[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 111 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               IN TRIBUTE

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                               speech of

                            HON. WES WATKINS

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 28, 1998

  Mr. WATKINS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to have printed in the 
Congressional Record a prayer I received from Chaplain James Paul 
Maxwell from Shawnee, Oklahoma. When Reverend Maxwell learned of the 
tragic deaths of Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson he composed a 
beautiful prayer and asked that I share it with Congressman DeLay. 
After reading the prayer myself, I was so moved that I felt it would be 
a shame not to share this with the entire Congress so I therefore ask 
that it be made a part of the formal Congressional Record.

       Dear Heavenly Father, Our Lord
       We come to rejoice in Your gracious mercy and forgiveness 
     of sins. Today we praise Your name for taking bad things and 
     working them together for good.
       Lord, we are grieved at the unnecessary death of two 
     Washington, D.C. police officers. We come to You, leaning on 
     Your love and Holy Spirit for patience, for strength, and for 
     courage in the midst of great sorrow.
       Dear Lord, we pray for the wives and children of Officer 
     Jacob J. Chestnut and Officer John Gibson. And we pray for 
     the family, friends, and colleagues of these men. We know 
     their hurt and sorrow is almost unbearable. Lift these up 
     with Your love and healing and fill their loneliness 
     magnified with grief with the presence of Your Spirit, and 
     the Hope of Your gift of eternal life.
       Heavenly Father, we pray for our Nation's congressional 
     leaders and for our President. Give our nation's leaders Your 
     wisdom that they will lean upon You for understanding and 
     direction.
       Lord we pray for all law-enforcement officers. Give them 
     Your protective care and wisdom to respond in courage to 
     perform their duties with firmness and with love. We long for 
     the final victory over sin and evil and sorrow in this world 
     and pray that You will give us determination and faith to 
     take our stand for righteousness in our land. Thank You Lord 
     Jesus for laying down Your life for us that we might have 
     life and have it more abundantly. Lift us up through this 
     darkness of evil that we might praise You in Jesus Name. 
     Amen. Chaplain James Paul Maxwell, Shawnee Police Department, 
     Shawnee, Oklahoma.

     

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