[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  Gracious and loving God of all people, we give You thanks for the 
gift of this day, for all the opportunity it holds to know and embrace 
Your love. You have given us a world filled with diversity so that we 
might never forget there are varied ways of knowing You. We pray along 
with the evangelist John, that we might love one another because You 
have first loved us.
  In this season of repentance You offer us freedom and liberation from 
our mistakes and You set us on a path of new life. For this gift we 
give You thanks. Teach us to seek You in all times of our life and to 
always put You first. Help us never forget that You are the God of 
second chances.
  We pray today for our Senators and the awesome task You have given 
them in this service to our great country.
  You have called people throughout the history of our Nation to come 
to this room and make the hard decisions that will ensure peace and 
prosperity for all. For those You have called to be here in this moment 
in time, we ask that You remind them of the need for humility, 
compassion, and truthfulness so that they might accomplish the task 
that is before them. Give them the gift of Your wisdom and integrity 
that will guide them in their discussions, debates, and dialogues. Help 
them to recall that in all circumstances it is Your Holy Spirit that 
guides them.
  We offer this prayer in Your Name that unites more than it divides. 
Amen.

                          ____________________