[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3730-S3735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST 1998 TRANSCRIPT

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I had the privilege of chairing the 46th 
Annual National Prayer Breakfast held here in Washington, D.C., on 
February 5, 1998. This annual gathering in our Nation's Capital is 
hosted by Members of the United States Senate and House of 
Representatives weekly prayer breakfast groups.
  Once again, we were honored by the attendance and participation of 
the President and the First Lady, as well as the Vice President and 
Mrs. Gore. Our colleague, Senator Connie Mack, inspired and encouraged 
us with his remarks, and we were challenged by the prayer offered by 
Dr. Billy Graham.
  This year we welcomed over 3,600 individuals from all walks of life, 
and from all 50 states and U.S. territories and many countries around 
the world. So that all may benefit from this special gathering, I 
request that the text of the program and a transcript of the 1998 
proceedings be printed in the Record.
  I understand that the Government Printing Office estimates that it 
will cost approximately $1,426 to print this transcript in the Record.
  The material follows:

                       National Prayer Breakfast

                Chairman: The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka

     Pre-Breakfast Prayer
       Mr. Robert L. Parker, Businessman, Oklahoma
     Opening Prayer
       General Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff


                               Breakfast

     Welcome
       The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka, U.S. Senate, Hawaii
     Remarks--Senate and House Breakfast Groups
       The Honorable Bobby Scott, U.S. House of Representatives, 
         Virginia
     Old Testament Reading
       The Honorable Don Gevirtz, Former Ambassador to Fiji
     Duet
       Randy and Gae Hongo
     New Testament Reading
       Dr. Dorothy I. Height, National Council of Negro Women
     Prayer for National Leaders
       The Vice President of the United States
     Message
       The Honorable Connie Mack, U.S. Senate, Florida


                   The President of the United States

     Closing Song
       The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka, Randy and Gae Hongo (all 
         join in)
     Closing Prayer
       Dr. Billy Graham
       [Audience, please remain in place until the President, Mrs. 
     Clinton and other Heads of State have departed]
       Robert Parker. May we ask you now to join us in prayer? 
     Please join us in prayer, if you will.
       Lord, as we gather together for the beginning of this new 
     day, we pause now to listen to you. Thank you for being with 
     us now, and thank you for being in this room. Your presence 
     gives us hope and encouragement. Whenever we gather in your 
     name, there is excitement. Help us capture that excitement 
     today, to the betterment of the lives of us all.
       We all need your help. We all need your guidance. Give us 
     the wisdom to be more like you in all that we do. And we 
     especially thank you for sharing your servant, Billy Graham, 
     with us. He represents you well, helps all of us be better 
     followers. Thank you for listening. Thank you for showing the 
     way. And thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed 
     upon us. In your name we pray, Amen.
       Announcer. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the 
     United States, the Vice President of the United States, the 
     First Lady of the United States, and Mrs. Gore. (Applause.)
       Senator Akaka. Will you all be seated, please. Good 
     morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dan Akaka. I'm the 
     convener of the United States Senate Breakfast Group and 
     chairman of the National Prayer Breakfast. I want to say 
     welcome to all of you here this morning.
       On behalf of the United States Senate and House of 
     Representatives, I welcome you to the 46th annual National 
     Prayer Breakfast. We're happy to have you here on this 
     special day. Robert Parker presented the pre-breakfast prayer 
     this morning, and we are happy to have you here. At this 
     time, General Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
     Staff, will offer the opening prayer. General?
       Gen. Hugh Shelton. Let us pray.
       O Lord, our strength and our redeemer, we come together 
     today to pray for strength and guidance in a difficult and 
     challenging world. Though we have come far, we have so far to 
     go to realize your plan here on Earth. Lord, we ask your help 
     and guidance for all those who have been chosen to lead our 
     people all over the world. And grant that we may follow with 
     humble and willing hearts to do the work that must be done 
     to preserve the blessings of peace and to share the gifts 
     that you have given us. May those chosen to lead, lead 
     with wisdom and compassion, not in pursuit of wealth and 
     power, but guided by your righteous word and walking in 
     your upright ways.
       Today we pray for your blessings on all our men and women 
     in uniform, at home and abroad. Keep them safe as they keep 
     the peace. And keep them strong to carry the burdens that 
     must be borne in a troubled world. And Father, though we are 
     of many faiths, we have but one prayer, and that is to share 
     your peace with people everywhere. May you stretch your 
     loving hands over friend and foe alike and bring us together 
     in the spirit of truth so that in our time we may know your 
     peace.
       Now we pray that you would bless this food to the 
     nourishment of our bodies and our help to thy service. These 
     things we ask in your name. Amen.
       Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, General Shelton. You 
     honor us very much with your presence here at this prayer 
     breakfast.
       Please enjoy your breakfast. Our program will resume in a 
     few minutes.
       [Breakfast.]
       Senator Akaka. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It is a 
     wonderful privilege for me to welcome all of you this morning 
     to the National Prayer Breakfast. I particularly want to 
     greet our international guests who represent over 160 
     nations. And everyone attending the prayer breakfast for the 
     first time, I say again, welcome. (Applause.)

