[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 18, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S10729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the following prayer:
  The prophet Isaiah asked some very penetrating questions. The answers 
lead us to an authentic attitude for profound prayer:
  ``Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, measured 
heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? 
Weighed the mountains and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the 
Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did 
He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him the path of 
justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed him the way of 
understanding?''--Isaiah 40:12-14.
  Almighty God, these questions expose the shallowness of our 
understanding of prayer. So often we come to You in prayer as if it 
were our responsibility to brief You on world affairs or current 
national problems. Or we come to prayer with our shopping list of needs 
as if You did not know all about us. And then there are times we try to 
get You to bless our plans about which we never consulted You.
  Father, You created prayer for us to be with You, to know You, to 
have our characters emulate Your character, and, most of all, to be 
filled with Your spirit. So we humble ourselves. Instead of telling You 
what to do, we open ourselves completely to receive Your marching 
orders and to follow You. In the name of the One who taught us to pray, 
``Not my will but Yours be done.'' Amen.

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