This is a prayer from Billy Graham, quite profound I think, for the United States. After you read it, leave a comment and let me know what you think about it:
'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 is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. 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 politics. 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, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
'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 is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. 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 politics. 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, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
Sounds alot like the OT prophets - not only in the way he calls out sin but also in the way he includes himself by using "We". The only part of brother Billy's prayer that I find some disagreement with is, "We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery". Don't the poor (and non-poor)have the CHOICE whether or not to play the lottery?
ReplyDeleteHipperken,
ReplyDeleteI would agree, I think. But it is a truth that lotto makers are prone to advertising heavier in impoverished areas. I saw this a lot in Lexington, KY for instance. My wife pointed it out a number of times. And it always seems like the winner buys a ticket from some podunk general store. So, maybe he's not in error because he does say something about "exploitation". I'm not an apologist for Billy by any means, I'm just wondering if he was allluding to the deeper issue. Great hearing from you again!!! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
That is seriously awesome bro, it's pretty accurate too. By the way, how's it going? I'm missing the summer days of camp, you know, tornadoes and all.
ReplyDeleteTim,
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear from you!!! How are you man. What in the world made you visit my site mid-December?
As for the tornadoes and all, well that's one thing but I'm living in MI now and we've been in a blizzard the last couple of days. I've never been in a blizzard before (its certainly different!!!). It hasn't stopped snowing in 2 weeks I think (except for a few hours here and there).
Anyway, what have you been up to? You been reading your Bible (creatively)? How did you find my site? Making any headway on the oil-diving profession? Keep in touch buddy, I hope you're doing well. Merry Christmas (and I hope you're not sleeping on the outside patio this winter!).