[[Page S3731]]

       This morning we gather almost 4,000 strong from all 50 
     states, commonwealths and the U.S. territories and nations 
     around the world to reaffirm our faith, seek spiritual 
     support for our President and leaders in our country, and 
     share fellowship and friendship with one another.
       We are honored to have the President and First Lady and the 
     Vice President and Mrs. Gore as our guests. In attendance we 
     also have members of the Senate and the House, officials from 
     the President's Cabinet and leaders of our armed forces, 
     responsible student leaders and leaders from all facets of 
     society throughout the United States.
       We're also pleased to welcome the President of Albania, 
     former heads of state, cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, 
     members of the diplomatic corps, educators and business, 
     labor and religious leaders from around the world.
       Permit me to introduce the people sitting at the head 
     table. And I'll do it quickly from my left to my right. Randy 
     and Gae Hongo; General Hugh Shelton and Mrs. Carolyn Shelton; 
     Dr. Dorothy Height; Mrs. Marilyn Gevirtz; Ambassador Don 
     Gevirtz. (Laughter.) In a timely fashion to the Vice 
     President and Mrs. Gore. (Laughter.) Congressman Bobby Scott; 
     the President and First Lady; my better half, Millie; Senator 
     Connie Mack and Priscilla Mack; Dr. Billy Graham; Mrs. 
     Catherine Parker and Mr. Robert Parker. (Applause.)
       As chairman, I want to express my deepest appreciation to 
     all participants this morning for sharing your faith with us. 
     Looking upon this august and joyful assembly, I see the 
     universality of the prayer breakfast, the coming together of 
     people of different nations, faiths and cultures, and the 
     power of love and consideration for one another.
       I am reminded of the passage from Psalm 33, verse 12: 
     ``Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he 
     chose for his inheritance. From heaven, the Lord looks down 
     and sees all mankind. From his dwelling place, he watches all 
     who live on Earth. He forms the hearts of all and considers 
     all their works.''
       God's love for all of us is everlasting, for all men and 
     women from all nations. This perfect love fills our hearths, 
     prepares us for the challenges we face each day and opens our 
     minds to God's wisdom. As we seek to love God and one 
     another, let the spirit of this prayer breakfast enrich us, 
     strengthen us and lead us on life's journey, where we are 
     never alone.
       It is my privilege at this time to introduce to you the 
     honorable Bobby Scott, Congressman from Virginia, who is 
     leader of the House Prayer Breakfast Group. He will speak to 
     us on behalf of the House and the Senate Prayer Groups. 
     Bobby?
       Representative Bobby Scott. Thank you, Senator. Mr. 
     President and Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Vice President and Mrs. Gore, 
     other dais guests, ladies and gentlemen, I'm delighted to 
     join my congressional colleagues from the House and the 
     Senate Prayer Breakfast Groups in bringing you another 
     welcome to the 1998 National Prayer Breakfast. This is our 
     46th year of coming together to commemorate the value of 
     prayer in both our personal lives and our work on behalf of 
     the people of this nation.
       We are joined by national leaders of business, labor, 
     government, religion and other walks of life throughout the 
     United States and over 16 of countries around the world. 
     Members from the U.S. Senate first met for prayer and divine 
     guidance during World War II. The House organized a weekly 
     prayer group shortly thereafter, And both groups have 
     continued the practice of weekly prayer breakfasts, meeting 
     for breakfast, prayer and fellowship.
       Since those first meetings in the face of a great national 
     crisis, the need for a prayer group and the benefit of 
     fellowship and prayer have been recognized in Congress. From 
     the beginning of the prayer breakfast groups in both 
     chambers, members of all faiths have come together to hear 
     testimonials of faith and challenge and to seek guidance and 
     strength from each other.
       What we discuss and exchange in those meetings stays in 
     those meetings. So members are free to share with each other, 
     and we do. The weekly prayer breakfast provides members with 
     one hour during the week in which we can relax without the 
     presence of the media and without regard to partisan 
     political affiliation. And so I can assure you that it is 
     one hour that many of us look forward to each week.
       As an example of the typical weekly prayer breakfast in the 
     House, we begin with Scripture and a prayer and a report on 
     member's faith and challenges, such as illness, or illness or 
     death within their family, so that we can offer our prayers 
     and support to that member. We also sing a hymn or, as more 
     accurately can be described, we make a joyful noise. 
     (Laughter.) And at each breakfast, one member is invited to 
     speak for 15 minutes to share a personal challenge, 
     reflection or faith experience with the group.
       The weekly Senate and House prayer breakfasts have met 
     separately since their inception. However, in 1953 both 
     groups decided to combine forces and hold the first National 
     Prayer Breakfast. President Dwight D. Eisenhower attended 
     that first National Prayer Breakfast, and every President 
     since has attended each year's breakfast.
       President Clinton and Vice President Gore--(applause)--
     President Clinton and Vice President Gore have continued that 
     unblemished record through their presence here today, 
     reflecting their recognition of the value of prayer in our 
