Page 8 - Good News May 2011 paper

hen Minister Joe Wright was profanity and pornography and
asked to open the new session of called it freedom of expression.
Wthe Kansas Senate, everyone We have ridiculed the time-
was expecting the usual generalities, but honoured values of our forefathers
this is what they heard: and called it enlightenment.
“Heavenly Father, we come before You “Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts
today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek today; cleanse us from every sin and set us
Your direction and guidance. We know free. Amen!”
Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call The response was immediate. A number of
evil good’, but that is exactly what we have legislators walked out during the prayer in
done. We have lost our spiritual equili- protest.
brium and reversed our values. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church,
We have exploited the poor and where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more
called it the lottery. than 5 000 phone calls with only 47 of those
We have rewarded laziness and calls responding negatively.
called it welfare. The church is now receiving international
We have killed our unborn and requests for copies of this prayer from
called it choice. India, Africa and Korea.
We have shot anti-abortionists and Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer
called it justifiable. on his radio program, “The Rest of the
We have neglected to discipline Story,” and received a larger response to
our children and called it building this program than any other he has ever
self-esteem. aired. With the Lord’s help, may this prayer
We have abused power and called sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly
it politics. become our desire so that we again can be
We have coveted our neighbour’s called “one nation under God.”
possessions and called it ambition. http:// userpages.bright.net/~freedom/
We have polluted the air with prayer.html

Nathan Hale, a great American patriot How important is prayer to you? Is it a habit
during the Revolutionary War, was worth dying for? Or, would someone need
captured and hung by British soldiers. to pass a law demanding daily prayer or a
His now famous final words were, “I only trip to the lions’ den to get you into the
regret that I have but one life to lose for my habit of prayer? People are willing to die for
country.” He was willing to die for his that which is of great importance to them.
nation and its freedom. Prayer should be that important to us! It is
During the final days of World War II, it our link to God. Without the lifeline of
was apparent that the Japanese were prayer, we grow spiritually weak. Do not
fighting a losing battle. Yet many of their neglect the privilege that God has given to
pilots, dubbed “kamikaze,” willingly flew us as His children to pray! (e-sword)
suicide missions. There was great honour
in dying for a cause. The pilots were
willing to die for glory.
Not long ago, a mother in Philadelphia
went back into a burning building to
rescue her children who were trapped
inside. After saving two, she died in the
flames trying to save the other two. The
mother was willing to die for her children.
In the ancient empire of Persia, a law was
passed making it a crime punishable by
death to pray to anyone but the emperor.
One aged government official refused to
obey the edict. It was his habit to pray
three times daily to the one true God. As a
result, he was cast into a den of lions.
Even though God saved Daniel, Daniel
was still willing to die rather than give up
his habit of prayer (Daniel 6:3-11).