The Righter Report

The Prayer of Minister Joe Wright

Recalling the Prayer of Minister Joe Wright

Note: Joe Wright was the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita and was guest chaplain in the Kansas House of Representatives on January 23, 1996. He recited a prayer of confession and repentance that was originally written by Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. According to an article in the Kansas City Star dated January 24, 1996, his prayer stirred up considerable controversy and at least one member of the House walked out. Sometime after that in the Colorado House House of Representatives, Republican Mark Paschall recited Joe Wright’s prayer as the invocation, angering still other lawmakers. It was reported that some members there also walked out in protest.

The Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before You today to ask Your Forgiveness and 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 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 this state and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state of Kansas. Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your Will.

I ask in in the name of your Son, The Living Savior, Jesus Christ

Amen.

– The Righter Report

July 29, 2012 - Posted by Pete Righter | America, Evangelical, God, Government, Human Interest, Theology