by
Pastor Joe Wright
When Pastor Joe
Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, 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 the 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 worshiped 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. Let's remember to pray for our newly elected officials and maybe even
pass this message on to them!