[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 68 (Thursday, May 17, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Eternal God, blessed are You Lord, King of the Universe. We humbly 
ask for forgiveness for our sins as individuals and as a nation. We 
thank You for Your blessings, love, and mercy for each of us. We are 
reminded of our great heritage as one nation under God and thank You 
for Your blessings on America. We thank You for all of our governmental 
officials at every level, and we depend on You, O mighty God, for 
guidance and direction.
  Father, I ask Your Holy Spirit, Great Counselor, to direct each 
Member of this Senate today, each man and each woman, as they see Your 
divine will, wisdom, and perspective on the issues we have before us as 
a nation. As Daniel of old prayed, ``Blessed be the name of God forever 
and ever; for wisdom and might are His.'' We rejoice in the Senators 
who seek to be right with You so they will know what is right for our 
Nation.
  Lord, the days we live in are challenging to every individual's 
faith. Help us to look beyond merely the secular realm. I pray that the 
secularity would not replace spirituality. Give us humble mindedness in 
place of humanistic materialism.
  Now on this day, O Lord, we come to You on behalf of our Nation 
asking for divine wisdom for every person in this Senate Chamber. Grant 
them wisdom and courage to face the challenges of this hour. Even 
though You have given us incredible intelligence, we cannot hope to 
find the way without Your help, O Lord. Grant us now a brilliant 
clarity of mind, a rich sweetness of spirit, and a compassionate peace 
in our souls for the challenges we must face together for the good of 
these United States of America. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. 
Amen.

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