[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Gracious Father, Thy word declares, ``Be still and know that I am 
God.'' (Psalm 46) Teach us that prayer is more a matter of attitude 
than audibility. Guide our praying as it seeks not to bend Thee to our 
will, but us to Thine. Grant us that alert, focusing stillness before 
the Divine which is the necessary precondition to sharing the 
psalmist's certainty that Thou art indeed our refuge and strength, an 
ever-present help in trouble.
  O Lord, help in trouble is what so many need. In this time of 
conflict, we pray for all risking life and limb as they bravely face 
the hazards of war in a liberating cause. We remember their loved ones 
and families as they strive to cope with their uncertainty and 
heartache mingled with supportiveness and pride as they fear the worst 
or face the worst. Give wisdom and guidance to those on whom the 
burdens of decision rest: the Commander-in-Chief, his advisors and 
military leadership. May the result of their actions be a liberation of 
the oppressed, a day of reckoning for evil and the beginning of a new 
chapter of peace in that region.
  Lord God, these are challenging times. Bless and empower the men and 
women of this Senate as they daily face their heavy responsibilities 
for the secure good of this great Nation. May they draw strength from 
being still before the Eternal and knowing that Thou art God. Amen.

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