It came to light yesterday that the leader of Governor Sam Brownback's (R-KS) Bible study and prayer meetings put out a list of items requiring divine intercession on February 7. The religious sessions are conducted by The Capitol Commission, a Raleigh, NC-based nonprofit group that has has ministries in 21 states, and whose state directors conduct Bible studies for legislators, lobbyists and staff members.
Included in the items listed was a call for prayers for the “dark spiritual areas” in the state, all of which are represented by Democrats. The list includes the following:
“Target prayer for dark spiritual areas of SE Kansas, Lawrence, KCKS, North Johnson County — ask God to restore the land.”
In a Facebook post to his constituents, Kansas House Minority Leader Paul Davis (D-Lawrence) asked, “Do you think it a coincidence that all of these areas are represented by Democrats in the Kansas Legislature?”
The Kansas director of The Capitol Commission, David DePue, dismissed the list as “unfortunate wording,” saying that the request for divine intervention was motivated by legitimate concerns (“We’re just praying for the economy,” he said). However, as various Kansas legislators pointed out, the economies of Lawrence and Kansas City Kansas are among the bright spots in the state.
