[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Hear my cry, O God;
  Give heed to my prayer.
  From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
  Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
  For You have been a refuge for me,
  A tower of strength against the enemy.
  Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
  Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.--(Psalm 61:1-4)
  Know that the Lord Himself is God;
  It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
  We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.--(Psalm 100:3)
  Heavenly Father, Almighty God, we come before You today acknowledging 
You as Creator of this universe and Sovereign Lord over all. We have so 
much to be thankful for. We bless You for the privilege of living in 
this land of freedom. We bless You for the wonderful salvation we can 
have through the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ and life eternal 
by His resurrection. We praise You, Lord, for the wisdom and peace You 
give as we call upon Your name.
  Sovereign Lord, we pause for a moment . . . to pray for the men and 
women of our Armed Forces that are fighting for the freedom of Iraq. 
May they know of Your constant strength, wisdom, and protection through 
this conflict. May they be reminded of our love, prayers, and support. 
Please, Lord, comfort the families and friends of lost loved ones in 
their time of sorrow.
  Dear God, empower these men and women of this Senate with Your 
courage and understanding as they are faced with the challenges of 
today. Thank You, Lord, for placing them in their positions of 
leadership as Senators of this great Nation.
  As we live in these challenging times nationally and internationally, 
may we learn to slow down, step up, and stand out in Your strength, 
allowing Your life and love to shine through our lives publicly and 
privately so that Your name, O God, will be exalted. Use us today, O 
Gracious Lord, for Your purpose and praise! We pray all of this in the 
name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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