by Jayla Ward • 4 minutes
Last weekend, a video of the Houston Texans and New England Patriots praying together after a game went viral. After a competitive matchup, team members joined in a circle to pray.
“Before I do anything, I want to give God the glory,” C.J. Stroud, Texans Quarterback shared at the post-game press conference. “Without Him, I’m nothing. And I just appreciate Him giving me this opportunity, this platform, to play this great game with this great organization.”
At the College Football National Championship on Monday, players from Indiana University and the University of Miami prayed prior to kickoff. Quarterbacks from both teams could be seen taking in a knee in prayer—nearly identical to how First Liberty client Coach Joe Kennedy prayed on the field.
These moments spread across the Internet like wildfire. Football fans across the nation voiced their support and enthusiasm, and millions of viewers were inspired to share and express their own faith as well.
Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud and players from Texans-Patriots gathered for a prayer following their playoff matchup ❤💯 pic.twitter.com/YxDi7R2JfJ
— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2026
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These public displays of faith point to a major shift happening in America. In recent years, study after study has documented tremendous increases in religious expression in the public square, along with rising support for religious freedom.
In a recent survey, our friends at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty found that Americans strongly support the freedom to bring one’s faith into the public square.
“57% of Americans agree that religious freedom is inherently public, and that Americans should be free to share their faith in public spaces, such as at school, work or on social media — a five-point rise since 2020,” the Becket study notes.
Additionally, most Americans support recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on religious liberty.
In Mahmoud v. Taylor—a major parental rights and religious liberty case decided last June—62% of Americans shared that they supported the Court’s decision to uphold the constitutional and religious rights of parents to direct their children’s education.
More broadly, Americans’ view of faith and religious expression overall is becoming more positive.
According to a recent Pew study, the number of U.S. adults who believe that faith is gaining influence in American life is at the highest it has been in 15 years. It increased from 18% in 2024 to 31% in 2025. What’s more, the percentage of Americans who say faith is losing influence has declined from an all-time high of 80% in 2024 to 68% today.
“The shares of Americans expressing positive views of religion in 2024 and 2025 are up significantly from 2022 and 2019,” Pew reported.
Since 2020, the share of Christians has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%. Religiosity has also remained relatively stable across all generations, young and old. That’s according to the 2025 Religious Landscape Study, Pew’s largest single survey of 36,908 U.S. adults.
What’s more fascinating is that the recent surge in faith is being driven by young people. New research from Barna Group reported that Millennials and Gen Z are attending church more frequently than older generations, averaging about 1.9 weekends per month and steadily increasing. Young men, especially, are at the forefront of this movement.
For decades we heard that our nation was becoming increasingly secular. But the numbers keep showing that the decline of religion in America is leveling off. We’re witnessing the beginning of a historic reawakening of religious expression across the country.
So, what’s driving what appears to be a revival of faith and religious freedom?
Landmark Supreme Court Victories Are Changing the Future of America
Since 2019, First Liberty has secured several landmark victories at the U.S. Supreme Court that are causing a massive change in religious freedom law.
Our victories in the Bladensburg Peace Cross, Coach Kennedy, Treat Children Fairly and Faithful Carrier cases overturned decades of bad precedent. These wins restored religious liberty protections to millions. Americans today have more freedom to live out and express their faith than they’ve had in 50 years.
Is it a coincidence that at the same time the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the right to religious expression, more people have begun to share their faith publicly? We don’t think so.
Positive changes to the law are having a big cultural impact. Each of these Supreme Court wins is like a pebble thrown into a lake, sending out wave after wave in a ripple effect that’s being felt across the country.
Whether it’s in the workplace, schools, sports, city hall, the halls of Congress or local public parks, Americans are getting the message that prayer and religious expression should not be hidden. In addition to being legally okay, people everywhere are recognizing that it’s simply good to express our faith in public.
That freedom is what America has always been about. George Washington said, “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” That is exactly what we are seeing today in America: a movement—and quite possibly, a revival—in which more Americans are boldly sharing their faith.
All of these wins have paved the way for religious freedom to flourish again, but the battle is NOT over. As religious liberty advances, our opponents are increasing their attacks. They’re meeting our advances with more resistance than ever before.
Please give to First Liberty today.
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