Unity, resilience and vision for Missouri’s future should begin with faith, Gov. Mike Kehoe declared in opening remarks at the 2026 Governor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City Wednesday.

“[The First Lady and I] think it’s a great time to try to lead Missouri,” Kehoe said. “We’re proud of where we’ve been so far, but we have a lot more work to do, and I look forward to working with the legislators in this room for a foundation of growth, which is really what we want our state to be.

“We want to see rocket growth. And so, working with the legislators, I think we can get that done, and starting that off with faith-based messages and coming together as a people across the state, not as Democrats or Republicans, not as rural or urban, just as folks who really have a love for the folks they serve, a love for the Lord and a love for the state of Missouri, we think it’s time for our children and our children’s children to look forward to a brighter future, and we couldn’t think of a better way than to start that conversation with this breakfast here this morning.”

Reflecting on the nation’s 250th anniversary, he pointed to the phrase “One Nation Under God” on the screen behind him as a foundational principle that remains as relevant today as it was at the country’s founding. 

“‘One nation under God.’ I don’t think it gets much simpler than that,” Kehoe said. “It’s inscribed in about every piece of marble or stone, and almost every state capitol, of course, the U.S. Capitol. It’s on multiple pieces of currency.

“It’s who we are. It’s how we were founded 250 years ago. And I think it’s appropriate to reflect on this year, as we hit our birthday of 250 years, that we start it off with faith.

“My mother, who is our saint and hero in our life, always said, ‘The good Lord only gives you what you can handle.’ And I believe we will be able to handle this just fine.”

Kehoe shared poignant anecdotes about the unexpected support and prayers he and First Lady Claudia Kehoe received during difficult moments back in August. He did not disclose what news he had received, but declared his amazement for the power of prayer.

“A text comes through my phone from a friend of mine down in Wayne County, and he said, ‘We’re praying for you now.’ How in the world, would this guy know that? It’s just unbelievable.

“If you look at the doors that the good Lord opens and the people that are praying for you – by the way, there’s multiple faiths representing this room. 

“Claudia and I had the privilege this year of hosting our Jewish friends at the mansion for Hanukkah and lighting the menorah and telling them and their struggles, and their faith struggles, of how they’ve gotten to where they’ve been, and their belief that God is the Almighty that really can help us get to where we need to be. 

“All faiths across Missouri are welcome here, and we celebrate being able to include those faiths as part of our great fabric of this incredible state.”

Before welcoming to the podium guest speaker Rocky Sickmann, a POW for 444 days during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, Kehoe expressed gratitude to soldiers serving our country saying they “give us all the ability to have an open faith, have the ability to pray, have the ability to have religious freedom, no matter what that faith is. Those are the things that will ground me that I’ll try to keep in my heart every day as we move forward for the state of Missouri.”

After enduring 444 days in captivity, Sickmann continues his legacy of service as a national advocate for Folds of Honor, where he works to secure educational scholarships for the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders.

“I was a Catholic growing up at St. Gertrude grade school,” Sickmann said. “My mother always said, ‘Rocky, someday you’re going to need God.’ And you know what? She was right. I never prayed so hard in my life, and I’m sitting there thinking, you know, every morning waking up – day five, day 10, day 20 – and you can hear the people demonstrate. You can hear horns, and the world was going on without you.

“God, He sends me messages all the time. Not too long ago, I had to catch a 6:30 flight. Many of you’ve had to do that. You have to wake up very early, and I’m running around like a chicken with my head chopped off. I go into a convenience store and get a breakfast bar, water and a banana, and one of them is $4.44.  

“I’m sitting there thinking, looking at that number 444, and I’m thinking, you know, here I am complaining about catching an early flight. This is nothing. God sends me this reminder that ‘Rocky, this is nothing.’

“I can tell you that 444, you know what it means, angels are on my shoulder. It’s crazy that number comes to me so often. It’s a reminder how lucky I am.”

Bishop Ralph O’Donnell of the Diocese of Jefferson City gave the invocation before breakfast was served, while scripture readings were given by Col. Craig Ludwig, chaplain at Fort Leonard Wood, and by Col. Barrett Golden, commander of the 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Air National Guard in St. Joseph. 

The benediction was given by Pastor Darron Edwards of United Believers Community Church in Kansas City.

The Green Family from Green’s Welding and Sales hauled a more than 100-year-old pulpit from a defunct Apolstic church in Bates County for the governor and speakers to use during the program.

Special music was performed by the 135th Army Band from the Missouri National Guard in Springfield.