OPENING PRAYER
Before the Kansas
House of Representatives
When Pastor Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas
House
of Representatives, everyone was expecting the usual politically correct
generalities. But on January 23, 1996, 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, with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired Pastor Joe Wright's prayer on national radio and
received a larger response to this program than any other program Paul
Harvey
has ever aired. In addition, Central Christian Church is now receiving
international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and
Korea.
The prayer is reprinted below as an encouragement and challenge for each of
us
to stand for the truth of the Gospel wherever the Lord gives us
opportunity.
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;
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.
Reprinted by permission of Senior Pastor Joe Wright of Central Christian
Church, Wichita, Kansas.
For those who would like addition information regarding this prayer before
the Kansas House of Representatives please go to the
Central Christian Church WebSite.