     professional and personal lives. So I know I speak for all of 
     my colleagues in both chambers when I say that we are 
     delighted to host this 46th National Prayer Breakfast. You 
     strengthen us and uplift us with your presence.
       So, again, welcome. And may God bless you, Thank you. 
     (Applause.)
       Senator Akaka. We will now hear an Old Testament reading 
     from the Honorable Don Gevitz, an outstanding businessmen 
     from California and our former United States Ambassador to 
     the Republic of Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, the Republic of 
     Nauru and the Republic of Tuvalu.
       Ambassador Don Gevirtz. Thank you, and good morning. Mr. 
     President, my exboss, Mr. Vice President, distinguished 
     guests. What is an ex-U.S. Ambassador born into the Jewish 
     faith doing at an event like this? (Laughter.) Appreciating 
     the power of interfaith brotherhood and fellowship inspired 
     by the National Prayer Breakfast movement.
       At the core of my philosophy are the two words I want on my 
     tombstone. They are, ``He grew.'' Although my readings this 
     morning are from the Old Testament. I would like to borrow 
     for just a moment from the rich tradition of Luke, chapter 2, 
     verse 52, in the New Testament, because of its clear 
     statement about human potential. ``Jesus grew in wisdom and 
     statute and in favor with God and man.''
       I think that this is God's wish for all of his children. 
     Proverbs in the Old Testament clearly identifies the 
     characteristic a person must have to grow to realize his 
     human potential. Proverbs, chapter 20, verse 5, points out 
     that ``The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a 
     man of understanding draws them out.'' Additionally, verse 15 
     says, ``Gold there is, rubies in abundance, but lips that 
     speak knowledge are a rare jewel.''
       Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 15, suggests that ``The heart 
     of the discerning gains in knowledge. The ear of the wise men 
     searches for knowledge.'' And Proverbs, chapter 28, has 
     important lessons of growth. Verse 14 says, ``Happy is the 
     man who is never without fear. He who hardens his heart will 
     fall into distress.'' And verse 22 says, ``He chases after 
     wealth the man of greedy eye, not knowing that want is 
     overtaking him.'' And finally, verse 1 says, ``The wicked man 
     flees when no one is after him. The virtuous man is bold as a 
     lion.''
       The Bible has much wisdom for that person whose objective 
     is growth. Samson had great credentials, but in Judges, 
     chapter 16, verse 20, he learns that the Lord has left him. 
     Consequently, he was remembered only for what he might have 
     been. I want to be remembered for realizing my full 
     potential, for earning those words on my tombstone, ``He 
     grew.''
       Thank you very much. (Applause.)
       Senator Akaka. Renowned inspirational signers Randy and Gae 
     Hongo have traveled all the way from Honolulu to be with us 
     this morning. They are joined this morning by their son 
     Andrew, who came here from Yale University to sing as a 
     family. The Hongo family will offer us a musical reflection, 
     of their own arrangement, the phrase, ``Ua mau ke `ea `o ka 
     `ania `I ka pono,'' which translates from Hawaiian into ``The 
     life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.'' It was 
     first uttered in thanksgiving by King Kamehameha III. It is 
     now the motto of the state of Hawaii. Its insight holds true 
     today. The Hongo family.
       [Song.]
       Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. Randy, Gae and Andrew. 
     It is now my pleasure and great honor to introduce to you Dr. 
     Dorothy Height, President of the National Council of Negro 
     Women and a true national treasure, who will read from the 
     New Testament.
       Dorothy Height. Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, 
     distinguished guests and friends. Our New Testament reading 
     is from Matthew, the 25th chapter, the 34th to the 45th 
     verse. It answers the question that all of us ask ourselves 
     every day as we try to be truthful, to be faithful, to serve 
     our God. It answers the question that we have with each 
     other, whatever our differences: What is our obligation? What 
     must be our commitment?
       ``Then the king will say to those on his right, `Come, you 
     who are blessed by my father. Take your inheritance, the 
     kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For 
     I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirty, 
     and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you 
     invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was 
     sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came 
     to visit me.'
       ``Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we 
     see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you 
     something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite 
     you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see 
     you sick or in prison or go to visit you?' The king will 
     reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least 
     of these, my brothers of mine, you did for me.
       ``Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, 
     you who are cursed, into the eternal fires prepared for the 
     devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me 
     nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to 
     drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in. I 
     needed clothes and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in 
     prison, and you did not look after me.' They also will 
     answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a 
     stranger or needing

