[inaudible conversations] ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States, joe biden, accompanied by the honorable mike johnson, speaker of the United States house of representatives, the honorable Hakeem Jeffries democratic leader of the United States house of representatives, the honorable tracey mann, cochair of the National Prayer breakfast, and honorable frank mrvan, cochair of the National Prayer breakfast. Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. [applause] wow. I think we right now. Its been a great Prayer Breakfast but we have wonderful program. Thank you so much for sharing with you what a wonderful way to start our time together. Good morning. Im congressman tracey mann. Im congressman frank marvin. As cochairs of the weekly house Prayer Breakfast its are privileged to welcome you to the 72nd annual National Prayer breakfast. We gather in a stork statutory halt this morning in the spirit of jesus to pray, for the president , for one another, and for the country. The National Prayer breakfast is a refuge the fellowship for members of congress and the president of the United States where we put our political differences aside and come together in unity to pray. President dwight d. Eisenhower, i hereby, spoke at the very first National Prayer breakfast in 1953. The story goes that one day while he was sharing at the weekly synod Prayer Breakfast he referred to the white house as the loneliest house in america, and the idea for this gathering was born. Today marks 71 years since the first National Prayer breakfast, and as we look around on our country and world we find ourselves in desperate need of spiritual renewal. As americans its part of our heritage to call upon the lord for help in our time of need. Thats why we have come together this morning. Thank you all for joining us and thank you, mr. President , for being here. We are blessed to have maestro Andrea Bocelli here with us this morning. Please give him a round of applause. [applause] maestro pacelli saying in 2016 National Prayer breakfast is faced with is an inspiration to all and his musical gifts are unmatched. Ladies and gentlemen, maestro Andrea Bocelli. [applause] amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me i once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now i see twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace, my fears relieved how precious did that grace appear the hour i first believed i shall possess within the veil, a life of joy and peace. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me i once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now i see was blind, but now i see [applause] thank you very much. Its incredible emotion and honor to be here. Let me say some word in my language if i may. [speaking in native tongue] in ancient roman, grace and command that soldiers would not be permitted to this dispute. [speaking in native tongue] translator and this is because music softened ones heart and make soldiers not prepare to battle. [speaking in native tongue] translator thats why i am extremely pleased to be here today, to bring my own small musical contribution. Because i think that you, like me, are hoping and dreaming of having an army of soldiers not ready to battle, but to bring peace in the world. [applause] amen, thank you. Let us pray. Gracious god, thank you for the opportunity to gather today in the spirit of jesus here in the capital at the National Prayer breakfast. We ask that you bless us and our country and show us the way that you would have us live an govern. We pray for discerning hearts to govern, to distinguish between right and wrong, and for the courage to Work Together in love. Please help us to keep all americans in our hearts as we serve them and we work for the good of our beloved country. Please grow us into better servant leaders who think, speak, act, and live as jesus did. Please help us always to remember your blessings, your faithfulness, and your promises. We ask all of this in the name of jesus. Amen. Please welcome speaker johnson undemocratic leader jeffries to read scripture on the Old Testament. And democratic. Thank you all for being here. Marshall vercelli, you did soften the heart this morning. We went on the front row. I reading from the Old Testament psalms 37. Do not threat because of those who were evil or the envious of those who do wrong. Like the grass they will soon whether like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the lord and do good, dwell in the life and enjoy safe pasture. Take the delight in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the lord and trust in him and he will do this. This. