[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12599-12601]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

     Prayer

[[Page 12600]]

     Breakfast.'' I told him about this breakfast and told him 
     that we invited people in the name of Jesus and that we have 
     all kinds of people, all kinds of people of faith, and 
     leaders come from all over the world.
       He looked at me and he smiled. He slapped his leg and he 
     got so excited. He said, ``This is amazing. You've come all 
     the way around the world to be my friend and talk to me about 
     the kinds of things you're talking about. I always thought 
     Americans were materialistic.'' He said, ``This is the 
     greatest conversation I have had in months.'' He said, ``My 
     mother used to talk to me about Jesus.'' And then he turns to 
     our U.S. ambassador and he says, ``Why don't you talk to me 
     about Jesus?''
       (Laughter and applause.)
       That is an example of what happens when two or three go 
     together quietly, making friends, loving each other, and 
     there is power in it.
       The last principle that I observed over the years is the 
     one that may be familiar to many of you. It is the 
     commandment to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and 
     strength, and to love others as we love ourselves. It seems 
     to me that all the values and principles come down to this. 
     It sounds easy to say and understand to love God. Love Him, 
     walk with Him, talk with Him, but how do we do this?
       Sometimes when I am reading the scriptures in the morning, 
     I read something that just really stings me because it is so 
     wonderful. It is so true and pure that I take the Bible and I 
     hold it to my chest. I do not want this moment to pass 
     because it is so good. It is so real, so wonderful. I know 
     perhaps that some of you are thinking that sometimes it is 
     very hard to understand God. Why do some of the things happen 
     in our lives? Why do the tsunamis of the world happen? I do 
     not know.
       Our 15-year-old son, Matt, died of leukemia eight years 
     ago. My wife and I saw him suffer for four years. I really 
     struggled with God. I had a difficult time with him. I 
     remember one night I was just like hanging on a wall. I was 
     just like hanging on by my fingernails every day. One day he 
     had an especially bad day, and he had a lot of complications. 
     I got so mad that night that I screamed and cussed and swore 
     and yelled. I asked God to come down, to confront me, to talk 
     to me, why? After my son died, the most incredible thing 
     about that experience is that my faith and love for God got 
     better, got stronger. I cannot explain it, but my love for 
     Him is beyond understanding and imagination.
       In conclusion, I wish I could say I follow these principles 
     every day, but I do not, I fall very short of them. But when 
     I do, it is glorious. I tried many things in my life--when I 
     was a congressman I voted for war, I voted against war. I 
     voted to eliminate programs, I voted for programs. I used to 
     work against treaties, now as an ambassador, on behalf of the 
     president and the people of the United States, I sign 
     treaties. Sometimes they work and they work well, but often 
     they do not. These words that I have spoken to you today, to 
     love the poor, to pray for our leaders, to meet together, to 
     grow with each other, to love God, and love others, they 
     work. They have been working for thousands of years. They 
     simply work.
       What a great honor it has been for me to share my story 
     with you this morning. I am very thankful to you and to God 
     for this opportunity. Thank you.
       (Applause.)
       Representative. Emerson: Thank you, Tony. Thank you.
       This breakfast began, as I said earlier, 53 years ago when 
     a senator wanted to encourage and help lift up President 
     Dwight Eisenhower. It is a great honor for all of us to have 
     the president and first lady with us here today. Ladies and 
     gentlemen, please help welcome the president of the United 
     States.
       (Applause.)
       President George W. Bush: Thank you all. Thank you all very 
     much. Thank you for the warm welcome.
       Last night was a prayerful occasion. I noticed a lot of 
     members were praying that I would keep my speech short. 
     (Laughter.) I want to thank you for getting up so early in 
     the morning, you resisted temptation to sleep in. Thanks for 
     having us. I appreciate Jo Ann Emerson's leadership on this 
     prayer breakfast.
       (Applause.)
       I want to thank Elaine Chao for her prayer and for 
     representing my cabinet, and I want to thank all of my 
     cabinet officers who are here today.
       (Applause.)
       I appreciate the leadership of the Congress, Senator Frist 
     and Leader Pelosi, Leader DeLay. I want to thank the senators 
     who spoke, and I appreciate the Congress people who are on 
     the stage here as well. I want to thank His Excellency Marc 
     Ravalomanana, from Madagascar, the president of that great 
     country.
       Welcome to our country, Mr. President.
       (Applause.)
       Y tambien, mi amigo, the president of Honduras, Ricardo 
     Maduro, welcome, glad you are here.
       (Applause.)
       We thank Wintley Phipps for his beautiful music.