[[Page S3732]]

     clothes or sick or in prison, and we did not help you?' And 
     he will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do 
     for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' ''
       [The reading of his word. (Applause.)]
       Senator Akaka. Thank you, Dr. Height. The Vice President 
     and I entered Congress together as members of the class of 
     1976. As a Congressman and Senator, he faithfully 
     participated in both the House and Senate breakfast groups. 
     Today we are honored to have him offer the prayer for our 
     national leaders. So it is with pleasure that I welcome the 
     pride of class of '76--(laughter)--and an esteemed friend, 
     the Vice President of the United States, Albert Gore, Jr. 
     (Applause.)
       Vice President Gore. Thank you very much. I'm glad to be 
     introduced by the pride of the class of '76. Thank you very 
     much, and to Mrs. Akaka, to the President and First Lady, to 
     Congressman Scott and to Senator and Mrs. Mack, to Dr. Graham 
     and all the members of the clergy who are present, members of 
     the cabinet, Speaker Gingrich and members of the House and 
     Senate who are present.
       It is, of course, humbling to join with so many people of 
     all faiths to rededicate ourselves to God's purposes and to 
     reaffirm the ultimate purpose of our lives, to glorify the 
     creator and to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, 
     with all our souls and with all our minds, and to love our 
     neighbors as ourselves.
       I believe God has a plan for the United States of America 
     and has since our founding. Our mission has always been to 
     advance the cause of liberty and to prove that religious, 
     political and economic freedom are the natural birthright of 
     all men and women and that freedom unlocks a higher fraction 
     of the human potential than any other way of organizing human 
     society.
       And I believe that God has given the people of our nation 
     not only a chance, but a mission to prove to men and women in 
     all nations that people of different racial and ethnic 
     backgrounds, of all faiths and creeds, can not only work and 
     live together but can enrich and ennoble both themselves and 
     our common purpose and to prove, in the words of Jesus, 
     ``that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I 
     in thee.''
       Yet too often we lose sight of our common purpose and seek 
     to make our public discourse one of meanness and not of 
     meaning, one of bitterness and invective, not of faith and 
     love. James Madison, one of our founders, wrote, ``A zeal for 
     different opinions concerning religion, concerning 
     government, an attachment to different leaders ambitiously 
     contending for preeminence and power, have in turn divided 
     mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, 
     and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each 
     other than to cooperate for their common good.''
       We've seen those animosities unleashed by the whole 
     continuum of human difference--differences of parties, 
     opinion and faction, differences of nationality, religion, 
     language and gender; and the most visible and therefore most 
     persistent differences of all, those of race and ethnicity.
       Overcoming those differences, fulfilling the mission that 
     is ours in human history, must be achieved ``not by might, 
     nor by power, but by my Spirit, sayeth the Lord of hosts.'' 
     It requires a dedication to faith and trust in God.
       And so, speaking for my own faith in Jesus Christ but 
     acknowledging and respecting all of the faiths represented 
     here, I offer this prayer for our nation and its leaders and 
     ask you to join with me.
       God, who through thy saints and prophets has spoken to us 
     in days of old, speak to us again in this hour. Teach us to 
     be peacemakers and agents of reconciliation. Show us how to 
     live out your commitment to the poor and to the oppressed. 
     Inspire us to overcome the fears that have long bound us to 
     small visions and tiny dreams. Save us from the differences 
     that can obscure our common purpose and serve as an excuse 
     and trigger for the unleashing of the evil that lies coiled 
     in the human soul.
       Help us to overcome evil with good. Deliver us from the 
     wanton selfishness that would make us rich in things but poor 
     in spirit. Grant us wisdom and courage for the living of 
     these days. We pray for all who are given the responsibility 
     to lead our nation and the other nations of this world. Help 
     all of these leaders to seek out your will and give to all of 
     them the strength to live in your way in our world. In your 
     name we pray, Amen. (Applause.)
       Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. It 
     gives me great pleasure to introduce our featured speaker 
     this morning. Senator Connie Mack is a source of inspiration 
     and strength in our Senate Prayer Breakfast Group. As our 
     planning committee discussed whom to invite to address the 
     breakfast, our focus turned inward. Connie has a wonderful 
     message, and we are so grateful that he agreed to share it 
     with us this morning. I give you my friend, the honorable 
     Connie Mack. (Applause.)
       Senator Mack. Mr. President, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Vice 
     President, Mrs. Gore, ladies and gentlemen of the head table 
     and guests from throughout our land and from across the 
     globe. This is a distinct honor for me and true privilege to 
     have the opportunity to speak with you this morning.
       There are several people that I would like to introduce 
     before I begin my remarks, and in a sense it is an expression 
     of the love and affection that I have for my family. I am one 
     of eight children. Three of my brothers are here this 
