Legislative Prayer 3-25-2014

On Tuesday, March 25, 2014, I had the privilege of leading prayer before both houses of the Iowa Legislature.  Many thanks to State Representative, Rob Taylor and Senator Amy Sinclair for their invitation and their confidence in me.  Below is the text of my prayer:


Thank you Mr. Speaker (Madame President in the Senate).

May I pray for you this morning?

God, I want to thank You for each individual in this room.  From the clerks to the custodians to the recorders to the lawmakers, every individual here is of immense worth and value to You.  You clearly demonstrated that when You gave Your only Son to pay the price for the sins of all mankind - including me and each individual hearing my voice. 

These women and men who serve carry a great responsibility, having sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and of the State of Iowa.  They have further sworn to faithfully discharge their duties in their respective chambers.  And while it’s foolish to think that the decisions made today will please every citizen of this great state, I ask You to grant wisdom so that every decision made would resonate with You and be made in accordance with Your desires for our very lives.  I don’t know the items on the agenda, but I’m confident that before the day is through there will be some difficult decisions made.  I simply ask You to guide these leaders through the process of making those decisions.

Because some of the decisions made in these hallowed chambers are unpopular, the people gathered here take a lot of heat. I realize that they signed up for it when they ran for office, but their families also take a lot of abuse in verbal and written form.  So I ask You to strengthen each one here, and their families:  to protect these lawmakers and the ones they love from the negative comments and vitriol that others might choose to send their way.  Bless them with strength, health, peace and guidance.

I ask You to guide each Member beyond their failures, their sins and their humanity as they humbly lay down their differences and work together for the common good of all Iowans, even as Your Son laid down His life for us.  May the decisions made this day and throughout this session serve the under-served, care for the disenfranchised and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. 

Bless and protect these servants, Governor Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds, their families and all those they love and care for.  Please pour Your blessings on the United States of America, and this, the great state of Iowa.

I ask these things of You, great God and giver of all good things, in the name of Your Son, Jesus.  Amen

This Journey Called, "Faith"

Faith is a journey, not a destination.  It’s not like we trust in Jesus and then everything about life is perfect.  It doesn’t work that way.  Putting our faith in Christ doesn't make us perfect.  It makes us forgiven.  And it starts us on this journey of faith.

I think that’s why Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again.  When we’re born we're a blank slate.  We begin learning and growing.  We make mistakes - a lot of them.  But we eventually get to the place where the mistakes are fewer and wisdom grows and we move forward on the journey of life.  And the same thing happens when we’re born again.  We aren’t made perfect, but we do begin a journey of learning and growing and watching God do some pretty incredible things in our lives.  As time goes on the mistakes become fewer and the victories come more frequently.  And the journey of faith continues.

So stay on the journey........where you’re going is worth it!