Adair County once had a somewhat eccentric but prominent Baptist layman by the name of Clayton Miller (1797-1874), whose prayers were the subject of wide attention, at times to the point of criticism by his peers. One day at the Old Zion Baptist Church he squelched the criticism with a prayer:

AN UNUSUAL PRAYER

"Lord, Thou knowest the embarrassment Thy servant labors under for here are Oliver Garnett Walkup, Allen DeGraffenreid Patterson and Chesley Jones Taylor. Though clever, Lord, they are sometimes inclined to make remarks about Thy servant's prayers. And now, Lord we beseech Thee to visit Old Zion, once more.

Zion, Lord, is a brick church located on the main road leading from Columbia, Kentucky, to Jamestown, five miles from the former. Commence, Lord, to pour out Thy blessings to Jamestown, for Lord, Thou knowest that they are sadly in need of it there...be with our armies in Mexico, whether right or wrong....We of the Democratic Party are sometimes accused of making war for conquest, but we believe it to be a war of defense.

But we would enter no elaborate argument on the subject before Thee, but for further particulars would refer Thee to President Polk's latest annual message, and Thine shall be the praise, both now and forever."