     morning: My brother Dennis, my brother Andy and my bother 
     John. I am not quite sure where they're seated. (Applause.) 
     All together.
       I have an older sister who is a Catholic nun who could not 
     be with us today. And John is a trained Baptist minister. 
     (Laughter.) So I think you can get the feel that there have 
     been some interesting discussions--(laughter)--about religion 
     in our lives.
       As I thought about what I would share with you this 
     morning, I decided, rather than to give some speech on 
     politics and government, that I would share with you my own 
     personal quest for a deeper understanding of the teachings of 
     Jesus Christ.
       When I use the word ``share,'' this is something, frankly, 
     that is pretty new to me. And when Danny called me and asked 
     me if I would do it, frankly, there was no choice other than 
     to say yes. But I must say to you, I felt a sense of terror 
     go through my being. I'm an individual who has held my 
     spiritual beliefs, my religious feelings and training, 
     inside. I was not a person who shared those thoughts and 
     ideas with anyone else, to the point that--and I see Don 
     Nickles out there somewhere this morning--I can remember 
     saying to Don before one of our policy committee lunches, 
     when he asked me if I would give the blessing, I said, ``Don, 
     I would rather not.''
       And I don't know whether the men in the audience have had 
     the experience of thinking about asking their wives to pray 
     with them. We were having a discussion, a few of us in our 
     Bible study and prayer breakfast, about prayer and about our 
     prayer together, and I said to them, ``Isn't it strange? I 
     find it difficult to say to my wife Priscilla--we've been 
     married now 37 years--for some reason there was an incredible 
     sense of vulnerability that kept me from turning to her and 
     say, `Would you be willing to pray with me?' '' I am pleased 
     to say that I did ask her, and we do pray together.
       Again, I don't know whether you have shared the same 
     feelings that I have had, but there have been many times in 
     my life where I sensed that there was a void, that there was 
     a part of me that I wasn't dealing with, that there was a 
     part of me that I did not understand. But there is also a 
     part of me that said I want to get in touch with that part of 
     me.
       And it is the prayer breakfasts and the Bible study group 
     that helps me deal with that void, if you will. I was 
     struggling really to have a deeper understanding of the word 
     ``love.'' What does love really mean? Who is in control of my 
     life? Like I suspect most of us in this room, and maybe 
     especially at the head table, we have steadfastly tried to 
     stay in control of our lives throughout our entire lives. 
     What is the meaning of God's will? How do you know what God's 
     will is?
       I want to touch on those points as I go through my remarks. 
     But I also want to recognize--I mentioned Don Nickles a 
     moment ago, and another colleague of mine in the Senate, Dan 
     Coats, who never lost faith in me. No matter how many times 
     they would ask and I would refuse to join them in Bible study 
     or the prayer breakfast, they never gave up. ``Connie,'' they 
     said, ``you would love this. This is exactly what you need.'' 
     And finally, one day I said yes.
       And it's because of Dan and Don and Danny and others like 
     them who kind of guided me along the path to a deeper 
     understanding that I can honestly say to you today that on 
     October the 26th, 1995, my life began anew. And I want to 
     tell you about that, a very special meeting of Bible study. 
     And again, a couple of our members, Dan Coats and I were 
     engaged in a very focused discussion. Interestingly enough, 
     today I cannot remember what the discussion was about. But I 
     sure know it was focused. (Laughter.)
       One of the thoughts that occurred to me as our meeting was 
     starting was, as I looked around the room to see who was 
     there, Danny Akaka had not come yet. And Danny Akaka is a 
     person who I have gotten to know and to love and deeply 
     appreciate as a result of our experiences today at both 
     prayer breakfasts and Bible study. And Danny wasn't there, 
     and I kept thinking, ``I hope he comes today. I hope he comes 
     today.'' Again, mind you, now, this focused discussion that 
     was taking place.
       As it ended, seated right next to Dan Coats was Danny 
     Akaka. And I was kind of stunned that you were there. I 
     didn't know how you had gotten into the room. And I was 
     expressing to him my sense of love and appreciation that he 
     was with us.
       Lloyd Ogilvie at that time, I think sensing something 
     special, said to us, ``Is there anyone here this morning who 
     would like to deepen his commitment to Jesus Christ?'' The 
     immediate thought that went through my mind was, ``It ain't 
     me, buster.'' (Laughter.) I mean, that's it. ``It ain't me, 
     buster.'' Lloyd said I'm now going to be remembered as the 
     guy that said, ``It ain't me, buster.'' (Laughter.)
       But as soon as that thought went through my mind, no sooner 
     had it gotten out of mind, I said, ``I want you to pray for 
     me.'' And I had no idea what was going to happen after that. 
     Lloyd asked me to move my chair to the center of the room, 
     and all of my colleagues gathered around me, placed their 
     hands on my shoulders and prayed for me.
       It is difficult and, frankly, impossible to explain to you 
     the emotion that I felt at that moment. But the one thing I 
     do recall is, contrary to what you might think, there was a 
     sense of something flowing out of me. And later, when I 
     thought through what that experience was, I know what it was. 
     It was that

