Rick Perry’s prayer at The Response: “Father, our heart breaks for America” (video)

Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at The Response, a call to prayer for a nation in crisis, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, in Houston. (David J. Phillip - AP) Texas Governor Rick Perry, expected to make a decision about a potential 2012 presidential run within the next two weeks, gave a speech and prayer at his revival rally in Houston Saturday.

“Indeed the only thing you love more [than America] is the living Christ,” Perry said to the cheers and applause of the gathered thousands.

After mentioning the economic downturn and other signs of national “darkness,” Perry said, “Because we know a loving God, we know that the greatest darkness comes just before the morning.”

With the cadence of a charismatic preacher, Perry read from the Old and New Testaments before delivering a final prayer.

“[God’s] agenda is not a political agenda. His agenda is a salvation agenda,” Perry said.“He’s calling all Americans of all walks of life to seek him, to return to him, to experience his love and his grace and his acceptance.”

Perry then read a passage from the Book of Joel:

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders,gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Perry then read from Isaiah:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, hey will walk and not be faint.

Finally, Perry read from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Then the Texas governor delivered a final prayer:

“Lord you are the source of every good thing. You are our only hope. And we stand before you today in awe of your power and in gratitude for your blessings, in humility for our sins. Father, our heart breaks for America. We see discord at home. We see fear in the marketplace. We see anger in the halls of government. As a nation, we have forgotten who made us, who protects us, who blesses us. And for that we cry out for your forgiveness. We pray for our nation’s leaders Lord. For parents, for pastors, for the generals, for governors; that you would inspire them in these difficult times. Father we pray for our president that you would impart your wisdom upon him; that you would guard his family. We pray for our military and the families who love them. Oh father, especially for those special operators who lost their lives yesterday in defending our freedoms. You call us to repent, Lord, and this day is our response. We give it all to you for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen and Amen. Amen.”