Here in the USA, this is a very important day in our history: election day. Every 4 years we vote for our choice of who will fill the office of the President of the United States of America and so this day is especially significant for our country – and for the world.

Some years ago in my home state of Kansas, the Rev. Joe Wright delivered a prayer before the Kansas House of Representatives. It happened on January 23, 1996 and created some controversy. Nevertheless, it contains so much truth, I wanted to reprint it here on election day.

I realize that part of the prayer will not be agreed upon by my Muslim readers but I post it here as a Christian who longs for our country to repent – to turn from our wicked ways – and embrace God and His ways once again.

“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’ve 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 moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
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 esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors’ 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 fore-fathers 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. I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.”

Rev. Wright prayed this for the government of Kansas in 1996. I pray this prayer of repentance for America today, November 4, 2012. May God forgive us and heal our land.

Regardless of who wins this presidential election tonight, my hope and trust are in God alone.

Psalm 118:8,9 – “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”