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn. Your vindication like the noonday song. Thanks be to god. Good morning. I reading from the book of proverbs chapter format, verses 2027. My son, Pay Attention to what i say. Turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your site. Keep them within your heart. For those who find them and held to ones own body. Above all else, are your heart. Everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of diversity. Keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead. Six your days directly before you. Give careful thought to the path for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Keep your foot from evil. Thanks be to god. This morning were grateful to hear from synod chaplain barry black. I first met chaplain black a few years ago as he traveled across canada to attend the late senator bob doles memorial service. To those you dont know chapel buchenwald was one of eight children and he and his beloved wife brenda now have three grown sons of their own. Chaplain black spent 27 years in the u. S. Navy chapel court and served as rear admiral and chief of chaplains for the entire navy before becoming chaplain of the synod in 2003. His mastery of the scriptures is stunning and his insight into life is infallible. From my first conversation with the chaplain it was truly made that a powerful message he has to share. And im grateful that he is a great to be with us here this morning. Ladies and gentlemen, the 62nd chaplain of the United States synod dr. Barry black. [applause] let us pray. Speak, lord, for we are listening. In the name of jesus christ our lord, amen. President biden, leaders in our government, legislative branch, judicial branch, leaders throughout the world, and my dear wife brenda, the fact that i am standing before you today is proof that god indeed has a sense of humor. [laughing] i want to talk to you about turning your crisis into conquests, turning your crisis into conquests. A crisis is a time of difficulty, trouble, or danger. A conquest is the act or process of conquering. We are facing many challenges in our nation and world. But the fact that we can come to this place in this nation and lift our hearts across the religious spectrum in prayer and praise is compelling proof that there is a force that can turn our crisis into conquest. Now, i am not a motivational speaker. I am a preacher of the word of god. So you know youre going to hear a little scripture today. Second chronicles chapter 20 gives us an amazing story about a king named jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of judah. You will recall there was a split in the kingdom after the death of solomon into the northern and the southern kingdom. Jehoshaphat was the great, great grandson of solomon and the great, great, great grandson of david. Perhaps the most consequential king israel ever had. When youve got that kind of pedigree, you have prayer and praise in your dna. Jehoshaphat received a message that is nation had been ambushed. It had been ambushed by three nations that came into alliance with one another, and hes three nations were actually relatives of jehoshaphat and his people, the ammonites and with ancestors or the offspring of lot, and the edomites with the offspring of esau. And they said king, we dont know what to do. They are already 50 miles from where we are. They have to jump on us. What can we do . Verse three of second chronicles chapter 20 picks up the story. Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news, and begged the lord for guidance. Also ordered everyone in judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of judah came to jerusalem to seek the lords help. I wonder what would happen if we used, as many of us on capitol hill have been doing, the weapon of fasting. Jehoshaphat had an army according to second chronicles 17, 1418 of 1,165,000 soldiers. So why would you need to fast and pray with an army like that . Well, jehoshaphat verse five, stood before the community of judah as he invited them to come to judah, and he prayed this prayer, second chronicles 20, verse six. Sounds like one of my prayers. The senate will come to order. Heres what he praise. Ointerjection lord god of our ancestors, you alone are the god who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty. No one can stand against you. You have got an army of 1,165,000 soldiers, and yet you are bragging on god in your prayer to an assembled group of your citizens, and you were telling the sovereign god of the universe, we are not going to trust in our military might. No one can stand against you. Vx, and now we see what the armys of ammon, moab and mt. Sierra are doing. Verse 12. All our god, we are powerless against this mighty army. What you talk about, jehoshaphat . You have 1,165,000 soldiers. We are powerful against this, powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do. You dont hear that a lot. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help. God answered almost immediately. There was a man in the crowd by the name of jahaziel. The spirit of the lord came upon jahaziel. The spirit of the lord came upon one of the insanity come first 14. His name was jahaziel, son of zechariah. He said as a king finishes prayer. Listen to all you people of judah and jerusalem. Listen king jehoshaphat. This is what the lord says. Do not be afraid. America needs to hear this word. Dont be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but gods. Tomorrow, march out against them. Them. You will find them come up through the ascent of this. This is what happens when the spirit of god takes over. Take your positions, then standstill and watch the lords victory. He is with you. And there is nothing that we cannot accomplish when we remember that god is with us. And jahaziel said, you will not even have to fight. Early the next morning, the army of