Friday, April 12, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Robert Suhr

Holy God, mighty Lord, and gracious Father, You are the sovereign God who is the author of all time. You hold all history in Your righteous and merciful hands. Nations rise and fall by Your will, for Your purposes, and by Your grace.

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So in this time and on this day, we humbly call upon You to exercise Your will, to show Your compassion, and to loose Your spirit upon the Members of this sacred body, those near to You and those far from You, that this would not be an ordinary day but an extraordinary day.

Open hearts to hear Your guidance and help their ears to hear the voices of Your will speaking. Let the Members of this House today govern with compassion, understanding, and a determination to accomplish that which is good and pleasing in Your sight and that which is good for the people of this Nation.

Holy spirit, we entrust ourselves to You that at the end of this day we may rest in peace and this great Nation will remain a light that shatters the darkness, a city that brightly shines on a hill, and that all nations may see Your handiwork and the work of this body today.

All this we ask relying on Your grace, and we ask through the power of Jesus’ holy and precious name. Amen.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, our powerful deliverer, we trust in You for protection, for You save us from those who shoot from the shadows. You keep the faithful from vanishing from our planet, providing a refuge for the oppressed and a shelter when gloating evil seems to have the upper hand.

Today, use our lawmakers to help bring unity to a divided Nation and peace to a war-torn world. May our Senators make their positive impact by living blameless lives, speaking the truth, keeping their promises, and honoring You in their thoughts, words, and deeds.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Generous God, from Your bounty, You have graced us with much, with health and prosperity, opportunity and positions of honor. For all the gifts You have given us, we are truly grateful.

Remind us again that, while these gifts come without conditions, that to be given these privileges is to appreciate how they compel us to live into the responsibilities that come with them.

Truly, You have entrusted us with an abundance of riches. It is on us to respond with faithful stewardship of Your generosity.

Call us again to accountability, that we would not take for granted the purpose You intended when You showed us Your favor. Open our eyes to the needs of the people around us who depend on us to exercise our talents and abilities faithfully, to apportion our resources carefully, and to share from our plenitude, acknowledging that all that we have is Yours to use for the benefit of Your kingdom.

Bless, then, our faltering attempts to use wisely all that You have bestowed on us, that what we do this day would reflect our desire to glorify You.

We pray these prayers in Your most holy name. Amen.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal and powerful God, don’t hide from us. Don’t stand so far away, for our Nation and world need You. Lord, bring peace where there is war, hope where there is despair, and faith where there is cynicism.

Arise, mighty God, for we put our trust in You. Today, we trust You to guide our Senators. Lord, warn them through their mistakes, encourage them with their successes, and enrich them through life’s seasons of gladness and sadness. Inspire them to be worthy of the honor of being Your sons and daughters as You give them a renewed sense of Your providential presence.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God of mercy and compassion, of grace and reconciliation, only You can speak into the crisis that has descended upon the Middle East. Only Your peace can cure the warring madness that has erupted in this land so many call holy.

Let the hatred that has severed the region, intensifying the profound animosity between Israel and Palestine, and in turn swallowing up the cities of Gaza, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, and Ashkelon to name but a few, be supplanted by acts of mercy and overcome by deeds of justice.

Touch the hearts of each offender, that all would be purified of their thirst for vengeance. Speak into the souls of all aggressors, that they would renounce their prejudice.

Abide with the countless victims of violent attacks, with the innocents held hostage in the crossfire of escalating hostilities. Grant comfort and sanctuary to those who have fled their homes in fear. Receive the refugees into the safety of Your welcoming embrace. Make way in the desert that the hungry would receive food.

Let all Christians, Muslims, and Jews put away anger, wrath, malice, and slander. May each find a renewed spirit of forgiveness and understanding in the knowledge that all bear the image of You, our Creator.

For the sake of Your kingdom, may each of us, politician and patriot, voter or victim, be agents of Your purpose, that Your peace and justice would, once again, rule this land.

In the redemption of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, yesterday, millions witnessed a full solar eclipse. Many resonated with the sentiments of the Psalms that the heavens declare Your glory and the skies show forth Your handiwork. Your hand guides through the boundless skies the flight of water fowl. Let that same hand take us away from the self-sufficiency that ignores our need for You. Lord, make our hearts receptive to Your plans.

Today, bestow upon our lawmakers special gifts of wisdom and understanding that they may uphold what is right and follow what is true. Increase their faith, strengthen their judgment, and quicken their zeal for integrity and honor.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, in these days when skies darken and nations rage, when politics become a weapon and discord takes center stage, we yearn for peace only You can give. Come quickly to our aid, that our hearts would not be troubled, with no more need to be afraid.

God, mend this House divided, for against itself it cannot stand. Grant Your peace upon us. May we live as You command, to look at foe or friend and see in them Your face, to strive to love each other and give to each Your grace.

