Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and George Whitefield (1714-1770) were close friends for thirty years. It was an unlikely friendship. Whitefield was an Englishman and Franklin was an American; and, in the later years of their friendship, America was moving toward independence, much to the dismay of England. Whitefield was an eloquent and fiery evangelical preacher who visited America often to preach revivalist sermons. He was the most significant influence in America’s First Great Awakening. Franklin believed there was a God and valued moral virtue, but was skeptical of much in the Bible. He did not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and his personal Lord and Savior. They admired each other’s wisdom and talents, but Franklin remained an Enlightenment rationalist and Whitefield a man of solid faith in Jesus.
The two men also had an interesting and profitable business relationship. Franklin’s influence in the colonies opened many doors for the Whitefield the preacher, and the massive demand for copies of Whitefield’s sermons provided much business for Franklin the printer.
The 2026 movie A Great Awakening tells the fascinating story of this friendship (available on Amazon Prime). It is a most interesting and mostly accurate historical drama, along with being spiritually inspirational. You may view the two-minute trailer here:
Whitefield was eight years younger than Franklin and died twenty years earlier. Throughout their friendship, Whitefield tried to convert Franklin; just as his preaching had converted tens of thousands of others, on both sides of the Atlantic. There is no evidence that Franklin ever went beyond a general belief in God, maintaining his skepticism about everything else Whitefield believed in.
However, three years before his death, Franklin made an interesting speech at the United States Constitutional Convention. The delegates were in danger of failing at their task, being unable to agree on the structure of a government for this new nation whose independence and freedom had just been won. Franklin, who rarely spoke at that convention, finally rose to ask George Washington (presiding over the meetings) permission to speak. Franklin then gave a powerful, eloquent, and passionate plea for the delegates to begin each daily session with prayer, led by a local clergyman, asking the Almighty God for his assistance in their crucial work.
The movie seems to link this speech to Whitefield’s influence on Franklin. Whitefield had died seventeen years earlier, so there is no way to prove any direct connection. But the respect and admiration the two men had for each other is beyond doubt, and Whitefield’s impact on him certainly may have been influencing Franklin’s words.
Here are the words Franklin spoke to the Constitutional Convention on June 28, 1787 (you may read it here or watch it on the video below). It is an example of profound political persuasion, and, of deep faith. Franklin might have even been expressing a deeper faith than he ever possessed—or perhaps, as the movie hints, had grown into. The delegates, still unable to agree on anything, failed to act on Franklin’s proposal. But even so, many thought the speech marked a turning point in the deliberations, and, was an important factor in finally reaching an agreement.
Mr. President: The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance and continual reasonings with each other — our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many nays as ayes, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own lack of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.
In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. Have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?
I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that “except the Lord build the House they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.
I therefore move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.
In the below video, Oscar winning actor John Voight introduces, and then reenacts Franklin’s speech (with some interesting help from AI). Take the seven minutes to view it. It will increase your appreciation for our nation, our Constitution, and God’s providence.
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Psalm 127:1a — Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it…
Matthew 12:25 — Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
II Chronicles 7:14 — if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
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July 4, 1787 prayer for the Constitutional Convention by Reverend William Rogers (in his church, the Sunday after Franklin’s plea for prayer):
As this is a period, O Lord, big with events, impenetrable by any human scrutiny, we fervently recommend to thy fatherly notice those men assembled in this city, who compose our Federal Convention. May it please Thee, O Eternal, to favor them from day to day with thy immediate presence. Be thou their wisdom and their strength. Enable them to devise such measures as may prove happily instrumental for healing all divisions, and promoting the good of all. Incline the hearts of all the people to receive with pleasure, combined with a determination to carry into execution, whatever these thy servants may wisely recommend; so that the United States of America may furnish the world with one example of a free and permanent government, which shall be the result of human and mutual deliberation, and which shall not, like all other governments, whether ancient or modern, spring out of mere chance, or be established by force. May we triumph in the cheering prospect of being completely delivered from anarchy; and continue, under the influence of republican virtue, to partake of all the blessings of cultivated and civilized society. Amen.
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