you just have to get
started we took a room there in the
hotel and we filmed the First Gospel
spot let’s just try it see what it looks
like I’m Franklin Graham maybe your
heart has been gripped by fear as
Franklin’s desire was that the bgaa
could provide a 247 prayer line for
anyone at any time to call we did have a
call center but was not manned 24/7 we
had the gear up to equip an army of
phone workers we have these 60-second
gospel spots that we know are starting
within the week so we immediately begin
recruiting it takes a team of people you
need somebody
24/7 we need to be prepared to be remote
we’ve not ever built a remote call
center across every time zone that we
can and so I think the question we had
was is this something that is actually
feasible we were doing something we
didn’t know how to do
it we just did it and then figured it
out as we went down the road and I think
that’s kind
of if that’s my weakness I don’t know
maybe it’s a
strength we just started doing
it New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio
closing all New York today teachers
begin classes completely online school
administrators are Monday March 23rd is
the day I’ll never forget that was the
day that Franklin Graham’s gospel spots
were first aired it was all coming down
to this would we be ready get yours
today hello I’m Franklin Graham maybe
your heart has been gripped by fear as
millions of others have because of the
Corona virus
pandemic but I want you to know that God
loves you he made you he created you he
knows everything about your life you
don’t need to be afraid Jesus said I’ll
never leave you nor forsake you if youve
never invited Jesus Christ into your
heart if you’ve never trusted him as
your savior you can pray right now to do
that just simply say this prayer I
didn’t know what the results would
be I wasn’t expecting the Earth to shake
I wasn’t expecting the phone to ring off
the hook I just thought okay we put it
out there see what happens in Jesus name
if you pray that prayer call this number
that’s on the screen do it right now
we’ve got someone who will pray with you
talk with encourage you God
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bless hello thanks for calling to bigr
peine reach the peine how may I pray for
you we were blown out of the water with
the response I just remember the urgency
like as soon as you end the call it’s
just back to back to back I said wow in
1 minute he was able to share the go
and people are calling to protect him
from this virus our network of phone
workers are all across the country both
in the building and serving from their
home come into your courts with a heart
of just praise and thanksgiving
father you saying I gave my son to die
on the cross for you and all you have to
do is is accept that and believe that
and ask the Lord to forgive you and we
pray that you will receive this is the
62nd gospel spot Aid and our call volume
went up and then it stayed up and it
stayed like this for hours after because
people were trying to answer and people
were trying to get in touch with to talk
with
somebody you know the scripture tells us
we were getting 10,000 calls a day it
was nonstop calls was coming all day
long and that has been incredible it’s
just something God
did right and how can I pray for you
today they’re calling into you like
they’re looking for something and so
most people they’re open to talking to
you and to hearing from you do you have
any background with the church or it was
a time that people really need prayer
people were afraid I just especially
remember calls from people in nursing
homes it was just so helpless they felt
so miserable they couldn’t see their
family members they couldn’t leave the
rooms it was just yeah it was
heartbreaking
my father being a person that’s pretty
much in control of things trying to be
in control of things when K came around
he couldn’t visit he couldn’t have
visitors that just tore him
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apart before he died my parents moved
into a facility for retirees and he did
not like it when he was there I’m locked
in here with the co I can’t get out of
here I’m stuck here I think that was his
breaking point was during
Co he had a very complicated personality
that was one of my brother’s
descriptions when we were planning for
the funeral they said he had a
complicated personal and he did cuz he
had a hard
life during Co my father was watching
the news as he always did and and um the
62nd spot came on you may not know what
the future holds there’s so much
uncertainty in the world today but I do
know who holds that future and that’s
God he secured my future by sending his
son Jesus Christ from Heaven to this
earth to take my my mother was in the
other
room and she heard him make a phone call
if you prayed that prayer call that
number right now call it Jesus said I’ll
never leave you nor forsake you
my mother heard him on the phone and she
heard his side of the
conversation he had called in response
to the Franklin Graham commercial and
she heard him
say I’ve never had it explained to me
that way and he prayed the prayer for
forgiveness I was totally shocked when
and my mother told me that he made that
phone call he is not the type person
that would make a phone call like that
to somebody especially a
stranger I got a a text from my mother
this morning she know I was going to be
talking it
says he always believed in God and Jesus
but never sure he was saved he had to
earn it that’s what he thought he had to
earn it then after the phone call he he
understood it was a
gift from a loving
Savior and he then began a personal
relationship with
Jesus the holy spirit of God takes the
gospel and pierces the hearts of those
that he’s calling how does it work I
don’t know but it works we just have to
be faithful to deliver it as I’ve gotten
older it just really hits home with me
when I realized that this was something
so critical for my father’s
future the future that he’s living right
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now anger is on the rise and many are
asking
why according to a new poll 84% think
that people are angrier than the
previous generation
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as much as we want to always have nice
people call us nice people reaching out
and supporting us that doesn’t happen