In Your eternal name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, April 8, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Precious Lord, we praise You with all our hearts because even when wrong seems to rule, you remain sovereign. You are our strength for today and our hope for tomorrow.

As our lawmakers open their hearts to You, may they sense that Your presence is as pervasive in statecraft as in religion. Illuminate their finite minds with Your eternal light, giving them wisdom beyond their own. Lord, remind our Senators that some problems You will not solve until they are ready to be used by You in working out the solutions.

We pray in your awesome Name. Amen.

Friday, April 5, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, Your love reaches deep into our souls and transforms our whole being. Open our hearts to receive Your grace and rejoice in Your mercy. For it is only by Your unconditional acceptance of who we are do we come to appreciate truly whose we are.

We, O Lord, are Yours. You have created us, formed us, and called us by name. In light of Your redemption, may we live lives that reflect the change Your love has had on us.

May we show our devotion to one another, mutual affection for all who receive their breath from You. May we show eagerness in esteeming each other and take deep delight in honoring one another.

And on the days where our intentions are more aspiration than actualization, reach deep again into our souls and remind us of the transformation we have received by Your love.

In Your saving name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Tender and loving God, in Your mercy, You have proven Your love for us. May we respond to that incredible grace gift with our own love, not just in our adoration and devotion to You but in our love for our neighbor.

May that love come from the very center of our being. No matter how hard it is to love a stranger or to reach out and love the other side, grant us both the will and the desire to reveal Your grace by our actions.

Open our minds and our eyes to what is wrong and hateful. If we abhor anything, let it be the evil that has found its way into our discourse and which seems to have taken charge of our lives.

Casting that aside, may we not just appreciate but cling to what is good.

May every fiber of our being yearn for the goodness of Your design. May we hold tightly to the evidence of Your integrity and hold fast to Your perfect righteousness.

We give thanks to You, O Lord, for You are good. Your mercy endures forever, and so it is in Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Friday, March 29, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverent Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal light, shine in the darkness that seeks to overwhelm us. Shine Your light into our hearts, that we would discover that Your power alone is our strength.

And when we consider ourselves the jars of clay that we truly are, when sorrows threaten to shatter us, fear attempts to overwhelm our faith, illness or injustice tries to injure us beyond repair, show us again the treasure of Your all-surpassing power which You have made available to us.

Holding on to this precious gift, we need not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are painfully aware of the fragility of life, inwardly, You inspire in us the renewal of Your spirit, day by day.

Remind us again to fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. In the light of Your eternal promises, the troubles we see are temporary.

In this may we find our hope today and always.

In Your sovereign name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

House of Representatives – Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti

Good and gracious God, we are entering upon a most sacred time of the year. May we contemplate Your word as it speaks to us and follow Your holy will in all that we do. As the season of spring witnesses to Your resurrected life, may we too rise with You to eternal life.

We pray all this in Thy holy name. Amen.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God, our Father, thank you for filling our lives with blessings. We praise You for the daily miracles of light and shadows, work and rest, life and love. We even thank You for the blessings of disappointments and failures that humble us, and for pain and distress that remind us of our need for You.

Lord, we are grateful for the women and men of the U.S. Senate who strive to keep freedom’s torch burning. Awaken in them a deeper appreciation for Your loving providence, as You give them a heightened sense of the special role You want them to play in the unfolding drama of world history.

And, Lord, we thank You for the life and legacy of Pat Collins, the mother of Senator Susan Collins.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Today, O Lord, in all that we face, in the decisions that are made, whether we turn to the right or to the left, may we listen for Your voice behind us, saying: “This is the way; walk in it.” When we hear Your voice, may we not harden our hearts.

Let every one of us be quick to hear but also slow to speak. More importantly, let us be slow to anger. Remind us that our heated opinions, our rancor, do not produce the righteousness You desire.

Then when the day is over, when we have done our part in our service to Your people, when we have exhausted our energies and left it all on the table, sanctify our labors. We pray Your blessing over all that we have completed and Your intercession in the things we have left undone. Grant us Your mercy in our failures and the fruit of Your perfect will in our achievements.

Lord, keep watch ever over us as we seek to serve You, our communities, and our Nation.

In Your most holy name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Senate – Dr. Adolphus Lacey

Gracious God, we evoke Your Name in this place. We thank You for the life and for giving it to us more abundantly. We thank You for the power and privilege of prayer, and we humbly approach Your throne of grace to thank You and share our petitions.

We offer thanks to those who surrender their lives in service to this great Nation by willingly choosing to represent us. We thank You for their families and friends who loan them to us. May there be no lack in their lives because of their service.

We pray that, at this moment, You will pour out Your spirit of wisdom and compassion on these Senators as they chart the course of this Nation. Embolden them with the burden that they are someone’s last resort and the hope that they can make a difference in someone’s life.

Bless this assembly as they wrestle with how to express Your love for all of us and for this moment. Then, O God, bless all the people of all the States in this land that we love, to emulate and require of our leaders what you require in the words of the Prophet Micah: to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.

