Thousands of years ago the wise man Solomon wrote these thought provoking words: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Israel had been promised prosperity and prestige if she obeyed God’s laws (See Deuteronomy 28:1-14), but was told she would incur God’s wrath if she didn’t heed His commandments (See Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Some time ago, Pastor Joe Wright prayed this fervent prayer before the State House in Topeka, Kansas:
“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 moral pluralism;
We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism;
We have endorsed perversions and called it alternative lifestyles;
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 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. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the Living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”