[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 22, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H5027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, offered the 
following prayer:
  Coming before You this morning, O Lord, our God, we do so knowing 
that there are many things that we have done individually and 
corporately that deserve Your judgment rather than Your forgiveness. We 
confess that we have fallen short of Your righteousness.
  And yet we dare to come before You and ask You to incline Your ear to 
us. Hear our prayers, prayers that reflect our deepest desires, our 
supplications, which beg for Your intercession in our work and in our 
world.
  Yet despite our transgressions, we are bold to ask You to open Your 
eyes to the troubles we see in our neighborhoods and in our Nation and 
to intervene on behalf of Your people.
  Please know, O God, that we know that we do not present our requests 
to You because we deserve Your answer. It is not our righteousness that 
gives us a right to pray, but it is on the foundation of Your great 
mercies that we stand before You.
  O Lord, hear us. O Lord, forgive us. O Lord, listen and act and do 
not delay. For the sake of Your name, the name in which we pray, Lord, 
answer our prayers.
  Amen.

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