the judah went out into the wilderness i love this after consulting the people, they king appointed singers. Jehoshaphat gets the choir. He gets noncombatants. Have you lost your mind . We have already heard from the maestro how powerful music can be. He said, bring in the choir. And he appointed singers to walk ahead of the army singing to the lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they saying, give thanks to the lord, his faithful love endures forever. At the very moment they began to sing, when praises go up, blessings come down the very moment they begin to sing, the lord, you have got 1,165,000 soldiers on your side, but jehoshaphat great, great, great grandfather david said, in the 20th salm verse seven, trust some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of the lord our god. When the choir started singing, god started moving and cause the armys of ammon, moab, mount cyr to start fighting amongst themselves. The armys of ammon and moab turned against their allies, the edomites and killed everyone of them after they had destroyed the army, the begin attacking each other, so when the army of judah arrived at Lookout Point in the wilderness all they saw, the fact that that great host had destroyed itself, because god had told them you will not even have to fight. Well, the battle is not yours, but it belongs to me. One of my relatives called me last night. I talk with her a lot. When she asked me a question that shes never asked me before, she said, barry, how do you survive the insanity per word, not mine on capitol hill . Now just imagine, this is like and be saying to andy, how do is the sensors stuff when this happens. When aunt b start saying to andy and barney uses the word insanity of you are in trouble in mayberry and other places as well. [laughing] how to do that . And i respond to, well, you know, we have some saints in caesars household. What are you talk about . We are talking capitol hill, barry. I you dont know is, every week as the legislative branch is in session they meet for Prayer Breakfast, both sides of the aisle, and representatives and senators talk about their faith pilgrimage. What . What you dont know is every week, i say ive been doing this, it will be 21 years in july, every week on capitol hill, i teach a bible study and senators from both sides of the aisle come to that bible study. And i said, theres one senator whos missed one bible study in 19 years. She said, who is that . I said thats classified. [laughing] i can tell you but i would have to kill you after i told you. All right . I said, what you dont know is that february 24, 2022 in russia invaded ukraine, hundreds of people on capitol hill begin to fast and pray. She said, what . I said, what you dont know is on october seven, 2023, when the palestinian, soon become this Islamic Group hamas, i didnt put it quite like that to her, made a surprise attack against israel from the gaza strip by land, sea and air. People on capitol hill were continuing to fast and pray. What you dont know is that in the last two president ial elections people on capitol hill were fasting and praying. Talking about representatives, senators, chiefs of staff, waiters, waitresses, janitors were fasting and praying. Hundreds of us have been doing that. I have been fasting since the russian invasion of ukraine. Not a week has gone by without fasting. And we learn from this story of jehoshaphat using spiritual warfare instead of the arm of flesh, how to turn our crisis into conquest. So what did we learn . We learn this lesson first of all, respect your weapons of fasting and prayer. When asked to face genocide, she said to mordechai, my maidens and i will fast, and you and the people fast also. And i will go before the king, even though it is against the law, and if i perish, i perish. When nineveh was threatened with judgment, a pagan king said weve got to fast and pray. And it averted judgment. Jesus of nazareth had disciples who made an unsuccessful attempt to cast a demon out of a boy. Jesus was on the mountain of transfiguration. Jesus came down from the mountain. The father said i brought my boy to your disciples and they couldnt cast out the demon. Jesus exercised the demon and matthew 17, 1921 says when the disciples got jesus alone, they said to him, why could we not cast out the demonic . You gave Us Delegated Authority in luke chapter ten and we did it. And jesus said in matthew 1721, this kind comes out by fasting and prayer. Some of you may remember the name peter derek prince. Peter derek prince was a cambridge graduate, cambridge. He was a master of languages. He was in world war ii, north africa. He was there, 2411943 and things look bleak. Morale was low. There was tension between officers and enlisted. Prince had been an atheist but had a a dramatic encounter wih the risen christ. And he began to fast. He talks about it in his book, shaping a nation through fasting and prayer. He started fasting every wednesday. We have been doing Something Like that on capitol hill. And this is a prayer he prayed that i believe if we prayed this prayer, we could turn any crisis into a conquest daily. Fasting one day a week but daily. Derek prince prayed, lord, give us leaders such that it will be for your glory to give us victory through