How To Pray For A Nation Series

Recently, Pastor Joe Wright of Kansas was asked to lead the Kansas State Senate in prayer. The senators were expecting to hear the usual kind of formal prayer but they got a big surprise. This pastor used this opportunity to call sin by its real name, and to ask God to give these leaders the will to repent of their wicked ways. As he prayed this prayer, some of the senators got up and walked out. Paul Harvey read this prayer on his program and received more requests for copies than any other he has ever done.

Here’s what Rev. Wright prayed: “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 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 killed our unborn and called it a choice…

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 airwaves with profanity 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. Amen.”

There’s really no way to soften the command to turn from our wicked ways. God accepts only one response to sin, not rationalizing, not excusing, and not comparing ourselves to others. He demands that WE TURN FROM IT! Do you want God’s best? Then deal with the “wicked ways” that are holding you back from the very answers you’re seeking. God is calling each of us right now to turn from our wicked ways.

We do that by:

• Admitting our sin

• Abandoning our sin

God says that as long as we’re hanging onto that sinful practice or attitude, He can’t open up heaven and bless us. Have you been playing around with sin? Recognize it and repent right now. Have you been doing some stuff that you know is wrong? Turn from it today. Have you been withholding forgiveness from someone? Stop acting as their judge and free them from ever paying you back. Do you have some dark secrets that you’ve been trying to hide from God and your loved ones? Bring them into the light. Have you been running your own life and not humbly and prayerfully seeking God’s face? Surrender to Him right now.

Receive God’s Promises

When God’s people follow God’s plan they will receive God’s promises. Let’s look briefly at the three promises God gives in this verse. These promises come after the word, “then.” If my people do these 4 things, then I will do these three things.