[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S11305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the following prayer:
  Almighty God, You created us to praise You. Forgive us for the pride 
that too frequently takes the place of praise in our hearts. So often, 
we want to be adequate in our own strength, to be loved by You because 
of our self-generated goodness, and to be admired by people because of 
our superior performance. Yet pride pollutes everything: It stunts our 
spiritual growth, creates tensions in our relationships, and makes us 
people who are difficult for You to bless. Most important of all, our 
pride separates us from You, dear Father. When pride reigns, life 
becomes bland, truth becomes relative, and values become confused. We 
lose that inner confidence of convictions rooted in the Bible and Your 
revealed truth.
  Now in this quiet moment, we praise You for breaking the bubble of 
illusion that, with our own cleverness and cunning, we can solve life's 
problems. Help us recover a sense of humor so we can laugh at ourselves 
for ever thinking we could make it on our own. We humble ourselves 
before You. Fill us with Your spirit. Now, with our minds planted on 
the Rock of Ages, we have the power to face the ambiguities of today 
with the absolutes of Your truth and guidance. Through our Lord and 
Saviour. Amen.

                          ____________________