them. My god, my god, what a prayer. Lord, give us leaders such that it will be for your glory to give us victory through them. They had some problems. Churchill was replacing generals, a general that they were cynic and Northern Africa ended up in a plane crash, and they reached down and got a littleknown officer by the name of bernard montgomery, who was the son of an anglican bishop. So here is a new sheriff in town. The rest is history. Respect your weapons of fasting and prayer. Then rely on gods spirit to god you as the second lesson. It was a spirit of god that prompted jahaziel to have the guidance that they needed, and that same spirit is available to us jesus of nazareth said, acts chapter one verse eight before he ascended, and you will receive power after the holy spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses throughout the world. Many years ago, i started praying luke 11 13 where god promises his holy spirit to anyone who asks, who will ask for it. I started praying it. Didnt know what i was doing but you saying whatever you are offering in this gift, i want. It was a long before my dear wife said what shes only said once in our marriage, she said, barry, whatever has happened to you, i want it to happen to me. I said, baby girl, all i been doing is just bring this luke 11 13 thing. She started praying it. The same thing that happened to me happened to her. And we ended up instead of being a dyad, he became a triad bit because we have a counselor in our midst who was better than ford, better than young, allison adler. We had a celestial psychiatrist, and he does not charge us a sense. The only problem is he usually sides with brenda. [laughing] the final lesson that we learn, the final lesson that we learn is released the power of your praise. Before your deliverance comes, put the choirs outfront in this fashion to bring in the bocelli of the world. Release the power of your praise before the victor is one. Matthew chapter 15, a woman came to jesus because her daughter was possessed with a demon. The bible says in verse 21, jesus answered her not a word. But girlfriend, fell on her knees and released the power of praise. She said, dont make me worship you. She fell on her knees and said lord, help my child. And before it was all over, jesus said, woman, great is your faith. Be it unto you, even as you have requested, and that womans daughter was healed. Oh, my brothers and my sisters, mr. President , leaders of government, we can do this. The battle is not ours. It belongs to god. It goes across the spectrum of religious traditions, who have that pillar of fasting and prayer. Christianity, islam, buddhism, hinduism, judaism, taoism, all of those, those religions have this, these pillars of fasting and prayer. What if every believer in the power of fasting and prayer and praise would begin the wesley festa im calling on you because im serious. Our nation and a world needs it. Begin to do the wesley fast . What you talking about . Wesley fast. Wesley was not ordained minister, john wesley and would not agree to do the wesley fast twice a week. The wesley fast is you dont eat anything until 3 p. M. Its easier than it sounds. Who is interested in god transforming crisis into conquest would start doing if my people, second , seco, seven14, called by my name will humble themselves and pray. And david said in the 35th psalm verse 13, i humble myself through fasting. And what if you prayed the derek prince prayer . Lord, give us leaders such that it will be for your glory to give us victory through them. I cant go to my seat without at least releasing a little bit of my praise in statuary hall. I have, i love to tell you what i think of jesus. I found in him a friend so kind and true. He took a boy from the hood who had a mama who was a domestic. And the mama brought home a phonograph record, the only record that anyone had ever given her at that time, purling black. And it was the record of a narration by a preacher. Hours of the city of hes not from around this neighborhood, easy . [laughing] children visitors were pouring in through the gates mingling with merchants and villages roundabout. Shots were coming down from the hills at the narrow streets were pelted. This little eightyearold boy, facing we felt was the crisis of a war on poverty, evicted three times before his 13th birthday he would that record. He played so much that he memorized was the sermon were you there by peter marshall, the 57th chaplain of the United States senate. What is the statistical probability that the only record this daughter of a South Carolina sharecropper would receive was a record by peter marshall, the 57th chaplain chaplain of the United States senate . Well, i was not poor. We couldnt afford the extra. So i ran from this crisis at marshall talked about. In the words of one british poet, i slid down the arches of the years, i slid him down the ladder in ways of my own mind and in the midst of tears i hid from him and under, up this stage hopes i sped and shocks reciprocated and down titanic loomed the catholics fear from those strong feet that followed, followed after me. Call up with a boy from the hood, and i was one of the most reluctant converts in one of the most reluctant persons to enter the ministry. But i found