Prayer
before the Kansas Legislature
When Pastor Joe Wright
was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting
the usual politically correct generalities. But, what they heard instead
was a stirring prayer, passionately calling our country to repentance and
righteousness.
The response was
immediate and a number of legislators walked out during
the prayer. In six
short weeks, the Central Christian Church (USA) had logged
more than 5,000
phone calls, with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.
Commentator Paul
Harvey aired the prayer on the radio and received a
larger response
to this program than any other program he has ever aired. The
Central
Christian Church is now receiving international requests for copies
of this prayer from
India, Africa, and Korea.
Pastor Joe's prayer
is reprinted here as an encouragement and challenge
for each of us to
stand for the truth of the Gospel whenever the Lord gives
us the opportunity.
The Prayer:
"Heavenly Father, we come
before you today to ask your forgiveness and
seek your direction and
guidance. We know your Word says, 'Woe on those who call evil
good,' but that's exactly
what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual
equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute
truth of your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshipped other
gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion
and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor
and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy
and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness
and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn
and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists
and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline
our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and
called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor's
possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air
with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of
expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored
values of our forefathers and called it
enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know
our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and
bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas,
and who have been ordained by you to govern this great state. Grant them
the wisdom to rule, and may their decisions direct us to the center of
your will. I ask it in the name of your Son, the Living Savior, Jesus Christ,
Amen." |