In Your Name, we pray. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, break into our lives this day and reveal the wonders that You alone perform. The heavens declare Your glory. The skies proclaim Your handiwork. They have no need for words, yet their praise goes out to the ends of the Earth. Your creation sings of Your greatness.

Ignite in our hearts the love that You impart to each one of us, through friends who love at all times and kin who are born to carry us in adversity. The earnest advice from close companions bears the sweetness of Your counsel. The people You have gathered around us, friends, family, and colleagues, are the reminders of Your loving provision.

Today, then, as we hear the echoes of Your voice around us, may we respond with the praise of creation and the love of neighbor, committing ourselves to careful conversation. Let us convey Your gifts of grace and mercy as we dedicate ourselves to respectful dialogue.

Refresh our souls with Your perfect law. Make the wise simple with the trustworthiness of Your statutes. Give joy to our hearts as we seek Your righteousness and give light to our eyes with the radiance of Your commands.

In Your most holy name, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O merciful Lord, answer our cry. Enlighten our lawmakers with a shining inward light and remove the shadows from their hearts. Control their thoughts and prepare them to face the inevitable challenges that invade our Nation and world. Give them the peace of knowing that their times are in Your hands and that You are willing to fight the battles of all who trust in the power of Your Name. Fill their hearts with courage, and may they take time throughout the day to remember Your direct involvement in the details of their lives.

Lord, help us all to maintain a pure conscience, a love for truth, and a passion for peace on Earth.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal and loving God, in boldness and confidence we find only in faith, we approach Your court of justice, Your throne of power, and Your mercy seat, with worries too deep for words and concerns beyond our control. Our words are insufficient when we try to express our apprehensions for the future of our country. Our prayers are inadequate in meeting the problems faced in our world, in this body, and by our families.

But You in Your infinite wisdom know our thoughts before we speak them and our needs before we utter them. This is the faith we claim today, that though we cannot see the answers, though we cannot possibly discern the future, You, O ruler of the universe, order our steps and guide us in Your abiding and steadfast love.

Grant us this day the power to comprehend what is the breadth and length, height and depth of Your love which surpasses all knowledge.

Now to You, by whom the power at work within us, is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine, to You be the glory today and always.

Hear these our prayers and those unspoken as we offer them in the strength of Your sovereign name. Amen.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, the Heavens proclaim Your glory, and the skies display Your craftsmanship. Shine Your light on our path as we work today.

Lord, You have led America through troubled times in the past. Be now for us a source of life, light, and liberty.

Give wisdom to our Senators. May they follow Your light, trust in Your might, and find strength for life’s fights. Teach them what they should think, say, and do, so they will not stumble along the way. Replace doubt with faith, fear with courage, and despair with hope.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

O Righteous One, we pause in stillness before You. We wait patiently for You as this new week begins. For we know You will give us the desires of our heart, speaking to us Your Word of truth.

On our part, may we come to trust You. Then may our trust in You know no boundaries. May no uncertainty, no doubt, no fear, or anxiety serve as barriers for our trust in Your steadfast love for us.

May our faith in You encourage us to walk closer to You, to follow where You lead us, and to go where You call us to go, sure of Your grace plan.

Keep our eyes above the waves that threaten us. Keep our feet on the foundation You have laid beneath us. Keep our will away from the temptations that surround us, and keep our hearts within Your own loving embrace.

Today, on this day, in all we say or do, may we trust in You, O Lord, and do what is good.

Sure of Your omniscience and omnipotence, we are bold to pray. Amen.

Friday, March 15, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Every good and perfect gift comes from You, O God, and in Your eternal plan, which is far wiser than our own, with vision far broader than we can possibly imagine, You have gifted each one of us uniquely, according to Your grace.

To some You have given the ability to speak, to utter Your Word into the noise of this world. May those who have been so graced be faithful to Your message of love and mercy.

Some You have equipped with the ability to help, to serve those in need. May they do so revealing the beneficence that comes from Your spirit.

To others You have granted the ability to teach, to make clear the lessons You would have us learn. May those who teach prove worthy of this noble calling.

There are those who are truly blessed to be able to offer a word of encouragement, to know exactly what to say in a moment of sorrow or stress. Likewise, there are others who have the facility to give to those who are in want. May each do so with the generosity that reflects Your own mercy.

May those You have called to leadership do so with both the purpose and the passion that is grounded in and inspired by their love for You.

All good gifts around us come from Heaven above. We thank You, Lord, for trusting us to use them wisely.

Our prayers are offered in Your name. May You be glorified through them. Amen.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who sustains those who obey You, You have been good to us beyond our deserving. You have surrounded us with the beauties of the Earth and the glories of the skies. Today, make us alert to Your providential movements. If our minds are closed to Your truth, open them. If our hearts are hardened, soften them. If our ears are deaf to the cries of the oppressed, unstop them.

