Pete Hegseth Prays in Jesus’ Name for Lethal Force Against the “Ungodly” Enemies of the U.S., Asking That “Every Round Find Its Mark” Through “Overwhelming Violence”

“Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” John 16:2

On March 25, 2026, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth offered a prayer during a Christian worship service at the Pentagon, amidst the ongoing conflict with Iran. Hegseth invoked Psalm 144 to pray for “overwhelming violence” against his enemies, urging the use of precise and lethal force against those deemed “ungodly” and asking that “every round hit its mark” against the “ungodly” enemies of the United States. What is truly disturbing about this type of prayer is that it represents the union of religion with state violence—a distortion of Christianity that redefines the faith to align it with earthly wars.

Secretary Hegseth’s prayer was as follows:

• “Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle, you who stirred the nations from the north against Babylon of old, making her land a desolation where none dwell, behold now the wicked who rise against your justice and the peace of the righteous. Snap the rod of the oppressor, frustrate the wicked plans, and break the teeth of the ungodly. By the blast of your anger, let the evil perish. Let their bulls go down to slaughter for their day has come, the time of their punishment. Pour out your wrath upon those who plot vain things and blow them away like chaff before the wind” (Video).

• “Grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence. Surround them as a shield, protect the innocent and blameless in their midst. Make their arrows like those of a skilled warrior who returned not empty-handed. Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them. For the wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings and am” (Video).

Christ explicitly rebuked violence committed in His name when He warned, in John 16:2, that people would kill others, believing they were rendering a service to God. Attaching His holy name to acts of violence—even in war—falsely conveys the idea that Jesus, in some way, endorses and guides bullets to strike human targets. If nations deem it necessary to go to war, they have no right to invoke the name of Jesus to sanctify their slaughters and armed conflict. Governments may claim the necessity of defense, but they cross the line when they justify offensive measures by cloaking them in the name of the Prince of Peace. This gravely misrepresents His character and dangerously confuses His heavenly kingdom with the violent kingdoms of this world.

Linking the Jewish Covenant—the Old Testament theocracy granted exclusively to ancient Israel—with modern America, as certain radical Evangelicals in the Church do, represents a profound misunderstanding of the nature and principles of the Kingdom of God. When Jesus appeared before Pilate and declared, ” Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36), He made it unequivocally clear that his reign is governed by principles entirely distinct from those of earthly nations and political powers.

Under the Old Covenant, God governed Israel directly, serving as both their spiritual King and their Lawgiver, authorizing war and conditional blessings linked to national obedience. That theocratic system has come to an end and has been replaced by the New Covenant in Christ. Today, in the era of the Kingdom, Jesus governs not through armies, borders, legislation, or national identity, but through the transformed hearts of His followers, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and through the advancement of the gospel.

His kingdom is spiritual in origin and characterized by love, truth, obedience, mercy, and selfless service, rather than by coercion or conquest. To confuse the United States—or any modern nation—with a revived version of Old Testament Israel erases the separation between Church and State and erroneously introduces theocratic warfare and civil law into the mission of the Church. In this type of prayer, one sees civil power speaking in religious terms and invoking divine authority to validate its actions. From a prophetic perspective, we are witnessing the rise of the Second Beast power that will enforce false worship through legislation and under penalty of death, just as described in Revelation 13.