[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 73 (Thursday, May 4, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

  Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
extend my appreciation to citizens all across America who are 
recognizing the observation of the National Day of Prayer. It is a time 
during which the people of America pray for this country and pray for 
those of us who have the responsibility to lead, not just at the 
national level, but at the local level as well. So in city halls across 
America, in State capitals, and here in the Nation's Capital, 
individuals are seeking to invoke the presence of God upon the 
deliberations of the Government, and upon the Nation as a whole.
  I am especially grateful for this fitting activity and for the fact 
that as a nation we occasionally stop to remember the Almighty. In 
particular, I am pleased to express appreciation on behalf of myself 
and many others to Shirley Dobson who is leading the National Day of 
Prayer this year.
  As our Nation heals from the wounds inflicted upon us by the Oklahoma 
City tragedy, and as we continue to confront daily the tragedies of 
death and violence that seem to plague our land, it is fitting we would 
call upon God to give thanks for the blessings we have enjoyed.
  The Old Testament book of Chronicles provides a worthwhile guide to 
our times. It says: ``If my people, which are called by my name, shall 
humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked 
ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will 
heal their land.'' Mr. President, I do not think there is a more noble 
aspiration than the desire of America to be a land of healing.
  Our Nation has embodied this attitude of humility and reverence 
before God from the very earliest days of its existence. During the 
Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin rose to say: ``If a 
sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable 
that an empire can rise without his aid?''
  There is little question but that we owe a debt of gratitude to 
Almighty God for the blessings he has continued to bestow upon us. As 
George Washington prayed: ``Almighty God; we make our earnest prayer 
that Thou wilt * * * most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do 
justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with * * * charity, 
humility and a pacific temper of mind.''
  I believe those are the kinds of sentiments we all ought to be 
expressing today. I pray God's blessing upon this land, and I thank 
those who are assembling across the country to remember our need for 
guidance.

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