       (Applause.)
       Sergeant Norman, your prayers work. You did a fantastic 
     job.
       (Applause.)
       Pretty darn eloquent for a person from Wyoming.
       (Laughter.)
       Don't tell the vice president--(laughs).
       (Laughter.)
       Tony Hall, as you can tell, I obviously made the right 
     choice to send somebody in there. Really good job.
       (Applause.)
       Janet, thank you for your service as well.
       Laura and I are really honored to be here. It is a fabulous 
     moment in our nation's capital. This morning reminds us that 
     prayer has always been one of the great equalizers in 
     American life. Here we thank God for his great blessings in 
     one voice, regardless of our backgrounds. We recognize in one 
     another the spark of the divine that gives all human beings 
     their inherent dignity and worth, regardless of religion. 
     Through fellowship and prayer, we acknowledge that all power 
     is temporary, and must ultimately answer to his purposes. And 
     we know that affirming this truth is particularly appropriate 
     in the heart of a capital built upon the promise of self-
     government.
       No one understood this better than Abraham Lincoln. In 
     November 1864, after being re-elected to his second term, 
     Lincoln declared he would be, ``the most shallow and self-
     conceited blockhead on earth if he ever thought he could do 
     his job without the wisdom which comes from God and not from 
     men.'' Throughout a terrible civil war, he issued many 
     exhortations to prayer, calling upon the American people to 
     humble themselves before their maker and to serve all those 
     in need.
       Our faith-based institutions display that same spirit of 
     prayer and service in their work every day. Lincoln's call is 
     still heard throughout the land. People of faith have no 
     corner on compassion. But people of faith need compassion if 
     they are to be true to their most cherished beliefs, for 
     prayer means more than presenting God with our plans and 
     desires. Prayer also means opening ourselves to God's 
     priorities, especially by hearing the cry of the poor and the 
     less fortunate.
       When the tsunamis hit those on the far side of the world, 
     the American government rightly responded, but the American 
     response is so much more than what our government agencies 
     did. Look at the list of organizations bringing relief to the 
     people from Indonesia to Sri Lanka. They are full of 
     religious names: Samaritan's Purse, American-Jewish World 
     Service, Baptist World Aid, The Catholic Medical Mission 
     Board. They do a superb job delivering relief across the 
     borders and continents and cultures.
       Today, millions of people across this earth get the help 
     they need only because our faith-based institutions live the 
     commandment to ``love thy neighbor as thyself.'' Often, that 
     means remembering the people forgotten or overlooked in a 
     busy world: those in Africa suffering from HIV/AIDS, young 
     girls caught up in the global sex trade, victims of religious 
     persecution. In these great moral challenges of our times, 
     our churches, synagogues, mosques and temples are providing 
     the vision that is changing lives.
       I have seen some of their miracles up close. Last June I 
     met Veronica Braewell, a 20-year-old refugee from Liberia. 
     The 13-year-old child Veronica witnessed armed men killing 
     children in horrific ways. As she fled this madness, Veronica 
     was left for dead atop a pile of bodies until her grandmother 
     found her. In August 2003, the Catholic Social Agency helped 
     resettle her in Pennsylvania. Veronica is now completing the 
     circle of compassion by working in a home for the elderly in 
     Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and studying to become a certified 
     nursing assistant. When Veronica told me of her story, it was 
     through the kind of tears no young woman should ever know. 
     And when she finished she dried her eyes and said, ``Thank 
     you, Mr. President, for my freedom,'' but I told her it was 
     not me she needed to thank. She needed to thank the good 
     hearts of the United States of America.
       The America that embraced Veronica would not be possible 
     without the prayer that drives and leads and sustains our 
     armies of compassion. I thank you for the fine tradition you 
     continue here today, and hope that as a nation we will never 
     be too proud to commend our cares to providence and trust in 
     the goodness of His plans. God bless.
       (Applause.)
       Representative Emerson: I hope that you all will not mind 
     hearing Wintley Phipps one more time--(applause)--I have 
     asked him to sing my personal favorite today, and I know the 
     favorite of so many of you, ``Amazing Grace.''
       Mr. Phipps: This was awesome. This song, ``Amazing Grace,'' 
     the melody strangely enough sounds very much like a West 
     African sorrow chant. The words were written by a man who, 
     before he became a Christian, used to be the captain of a 
     slave ship. Many believe he heard this melody coming up out 
     of the belly of a ship. I looked up this song in the Library 
     of Congress and wherever you see it authentically printed, it 
     says ``Words, John Newton; melody, unknown.'' And so I

