When the Kansas Senate invited Pastor Joe Wright to open its new session, everyone was expecting the usual politically correct generalities. But on this day, what they heard instead was a stirring prayer, passionately calling our country to repentance and righteousness.
The response was immediate--with a number of legislators walking out during the prayer. In six short weeks, Central Christian Church logged more than 5,000 phone calls; only 47 of those callers responded negatively. When the well-known commentator Paul Harvey aired Pastor Joe Wright's prayer during his radio broadcast, the response was the largest he'd ever received.
Additionally, Central Christian Church is now receiving (from India, Africa, and Korea) international requests for copies of this prayer.
The prayer is reprinted below to encourage and challenge each of us to stand for the truth of the Gospel whenever the Lord gives us opportunity.
PRAYER FOR MORALITY...
Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know 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 have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your word and called it pluralism.
- We have worshiped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
- 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; 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 here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your 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.
America needs to heed this prayer! (KMG)