In his remarks at the 74th National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump proposed the idea that “he probably should get into heaven.” He seemed to base his rationale on his belief that he has “done a hell of a lot of good for perfect people.” His boasts that he “has done more for religion than any other president” may have an element of truth.
After all of his denigrations of various individuals (former President Barack Obama and his wife) and nations; his angry efforts to control other peoples’ decisions to comply with his wants and priorities; his expressed love of money, mammon and power; his blatant denials of having broken the laws of this nation, and of the word of God; not to mention his efforts to force others to accept and promote his ungodly values and practices – yes, he had caused more and more people to turn to the Lord for deliverance from his tyrannical and ungodly behavior.
Yet, heaven still is available for Donald Trump. Long before there was a remote human idea of Donald Trump, God had already set in motion a plan to include persons of his self-focused mentality, spiritual immorality, biblical ignorance, spiritual weakness and moral indifference. Hundreds and thousands of people are turning to the Lord for guidance and hope in enduring the soon to an end of his tyrannical reign of political leadership.
Yes! More and more prayers are being lifted. More and more people are seeking divine intervention and deliverance from Donald Trumps’ self-focused sense of “right.”
Still, to be biblically accurate, heaven still is for Trump, and for the thousands of others who seek to promote his agendas and bask in his presence. Heaven is for each of them, as well as it is for the rest of us.
BUT the caveat is simple. Just simply putting your hands on, or over an upside down Bible, and making some commitments to follow man-made laws and regulations that satisfy you will never meet the biblical guidelines for entrance into heaven. God’s guidelines are clear.
God alone is God. No other “gods,” powerbrokers, oligarchs, emperors, kings, potentates, monarchs, nor presidents who are to rule over God’s people.
Entrance into heaven is based on one accepting God as their God. The ruler of your life. And the guidelines for entering heaven are simple and unbendable:
• Surrendering to God as the supreme ruler of your life. (Exodus 20:3)
• Believe that Jesus Christ is the only savior of this world. (John 3:16-17)
• Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8-10)
• Stop sinning – stop breaking God’s laws. (Romans 6:23)
• God is receptive to a “contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
• Stop loving the godly things of this world. (1 John 2:15-17)
• Become a living example of a recipient of God’s love to you. (John 15:12)
Going to heaven is not something that one “gets into! Going to heaven is not a political, legal, nor financial matter. Going to heaven is a non-negotiable matter. There will be no “vote counting nor recounting.” No pontifical declarations/ There are no “deals” to be made/ Only God’s terms and standards will be obeyed. You either measure up, or you get left out.
By the way, hell, the alternative for heaven, is also available to all who choose not to follow God’s roadmap for life in living with and relating to God and others.
Whatever your decision may be, or become, remember and understand, the divine principles and procedures for “going to heaven” don’t, and won’t, change for anybody.
Mr. Trump, God still purposed heaven for you, and you for heaven. But the real question is whether you, and your followers, are really desirous of and seeking heaven. If you are not ready to operate on God’s word on earth, how can you … why should you expect to enjoy God’s blessings in heaven?
Time is not in your hands, but in the hands of God. Your only time is now. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.
The choice and opportunity is yours. Turn to God. Confess and repent of your own sins. Start operating on God’s terms now. Start leading this “nation under God” by godly – not self-focused nor self-aggrandizing – principles.
Pastor Samuel W. Hale, Jr. is the former pastor of Zion Missionary Baptist Church and president of J.L. Powell Mission Ministries.
This article appears in February 19-25, 2026.
