The Prayer That Rocked the State
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The Prayer That Rocked the State
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Tulsa, Oklahoma, has almost 2,000 evangelical churches, ministries, training centers, and universities. Thousands of students come from around the world to study at the beautiful Oral Roberts University and the training centers housed in the city’s mega-churches. Meeting around the teachings of Jesus and praying in His name are commonplace, making Tulsa a most unlikely location for any controversy regarding a prayer of blessing over a high school graduating class.
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The fallout occurred when E’Lena Ashley, a Tulsa public school board member, stepped up to the podium on May 20, 2023, and prayed a simple prayer of blessing in the name of Jesus over the new graduates of Tulsa’s East Central High School. The firestorm that followed shook the town and, ultimately, the state.
Standing before the students and their families, E’Lena unfolded the paper she thought contained her well-worded prayer of blessing. She looked down and realized she held the dry cleaner’s receipt for cleaning her commencement robe. After the initial shock, she asked God for help: “OK, Lord, it’s just You and me; help me to remember my prayer of blessing I wrote for these children.” She took a deep breath and then prayed out: “I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that each one of you would walk forward from this moment in the excellence and love of God. That He would guide you, direct you, and draw you to your ultimate goal.” With that, she proceeded to deliver her prepared commencement speech.
The prayer lasted a mere 18 seconds, but that one mention of the name of Jesus set off a firestorm of adverse reactions far beyond reason, thrusting E’Lena into a vicious attack against her, personally.
The local newspaper derided her with a barrage of negative articles. Social media trolls called her names and harassed her. The Tulsa public school superintendent and a fellow board member wrote open letters condemning her for violating the U.S. Constitution and the TPS students’ religious rights. In a matter of days, the threats of lawsuits began. The first threat came from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. The organization’s website says it actively pursues cases it perceives to be violations of the First Amendment.
Having served the past 15 months as a new school board member, E’Lena was no stranger to controversy. Throughout her board tenure, E’Lena proved that she is unafraid to speak up for the students she represents. She has refused to approve blanket budget proposals. After TPS uncovered an embezzlement scheme of over $343,000 by a Tulsa school administrator, E’Lena asked Gov. Kevin Stitt for a forensic audit of TPS, and the governor agreed. She advocates for more emphasis on the teaching of academic basics. She has called for the TPS superintendent’s resignation (student performance has declined steadily during the superintendent’s eight-year tenure). E’Lena’s goal is to hold the school accountable.
It’s not like the school didn’t need prayer. As the most extensive school system in Oklahoma (69 schools, serving 32,569 students), TPS has a dismal record of student performance. The average reading proficiency in TPS is 16.7%; for math, it’s 4.6%; and for science, it’s 14.2%. Last year TPS reported over 30 incidents of weapons in school during the fall semester.
E’Lena knew her District 4 students needed help, so she decided in 2022 to run for school board. With almost four decades of work experience, her qualifications range from serving in the U.S. Military Intelligence Program, working in Washington, D.C., for Veterans Affairs, to raising three children as a single mom.
The ramifications of her prayer spread throughout Oklahoma like the Fourth of July fireworks. Oklahoma’s conservative community got a taste of the spiritual resistance E’Lena endured, when they attended a public rally at which the Oklahoma secretary of education presented over 2,000 letters of support for E’Lena’s graduation prayer — amid heckling protesters.
E’Lena’s trial reminds us as intercessors to pray for newly elected school board members as they enter a position where the battle is intense and the persecution is real, especially for those who sincerely care about the students and their physical and spiritual well-being.
E’Lena’s experience exemplifies the need to pray in the name of Jesus whenever we’re asked to pray over any event. That small deed can change our nation. The words of Samuel Adams are as valid today as when he spoke them over 200 years ago: “It doesn’t take a majority to prevail but rather an irate, tireless minority keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”
You can learn more about E’Lena and how to pray for and support her at ElenaAshley.com.
Share your prayers for those in authority like E’Lena below.
Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the cultural mountain of education. She is the author of Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform American Schools; Safety Zone: Scriptural Prayers to Revolutionize Your School; and Decrees for Your School. She leads groups for prayer at key educational locations across the U.S. Find out more by visiting TakingTheMountainOfEducation.com. Photo Credit: Bogomil Mihaylov on Unsplash.
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Comments
We have a great state with a lot of great leadership. But our education system is a mess. I believe this is primarily a result of complacency and the resulting lack of participation by those of us who would care to change things if we only were aware. I pray that people will grow in their awareness of the insidious evil that creeps in the darkness of our system.
