[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 59 (Thursday, May 8, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain, Rev. Lyle N. Kell, offered the following prayer:
  Heavenly Father, Almighty God, Creator and Sovereign Ruler of all 
Creation, I pray that Your mighty controlling and sovereign power will 
be felt here today in this great Hall of our U.S. Senate so that the 
laws enacted will cause peace and justice in our great Nation and 
throughout the world. Help us to understand that You are a loving and 
compassionate God and Your power can be felt as we understand Your 
great love for people.
  I pray You will keep us from the sin of forgetting that You are the 
one who sets up kingdoms and puts down kingdoms, and You cause that to 
happen through the minds and prayers of men and women. You have 
challenged us through Your Word that we who are ruled should pray for 
those who rule and those who rule should always seek God's will in 
their decisions. For those who rule in America watch over the souls of 
all Americans, knowing that they must give account to You, O God, and 
let them govern with joy and not grief, for that is unprofitable.
  By Christ, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God 
continually; that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. 
But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices 
God is well pleased. And even now, Heavenly Father, help these men and 
women to learn the art of extending grace and understanding to those of 
a contrary mind, a different mindset than one's own, even as You have 
extended Your sovereign grace and compassion to each of us. I pray in 
the name of our wonderful and holy God. Amen.

                          ____________________