[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today's opening prayer will be offered by the 
Reverend Mac Richard, Senior Pastor of Lake Hills Church in Austin, TX.
  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  Our Lord and our God, we thank You for Your favor and Your goodness 
to our Nation. Lord, in this room where decisions are made on behalf of 
millions of people, we pause to acknowledge Your power and to thank You 
for the gift of good government.
  Thank You, Lord, for each woman and man who has chosen to serve and 
lead in this place. I ask that You would bless them, bless and protect 
their families who also sacrifice so that they might serve. Father, we 
come to You and ask that You would grant wisdom in this place. Give our 
leaders eyes to see what might be and the courage to truly lead our 
Nation.
  Lord, You have blessed us with so much prosperity, so much 
opportunity. May we be faithful with the responsibility these blessings 
carry. Thank You for the promise of this new day, for the freedom to 
approach and worship You, and for the ultimate liberty we enjoy in 
relationship with You.
  Father, I ask this prayer in the powerful Name of Jesus. Amen.

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