For most of our nation’s history, the Bible wasn’t just a personal devotional book. Scripture was the foundation of America’s laws, our education systems, and the moral compass that guided our government and business leaders. Today, our culture is broken and confused because we’ve drifted from that foundation of law, liberty, and justice found in Scripture.

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If our families are going to flourish, our churches are going to grow, and America is going to find healing and unity again, we must return to the Word of God. That’s the heart behind America Reads the Bible, an unprecedented week-long, public reading of Scripture taking place in Washington, D.C., from April 18–25. Our ministry, Christians Engaged, is partnering with Great American Pureflix and more than 100 other ministries to lift up God’s Word at the center of our national life with the backdrop of our 250^th birthday.

The Bible contains the wisdom of heaven for every generation. It reveals what justice looks like, what freedom truly means, and how to treat others with dignity. It confronts sin, speaks truth, and calls us into a relationship with our Creator. It speaks to our purpose, our destiny, our hope, and our future.

When America honored Scripture, we flourished. When we sidelined it, we lost our way. No politician or policy can heal what is broken in the human heart. America doesn’t just need another election; it requires a spiritual awakening rooted in God’s Word.

In Scripture, every revival in Israel began with a public reading of God’s law. When King Josiah rediscovered the Word, he didn’t hide it. He gathered the people and read it aloud. When Ezra and Nehemiah both did their part in rebuilding Jerusalem, they stood before the people and declared God’s Word for hours as they wept and repented. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

The vision behind America Reads the Bible is that our high-performing national leaders from all spheres of influence would humble themselves every day in dependence on the Bible and then call the American people to the same lifestyle.

This is not a performance or a political event; it’s a sacred gathering. Pastors, business leaders, professors, actors, and everyday believers will come together to proclaim Scripture over our nation, believing God will move as His Word goes forth.

We are aiming for Christians from all 50 states who will participate at the Museum of the Bible, and people across the country will be able to join by livestream. Imagine thousands of believers declaring God’s truth in unity, reading His Word over our homes, workplaces, and schools.

Some may ask, “Why does this matter?” It matters because the Bible changes everything. It softens hearts, shapes conscience, and speaks truth to power. It comforts the broken and calls us to repentance. It teaches us how to forgive and how to stand for righteousness with both courage and grace.

Our Founding Fathers understood this. They quoted Scripture more than any other source in their writings. Presidents from Washington to Lincoln to Reagan turned to the Bible for guidance in moments of national crisis. The Bible is America’s spiritual DNA. If we remove it, we lose who we are.

As President of Christians Engaged, I travel the nation calling believers to pray, vote, and engage. But before we can influence the culture or disciple a nation as leaders, we must be grounded in truth. Too many Christians today are spiritually malnourished, living off social media sound bites instead of the living Word of God. We need to get back to reading and meditating on Scripture, not just individually, but together.

Paul told Timothy to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.” (1 Timothy 4:13). That’s exactly what we’re doing in this national moment – April 18-25, 2026. When we read the Bible publicly, it unites us. It reminds us that God’s Word stands above every political party, opinion, and news cycle.

This isn’t about one denomination, ministry, or organization. It’s about the Body of Christ humbling ourselves before God’s authority and declaring that His Word still speaks to our nation. When Scripture is lifted high, God moves. Hearts change. Revival becomes possible.

This new generation is hungry for truth. They are tired of confusion and deception. They are searching for meaning, and the Bible offers it. Scripture provides clarity in chaos, hope in hardship, and identity in a world that tells us we are defined by our feelings.

If we want to see families restored, schools transformed, and communities healed, we must put the Bible back at the center. The vision is to lift up the Word of God again—publicly and nationally.

Let’s read it, believe it, and live it. Let’s speak it over our nation with faith and boldness. Let’s see church doors open for a national service and seven days of Bible reading. Let’s see business owners who have never shared the gospel with their employees stream our founding document—the Bible—for seven days in their offices. Let’s see families gather in their living rooms. Let’s see people who have never read the Bible all the way through take off work to sit under the powerful Words for a whole week.

America may have drifted from God, but God has not drifted from America. He is waiting for His people to return to His Word. That’s why this national moment matters – America Reads the Bible from April 18-25, 2026. It’s not just an event, but a declaration that we are still one nation under God, and His Word still has the power to change everything.

Share your prayers for America in the comments.

Bunni Pounds is the visionary and organizer of America Reads the Bible (April 18-25, 2026), the president and founder of Christians Engaged, a ministry activating the Body of Christ to pray, vote, and engage regularly, and a senior vice president at Family Policy Alliance. She is a motivational speaker, Bible teacher, and the author of “Jesus and Politics: One Woman’s Walk with God in a Mudslinging Profession” and her upcoming book, releasing May 2026, “Stepping Up to Lead: Rebuilding a Nation in the Footsteps of Nehemiah.” Photo Credit: lawcain/Getty Images.