Recently, a prayer offered at THE OPENING OF THE KANSAS STATE LEGISLATURE received much attention from some Kansas legislators and the media. The minister seemed to touch some nerves with his moving and heart-felt prayer. It may have stepped on some toes in the Kansas Legislature, but it seemed very appropriate in light of the issues that legislators are being confronted with today. It may not have been a "politically correct' prayer, but I think God is more interested in the heart of the one praying as opposed to what a few politicians think of the prayer. I would like to share this prayer with you.
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equalibrium and inverted our values.
"We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your word in the name of 'moral 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 'a lottery.' We have neglected the needy and called it 'self-preservation.' We have rewarded laziness and called it 'welfare.' In the name of 'choice,' we have killed our unborn. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it 'building esteem.' We have abused power and called it 'political savvy.' We've coverted our neighbors' possessions and called it 'taxes.' We've polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it 'freedom of expression.' We've ridiculed the time honored values of our forefathers and called it 'enlightenment.'
"Search us, O God, and know our hearts today. Try us and show us any wickedness 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!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on "The Rest of the Story" on the radio and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called one nation under God.