[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[January 30, 1992]
[Pages 168-170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast

January 30, 1992
    Thank you, Senator Heflin, for such a lovely introduction. To Dan 
and Marilyn, the Vice President and Mrs. Quayle; to the members of my 
Cabinet here; to the Members of Congress, all, so many here in faith; to 
General Powell; especially to our host, Ted Stevens; to our dear friend 
Billy Graham; and to all gathered.
    Let me first just say a special greeting to Prime Minister Ratu Mara 
of Fiji. This is not his first time here; I'm sure it won't be his last. 
But he's an inspiration to all of us that know him and consider him a 
friend, as I do. May I salute our other guests from

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overseas. And though sometimes you might feel like it, we don't consider 
you overseas, those who serve in the State legislatures, and we're glad 
you all are here. [Laughter]
    Four principles, four ideas really, inspire America. And I think 
they're all here this morning reflected in one way or another: Freedom, 
family, and faith, that Dan Quayle talked about, and to that I would add 
fellowship. So many people brought together by a shared spirit, the 
simple joy of praying to God.
    Slava, that was a tremendously moving story and one of the most 
dramatic moments in recent history. You referred to sound. If sound has 
anything to do with entry into heaven, I believe you can choose the 
fluffiest, most generous cloud in the firmament up there when you get 
there. [Laughter] And thank you for your inspiring message.
    But I think you reminded us all of the powerful role that prayer has 
played in the unprecedented events of the past year. Since we last met, 
nations have been reshaped, and the lives have been restored throughout 
the land and throughout the entire world. And the force that unites 
them, as we've heard here today from the Vice President to General 
Powell, is faith in God. The link they share is prayer.
    When I last stood here, as Colin reminded us, we were at war. 
Compelled by a deep need for God's wisdom, we began to pray. And we 
prayed for God's protection in what we undertook, for God's love to fill 
hearts, and for God's peace to be the moral North Star that guided us. 
Abraham Lincoln said, and we remember it, everyone in this room would 
remember it, ``I've been driven many times to my knees by the 
overwhelming conviction that I have nowhere else to go.'' And in his 
example, we came together for a special National Day of Prayer. And 
Americans of every creed turned to our greatest power to bring us peace, 
``peace . . . which passeth all understanding.'' And at the end of the 
war, we prayed as one during our National Days of Thanksgiving.
    Let us pray that as a people we will continue to bring the power of 
prayer to bear on all the challenges we confront. And let us pray that 
we will strengthen the values that this great land was founded on, that 
we will reverse any threat of moral decline, and that we will dedicate 
ourselves to the ethic of service, being what I call a Point of Light to 
someone else, someone in need.
    In this work, we are not without inspiration. We need look no 
further than the handful of men who became heroes by their courage, 
their strength, and above all their faith--last of whom returned in 
December. I'm talking about our hostages. And in brutalizing conditions, 
as we've heard this morning, they prayed together daily in what they 
called the ``church of the locked door.'' They unwove floor mats in 
order to make rosaries. These men, who every day lived the story of Job, 
treasured their first book, the Bible. When Terry Anderson was released, 
one of the first things he did was to thank strangers across the world 
who had prayed that he be set free. ``Your prayers made a big 
difference,'' said this man who, imprisoned, had rediscovered the faith 
that sets and keeps men free.
    There's another story from last year's news that tells of the 
transformation of faith. While it's a story familiar to all of you, it's 
intensely personal to Barbara and me and to others in this room. We lost 
a dear friend last March, Lee Atwater, a restless, fiercely driven, fun-
loving good ol' boy from South Carolina who rode life as hard and fast 
as he could. But he also lived a kind of miracle because his illness 
reintroduced him to something he'd put aside, his own faith. And in his 
last months, he worked intensely to come to grips with his faith. And 
through reading the Bible and through prayer, he learned that, as he put 
it, ``What was missing in society was what was missing in me, a little 
heart and a lot of brotherhood.''
    He was so right. Prayer has a place not only in the life of every 
American but also in the life of our Nation, for we are truly one Nation 
under God.
    May God bless this very special gathering. For those of you who have 
come from overseas, for those of you from across our land, for those of 
you right here in the Nation's Capital, thank you for participating in 
this celebration of faith.
    Thank you very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 9:10 a.m. at

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                        the Washington Hilton Hotel. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Senator Ted Stevens, evangelist 
                        Billy Graham, Prime Minister Kamisese Mara of 
                        Fiji, and National Symphony Orchestra director 
                        Mstislav Rostropovich.