Lord, revive our Senators. Give them a desire to establish new thresholds of hope, peace, and freedom in our Nation and world. Be near to our lawmakers all their days. May they rest in the green pastures of your peace and thrive beside the still waters of Your wisdom.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, we appeal to You, the author and defender of our faith, to raise up Your protections in defense of those who call upon Your name in the face of strife and adversity.

Ukrainians, Israelis, Palestinians, and all those who find themselves caught in the grip of violence, speak to them, to the fearful souls among them who are rent by the agony of conflict. Bring Your justice to the victims of unprovoked hostilities.

Strengthen with the sufficiency of Your grace, all those who are powerless against the brutal aggression of their adversaries. In their weakness, may Your power be made perfectly evident in their resilience.

Look to those who are afflicted in every way and see that because of their faith they are not crushed. Guide those who are perplexed that they would not be driven to despair. Safeguard those who are persecuted, that they would know they are not forsaken. Uphold those who are struck down, that their faith would not yield to destruction.

Death is at work in our world. May we not surrender to its desire for dominion, but in braving it, may we come to discover the life You have revealed to us, and the hope that is found only in You.

In Your immortal and eternal name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Senate – Bishop Larry Lawrence Brandon

Almighty and everlasting God, who guides the stars and hold our hearts, I humbly seek Your divine presence as the Senate gathers in solemn duty.

God, guide the Senators of this great Nation, the United States. I pray for Your wisdom to light their path, courage to uphold the truth, and compassion to serve with integrity. May the Senators be stewards of peace, fostering unity where there is division and bringing hope to the places dimmed by despair. Grant our Senators the vision to see beyond the immediate to the future, where justice and liberty flourish for all.

God, bless their deliberations. May their decisions forge a stronger, more inclusive society, where every voice is heard, every life is valued, and every action is measured by its benefit to the common good.

Holy One, help us walk together in peace, live together in justice, and stand together in unity.

God bless America. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Glory belongs to You, O God, who is above all, through all, and in all; whose purpose is at work within us, around us, and beyond us. May we carry with us this day a most real sense of Your power and commit ourselves to Your divine purpose.

God, within us, give us the eyes to see and the heart to feel the movement of Your spirit in our souls. Do not let the noises of this world nor the narrative of this culture confound our ability to hear You speak.

God around us, allow us to look at Your handiwork and see the glory that is Yours alone. Let the Earth shout of Your majesty and the creatures of land and sea display Your splendor. May the beauty of Your creation not be blurred in our haste nor harmed by our waste.

God beyond us, teach us that our best thoughts of You are but a dim and distant shadow of Your true glory. Creator, You are greater than creation. Loving Lord, Your love surpasses all love in our own hearts. May we find strength, comfort, and inspiration in all that You are and hope in all that we do not yet know about You.

For You, O Lord, are able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine. May Your power be at work within us this day, that we glorify You in all that we endeavor to do.

To You be glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Let us pray. God of love, whose Spirit is known by those with thankful hearts and who makes cheerfulness a companion of strength, lift our hearts to a joyous confidence in Your care. Lord, give us opportunities to tell of all the marvelous things You have done in our Nation’s history, as we seek to glorify Your Name.

Lord, guide and protect our lawmakers. Teach them to find and trust You as they grow in grace and in a knowledge of Your providential leading. Remind them that when they feel overwhelmed, You stand behind the dim unknown to deliver them from doubt. May they claim Your promise to provide them with mercy and grace to help them in their time of need.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Praise be to You, O God our creator. In all that has been revealed to us, in all that we have received by Your grace, we greatly rejoice.

Though we face a multitude of challenges in our work, in our Nation, and in our own families, yet we rejoice. In the face of trials, troubles that threaten our well-being, our security, our certainty, yet we give thanks.

As gold is proven pure when refined by fire, may our faith, which is so much more valuable than gold, also be proven genuine.

Though we have not seen You, may we demonstrate our love for You, even as we love our neighbor. Though we cannot see You, may we live out our belief in You, even as we approach the labor of this day.

With an unspeakable and wondrous joy for the steadfast, loving care You offer us, we offer ourselves to You.

To You be glory and honor now and forever. Amen.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O Lord, our God, Your majestic Name fills the Earth. Your mighty hand has brought our Nation to this moment in its destiny.

Lead us all to do Your will. Help us to see that You desire us to do justly, love mercy, and to embrace humility. Remind us that You came to our world to empower us to find true freedom through the power of Your truth.

Bless our Senators. May they produce legislation that reflects Your priorities. Lord, help them to see that You are more impressed with how they obey Your precepts than the eloquence of their words. Guide them by Your light so that their lives reflect Your purposes.

We pray in Your matchless Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Sean Raftis

Loving Heavenly Father, we thank You for blessing us with faith, hope, and love.

