My Prayer at the MN House

By Bradlee Dean

Today I gave a prayer at the opening of the MN House session. Little did I know that I was going to be giving the prayer on the same day that they were going to have a vote on the marriage amendment. After 20 minutes, I left the capitol, only to get a phone call to tell me that something unprecedented just took place. Apparently someone was angry about my prayer because I invoked the name of Jesus. Before I knew it, instead of the media reporting on it as me standing up for our future generations, all of the sudden I became an anti-gay divisive pastor, when all I did was simply say a prayer encouraging all of us to honor our veterans, uphold the Constitution, and not forget the principles of our forefathers, upon which this nation is established. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PRAYER

After the media reported their fabricated story, Majority Speaker Kurt Zellers released a statement denouncing me for my actions and my words. He said, “He does not represent my values or the values of this state.” Since when, I ask, does the Constitution of the United States not represent his values or the values of the state of Minnesota? Since when, I ask, do those veterans who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom not represent Mr. Zellers’ values or the values of this state? Since when do the values of our country established in 1776 not reflect Speaker Zellers’ values, or the values of the people of this state? If Speaker Zellers does not stand for the Constitution, our veterans, the Founding Forefathers, and the Christian God to whom he swears by an oath to uphold these very things, then I would say Mr. Zellers is not fit to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Minnesota. 

Today Speaker Zellers exemplified a point I have made many times over in past years. When a little heat comes for taking a stand, diplomatic people immediately bend to the opposition. They fall all over themselves to apologize for something that they claim to stand for when speaking to their constituents. But when it comes to actually putting what they said into practice, they denounce the Constitution’s laws and the people’s principles who voted them in.  How hypocritical.

I wonder how they would have responded to the First Prayer of the Continental Congress in 1774.

It goes as follows…

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.

Amen.

Reverend Jacob Duché
Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.

As you can clearly see from this prayer, when we stray from the paths our Forefathers laid out for us, where the name of Jesus was once praised and glorified, now judgment is turned backwards and those who represent the Biblical truths of Scripture and Jesus Christ Himself are ostracized and condemned for doing that which is right before God. I see not much has changed in 2,000 years!

Take a good look around, America. The reason why our nation has gone headlong into the moral decline we see in our country today is because, as I said in my prayer, we have turned our back on our Founder, His laws, and His principles. 

Click here to see the written text of the prayer.