Christian conservative Franklin Graham has condemned passage in the House of Representatives of a bill that seeks to protect same-sex marriage and has called on his followers to pray for its demise in the Senate.

The House approved the Respect for Marriage Act last week with the support of 47 Republicans. The bill was first introduced in 2009 by New York Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat. Nadler said that it was important to codify the Supreme Court's marriage equality opinion in Obergefell after it struck down Roe v. Wade, which like Obergefell was based on the right to privacy.

(Related: HRC endorses Jim Obergefell for Ohio House.)

The bill now heads to the Senate, where ten GOP votes are needed to approve legislation backed by all Democrats.

In a Facebook post, Graham, the son of the late televangelist Billy Graham and a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, condemned the bill's passage in the House and called on his followers to pray for its demise in the Senate.

“God says that marriage is to be between one man and one woman – not two men, not two women. The GOP used to believe that too,” Graham wrote.

“Will you pray for God’s intervention as this bill moves on to the Senate? Only He can save us from our evil and rebellious ways.”

“Make sure you know how your representatives vote because it reveals where they stand on these and other important Biblical and moral issues.”

“Remember, elections are our opportunity to vote for men and women who support Biblical values and morality,” he concluded.

The Respect for Marriage Act repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law that prohibited the federal government from recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples. The Supreme Court struck down DOMA in 2013. The Respect for Marriage Act also requires states to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples performed in different states.

(Related: Senator Tammy Baldwin predicts passage of bill to protect same-sex marriage.)