[[Page S3733]]

     desire of keeping control of my life, that I was the one that 
     was in charge. I was willing to give up that control. And on 
     that day, October the 26th, 1995, I know that that control 
     went out of my life and I began the process, began the 
     process, of turning my life over to God.
       After that very moving experience, Priscilla and I had the 
     opportunity to be in Vermont on vacation. And I had gone out 
     to go skiing that morning. And I got to the foot of the 
     mountain that was in Vermont. It was -10 degrees. The wind 
     was blowing 15, 20 knots. And I say, ``I've got to be crazy 
     out here skiing.'' I went back home. I picked up a book that 
     Lloyd Ogilvie had written called ``The Greatest Counselor in 
     the World,'' a book about the Holy Spirit.
       And later that day there was a sense of restlessness in me, 
     and I decided to go for a walk. And I put on some snow shoes. 
     Now, being from Florida, I had not had that experience 
     before. (Laughter.) And I walked out into the forest, along 
     the sides of the mountain, by myself. As far as I could see, 
     there was nothing but the beauty and cleanness of the white 
     snow. The only sounds that I heard were the sounds of nature. 
     The trees--I never heard this before, but the trees actually 
     rubbing against each other as there was a breeze that made 
     its way through the forest.
       I made my way down into a ravine, and there was a small 
     stream that was making its way; a few spots where the water 
     could be seen around the ice, and the sounds of that stream 
     bubbling up. And I stopped there, wanting to get on my knees 
     and to pray. But I must say to you, I was terrified about 
     getting on my knees with those snow shoes. And with the snow, 
     I didn't think I could get back up. (Laughter.)
       So I stood there, and I literally raised my hands to the 
     heavens and prayed that the Holy Spirit would fill me. There 
     was a rustling of the wind. I'm not trying to hold out any 
     kind of mystery, but there was a rustling of the wind that 
     gave me a sense that, in fact, I was being filled with the 
     Holy Spirit. And as I look back on those days, I now 
     recognize that the fruits of the Holy Spirit have become part 
     of my day--love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, 
     gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. They are part of my 
     day because that's God's will.
       I remember not long after that that Priscilla and I had the 
     opportunity to be at the movies. And the movie was over and I 
     turned to her and I said, ``I am filled with a sense of 
     joy.'' What was rather startling about that was that later I 
     said to Priscilla, ``Do you know that that's the first time 
     in over 17 years that I have truly had a sense of joy?''
       My brother Michael had died of cancer in 1979. And for all 
     those years, I carried around in me the gloom of his death. 
     But I recognized, at the moment that I turned to Pris and 
     said, ``I feel a sense of joy,'' that the gloom had been 
     lifted and God's love had replaced it.
       I want to now share a couple of experiences with you to 
     show you how my life has been changed as a result of this. 
     Some of you in the Senate may remember a fellow by the name 
     of Butch. He was a bus boy in the Senate dining room. I got 
     to know Butch over the years as I would come in and have 
     breakfast, and he would bring me a paper and we would chat 
     for a few minutes.
       One day I was having lunch with some of my colleagues in 
     the Senate dining room, and one of the waitresses came up to 
     me and handed me a note and said that Butch was seriously 
     ill. Well, I put the note in my pocket. And as I left the 
     Senate dining room, I stopped and talked with the waitress 
     and she once again said that Butch was seriously ill. And I 
     could sense she was saying--she had given me the note that 
     said he was at, I believe, Southeast Greater Hospital here in 
     Washington. I could tell she was really saying to me, ``Can't 
     you go see Butch?'' And like I'm sure most of my colleagues, 
     my initial reaction was one of ``Where am I going to find the 
     time?''
       Well, again, the note's in my pocket. I went home. The 
     following morning I looked at my schedule. There was a gap in 
     my schedule. And I thought, ``Well, maybe I ought to just go 
     see Butch.'' So I went over to the hospital. I went up to 
     Butch's room. A nurse was there giving him a shot. And I 
     looked at Butch, his eyes wide open, almost transfixed on the 
     television set. And within a few seconds, it became obvious 
     to me that Butch was about to die.
       It was just the two of us. I had asked the nurse how he was 
     doing as I walked in, and she said, ``He was fine yesterday. 
     His family came from Chicago. They had a great time 
     together.'' But clearly things had changed. And again, it was 
     just Butch and myself. And I thought, ``I cannot leave him 
     here alone, to die alone.'' And I walked over to the side of 
     the bed. I took Butch's hand, held it, rubbed his arms, and 
     tried to comfort him in the sense of saying, ``It's all 
     right. You're at peace now. You'll be joining your God and 
     your creator.'' And Butch died just a few moments after that.
       The nurse came back in the room. She called one of, I 
     believe, his aunts. His aunt actually was already on her way. 
     She walked in within a few minutes. I explained to her that 
     Butch had just died. I hugged her, embraced her, and again 
     told her that he died in peace and he died in the hands of 
     his God and creator.
       As you can imagine, as I made my way back to the Senate and 
     back to the dining room so I could tell his colleagues on the 