We are especially thankful for those who defend and protect our Nation and our veterans who are with us and those who gave their lives to deliver us from evil and to protect our priceless freedoms we treasure.

Please guide us so that we can know and live the good, the true, and the beautiful. Please forgive our sins and cleanse us with Your infinite mercy so that we can live virtuous lives. We beg You that You continuously bless this Congress so that we all may work for the common good to deliver life, liberty, and happiness so that we and all citizens can fulfill Psalm 22 to “proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance You have brought.”

May all these noble men and women in Congress who serve here now continue to be blessed with joyful resolve to contribute to the greatest good, You, our Heavenly Father, and may God bless America. Amen.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Senate – Reverend Tony Setley

Creator God, from the beginning, You have brought order from chaos, and in Your wise compassion, You order society by calling people into vocations — masks of God, which through others Your work is done.

We pray Your blessing upon our Senate this day and especially upon the many You have called to live out their vocation within and around this Chamber: for our Senators and their staffs, for civil servants and political appointees, for facility workers and security personnel, for lobbyists and support service workers, for press members, for pages and interns, and for all others. Provide them each daily moments to remember the source and importance of their calling so that they may well and faithfully exercise their vocation, here in this place, for both God and country.

For this, we pray in Your most Holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God of all creation, bend Your ear toward the Earth and hear the cries of Your people imprisoned by their adversaries, stolen from their lives and loved ones, and held captive by hatred.

There are countless men, women, and children across the globe who are victims of heartless cruelty, but on this day, we lift up those who remain held hostage in Gaza after 5 months, especially our own countrymen: Edan Alexander, Itai Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Omer Neutra, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Keith Siegel.

Ever-present one, we pray the Acheinu with their loved ones and their communities, asking that You have mercy upon them and bring them out of their suffering to relief, from darkness to light, from subjugation to redemption, now, speedily, and soon.

And may the righteous memory of those who have died at the hand of their captors, be a powerful testimony to remember, that in atonement all the ends of the Earth will turn to You, O Lord, and bow before You.

O Lord, be not far from us. You are our strength and the deliverer of all those who endure the interminable wait for the return of these our brothers.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Have compassion upon us, O Lord, for we are weak. We continue to depend on You to guide our lawmakers on right paths. Only You know what the future holds and the resources we will need to meet our many challenges. Strengthen our Senators so that, in the face of great challenges, they will be steadfast, abounding in works that honor You.

Lord, give them such confidence in Your providence that no problem will seem insoluble. When anxieties come, remind them that You have not given a spirit of fear but of love, power, and discipline. In all of their work, may their primary motive be to bring glory to Your Name.

Thank You for hearing our cries and answering our prayers.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Hear the prayers, O Lord, of those who have seen affliction, the cries of those who find themselves in darkness without any light. For the people of Ukraine, who this very day endure the precariousness of their future, the peril threatening their livelihoods, the poverty of hope, the pain of death.

In all this time under siege, Ukrainian men and women have been a testimony of faith in the face of adversity, trusting in Your protection, certain of Your deliverance.

God, now their souls are bereft of peace. They have lost the memory of happiness.

We lift our prayers on behalf of those who have lost their voice. May our prayers of intercession reach Your ears.

Call again to their minds, that Your steadfast love, O Lord, never ceases. Your mercies will never come to an end. This day, Your mercies are new again, for great is Your faithfulness.

Loving God, be their portion that they would find their hope in You.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Most Holy and gracious God, who turns dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows, satisfy us with Your mercy, grace, and peace, that we may receive Your help for our time of need. Lift the light of Your countenance upon our lawmakers. Calm every troubled thought, and keep their feet on the path of peace. Lord, perfect Your strength in their weakness, and empower them to serve You in a way that honors Your Name. Guide their debates to expose truth, to produce creative compromise, and to bring solutions that will keep America strong. May they use their talents to renew peace in our Nation and world.

We pray in Your magnificent Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Guard both our hearts and our mouths today, O God. Let no thought enter our hearts that may hinder our closeness with You, nor let any word come from our mouths that is not meant for Your hearing. But set a guard over our mouths; keep watch over the door of our lips.

Do not let any unwholesome talk leave our mouths, but only that which is helpful to the value of the institution and the benefit of the people we have been called to serve.

Show us how to speak in such a way that edifies the conversation. Despite our differences, may we vow to benefit those with whom we dialogue.

Inspire us to energize and not jeopardize discussion, to invigorate and not denigrate our interlocutors. May we cultivate dignity and demonstrate respect for all with whom we engage this day.

Encourage us to build one another up, according to their needs, that we may succeed in strengthening the body and repairing the divisions that weaken our purpose to do good works in our service to You and to this country.

O God, our guardian, guide, and stay, abide with us this day, and grant us the blessing of Your divine guidance.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Friday, March 1, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and omnipotent God, by You all things were created in Heaven and Earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through You and for You. All of us are evidence of Your handiwork.

