DAY 67
THE UNHEARD PRAYER

AND THE PRAYER READS AS SUCH
FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION 2008:
"Father God,
This week as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.  We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.  We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.  Give us passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.  Give us eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.
 Help us
serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions. Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don't have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.  Help us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.  Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.  We have tried to solve these problems ourselves, but they are still here.
 We need your help.
Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world?
A lot of people don't like us but that's because they don't know
the heart of the average American.  Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world?  Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.  Lastly, Father, unify us.  Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.  And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments - but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.  God, we know that you are good. Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.  I make these requests in the name of your Son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.  Let Him be our example.
Amen."
~

WHAT PART OF THIS RINGS TRUE?
WHAT PART OF THIS COULD ACTUALLY BE OFFERED TO
A HOLY GOD WHO SEES ALL AND KNOWS ALL?

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE
THAT YOU ARE WITHOUT CURE
TO ALL YOUR AILS?

DO YOU REALLY
AND TRULY WANT MY HELP
IN THE WAY
THAT I CHOOSE TO OFFER IT?

IS THERE ANY REASON
THAT YOU CONTINUE TO AMASS
PROPERTY, THINGS, PEOPLE,
ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING
TO CONTROL
AND ATTEMPT TO SATISFY YOUR GLUTTONY
AND YET, I AM ASKED TO HELP YOU
CONTINUE THIS SELFISH
ENDEAVOR?

I HEAR THE CRIES
OF THE CHILDREN WITHIN THE WOMBS
ASKING TO LIVE
HOPING TO LIVE
BELIEVING THAT THIS NATION CANNOT
BE SO CRUEL AS TO YANK THEM OUT
AND DISPOSE OF THEM

I HEAR THE CRIES
OF THOSE IN POVERTY
OF THOSE WHO NEED A SAVIOR
WHO CHOOSE TO COME UNDER
MY RIGHTEOUS COVERING

I HEAR THE CRIES
OF THOSE WHO TEACH MY WORD
AND LIVE MY COMMANDS

I HEAR THE CRIES OF MY PEOPLE
BUT I DO NOT HEAR THE REQUESTS WHICH YOU MAKE
YOUNG MAN
FOR YOU SQUANDER AND MAKE EXCUSES
FOR THE RUIN OF THIS COUNTRY
AND IT SIMPLY LIES IN THE HEART OF THE NATION

THE HEART OF ITS PEOPLE
IS SIN
IS REBELLION
TO MY LAWS
MY HEART
MY COMMANDS

I
REALLY
BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN
"FIGURE OUT" THE DETAILS
IF YOU SET YOUR MIND TO IT
BUT YOU ASK FOR HELP
TRULY BELIEVING THAT I AM A GOD
WHO IGNORES
THE MURDERING OF CHILDREN
THE SEDUCTION OF THE MASSES
THE CONTROL OF SINFUL SOULS
THE RAMPANT INJUSTICES OF THIS COUNTRY
AND ITS LEADERS

BUT I AM WILLING
TO DIALOGUE WITH YOU
TODAY

IN FACT
LET'S MAKE A DEAL
DEAR AMERICANS

WHEN
YOU HUMBLY BEGIN TO PRAY PSALM 51 DAILY

WHEN
YOU LAY DOWN YOUR OWN LIVES
TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN
BORN AND UNBORN

WHEN
YOU ASK ME TO CHANGE YOUR HEARTS
SO THAT YOU ARE WORTHY OF MY BLESSING

WHEN
YOU BEGIN TO OFFER YOURSELVES
NOT JUST YOUR MONEY TOWARD SOLVING PROBLEMS

WHEN
YOU OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS

THEN
I WILL HEAR YOUR PRAYERS

~
YOU ERRONEOUSLY ADDRESS ME
AS FATHER
AND YET
I AM NOT
THE FATHER OF THIS NATION
NOR ITS PROTECTOR
I HAVE BEEN REMOVED
DISPLACED
BY YOUR WANTON
FOOLISH, SELFISH, SINFUL HEARTS

SORRY, SON
SORRY, NATION
PRAY TO THE GODS WHICH YOU
BOW DOWN TO AND SERVE
I WILL NOT ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS
UNTIL
YOU ARE WHOLLY MINE
FULLY REPENTANT
AND ABLE AND READY
TO STOP MURDERING MY CHILDREN
~ ~ ~
MY PLAN
UNTIL
THEN . . .

*

ANOTHER UNHEARD
UNANSWERED PRAYER


DAY 68