     staff of the dining room that Butch had died, as you can 
     imagine, I was asking myself several questions. How did you 
     get there that day? Why were you there at that moment? What 
     was it that you were supposed to learn from that experience?
       And what I learned from the experience is something that's 
     all too obvious, but sometimes we have a tendency to forget, 
     and that is that in God's eyes, as it should be in our eyes, 
     that all of us are equal. It makes no difference whether 
     you're a United States Senator or whether you're a buy boy in 
     the United States Senate. (Applause.)
       Another experience that happened to me was again an 
     acquaintance of mine, and frankly, an acquaintance of many 
     people in this room, Tom Korologos. Tom's wife Joy passed 
     away as the result of melanoma, the same kind of cancer that 
     killed my brother in 1979. I picked up the phone and I called 
     Tom and gave my condolences and expressed my concern and my 
     love for him.
       I ended up going to Joy's funeral service. And again, I had 
     maybe met Joy once. And as I was sitting in the church 
     waiting for the service to begin, I was again asking myself--
     again, to the members of the House and Senate, and clearly 
     the President and the Vice President, understand this 
     incredible demand on us for our time. And it's almost a 
     natural thing to kind of ask every place we go. ``Why are we 
     here?''
       And so as I'm, waiting for this service to begin, I'm 
     asking those same kind of questions. Why am I here? Well, 
     once the service began and the family began to express their 
     deep convictions to their Lord and maker, it was pretty 
     obvious to me why I was there. I wrote down some notes that 
     morning during the service of some feelings that went through 
     my mind, and I want to share from the notes that I made that 
     morning. So they may not be grammatically collect, so bear 
     with me. I'm going to read them exactly as I wrote them.
       ``Was there because I have replaced the love of self with 
     the love for others. Being at the funeral service for Joy 
     Korologos also allowed me to recognize that doing God's will 
     is not the pursuit of the grand, but rather one day at a 
     time, one moment at a time, pursuing God's will; that if I 
     allow God to guide me one step at a time, I will eventually 
     get to where he wants me to be in my life. And if I truly 
     believe, if I truly believe this and follow that belief 
     throughout each day, I will be free. I will be at peace; the 
     ultimate freedom, to be free of worldly desires.''
       I also learned that this moment was a life-changing moment. 
     As I said above, pursue God's will one step at a time and not 
     worry or even wonder where it may lead me. This is a radical 
     departure for me from my previous life--management by 
     objectives, goal-setting, state a goal, a target, an 
     objective, and then pursue it. Now for me it is ``Help me, 
     dear God, to do what is right, what is in your will at this 
     moment, and then my life will take care of itself.''
       To me, this was a great revelation. Two points that I would 
     want to build on here for just a moment; that doing God's 
     will is not the pursuit of the grand. I don't know about you, 
     but as I have thought about trying to understand God's will, 
     I always had this idea that there was some huge event in the 
     future that I was called on to participate in, always trying 
     to figure out what it was; never could do it.
       And now I understand that if each day I will pursue God's 
     will--and I think you're beginning to understand why I said a 
     moment ago that when Danny called me and asked me if I would 
     be willing to give this address this morning, I had no choice 
     but to do it, because on that day my sense was it was God's 
     will that I speak this morning. So, again, I try to live each 
     day now attentive, attentive to the needs of others, 
     attentive to the needs of my colleagues in the Senate, trying 
     to make sure that I am not so busy that I don't hear their 
     cries for help.
       I'd like to close my thoughts here this morning with 
     another personal experience. And I want to use 1 Corinthians, 
     chapter 13, verse 13, which I suspect that many of you are 
     familiar with. I have used 1 Corinthians 13 at both weddings 
     and at funerals, because in essence it is all about life. 
     ``And now abide faith, hope, love, these three. But the 
     greatest of these is love.''
       And I don't know about you, but I've always kind of 
     wondered what makes love the greatest of those three. And I 
     will try to explain in just a couple of minutes at least what 
     my understanding of that Bible reading is.
       Both my mother and father died during these past 20 months 
     or so. In a conversation in Bible study, as I was expressing 
     my concerns about having a deeper understanding of love and 
     trying to understand my relationship with my God and maker, 
     it was said to me that sometimes it's helpful to think about 
     your loving relationship with your father here on Earth. It 
     may give you some insight into your loving relationship with 
     your God.
       Well, as would, I think, be natural when you see your 
     parents heading towards the last moments of their life, it's 
     fairly easy to get into a discussion about what love is all 
     about. And I found out one of the things that there's a big 
     difference between the love between a mother and her son and 
     a father and his son. My mother loved me unconditionally. It 
     made no matter what I did. She was there to comfort me, to 
     love me, to protect me.
       But with my father, frankly, it was different. And I didn't 
     understand what that relationship was. Was the relationship 
     one

