President Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting of his new term began with a moment of prayer.

The meeting, held on Wednesday 26 February was opened by Scott Turner, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who led the group in prayer.

"Father, the Bible says that blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Today we honour you in your rightful place and thank you for giving us this opportunity to restore faith in this country and be a blessing to the people of America.

"We pray that in our meeting, you would be glorified in our conversation. In Jesus' name, Amen," Turner prayed, as cabinet members responded with "Amen."

Moments of prayer were a hallmark of Trump’s first term, but the former president has spoken about how his faith has deepened since surviving an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last summer.

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month, he reflected on the near-death experience.

"None of us knows exactly when our time on earth will be over," Trump said. "You never know, a truth I confronted a few short months ago when there was an incident that… was not fun."

He has frequently expressed his belief that God spared him that day. “God was watching me,” Trump said. “It changed something in me. I feel even stronger. I believed in God before, but now I feel much more strongly about it. Something happened.”