Republican Convention Prayer

Pastors Bring Controversy in Republican Convention Prayer

on July 20, 2016

Pastors are proving to be just as controversial – and unabashed in their language – as some of the speakers at the 2016 Republican National Convention being held this week in Cleveland, Ohio.

Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump asked televangelist Paula White, of the 10,000-member New Destiny Christian Center in Orlando, Florida to lead the convention in prayer at the conclusion of the opening night. White made news this Spring after she was identified by author and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson as the pastor who led Trump in reciting a sinners’ prayer and accepting Jesus Christ into his life.

White, who owns a condominium in New York’s Trump Tower, has been acquainted with the real estate developer for several years.

“I genuinely am humbled and honored,” White told Time magazine about the invitation. “It’s always been my passion and heart to break barriers for future generations.”

White has been criticized by some Evangelical Christians as a proponent of the prosperity “health and wealth” gospel, but it was actually a convention benediction offered by Pastor Mark Burns of the Harvest Praise and Worship Center in Easley, South Carolina that had people buzzing on Monday:

“We are electing a man in Donald Trump who believes in the name of Jesus Christ. And Republicans, we got to be united because our enemy is not other Republicans, but is Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party. Let’s pray together:

Father God, in the name of Jesus, Lord we are so thankful for the life of Donald Trump. We are thankful that you are guiding him, you are giving him the words to unite this party, this country, that we together can defeat the liberal Democratic party to keep us divided and not united, because we are the United States of America, and we are the conservative party under God, to defeat every attack that comes against us. Protect the life of Donald Trump, give him the words, give him the peace, give him the power and the authority to be the next President of the United States of America. In Jesus name, if you believe it, shout Amen.”

Burns’ prayer can be viewed here:

White’s prayer, in contrast, beseeches God for justice, protection and righteousness, drawing from the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah:

“Dear God,
We need you.
We stand tonight in challenging times.
I’m reminded of your words in Isaiah 59:14:
“Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found.”
“Truth stumbles in the streets and honesty has been outlawed.”
“Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.”
We too, have often turned our back on truth!
At the beginning of this convention
At this critical moment in America’s history
We choose a different path.
We pray that you would forgive us for our unrighteousness,
That you would inspire us to do what’s right
That you would empower us to be brave.
That you would give us faith to believe that things can and will change.
Help us to fight with all our might for the future of our country,
For the freedom of our children and grandchildren.
For the peace brought by our rule of law.
For your definition of justice.
Help us to pray not only in these symbolic moments, but in every moment.
Help us to pray like we mean it and to pray like it matters.
Protect from all of those who aim to destroy us.
Give us eyes to see a brighter future for America.
We believe in faith that
It’s time for darkness to be dispelled.
It’s time for this nation to live out its holy calling in the earth [world].
It is time for us to bridge the divide and become one.
We believe in faith that
It’s time for us to become the light that this world desperately needs.
It is time for this nation to uphold truth, proudly and boldly.
We choose by faith
To walk in love
To stand for the way of our God.
To seek peace for the generations to come.
We choose by faith
To raise up a standard against the forces of evil.
To have a heart for your presence
To have a thirst for your righteousness.
Dear God
We confess that we need you as never before.
We need your guidance. We need your blessing. We need your help.
We remember the many troubled waters that you have brought us through by Your grace and mercy
We remember Red Seas that have been parted, and the mouths of lions that have been pacified.
We remember the miracles of those times… and in our time
We remember the miracle of America.
In it all we find our hope that we can be great and we can be good as we stand in Your righteousness
Lord – as we leave – lead us
so that future generations in this land may know of your goodness.
May you bless us, and keep us.
Make your face shine upon us, and be gracious to us.
May you show us your favor and give us your peace.
In the name of Jesus who gives us hope through his empty tomb,
and whose life has brought us new life and all the hope in the world.
Amen and Amen and Amen and Amen.”

The selection of White and Burns to open and close the convention’s evening session is a significant change from 2012, when Republicans heard from Episcopalian Russell Levenson, a traditionalist rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, where Former President George H.W. Bush and Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker are members.

  1. Comment by Fraser Crest on March 5, 2023 at 7:45 pm

    I have to say that “pastor” Burns’ prayer was the most hateful prayer I have ever heard in my entire life. There is nothing Christian about that prayer (in harmony with the teachings of Jesus the Christ), and I am confident in believing that the Lord would find that prayer to be offensive and blasphemy. “Pastor” Burns wouldn’t know Jesus if He appeared in front of him with his hands outstretched to reveal the marks from the nails and his robe open revealing the once broken skin from the soldier’s sword, or the marks on his feet, all signs of His Crucifixion. No, from his “prayer” I think it is pretty clear that he doesn’t know anything about the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the way to know Him us to study His what He taught. Even a tiny bit of the gift of discernment would allow almost anyone to see the wolves in sheep’s clothing – those who teach for hire and divine for money, and to treat that which should be sacred as something common or worse – to use prayer to express hatred and instill it in the hearts of others. How many said, “Amen” after that prayer? As for Paula White – “I hear an abundance of Rain, I hear a sound of victory… Angels are coming from Africa, from Africa, from South America, the Lord said It is done…”. Prosperity gospel is a false gospel. It is heresy and blasphemy. They are devouring their flock, these prosperity preachers, they are heretics. They have taught their followers that rich people are righteous, otherwise if they weren’t God wouldn’t have rewarded them with so much wealth. Does God reward good people with cash? What these heretical prosperity preachers are teaching is more akin to a get rich seminar where they offer you some inspiring words and a bunch of bla, bla, bla, and they toss in the word Jesus and maybe a paraphrased passage from the Bible, just enough to get their tax exemption. The real kicker is, the way to get rich is to hold a seminar on how to get rich, sell books to go along with it, etc. The only way the people they are teaching can get rich from taking that course would be to start teaching their own course to others. God doesn’t tell these people to ask their congregations to buy them private planes. In fact, when they die there’s a chance that they will call out Lord, Lord, and the Lord will say, “I never knew you”. Their main problem is that they are trying to build up their own financial “kingdom” here on Earth, and NOW. Jesus didn’t teach that.
    People are lazy, they just believe what they are told without searching it out for themselves. They do that with their preachers and their politicians.
    Prosperity heretical preachers and hateful preachers who pray like Burns, should be required to read the Sermon on the Mount every day for a month and hopefully then, those people with understand better and see through these charlatans, grifters, and false teachers. heretical dogma will begin to understand what it is that we must do according to Jesus.

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