Open our eyes then to see Your image in the multitude and myriad of people we encounter this day. Though we, too often, come from opposing points of view, hold a variety of contrary opinions, defend antithetical positions, as human beings created by Your divine hand, though we are many and diverse, we are all one body.

Remind us over and again that we belong to each other, like different parts of the whole. We need what the others have in order to represent the one body to which You have called us.

Grant that Your peace would rule in each of our hearts, a peace that has called this body to being. O Lord, hear our thankfulness for the purpose to which You have called us. Praise be to You who are before all things and in whom all things hold together. Amen.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O Lord, our God, wonderful in glory, who keeps Your promises to those who serve You, consecrate with Your presence the path You desire our lawmakers to take.

Lord, kindle in the hearts of our Senators the true love of peace, and guide them with Your wisdom. May the faith they confess with their lips put such courage and hope in their hearts that they may live each day in the spirit of Your love. Cleanse them from every thought displeasing to Your goodness; that with pure hearts, clear minds, and calm hope, they may honor You.

And, Lord, have mercy upon our war-torn world.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, You have set an awareness of eternity in our hearts that we would spend our days longing to be forever united with You. Hear, then our deep desire to appreciate what is beyond our human capacity to understand and to strive to live into Your perfect will. May we grasp that what we experience this day is but a speck in the vastness of Your eternity.

Teach us to number our days that we may live wisely and well. On this extra day, may the added wisdom we gain enrich our hearts and remind us to honor each moment You give us.

Grant us the strength to be careful how we live, not wasting our time on useless work, the barren pursuit of busyness, but may we make the most of every opportunity and the best of this bonus day.

In Your eternal name, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God, our rock and redeemer, by Your will we came into being, and at Your command, when the right hour is come, we shall one day leave this world. Do not be silent when we need to hear You speak.

Lord, let Your Spirit lead our Senators. May they increase in self- forgetfulness, in simplicity, in courage, and in trust so that each day they will approach nearer to Your likeness.

Lord, help them to offer themselves afresh to be used in Your service. Show them Your ways, and may they obey Your precepts.

Give wisdom to the perplexed, fresh vigor to the discouraged, and a clearer vision to all who seek Your will.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

O sovereign Lord, 2 years into this unrelenting conflict between Russia and Ukraine, we appeal to You to act in condemnation against the unprovoked and the unjustified aggression and the heinous and hateful crimes against the Ukrainian people.

Uphold the cause of justice and defend these men and women who have called to You in their need. For they have been a testimony to faith, waiting patiently for You, fearing not when evil people have succeeded, and never losing heart even as the wicked carry out their schemes.

Protect them from their enemy but preserve them also from themselves, that they would refrain from acting out in anger and responding in wrath. In the horror of this interminable war, prevent them from resorting to vengeance, deliver them from exercising the very evil they are now enduring.

May all who suffer at the hands of such aggressors be assured that You, O Lord, laugh at the wicked for You know their day is coming. Though they draw the sword and bend the bow, You, O righteous one, will cause their weapons to pierce their own hearts. You will cause their strongholds to break.

Make firm the steps of those who delight in You. Though they may stumble, they will not fall, for You, O Lord, will uphold them with Your hand.

In the strength found only in Your name do we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Senate – Dr. Frank Carr

Almighty God, giver of all peace, freedoms, and victories we enjoy in this great Nation we call America, we invite Your Holy Spirit to take control of these Your Senators today, that they will serve the people of this Nation with Your spirit and truth. We pray Your holy hand will keep them forever righteous, humble of heart, unselfish in the governing of this Nation, that their decisions be made with love of this Nation and all the people they oversee and serve.

We pray, Father, they discharge their duties with honor and dignity; that they will always remember the blessings of freedom were purchased at a great cost; that with their loyalty and service to God and country in the spirit of true democracy for our Nation, God will allow America to be that Nation He intended it to be.

And now, unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his Holy Spirit, with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we lift our hearts to You, invoking Your blessings upon this day. You have made us one in our need of You, one in our yearning for strength beyond the self, and one in our quest for Your peace. Lord, cleanse our hearts and open our minds that Your truth may enter our lives.

Today, give our lawmakers the strength to do Your will. Help them to serve one another so that they may reflect Your spirit and goodness. Make them so aware of Your presence that they will learn Your wisdom.

And, Lord, we thank You for the life and legacy of America’s first President, George Washington.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Wise creator, You set before us, among us, and around us so many examples within Your divine handiwork that serve to open our minds to understand the meaning and purpose of our uniqueness, as well as the reason and necessity of our unity. We see even in the human body, the many parts that comprise it, each with its own valuable function, yet each in reliance of the whole.

In Your divine design of our very being, You have instilled in us the importance of safeguarding and protecting, respecting, and dignifying each individual element that makes us who we are. May we be faithful to Your intention for our life in community and regard each of the many Members of this body with the same security and protection, respect, and dignity as we regard ourselves.