with the prayer line some of the calls
was not easy but if you think it’s going
to be easy then uh maybe you shouldn’t
do
this anything you do in life if it’s
worthwhile is not going to be easy
okay are there going to be problems sure
there’ll be problems we’re really kind
of living in some uncharted
waters you never know what’s going to
come in on the other side and frankly
the world is coming to you I hate you
everything you stand Anything Can Happen
people just calling and just to yell at
you kind of like hate calls just strange
strange calls coming
in she
going going go
this caller had called in from
California he was yelling he was uh
screaming and he was using curse words
my first response was I want hang up
honestly he was bitter he was
ugly and he went on for a good two
minutes
I was taking notes as he was telling me
little things about his life like he
said I’ve got two sons at home
eventually I was able to respond to him
how can I pray for you today his
response was it won’t do any good
because I’m
agnostic I said by the way you said
you’ve got two sons I’ve got two sons do
you love your
sons well of course I love them I said
well you know God’s the same way he
loves you and he wants to spend time
with you but there’s a problem between
you and God is sin that separates you
from God and I went into how he could
have a relationship with Jesus there
with you first of all he he could have
ended the conversation he could have
hung
up but for some reason he listened then
it was like a light began to come on in
his mind and by the end of the convers
ation he said yeah you can pray for me
let’s pray
together these things have not
spoken there’s a lot about answering
these calls that are so amazing it’s so
rewarding
re I remember the very first call that I
received it was a lady who needed prayer
and it was about her being left by her
husband and Tears start falling down my
eyes because I said oh this is she’s
going through what I went
through I had a crisis in my life my
wife was unhappy with me and she left
me when I was going to work a UPS driver
noticed that something was different
about my
demeanor and he said Armando what’s
going on I said my finances is
collapsing my wife left me she’s unhappy
with me and he said Armando go home and
pray and ask God to come into your life
so I went home and I said God I know
that you’re real if you take me to a
point where I lose my wife so be it if
you take me to a point where I lose my
finances so be it but I just want you to
be in charge of my life and lo and
behold two weeks later it was my wife
with tears in her eyes and say I don’t
know what got into
me would you forgive me I said yes
because God has already forgiven me as
well I accepted him as my Lord and
Savior are you looking forward to seeing
your sister
again yeah now we’ve been married for 44
years you’re on vacation
too cuz I feel like the very first call
that I received I don’t know how I got
done with that call I know that conflict
very well because it happened to my
family I shared what I went through I
said my wife is still with me don’t ever
give up on God and I was hooked before
Jesus was I began to realize that
there’s something I can share with
people and make a difference in their
life but I’m telling you that God is
real Jesus is real you never know the
people that call our phone line and so
we just thank God for these men and
women who answer of these calls it makes
a
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difference
okay um so I’ve got video here of a
young man that you talked to a little
over a year ago okay just tell me that
story of how you came to know Christ
boy boy by boy boy it’s
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amazing I was just all over the place I
was chasing drugs money chasing
women I was just living a fast
life I hit this time where I was facing
a lot of
obstacles where I was feeling alone and
as much as I was going out there still
partying trying to pretend like
everything was okay everything was
really
not it might seem like you having a fun
you having a lot of enjoyment But when
reality hits there was no purpose in
it and I didn’t really have answers I
didn’t really have no one to go to I had
problems and there was no solution there
was no
hope we want to reach people wherever
they are so we we put the phone number
out there anywhere they see that number
hear that number they can pick up a
phone and call you never know how God is
going to use that to reach
someone one day I came across this
sermon of Billy Graham I think it was on
YouTube and the Word was made I think it
was random because I didn’t know who he
was when I saw it and I heard him
started speaking I knew that in that
moment that he was speaking what I
needed to hear all of us are sinners but
Jesus was tempted in every Point like as
we are he went through every Temptation
you’ve ever been through the way he
teaches is is firm and his words was
just overwhelming God can now for
forgive you of all your sins because
Jesus had finished God’s plan for your
salvation he said call this prayer line
if you want to talk if you’re going
through any type of situation you have
any questions about a relationship with
Jesus Christ I just call that number
that is on the screen there’ll be
someone there to talk with you pray with
you and answer those
questions I knew that I had to pick up
the phone
thank you for calling the Billy Grand
prayer line this is Terry how may I pray
for you
today when someone calls in and wants to
receive Christ that is so exciting I’m
I’m all ears just share with me what’s
on your heart I just want to make sure
that they understand the commitment that
they’re making I was telling her that I
want to give my life to God it was very
emotional I was just crying we talked
about the sin of his life you you know
but we also talked about more
importantly that Jesus Christ went to
the cross and took on the sins of the
world I knew that I needed the Lord
Jesus Christ and I made the decision
that I was going to give my life to him
I want to trust Jesus Christ I want to
trust Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior
she told me the things that I needed to
hear you know as a new believer and I
think that’s very important because is
you want to build your foundation on
something
strong it’s been a year now for me and a
year ago I would not be you know be