[[Page 12601]]

     recorded this song the way I believe John Newton probably 
     first heard it coming up out of the belly of a ship with the 
     sounds of the slave ships in the water.
       Listen, you will hear them too.
       (Song.)
       (Applause.)
       Representative Emerson: ``Amazing Grace'' indeed. Wintley, 
     we have to give you one more round of applause, because you 
     are amazing.
       (Applause.)
       Thank you all so very much for joining us here today. It 
     has truly been a morning full of spirit, and I so want to 
     thank you for participating in this fellowship. I hope in the 
     days and weeks and months ahead that you will see your faith 
     affirmed in the world as you extend the lessons of today. I 
     hope to see all of you here one year from now, celebrating 
     the progress of faith in the world and sharing God's light. 
     To conclude today's events is our closing prayer, and it will 
     be delivered by Tennessee's own, Congressman Lincoln Davis.
       (Applause.)
       Representative Lincoln Davis: We should have just said, 
     amen when Wintley finished that song. What a wonderful song. 
     If you have not been blessed today, you have not been 
     listening. I am not good at humor. My wife and my friends 
     tell me never to attempt that. When I came here two years 
     ago, I traveled through what they call a candlelight tour of 
     the Capitol, and I saw there a statute of Will Rogers. I had 
     read some of his wit and some of his humor, so I realized 
     that I did not need to attempt that, and that he had probably 
     perfected that. One of the things he said was, ``If you 
     burglarize a home, we will send you to prison. If you steal a 
     railroad company, we'll send you to Congress.''
       (Laughter)
       Tony Hall, it is wonderful to hear of your life, and the 
     message that you have given us. It is wonderful to have a 
     president and a first lady who give us spiritual leadership. 
     Jo Ann, you have done an outstanding job in the last year for 
     that special hour that we each meet on Thursday morning, as 
     our president and as the chairman of this event today. And 
     for all of us who have gathered here today, as we give praise 
     to God, there is a blessing that we all have received. Since 
     the dawn of the age of civilization, man has turned to our 
     creator, through prayer for guidance in the times of 
     difficulty. Today in modern day America, we are no different. 
     In fact, thanks to our founding fathers, one of the oldest 
     traditions of the United States Congress is to begin each day 
     with prayer so that we may have spiritual help in making 
     decisions that affect our country, and our world.
       On June the 28th in 1787 when the Constitutional Convention 
     was lost in a sea of confusion and could not agree upon a 
     course of action, Ben Franklin rose and addressed then-
     president George Washington. I quote what he said,
       ``We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, 
     `except that the Lord build the house, they labor in vain 
     that build it.' I firmly believe this and I also believe that 
     without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this 
     political building no better than the builders of Babel. We 
     shall be divided in our little, particular, local interests, 
     our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall 
     become a reproach and a byword down the future ages. And what 
     is worse, mankind may, hereafter, from this unfortunate 
     instance despair of establishing the government by human 
     wisdom and leave it to chance, war or conquest. I therefore 
     beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the 
     assistance of Heaven and its' blessing on our deliberations 
     be held in this assembly each morning before we proceed in 
     business, that one or more of the clergy of this city be 
     requested to officiate in that service.''
       Each morning we still pray when we start our actions in 
     Congress. These words are as relevant today as they were over 
     200 years ago. Following in the tradition of Ben Franklin's 
     request, rise please, and let us pray.
       Father, we ask that you look down upon us today, and 
     instill in our hearts and minds the faith and perseverance to 
     do your will. We ask for courage and wisdom as we look toward 
     the future and aim to establish a world where your children 
     will not suffer from the actions of man. In these trying, 
     uncertain times, your inspiration and love is desperately 
     needed. Bless our endeavors and guide our steps so that we 
     may truly do your work. Too often in today's world man's 
     vision becomes cloudy with constant temptation. When this 
     occurs, man can easily become lost in a Godless wilderness, 
     void of spirituality. Sin thrives in this wilderness, and 
     selfishness abounds. Lord, free us from temptation and give 
     us strength. Please allow your light to shine upon our paths 
     and bless us with the compass of your will so that we will 
     seek to do what is best, just not for ourselves, but for 
     others. Let us know the beauty of Godly deeds.
       Lord, I have often turned to you for aid and strength in 
     making difficult decisions. I ask divine help for each of us 
     to continue to seek the satisfaction found only in a 
     spiritual life. Today I ask for you to continue to bless the 
     lives of all your children, and give today's attendees the 
     strength to lead morally and ethically as we embrace the 
     challenges of achieving lasting peace in the face of an 
     unknown future.
       Lord, you have blessed our country. Let us realize that it 
     is only through your grace that we receive these blessings. 
     Burden us to continue to give our hearts to you. Give our 
     nation and the nations of the world the passion to clothe the 
     naked, to feed the hungry, to quench the thirsty, heal the 
     sick and help the oppressed break free from the torments of 
     their oppressors. Let our passion for a Godly world never 
     fade.
       Lord, for our America, give the leaders the courage to ask 
     for your stewardship through faith. Give our leaders peace of 
     heart and assist us in our endeavors so that we may 
     positively impact America and the rest of the world. Allow 
     our spirits to feel your guiding hand. Bless all the nations 
     of the world and fill their leaders' hearts with hope for a 
     better tomorrow. Shepherd them through their daily challenges 
     toward the goal of everlasting peace. Help these leaders 
     strive to make decisions reflective of your resolve, for if 
     we enact your will, we can know a blessed life.
       Lord, help us recognize the value of mankind throughout the 
     world. Help us to continue to thirst for peace and an end to 
     anguish. Help us embrace our differences as we work to 
     achieve the goals of common good. May peace, hope and God's 
     love burn in our hearts. These things I only ask in Jesus' 
     name, amen.
       (Applause.)

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