[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  Eternal God, before the United States Senate begins its deliberation, 
we pause to give You thanks and invoke Your blessings and presence upon 
the Senators, their staffs, and all those who work in the Senate, as 
they transact the business of our Nation.
  Lord, we are thankful for our system of government where opinions and 
divergent views are discussed and analyzed to form synergistic policies 
that are best for our country.
  Dear God, may the words of the psalmist, ``blessed is the nation 
whose God is the Lord'' (Psalm 33:12), remind us that America has a 
divine calling to be a ``nation under God.'' May we never forget the 
foundation upon which this Nation was built, sustained, and blessed, 
because Your word gives us wisdom to know that ``all the nations that 
forget God return to the grave.''--Psalm 9:17. We come before You 
today, dear God, as a nation that has not forgotten its allegiance and 
motto, ``In God We Trust.'' May every decision made in the Senate bring 
honor to God and make of us a stronger, better, and safer Nation.
  Lord, this Nation is faced with new and unexpected challenges that 
jeopardize the American way of life, our safety, and liberty. Many have 
said that after September 11, America will never be the same. If this 
great Nation has to change, then Lord, mold America and make it even 
greater. Change us to bring out the best in us for the good of 
humanity. Bless the Senators with spiritual wisdom and insight to make 
good decisions to keep America united, strong, efficient, and equal to 
her tasks.
  As we resolve to stand united as a country, dear Lord, we pray the 
prayer that is written in the hearts of every American: ``God bless 
America, land that I love, stand beside her and guide her, through the 
night with the light from above. From the mountain to the prairies, to 
the ocean white with foam. God bless America our home sweet home.'' In 
Thy name we pray. Amen.

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