what the maestro sang about today. I found amazing grace, bocelli. How sweet was the sound . I found someone who pursued me, because the plan of salvation was formulated before the world came into existence, revelation 13, eight says he is the lamb, slave from the start of the world, the foundation of the world. He is my rock, my sword, my shield. He can turn our crisis into conquest. Good morning. Prepare your hearts for a reading from the gospel of matthew, chapter 5. You have heard that it was said love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but i tell you, love your enemy and pray for those who purse cute that you may be children of your father in heaven. Because as his sons that rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get . Are not even the tax collectors doing that . And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others . Do not even pagans do that . Be perfect therefore as your heavenly father is perfect. Thanks be to god. Reading scripture chapter 2, i urge than first of all that petitions, prayers, intersessions and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and for all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases god our savior who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Thanks be to god, gracias. It is my honor to recognize our next distinguished speaker and while i have not personally been to scranton, pennsylvania, i know that the president has been to my hometown, hammond, indiana. I do believe these two communities have many similarities comprising of working class families who know the value of hard work and who look out for one another and who know the grounding value of family, community and attending church on sunday. It was just this past weekend in the city of gary, indiana. I had the honor of joining the parishioners at temple deliverance in christ and prayed for enlightenment for congress and the administration and that we Work Together in a more perfect union. Thank you, president biden, for being here with us this morning. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming my friend, the 46th president of the United States joseph rr. Biden. [applause] frank, thank you for that introduction. And reverend black, spent a lot of time in the United States senate, 36 years, but you were only there 21 so i miss your sermons, because i open your prayers every month or day. Frank, thanks for your introduction and for your service on behalf of the people of northwest indiana. A few years ago i visited franks hometown, hammond, indiana, with our dear friend and great hoosier joe donlan, who is doing an incredible job as our ambassador to the holy sea walking his faith and serving his nation as we all are called to do. So, frank, thank you for leading this years Prayer Breakfast and tracy mann as well. And majority leader jeffries and senators gillibrant and blackburn both. And chair of the National Prayer breakfast, heidi hide camp, good to see you again. And secretary buttigieg, nasa, and his wife who helped make this what it is today. Members of congress and families including one of the home state senators, my home state senator, chris coons, by the way not only a law degree, same time got a law degree got a divinity degree at Yale University which makes me always wonder about him, i dont know. But all kidding aside, hes a great man and his wife ann why i is here with him, theyre both dear friends. Chaplain black, weve known each other a long time. My last day in senate, a prayer, in our labor may we illuminate the darkness of doubt, may we distinguish between truth and falsehood and may we see possibilities that are now hidden. Your wisdom then and now this morning, are deeply moving. To the incredible i think, by the way, i am n unadulterated fan of kelly, anyway, jill and i hosted him at christmas at the white house and you performed with your son and daughter like you were herald angels and with our family after we lost our son beau. And fall on me, it goes like this, fall on me with open arms, fall on me from where you are, fall on me with all your light. Andre, youre a gift. Youre a gift to my family at that moment and you continue to be. I have attended many Prayer Breakfasts over the year and jill and i have been humbled by the prayers of so many when we needed them badly. It means everything to us and were all blessed to live in a nation where we can practice our many faiths and practice freely where we can come together and lift up our nation and each other, each other in our own prayers, especially in tough times. Our prayers continue to be with the family of the three american servicemen killed and attacked from georgia. Sergeant william rivers. Specialist Breonna Moffett and specialist kennedy sanders. I spoke with each of those family separately and tomorrow, jill and i will be there at Dover Air Force base for the transfer of their bodies. Theyve risked it all and well never forget the sacrifice and service to our country, that dozens of Service Members who were wounded and are recovering now. I also see the trauma, the death and destruction in israel and gaza and understand that the pain and passion felt by so many here in america and around the world, we value and pray for the lives taken and for the families left