We smile when we overhear a little girl with a grievance against her brother praying such a prayer as the above. It is immature, with a poor understanding of the nature of prayer, and a very small understanding of the nature of God.

But we have to do more than smile if we read that kind of prayer from an adult about his brother with whom he has a grievance, especially if the prayer is circulated by a magazine and emails, and is backed up with commentary to a journalist, and reinforced by radio interviews – but even more so if this immature understanding about prayer and the nature of God comes from a clergyman!

But that is what happened the other day when Rev Fred Nile released an email Prayer letter sent to all his supporters, then followed it up by giving radio interviews affirming the contents. I steadfastly refused to give any interviews to reporters or electronic media when they asked me.

Rev Fred Nile asked his followers to pray that Rev Gordon Moyes would resign from the Party and from the Parliament. That is a childish understanding of prayer, very much like his organizing people to stand on street corners and pray that God would rain on the Mardi Gras Parade. This was not what Jesus taught, but this: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full.” (Matt 6:5)

His call was not in the spirit of prayer as Jesus taught it. Then there was the Press release, sent out with a blare of trumpets telling the world how much he and Elaine had given to the Bushfire relief. “We urge all Australians to support the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal. Elaine and Fred Nile have forwarded a personal donation of $2,000.”

My mother taught me your donation to charity was something polite people would never boast about publicly. But a press release, the modern equivalent of announcing your act of charity with a blast of trumpets, declared even the amount of the gift. I do not know anyone in public life who sends such information to journalists boasting of their charity.

Again, this is contrary to the teachings of Jesus in Matthew. “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

If you would like to understand how you should pray and give as taught by Jesus then write and we will send you a free book entitled “Prayer”. Or look up http://www.gordonmoyes.com/wp-content/uploads//BIBLESTUDIESPrayer.pdf

Don’t be childish in your prayers, and don’t follow a poor example, but in your understanding be mature.

However by making this issue public, many good people asked me what my future position would be, especially members of the Parliament, as each had been given a copy of the request for prayer that I resign. I asked them to pray for guidance and then let me know their thoughts.

As a result, the prayer that I would resign my seat in Parliament was just as effective as the prayer for rain on the Mardi Gras! Following advice from consecrated Christian friends, I have decided to fulfil my term for which I was elected.

My first term in the NSW Parliament came at Rev Fred Nile’s request to take the place of his wife Elaine who was resigning for health reasons. That term was for exactly twenty days. It was on condition I then stood for the CDP at the forthcoming election.

I had earlier that year resigned from Wesley Mission after twenty-seven years of leadership to take effect from 2005. Beverley and I then took annual and unpaid leave from Wesley Mission and spent the next three months campaigning across New South Wales for the next election. We worked hard at great personal expense. I drove 13,000 kilometres, addressed 150 meetings organised by CDP members, Wesley Mission staff working in those localities, and Christian friends who wanted me to win a seat.

Because of my long media profile, I did scores of radio, television and press interviews. Against 292 other candidates, I won one of the twenty-one seats available. No one gave me that seat. I won it by our own efforts. I will stay throughout this second term until the last day Parliament prior to the next election due in March 2011. But, you may ask, didn’t I once offer to resign to allow someone else to take my seat and to get ready for the next election? True.

This is what I said, and what was printed at the time: “My proposal is simple: we make the CDP a vital young adult Party. The old men of the parliament, Fred and myself, would retire this time next year (i.e. during 2009). We announce we will give up our seats to two young adults aged less than forty years who will be chosen after they have extensively visited and spoken in every major suburban and regional centre. It would ensure the CDP would have future and would no longer be thought of as a dying party of old men. This will only work if both Fred I agree to give up our seats so as to give young adults a chance to get into Parliament next year (in 2009) while they are still vigorous and possess fresh thinking. So long as one of us stays in Parliament the young adult will never have a chance of establishing the new image of the Party.”

Fred flatly refused to join me in resigning so I will remain until the last day of my term as a Christian Democrat.

There is a extremist right wing faction in the CDP known as “The Fred Nile Group”. I am a Christian Democrat in the spirit of Christian Democrats in twenty other countries. I have been asked to stand as a Christian Democrat again in the next election. I have had an offer to support my campaign from a large Christian organization in NSW who will provide funding and people power for the election. A final decision on this will be made before year’s end.

There is one other option. Fred Nile should resign from Parliament now and allow our Vice President Dr Ross Clifford to take his seat. Ross will be popular with everyone. Fred would remain founder of the CDP and Chairman of our Council and would have the time to develop national support for our Party. Ross will be elected as Parliamentary Leader as soon as he enters Parliament. I will wait until he is in the seat to make sure that Fred does not circle round and re-enter via the back door as he did after his unsuccessful attempt to win a Senate seat. We farewelled him properly, said our good byes, gave him a great tribute dinner, but then he came back after failing to jeers, boos and catcalls from members of all Parties. When Fred has really gone, I will resign allowing another CDP member to take my seat. That is the only way I can see the CDP retaining two seats in Parliament.

Thank you for your prayers. After serious prayer of many, I have now clarified the future. That is the danger for asking people to pray in an immature fashion – the prayers will be answered but not in the spiteful way intended!

Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.

Friday, 20th March, 2009, 9:10 am | Editorials