Food for thought

In recent days, Paul Harey quoted a prayer and said he had more requests for it than almost any other he had ever used. The prayer was offered on January 23, 1996, before the Kansas state legislature by Rev. Joe Wright, pastor of Central Christian (nondenominational) Church in Wichita, Kansas.  According to Harvey, when this courageous pastor offered the invocation, `He told God on them'.  As the pastor finished the prayer, three members jumped to their feet and indignantly shouted, `He can't talk like that!'  Rep. Delbert Gross called the prayer `gross, divisive, sanctimonious, and overbearing.'  David Hailey called it `blasphemous and ignorant.'  Sabrina Sandifer echoed their indignation.  The following is Pastor Wright's prayer:

"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'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 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 negelected 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.
     In the name of right to life we have killed abortionists.
     We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
     We have abused power and called it political savvy.
     We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it taxes.
     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 show us any 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 in the name of your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!"

There is the answer to the moral and spiritual decline our nation has been experiencing: broken-hearted confession to Almighty God!  For as God says, in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray...." - like Rev. Joe Wright did - "and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."  (KJV)


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