behind, for all those who are living in dire circumstances, innocent men, women and children held hostage or under bombardment or displaced not knowing where the next meal will come from or if it will come at all. Not only do we pray for peace, were actively working for peace, security, dignity, for the israeli people and the palestinian people. Im engaged in this day and night as many of you working in this room are for the means to bring the hostages home. To ease the humanitarian crisis and to bring peace to gaza and israel an enduring peace with two states for two people, just as we worked for peace, security and people for ukrainian people as they show incredible resolve and resill tense against putins aggression, we must continue to help them. The challenge of our times remind us of aur responsibilities as a nation, to help each other just and lasting piece delivered, broad and here at home. Thats why were fighting against the rise of antisemitism and islamophobia and all forms of hate including against south Asian Americans and this is a calling to stand against hate. To remember the very idea of america, were all crazy, were unique in the world, the only nation based on ideas. We hold these truths to be selfevident, were all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. Weve never as a nation fully lived up to that, but weve never walked away from it either. Its a covenant we have with one another that holds this nation together and quite frankly, i knew it before i became president because i did a lot of Foreign Policy and the Previous Administration with barack, but were the beacon to the world, the entire world looks to us. Thats not hyperbole, this is an idea. This idea was made real before the soul became flesh, before this dream became a fact. It was prayed for, it was hoped for, it was believed in. Thats the story of america. Let me close with this, its fitting today, marks the first time the National Prayer breakfast being held here at statutory hall. This is where the house of representatives met for 50 years meeting after the civil war its where congressman from illinois Abraham Lincoln sat at desk 191 before he was president. And the quote, better angels of our nature, the better angels of our nature. We do well to remember what he said just a few moments before he concluded the same address. At a moment of deep division in our nation, president lincoln said, we are not enemies. He said we are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies, he went on to say. Ive long believed we have to look at each other, even in our most challenging times, not as enemies, but as fellow americans. The scripture tells us that fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. I believe thats our collective calling today. Here, here we are in this room among our statues of heroes who shaped our history and here we know faith is a living spirit, it awakens our passions to come down from the pedestal and act to serve. Thats why over the door of the rotunda, theres a scrip tour depicting leo the muse of history. In other hands is an open book and what she records the events taking place here, in the citadel of democracy, shes a silent witness to the american story of war and peace, insurrection and stability. As we gather this morning, what would cleo write for the future about what we did in our time . What will she write about us . My prayer, my hope, is we continue to believe our best days are ahead of us. As a nation, we continue to believe in honesty, desensy, dignity and respect. We see each other not at fellow human beings, each made in the image of god. Each precious in his sight. We leave no one behind. And believable everyone deserves a fair shot and we give hate, no safe harbor, together we believe in america and thats my prayer to remember who we are, were the United States of america. Theres nothing and i mean this sincerely, nothing beyond our capacity if we act together. Were the only nation in the world thats come out of every crisis stronger than when went in when we act together. My prayer for all of you and my church weve taken the 22nd psalm and turned it into a hymn and says it will raise you up on eagles wings and bear you on the breath of dawn, to the sun until we meet again may god hold you in the palm of his hands. Thats sincerely my prayer to all of you. We have tough, tough differences, and we really go at one another. And lets remember who the hell who we are, were the United States of america, all about dignity and respect, thank you for having me, its good to be back. [applause] please welcome senators gillibrant and blackburn to pray for the president. Mr. President , thank you. This morning, we have read from first timothy 2, one through four. It urges us to play for all people, including those in high positions that we may lead a peaceful life and that it is pleasing to god when we do so. The presidency is bigger than one person or one party. It is an American Institution and as such, we should pray for the president and our country. President dwight d. Eisenhower, the first president to participate in the National Prayer breakfast, best expressed these sentiments in his own prayer from his first inaugural address when he prayed. Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right and wrong and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land, especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people regardless of station, race or calling. May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concepts of our constitution, hold to differing political faiths, so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and dying glory. Heavenly father, our rock and our refuge, we gather together to thank you for your enduring love. We lift up our hearts to worship you and give you praise and we rise today to pray for your blessings of our congress, our entire government. Our president , our vicepresident , our cabinet and their families and we ask that you bring us together in service and in love for one another. Bless our president , your servant, your son joe biden, bless him with the wisdom to make right and just decisions for the american people. Bless him with the courage of david to endure the trials and tribulations that lay ahead and bless him, tear god, with your spirit to focus his heart and mind to do your will. Lord, give our president your divine protection. Let love and faithfulness never leave him. Let your words dwell in his heart. We pray that you, mr. President , be strong in the lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of god so you can stand against all evil. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist and the breastplate of righteousness in place, with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, with your shield of faith, your helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god. Lord, we pray all of this in your most powerful name, amen. Amen. When you walk through a storm hold your head up high and dont be afraid of the dark at the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark walk on through the rain walk on through the rain though your dreams be tossed blown walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and youll never walk alone youll never walk alone walk on through the wind walk on through the rain though your dreams be tossed and blown walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart and youll never walk alone youll never walk alone applause please welcome, the closing word of prayer if you can see through your tears, would you pray with me . Holy god, on this day and every day, we stand in the need of prayer. Therefore, in this hour, we fall before your throne of grace that we would receive your mercy and find favor in our time of need. We have come together from both sides of the aisle, from the four corners of this country and the many places in between having set aside the differences that dare to divide us and weve laid before you the burdens of our busy lives and the deepest concerns of our hearts. May this time of prayer serve to begin the healing of our divisions. Would that it liberate us from all hostage denying us the joy of reconciliation to be found in the fellowship of friends and with all who call upon your name. Would that it give us leaders that it will be for your glory to give us your victory through them. Bless the shared communion of the prayers of our hearts and open our eyes to see the Common Ground you call us to harvest. Open our minds for the common good that you desire us to value. Open our souls to receive the common grace you bestow on those who humble yourselves before you as brothers and sisters anew, we all stand in the need of prayer. We share in the want of your unmerited forgiveness and your unbounding loving kindness. Bless us then with your presence that we will never walk alone. Uphold us in your gracious plan this day and all the days that are ahead, in the shore of certain hope of your saving grace, in the mercy of your name, the name by which we are known you are known by us and i in the name of jesus pray, amen. Thank you for that prayer, chaplain kibben. And this prayer is part of our body and part of our heritage as americans. Let us Work Together and do our job well, when we take the time to share in the fellowship, thats when the best work can happen. When we come together in, you know, if i, e pluribus unum, out of many one, it remind us were all on one team. The fellowship that weve enjoyed together will continue in the raburn room and we hope youll join us and also we hope youll attend the house and senate Prayer Breakfast to keep the spirit alive throughout the year. Each week we close the house Prayer Breakfast first kings 3 written on the last page of your program, pull out your program, stand up and were going to say this prayer together. Its on the last page, this is kings this is when god appeared to solomon in a dream and said ask whatever you want. Most people say he asked for wisdom, this is the prayer he prayed 3,000 years ago. Lets pray this together. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and distinguish between right and wrong for who is able to govern this great people of yours. Thank you again for being here, god bless you all, and god bless the United States of america. Amen. Well done. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated until the departure of the official party. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated until the departure of the official party. [inaudible conversations]