talking about God not be emotional about
God not feel the Joy about God not be
talking about Christ and I thank him all
the time how can you not thank someone
that did something like that for you and
it’s just really
amazing when you see that what uh
what goes through your
mind that’s that’s a great testimony I’m
glad he
called are you saying that I spoke to
him I spoke to
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him I’m just
thankful I’m thankful that he’s still
serving
God I’m thankful that the Lord chose me
to speak to him that day I’m just
thankful
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to end in
darkness my God’s the god of Second
Chances he won’t give up on you through
it all it’s been the most wonderful
Journey the Lord has changed my life in
so many ways that I can’t even really
explain through the ups and the down
even the moments when I didn’t choose
him
he still chose me he he’s just
amazing already why do we see war and
famine and all of these things well it’s
because of sin Jesus Christ came from
Heaven to this earth to take our sins
and he’ll forgive you and he’ll cleanse
you and change your life starting
today you prayed that prayer I want you
to call right now that number that’s on
the screen call that number
I
called I wanted this so badly cuz I
wanted
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Jesus these 6C spots I think are
critical especially for somebody body
who is who is
searching we’ve seen so many people give
their lives to Christ once you answer
the phone and you begin to see people
are coming to Christ you get addicted to
it that encourages me more to serve on
the playing
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line for the first time I understood
what Jesus had done for me and my life
has changed
forever I’m honored to pray with them
and just to celebrate the decision that
they made for Christ hallelujah amen
amen their eternity will be secured in
heaven what a gift this is the best gift
ever
up up no matter where you’ve
been well as you’ve been watching maybe
you’ve saying to yourself I wish I could
call the prayer line that’s exactly what
I need well you can call that prayer
line first of all I want you to know
that God loves you that’s right he made
you he created you he knows everything
about you but it’s sin your sins my sins
that separate us from God and the Bible
says because we’ve all sin and come
short of God’s glory and that the the
wages the penalty of sin is death but
you see the Bible tells us that God so
loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son that whosoever believeth in
him shouldn’t perish but should have
everlasting life you see God wants you
to have everlasting life with him in
heaven but you have to confess your sins
and repent repent means to turn to leave
your sins if you got to be willing to
turn repentance and then by faith to
believe just by faith to believe on the
name of Jesus Christ and trust him as
your savior invite him to come into your
heart and if you’re willing to do that
just you can pray this prayer right now
with me just say God I’m a sinner I’m
sorry forgive me I believe Jesus Christ
is your son I believe that he took my
sins to the cross and he died and shed
his blood for me
I want to turn from my sins and I want
to invite Jesus to come into my heart I
want to trust him as my savior and
follow him as my Lord From This Day
Forward
Forever
amen well if you pray that prayer call
that number we’ve got people that are
willing to pray with you and it’s a
prayer line that’s open 24 hours a day
so call that number right
now I also want to just take a moment to
say thank you to our partners uh those
that have stood with us taking the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ the good
news thank you for standing with us
praying for us thank you for your
financial help God bless
you partner with the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association in this mission
of proclaiming the Gospel through every
means available with internet evangelism
we reach the world with the good news 24
hours a day our rapid response chaplain
step into the midst of tragedy to offer
hope to the
hurting and we continue to share God’s
love to those who need Jesus Christ
through Franklin Graham festivals and
will gram
celebrations Jesus Christ is the only
one in history who took your sins and
died and shed his blood for your sin you
may never have another chance like
tonight to make a decision concerning
Jesus join us in taking the gospel to
the ends of the Earth visit
billygraham.tv or call 87756
78989 as a thank you we’ll send you the
book hymns for the soul a collection of
songs and stories from Billy Graham
Crusades your gift can have an eternal
impact call or log on
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today would you like to be a part of
something that can make a difference in
a person’s life be one of our counselors
on the prayer line just say God when I
say call that number on the screen they
pick up a phone and call that number
well we’ve got to have a team of men and
women who can answer the phone hi thank
you for calling the Billy Graham prayer
line my name this prayer line is
incredible you will have an opportunity
to talk to people you would never
imagine amen thank God the Billy gram
Ministry trains us they train Us in
Biblical teaching all of it takes is
just opening an app downloading it and a
willing heart just to share it’s
convenient because it’s at home I can
concentrate on the caller and he’s
waiting there for us loving Heavenly
Father people are in such an urgent need
you are giving the best gift to them
that is the Lord Jesus Christ every call
that you get it’s a Divine appointment
nothing is ever an accident we know
there are a lot of people out there
really hurting it truly is a front Lines
Ministry there really is an impact in
this you’re really seeing Souls
transformed from the kingdom of darkness
to the kingdom of light it’s such a
privilege and it is tremendous fun the
Harvest is huge but the laborers are few
so we need more laborers pray that the
Lord sends laborers for the Harvest we
need your help we need your
participation be a part of this and God
will use you to be that conduit to reach
that person for Christ so be a part of
it God bless you
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