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'Our Rights Come From Our Creator': Trump, Scalise Speak at National Prayer Breakfast

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UPDATE: Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz spoke at the dinner portion of the National Prayer Breakfast events. It was a closed event with no media access, but Rep. Kevin Cramer posted about it on Twitter. See image at the bottom of this article.

People from around the world gathered in Washington, DC, Thursday morning for the 66th annual National Prayer Breakfast.

More than 3,500 attendees were at the Washington Hilton for the event – among them, President Donald Trump and members of Congress.

Watch the full National Prayer Breakfast below:

The president stressed the importance of religious freedom and reminded those present that America is one nation under God.

"Our rights are not given to us by man. Our rights come from our Creator. No matter what, no earthly force can take those rights away," Trump told the audience.

"When Americans are able to live by their convictions, to speak openly of their faith and to teach their children what is right, our families thrive, our communities flourish, and our nation can achieve anything at all," he said.

FULL SPEECH: 'One Nation, Under God': President Trump's Entire Faith-Filled Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast

The president also pointed to God's hand at work in the world today.

Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA), who narrowly survived being shot last year at a congressional baseball event, also spoke at the breakfast event. Scalise has publicly praised God for helping him survive the shooting, saying previously, "I am definitely a living example that miracles really do happen."

During his prayer breakfast speech, Scalise again pointed to God over and over again, in his own story of survival as well as in references to American government.

"This was a nation founded with a deep belief in God," Scalise said, pointing to the way the Founding Fathers talked about faith and God as they were establishing a new nation.

"You can't separate church from state," Scalise continued. "This idea that you could just check your faith at the door... faith is part of who you are, it's part of who I am."

 

Rep. Randy Hultgren, co-chair of the 2018 National Prayer Breakfast, explained to CBN's John Jessup the significance of the annual event and how it impacted his own faith in Jesus Christ. Watch below:

Thursday's prayer event is organized by the Fellowship Foundation, a nonprofit religious organization designed to bring together political, religious and business leaders. 

The National Prayer Breakfast is actually an all-day series of meetings and luncheons designed to build relationships. Every president since Dwight Eisenhower has spoken at the prayer event.

The main event, the morning breakfast, which typically has two speakers, including the president and a mystery guest. Previous speakers include Mother Teresa, Bono and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

The breakfast was started in 1953 when the members of Congress invited President Eisenhower to join them for a fellowship breakfast "in the spirit of Jesus." The breakfast has continued each year, hosted and directed by members of the prayer groups in the US Senate and US House of Representatives.

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz spoke at the dinner portion of the National Prayer Breakfast events on Thursday night. It was a closed event with no media access, but Rep. Kevin Cramer posted this photo on Twitter.

READ: Super Bowl-Winning Eagles QB Nick Foles Has a Bigger Dream: 'I Want to Be a Pastor'

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