By Kingsley Baehr

Below, written in red, is a prayer of Billy Graham’s which was aired a while ago on Paul Harvey’s radio program, "The Rest of the Story" and received a larger response than any other program he has ever aired. Interspersed in the prayer are my own examples in black italics and some things that the Bible says in purple.
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.
["Seek God while He’s here to be found; pray to Him while He’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God who is merciful—come back to our God who is lavish with forgiveness." – Isaiah 55:6,7]
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. ["Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes..." – Isaiah 5:20.21a]
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. ["Just a little bit of luck" is all that is needed when the odds are 1 in 100,000 to 1 in millions?]
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. ["Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands... so that you will not be dependent on anybody." – 1 Thessalonians 4:11,12]
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. [Norma McCorvey — nee. Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade—was the icon for abortion. Now, McCorvey wants to be known for protecting life. She says, "In 1973, I was a very confused 21-year-old, with one child, and facing an unplanned pregnancy. At the time, I fought to obtain a legal abortion, but truth be told, I have three daughters and have never had an abortion." McCorvey goes on to share that she’s a Christian and that being involved in Roe v. Wade was the biggest mistake of her life. Note: Why haven’t we heard about this monumental turn-around in the new media? It is certainly newsworthy!]]
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. ["You shall not murder." – Exodus 20:13]
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. ["Correct your children while there is still hope; do not let them destroy themselves." – Proverbs 19:18
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." – Hebrews 12:11]
We have abused power and called it politics. ["Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil." – Romans 16:18] [There is an old saying which I have watered down somewhat: "Power can corrupt, and absolute power can corrupt absolutely."]
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. ["Then (Jesus) said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abun-dance of his possessions.’ " – Luke 12:15] [T.V. programs preach that possessing more and more is the focus of the good life. Who is right? The one who lays up riches on earth or in heaven?]
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
[In order to be hot, we have to be sexy and obscene. Blatant lust is a part of most music, T.V. programs, and even commercials. "Sex sells." Sug-gestive "blips" censoring obscenities might as well not be there. Most people know what word is being "blipped out." But here is what the Bible says: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming." – Colossians 3:5,6]
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
[But God says: "O people, the LORD has told you
what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right,
to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God." – Micah 6:8]
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
["Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." – Psalm 139:23,24]
AMEN!