Texas Governor Greg Abbott made bold declarations about the Lord in an address to the 11th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.

Abbott, 57, who became paralyzed after a tree fell on his back in 1984, said he is one of many proofs that God answers prayers.

“Let me just start by making a very simple point. My very being here today is proof that prayers do work,” Abbott told those in attendance at the Marriott Marquis hotel.

“Looking back, I can tell that if you have seen all that I have seen, if you have gone through all that I have gone through, you would never again question the Lord,” Abbott continued. “You would never fear the valley of the shadow of death because you knew that you could palpably feel God’s presence with you and you would pray with gratefulness with the connection established with God that comes through prayer.”

Abbott quoted Pope Francis saying that prayer opens the door for God to do something miraculous in our lives and the lives of those around us.

“Have you all ever noticed how prayers increase in times of great need?” Abbott asked. “In America today, we are in a time of great need and there is an urgent need to pray now, more than ever, especially the need to pray for our religious liberties. I have heard it said that ‘America did not create religious liberty but religious liberty created America.’ That religious liberty is being tested by some who want to silence the faithful and purge God from the public square.”

Abbott mentioned several court victories where the rights of Christians were upheld.

“We see these assaults on faith continue to expand across the entire country,” Abbott said. “We see this in the never-ending battle to defend the unborn and we see this with the legal assault on marriage defined by God, but we know that God’s law cannot be undone by man’s law.”

Abbott mentioned Proverbs 29:2 and said that the world needs righteous leaders in place.  He called on Christians to pray for righteous leaders.