[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2458]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered the following 
prayer:
  Lord God, may the gifts of Your Presence, unity and peace, inspire 
aspirations of greatness in the people of the United States and in 
their representatives serving here in the 111th Congress.
  With a great diversity of backgrounds and opinions, while facing 
wedge issues that so easily divide people, encourage all Americans to 
work hard at understanding complex problems with depth and clarity of 
thinking. Teach them to be patient and persevering in their 
relationships with others, and help them to transcend differences by 
praying for one another.
  Then, both in dialogue and debate, develop within Your people better 
skills of listening. I am sure even You, Lord, would prefer us to 
simply say, ``Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening,'' rather than go 
on and on with our complaints and petitions. Amen.

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