Likewise, You have revealed to us the obligation each part of the body has to the other for the welfare of the whole. May we be receptive to upholding the intricate balance of Your gracious plan, that we, too, would acknowledge the need we have to work with, even rely on, all others without whom this body would not be complete.

For out of many, we are one, and in oneness, may we glorify You.

In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Friday, February 23, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Kevin Vandiver

God of infinite love and grace, we pray for Your wisdom, guidance, and strength as we collectively govern this Nation.

Ever remind us of the ways in which the spark of hope comes from the most unlikely of places and circumstances. Remind us of the ways that You are calling us all to participate in what often seems to be fraught times.

Keep us steadfast in the aims to bring this one human family together in peace. Help us to use our power for ultimate good. Guide us in the ways of humble servitude, so that peace, love, and justice may roll from the mountains like rivers.

Give us ears to not only hear but to listen, hearts that not only beat with passion but also with empathy. Surround these, Your servants, with love and resolve for the days ahead.

In the spirit and name of the infinite creator, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend John Kellogg

O Lord, our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this Nation to Your merciful care, that being guided by Your providence, we may dwell secure in Your peace. Grant to the Congress of the United States and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do Your will. Fill our Representatives with the love of truth and righteousness and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people. Amen.

Friday, February 16, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Merciful God, we pause in this moment to look inwardly, evaluating both who we are and whose we are. In this time of self-reflection, we pray that we do not see ourselves as better than we really are. Rather, as we reflect on our attitudes and actions and the estimation we have of our own importance, may we do so with humility and wise judgment, free of exaggeration or delusion.

You, O Lord, have made us and we are Yours. We are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture. As we consider this relationship to You, help us first to see the grace You have given us and mercy You have shown us. As far as our faith allows, help us to discover the gifts You have apportioned to us and live into the purpose You have assigned to us.

This and every day, may we commit ourselves to this meditation and self-examination, that we would grow stronger in spirit and more aware of Your steadfast love in our lives.

We pray that we glorify You. In the strength of Your most holy name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

House of Representatives – Pastor Zach Terry

Heavenly Father, as we gather in this Chamber, recognizing You as the only sovereign over these United States, we acknowledge our dependency upon You alone.

May Your holy spirit awaken within our Representatives those timeless truths of scripture, whispered from the lips of their ancestors and thundered from the sacred desk.

Those principles of liberty and justice transcend both time and culture and serve as a beacon amid the stormy seas of governance.

May this Congress embody the most sacred ideals of their constituents and honor the legacy of their honorable predecessors.

The good citizens of this Nation have elected them, but You, O Lord, have appointed them for such a time as this.

May the decisions that they make this day honor the prayer of our Lord, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

I ask all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Merciful God, Your Word is rich with promises. You have spoken throughout eternity and reminded us that in You we have all that we require and are in need of nothing. We know in the depths of our heart and soul that not one of Your good promises has failed.

Help us, then, to be patient, to wait on You, O Lord, and trust in Your perfect timing for You are not slow in keeping Your promise, certainly not as we define slowness. Instead, You are patient with us, waiting on us to acknowledge You and trust in Your gracious provisions.

And so this day, we repent of our doubt and receive Your generous gift of space and time, allowing us to discover You and to claim the promise of Your everlasting love.

In Your sovereign name we pray.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Send, O Lord, Your spirit to move among us in this place. Guide us into Your truth, a truth that is not of our authority nor bound by our place in time.

Reveal to us a truth beyond our every memory, greater than our best knowledge, deeper than we can possibly imagine. May our hearts, our heads, and our wills be open to that which is Your truth alone. May we let go of our own designs, loose our certain grip on our desires, and yield to Your righteous plan for us and for all creation

Great Creator, use this day to give us a fresh anointing to serve Your people. Life bestower, give us, in this moment, a new awakening to lay hold of the hope You set before us.

Eternal advocate, equip and empower us with the truth You reveal and uphold us with the strength You supply this day and always.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Monday, February 12, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God, our Father, there are no two lawmakers with identical needs. You know their needs. Bless them in a way that will meet their needs.

Lord, strengthen them for life’s challenges, empowering them to endure difficult times, buoyed by faith and confidence in You. Provide them generously with wisdom to solve the problems that beset our Nation and world and to sidestep temptations that dishonor Your Name. Keep them from pride and self-conceit, as they focus on serving You by serving others.

Lord, stay with them until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, the busy work is hushed, the fever of life is over, and their work is done.

We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God of love, bring unity to Capitol Hill.

Lord, we do not ask for uniformity with its leveling process that reduces everything and everybody to its lowest common denominator. We ask for true unity with its bountiful diversity in which each person finds individual fulfillment in doing Your will.

