THE UNEXPECTED PRAYER
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new 1996 session of the Kansas House of Representatives on January 23, 1996, everyone was expecting the usual politically correct generalities. But what they heard instead was a stirring prayer, passionately calling our country to repentance and righteousness. The response was immediate and a number of legislators walked out during the prayer. In six short weeks, more than 5,000 phone calls were logged, with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. Commentator Paul Harvey aired the prayer on the radio and received a larger response to his program than any other program he has ever aired. Requests for copies of the prayer are coming from India, Africa and Korea. Below is a transcript of the prayer:
“Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, “Woe to those who call evil good.” But that’s what we’ve done.
We’ve lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We’ve exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We’ve 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. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists.
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 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, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us. Show us any wickedness within 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 the State of Kansas, and that they have been ordained by you to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule. May their decisions direct us to the center of your will. And, as we continue our prayer and as we come in out of the fog, give us clear minds to accomplish our goals as we begin this Legislature. For we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
NOTE: This story is true. To read more about it go to: http://www.snopes2.com/inboxer/outrage/wright.htm
The actual prayer is re-printed here. The prayer distributed in the e-mails have some differences.
To read more about Joe Wright and his church, go to: http://www.snopes2.com/inboxer/outrage/wright.htm#add