There is power in the Name of Jesus!! Amen Amen
Congress will make no Law respecting an establishment of religion or DENYING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF!!!!!!!!!
Amen
In Jesus’s name
Praise the Lord Jesus for E’Lena’s love for God and the children. Thank you for standing up for truth.
Nancy, thank you for bringing this story to light!
God bless and empower you both to exalt His name among the people.
I have been making copies & distributing Nancy’s “Decrees For Your School” prayer guide & we are seeing results! I appreciate the work she is doing in the Education Mountain. It’s an honor, responsibility & privilege to lift up our students & children, teachers, administration, security & staff in prayer. Thank you & may we see the kingdom advance this school year to overcome evil in Jesus name!
Such a beautiful blessing over students! The Father of lies would not want it spoken, but I just listened to the President of First Liberty, an attorney, who explained that because of the Supreme Court ruling in the Kennedy case, our religious rights have been restored because the ruling also overturned the Lemon Law (I hope I spelled that correctly. I heard it, not read it). Anyone interested should go to Restoring Faith in American website. Let’s keep praying for our children!
In the Name of Jesus I pray that more bold Christians like Ms. Ashley would become school board members and that the Church would especially become involved in their local school board meetings. Amen and amen.
All Glory to our God for putting great and bold people to do His will when He calls them forth to do so. Amen
Yes, we stand with E’lena for praying in the beautiful and matchless name of Jesus as the one on which our hope in our heavenly Father rests. Thank you for caring, activating and humbly stimulating the status quo in the place you call home. May the Lord bless all to simply draw near to him so he in all faithfulness will draw near to them, bind up their wounds and give them peace, because of his son Jesus’ sacrifice for once and for all.
I stand behind Ms. E’lena for saying a prayer in Jesus name to bless those graduating students. We need more administrators like her to stand behind our students and strive for academic victory. Go back to the basics so our graduating students are proficient in reading and math. Let’s all pray for Ms. E’lena’s victory in all cases.
Thank you for standing for Jesus and the prayer was beautiful!! We pray for divine protection, divine peace, divine angels all around you , divine peace. We stand with you ! No weapon formed against you shall prosper!! In Jesus name !!
Thank you E’lena for standing firm in the face of adversity. It is hard to believe that here in America, a nation once known for it belief in God and prayer, that now a minority of bigots can cause such an uproar. May God protect you and the students and parents who stand with you and may more of us become embolden to stand and affirm our need for God in our lives and our desire to serve Him.
May God bless you richly in all you do.
Thank you for publishing these articles.
I pray for the Mountains, including Family and Education.
Both article subjects, and the new board of education members, will be added to my prayer focus list.
God bless. 😊
Father God, give E’Lena and all who work in Public and Private Schools the power to overcome the satanic forces that are destroying our children and youth. Ungodly men and women have become instrumental in degrading education lower that any third world nation.
Mold our hearts of stone into playable hearts of flesh that will fulfill Your desire for us as a Nation that can truly say ‘In God We Trust’
Dana Canary
I thank God for the prayers for our family and children being an intercessor It is very important that we all pray daily. Doing so will help our children to be able to walk in joy and peace and most of all Safety Amen 🙏🏾
I am very thankful for BOLD people praying for their schools…no matter what happens. Yeah, bring it on!!
We got your back E’Lena!!! Please do not stop representing our rights as parents and citizens. Our kids need you, do not give up or get discouraged. We are the majority and we are with you. To be persecuted for our faith is a badge of honor and an example for our kids to be steadfast & courageous. You are right, they are not, you are strong, they are weak, you are humble, they are bullies, you are brave, they are fectless cowards, following the George Soros loving Markists like lemmings going right off the cliff of defeatism. A very insightful and direct person once said, you just can’t fix stupid so, I only hope we get more people with as much common sense as you have on the school board of one of the worst achedemic school systems in the nation so we can start the desperately needed “Clean Up Process”.
Praise the Lord!!! So proud of her! May the Lord continue to use her, protect her and His Angels surround her wherever she goes!
And we wonder why we are in the mess we find ourselves today. We thumb our noses at other countries we call inferior, but by and large, they have a love for Jesus and are not ashamed of the Gospel. Many are being killed for their faith in Jesus.
The Downgrade of Society: Religious Apostasy, Moral Awfulness,
Political Anarchy. Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. ( Proverbs 34:14). Father God, You always maintain a remnant. May we be included in Your Calling as such.
Thank You.
