[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain, Pastor Lonnie Shull, First Baptist Church, West 
Columbia, SC, offered the following prayer:
  God be merciful to us, and bless us; cause Your face to shine upon 
us.--Psalm 67:1. Gracious Father, we praise You today. You have blessed 
America, and we are so thankful. You have made us the greatest Nation 
on Earth. Accept, O Father, our sincere gratitude. May we be a gracious 
demonstration of the freedom and opportunity, righteousness and 
justice, You desire for all nations.
  I pray that You will empower our Senators with Your wisdom. Give 
them, I pray, a divine vision for the United States of America. May 
they be given double portions of courage, honesty, and humility as Your 
dedicated servants. Save us, I pray, from the enemies who would destroy 
us. Deliver us from internal strife, selfish arrogance, and moral 
disintegration.
  Today, we especially pray for those who serve this Nation in our 
Armed Forces overseas. Keep them safe in Your loving care and bring 
them safely back to their homeland soon. Help us to reach out in love 
to our fellow citizens whose lives have been devastated by violence and 
by storms.
  O God, please bless America and keep her true as You have kept her 
free. We ask these things in the name and the authority of the Prince 
of peace. Amen.

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