[[Page S3734]]

     that was based on a need for reward? Was I looking for 
     respect? What portion of it was fear? And as I watched my 
     father over the last 20 years or so and recognized that he 
     did over 17,000 hours of volunteer time at the local 
     hospitals, and I heard people talk about seeing my father 
     helping them being wheeled down to surgery or to the X-ray, I 
     sensed that there was a strong sense of love that my father 
     had expressed during those years.
       And I finally understood the significance of the meaning of 
     love and why love is so important, because frankly love is a 
     collection of all the graces that God has given us in which 
     we express in action, that we act in behalf of or on behalf 
     of those less fortunate than us, those who at the moment need 
     our assistance. And so for all those years I saw this 
     outpouring of love from my mother and father and I understood 
     then why I love my father and why I loved my Father in 
     heaven, and it is very simple. It is because they so deeply 
     loved me.
       Thank you. Have a great day. (Applause.)
       Senator Akaka. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my privilege 
     and high honor to introduce the President of the United 
     States, William Jefferson Clinton. Welcome, Mr. President. 
     (Applause.)
       President Clinton. Thank you very much. Thank you very much 
     to my good friend and sometimes golfing partner, Senator 
     Akaka, to all the members of Congress here, Reverend Graham, 
     other head table guests and ladies and gentlemen.
       For five years now, Hillary and I have looked forward to 
     this day. For me it's a day in which I can be with other 
     people of faith and pray and ask for your prayers, both as 
     President and as just another child of God. I have done it 
     for five years, and I do so again today.
       At each of these breakfasts, from our shared experiences 
     and our prayers, God's grace always seems to come, bringing 
     strength and wisdom and peace. Today I come more than 
     anything else to say thank you. First, thank you, Connie 
     Mack, for your wonderful message and the power of your 
     example. I also thank all of you here for many things in the 
     last five years and ask your help in helping us to work 
     together to make our nation better, and the work that God has 
     sent me to do and you to do.
       I thank you for helping me to strike blows for religious 
     liberty--with the work so many of you in this room have done 
     to help us to protect the rights of federal employees, to 
     follow their faith at work, our students in school. In 
     particular, I want to thank Reverend Don Argue, the former 
     President of the National Association of Evangelicals and 
     Rabbi Arthur Schneier and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of 
     Newark, Theodore McCarrik, who next week will go to China to 
     look into religious practices there and to begin a dialogue 
     there in hopes that a part of our relationship with China 
     will be about our concern for the kind of religious liberty 
     we have practiced here this morning. (Applause.)
       I thank so many of you in the community of faith who have 
     worked with the government in partnership to help move poor 
     families from welfare, from welfare to work, to honor the 
     Scripture that our friend Dorothy Height read today. And I 
     ask more of you to join in. I thank those of you who have 
     been responsible for working with me--and I see Senator 
     Grassley out there and Harris Wofford is here--to bring 
     communities of faith into the circle of national service.
       We now have 5,000 young Americans working with religious 
     organizations earning the Americorps scholarship to go to 
     college with after they serve with their community of faith 
     wherever they live in America. And the Congress has provided 
     for many more positions, and I ask you to help us to enlist 
     more young Americans to give meaning to their lives, to live 
     out their faith, and to help make our country a better place.
       I thank you for the prayers, the letters, the scriptural 
     instruction that I have gotten from so many of you and many 
     others around this country in recent weeks and indeed in the 
     last five years. And I ask that they continue.
       Finally, I couldn't help thinking when Connie Mack was 
     talking that what we all need very much is to take what we 
     feel when we're here every year and keep it close with us 
     when we leave here every year--day in and day out, week in 
     and week out, in good times and bad. And I ask for your help 
     in that.
       We have a difficult decision we are facing now, as a 
     country and our administration, because of the concern all 
     Americans have that we not expose our children, if we can 
     help it, to the dangers of chemical and biological warfare. 
     And last night I came across a scripture verse that a friend 
     of mine sent me in the last 72 hours that I had not had the 
     chance to read--a prayer of King Solomon that I ask you to 
     keep in mind as we face this decision. Solomon said in I 
     Kings, ``I am only a little child, and I do not know how to 
     carry out my duties. Your servant is here among people you 
     have chosen--a great people--too numerous to count or number. 
     So you give your servant a discerning heart to govern your 
     people and to distinguish between right and wrong, for who is 
     able to govern this great people of yours.''
       I also ask for your prayers as we work together to continue 
     to take our country to higher ground and to remember the 
     admonition to Micah, which I try to repeat to myself on a 
     very regular basis. I ask your prayers that I and we might 
     act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Thank 
     you very much. (Applause.)
       Sen. Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for that 
     wonderful message of gratitude and prayer. Thank you for 
     sharing your wisdom and inspiration. And thank you for making 
     the time to join us this morning. And I want you to know that 
     we are praying for you.
       To offer the benediction, I'm thrilled to welcome back to 
     the National Prayer Breakfast a man whose presence inspires 
     all of us to good and whose wisdom brings us comfort and 
     hope, Dr. Billy Graham. We love you, Dr. Graham. (Applause.)
       Dr. Graham. Thank you very much. And as far as I'm 
     concerned, I give all the glory and praise to God. 
     (Applause.) It's been my privilege to be at many of these 
     prayer breakfasts, I suppose more than any other person. 
     (Laughter.) In fact, they told me that when I was interviewed 
     by Senator Sam Nunn the other day about the history of the 
     prayer breakfast, that they thought I was the oldest person 
     that had attended the prayer breakfast for so long. And I 
     suppose that's right. And they couldn't find any others that 
     had been to so many, and so they asked me if I would be 
     interviewed for the Archives--(laughter)--and the history of 
     the prayer breakfast. (Laughter.)
       But I don't know when I've been so moved at a prayer 
     breakfast as this one. I feel the Holy Spirit is bringing us 
     together and speaking to us. (Applause.) Not only different 
     religious backgrounds, but different political backgrounds. 
     And here I see members of all parties smiling, listening to 
     the Word of God, listening to this magnificent word on the 
     love of God an the love that he can put in our hearts.
       And when the President spoke, I could not help but think of 
     the various times that I've had the privilege of being with 
     him alone to talk, read the Bible and pray. And I know that 
     he's sincere in what he had to say. And to Vice President 
     Gore and to all of you that are here, many of you, I look at 
     you and I think back to times we've been together in years 
     past, in your state, in your town. I'm an evangelist. I 
     travel from place to place and preach the gospel. And it's 
     the same gospel I started with. The human heart is the same. 
     The gospel is the same. It never changes, that God loves 
     you no matter who you are. (Applause.)
       So I'm going to ask that we have this closing prayer 
     together.
       Our Father and our God, as we come to the close of another 
     National Prayer Breakfast, we pause to give you thanks for 
     the opportunity we have had to come apart from our daily 
     tasks and turn our minds and our hearts to you. Give us a 
     holy dissatisfaction with anything less than your perfect 
     will that we heard expressed a few moments ago.
       Help us to see ourselves as we truly are in your sight, as 
     men and women who are subject to the temptations of pride and 
     power and flesh and who need your forgiveness and your 
     strength. Help us remember that you teach us that we're all 
     sinners and everyone who is in this place needs repentance 
     and forgiveness, including me.
       May we all come to the cross. And by your grace, help us to 
     turn to you for the forgiveness and mercy we need. We thank 
     you for the promise of the Bible, that if we truly confess 
     our sins that you're faithful and just to forgive us our sins 
     and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
       As we leave this place, help us to find in you the strength 
     we need to live as we should. Give us motives that are pure, 
     lips that are honest, lives that are blameless, and hearts 
     that are filled with compassion and love.
       We pray for the millions of the hungry and poor in our 
     world and for the thousands even in our own land and for all 
     who are oppressed, that we will not be deaf to their cries. 
     We pray today especially for President and Mrs. Clinton, for 
     Vice President and Mrs. Gore, for the Cabinet, for members of 
     the Supreme Court, for the Congress and all others to whom 
     you have given responsibility in our land, and for their 
     families who many times have to bear the burden of 
     responsibility.
       Give them strength and courage, integrity and wisdom, as 
     they face the complex problems of our nation and our world. 
     And, O Lord, we pray that we will be faithful in praying that 
     if it be thy will that thou would bring peace to the Middle 
     East. And we pray that if it be thy will, that we'll not have 
     war, as President Yeltsin has warned us about.
       Send the strong driving wind of the Holy Spirit across our 
     land, to bring us a new breath of joy and freedom in serving 
     you. May we see a national, an international revival. Renew 
     our vision. Restore our faith. Rekindle our desire to love 
     and serve you and serve each other. As we leave this place, 
     may we commit ourselves afresh to him who alone is the way, 
     the truth and the life.
       And now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make 
     his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, the Lord 
     lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. In the 
     Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. 
     (Applause.)
       Senator Akaka. Thank you. Thank you very much, Dr. Graham. 
     This concludes the 46th National Prayer Breakfast. I ask all 
     of you to please rise and remain standing until the President 
     and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore depart from 
     the ballroom. (Applause.)
       I thank all of you for your participation and your 
     cooperation. Trust in God and carry his love with you and 
     share it with others today and every day. Thank you very

[[Page S3735]]

     much. This concludes the National Prayer Breakfast. 
     (Applause.)

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