A SURPRISINGLY GOOD PRAYER FOR OUR TIMES
When Pastor Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas State Senate, everyone was expecting the usual politically correct generalities. But on January 23rd, 1996, what they heard instead was a stirring prayer calling the country to repentance and righteousness.
The response was immediate - with a number of senators walking out! But within six short weeks Central Christian Church logged more than 5,000 phone calls, of which only 47 were negative.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired Pastor Joe Wright's prayer on the radio and received a larger response to his programme than any other he had previously aired. The prayer is reproduced below to encourage all Christians to stand for the truth of the Gospel wherever and whenever the Lord gives us opportunity.
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know that Your Word says "Woe to 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 multi-culturalism;
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative life-style;
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 neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem;
We have abused power and called it political savvy;
We have coveted our neighbour'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-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You to govern this great state. Grant them wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the centre of Your will. I ask it in the name of your Son, the Living Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.'