Lord, thank you for E’lena’s courage and tenacity-, and willingness to stand in the face of evil. Thank you Lord and that her example could be our motivation- especially my motivation- to go forward learning what I can do.. even the smallest thing Lord, I pray you would protect her-, that your guardian angels would be with her family-, and in her home, and your Holy Spirit would surround them.. protecting them.. and encouraging them.. giving them peace every night as they sleep-.. and giving her great motivation and wisdom to go forward in the daytime, to continue to stand against these evils,and knowing what to say and how to say it-,as the promptings from you Lord-,come to her mind, in just the right moments,.. as she learns to trust You.. even more in these crucial moments-,Lord heeding your mind in speaking through her mind Lord-,in her daily tasks.
In Jesus mighty Name, Amen
Praise God for courageous Christians who are not ashamed of the NAME above ALL NAMES – JESUS CHRIST! May others be stirred by this lady’s courage!!!💖
E’Lena thank you for being salt & Light on this mountain of education! Thank you for sharing the Truth with everyone who was present at that graduation that day. Jesus told his disciples I am the Truth and the way to everlasting life. You showed them the Way that day and the evil doers knew it too! And lastly thank you for your bravery not to comprise your Faith in God! You are not alone there is a whole army of believers standing with you. Be blessed
Father God, You are the Supreme Justice of the Universe. Your Kingdom is forever and I thank You for providing Jesus as our way to be cleansed of sin and be restored to You Father.
Praying for E’Lena and her family as I rejoice in her blessing. Matt 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Lord, I thank you for E’Lena and I bless her this day in the precious name of Jesus. The blessings extend to a thousand generations of those that love You.
Numbers 6:24-27 the Priestly Blessing I declare over E’Lena and her family
We pray for our courageous sister, E’Lena Ashley. May the school boards across America be filled with like-minded members.
Father, I thank you for this wonderful woman of faith and trust in You.
May she continue to be used in her area of influence as a school board member and that the Christian community will stand with her and undergird her in prayer as she impacts the lives of those students. Thank you that her efforts are not in vain regardless of the backlash and she will always be bold and strong for she knows the Lord her God is with her.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Praise God- shows the power of the Name of Jesus. The enemy fears that name.
Praise God for this woman who stands in “boldness” for the word of our Lord.
Heavenly Father, We thank and praise You for our founding fathers who based our nation on Your Word and sought to have a nation where people have freedom to worship You. We know many schools and universities were started to teach people to read Your Word and serve You. Forgive us for straying so far from these goals.
I pray that we would return to our roots and freedom of religion in every area of the mountain of education. I pray for professors, teachers, counselors, administrators, and other staff to come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. May our young men and women come to know the TRUTH and be delivered from the evil lies of satan. I pray You will reveal Yourself to people who run organizations like the Freedom From Religion Foundation that seeks to remove You form our schools and our nation. Father, You have revealed Yourself to people of other beliefs before, we ask that You do it again across our nation. Thank You for Your love and saving grace. We praise You for Your goodness, righteousness, and deliverance. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
We declare and decree that her prayer and speech is protected by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution as well as Almighty God (El Shaddai).
We place a hedge of thorns and a wall of fire around her for protection.
We plead the blood of Yeshua against all of her enemies and declare and decree Deuteronomy 28:6-7 TLV “6 “Blessed will you be when you come in, and blessed will you be when you go out. 7 “Adonai will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck down before you. They will come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
We further declare and decree that the attacks from the enemy will be returned to their own heads.
We declare that our God is a Mighty Warrior Who leads us in His triumph!
In Yeshua’s Name we pray. Amen!
Yes, Father. I come in agreement with this prayer to protect all who are standing for YOU. Give them boldness and the words to say that will draw others unto You. I pray Christians will put on their armor and be prepared for the battle to return our nation to You. Amen.
Our senators and representatives need to wake up from their obsession in wokeness and stop this land buying by the Chinese.
I feel very, very bad this morning and not yet able to pray into anything. But I want to let it be known that I did read this and all articles and appreciate the work of this ministry and everyone who is plugged in here. a couple of years ago I attended a very small and peaceful demonstration with perhaps 25 decent teachers and parents outside of our local school board meeting in which we held signs protesting the fact that parents had been kept out of any interaction with the local education bureaucracy for a very long time due to the plandemic. We were looked down on and treated with complete arrogance by attendees going in and out of the building as if we had no right to an opinion about anything and were practically a threat. This is a nasty Authoritarian Spirit that will not tolerate any resistance to domination and control by the Left.