Lord, give our Senators unity to light the symphony with its variety of instruments, its many different notes which produce grand harmonies. May our lawmakers reduce these melodies on this Super Bowl Sunday by seeking to understand before being understood, to console before being consoled, and to serve before being served.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for the security You provide those who trust in You. We believe that You can do more than we can ask or imagine. Throughout our history, You have not failed us, and You continue to provide us with strength for today and bright hopes for tomorrow.

Lord, surround our Senators with Your mercy, peace, and grace as they come confidently to Your throne, using the power of persevering prayer. Give them a faith that will not shrink though pressed by many a foe.

We pray in Your omnipotent Name. Amen.

Friday, February 9, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O Lord, may our hearts be open to receive Your guidance. Help us to bow to Your will and live lives devoted to Your providential leading.

Bless our Senators. Let faith, hope, and love abound in their lives. Lord, use them to heal our hurting Nation and world and to be forces for harmony, goodness, and peace. May they hunger for Your wisdom and make decisions that will honor You. Open their minds, and give them a vision of the unlimited possibilities available to those who trust You as their guide.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Merciful God, we offer to You this day and our everydays–our ordinary lives of work and play, and the extraordinary moments–the challenging and the rewarding. We place all of this before You as an offering of gratitude for the grace and love You have shown us.

As we proceed into our day, help us not to become fixated on the popular appetite for greed and power, caught up in the widespread inclination toward selfishness and exclusion. Prevent us from becoming so comfortable with this status quo that we would not be compelled to act without thought or consideration for truth and justice.

Instead, may we fix our attention on You. Change us from the inside out that we will be able to discern what it is You desire and that we would be quick to carry it out.

Holy God, bring out the best in us this day as we mature in faith and walk in the way You would have us go.

Upheld by Your righteous name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, thank You for Your sacred precepts that provide us with a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. We are grateful for Your universal truth that appears across the spectrum of religious traditions.

It states:

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Lord, we praise You for that liberating truth and for Your promise that it did set us free.

Give our Senators the wisdom and courage to know and obey Your truth and trust You with the consequences.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, restore us to Your favor. You are our rock and salvation, our shelter in life’s storms. Thank You that Your anger is only for a moment, but Your favor continues throughout the days of our lives. Though weeping may endure for a night, because of Your favor, joy comes in the morning.

Lord, surround our lawmakers with the shield of Your divine favor. May no weapon formed against them prosper. Bless them when they are on the road, when they are going to bed, and when they are getting up.

Hasten the day when, because of Your favor, justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

We pray in Your marvelous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Hear us, O Lord, and answer us. Hear the prayers of the hostages in Israel and the deported children of Ukraine. Answer the cries of parents separated from their little ones and of families grieving the loss of their loved ones.

Hear our prayers, Lord. Listen to our cries for mercy for the countless men and women, wherever they find themselves, who call to You this day in distress. Answer them. For You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness.

Turn to Your people throughout the world whose relentless foes attack them from all sides. Condemn the ruthless people whose weapons are torment and injustice, whose only goals are pain and death.

Turn to all those who are broken by misery and overwhelmed by fear wherever they find themselves this day and have mercy on them. Show Your strength on behalf of those who call upon Your name, who cling with faith to the promise of Your salvation.

Give them a sign of Your goodness that their enemies may see it and be put to shame.

In You alone do they find help and hope and comfort. Hear us, O Lord, and answer us, for we pray in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we sing about the glory of Your Name. May we live lives that will tell our Nation and world how glorious You are. Thank You for Your promises, for they refresh us each day. We are grateful for Your promises to supply all our needs, to guard our hearts with Your peace, and to keep us from stumbling or slipping as we strive to walk on the road of integrity.

Bless our Senators. Use them to contribute to the forces for harmony and goodness in our Nation and world. Give them the wisdom to make decisions that will glorify You. May they seek to serve rather than be served, following Your example of humility and sacrifice.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, You have marked out our appointed times in history and provided the time and space for our lives so that we would seek You, reach to You, and find You, for You are never far from us. For in You we live and move and have our being.

So into Your hands we place the U.S. House of Representatives and all who labor therein. From this body there is revealed an intricate tapestry of hopes and fears, possibility and challenge. Into this unique quilt You have woven our talents and treasures, our time and our effort.

We pray then that You would use this sometimes unlikely and unruly montage of Members. Reveal Your mercy in our doubt, and even in the wavering of our faith, reveal Your glory.

In our busyness may we find Your quietness. In our quietness may we receive Your purpose. Let the favor of the Lord be upon us. Establish for us the work of our day, this day and every day.

In the power to be found only in Your name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, Feburary 5, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Lord of all nations, illuminate the hearts of our Senators today. Enable them to shine Your light into our Nation and world, not to glorify themselves but to honor You. Give them the power of ethical fitness that will enable them to reinforce lofty rhetoric with righteous actions. As they face daunting challenges, lift the light of Your countenance upon them. Lord, keep them from growing weary in doing what is right as You remind them of the certainty of a bountiful harvest. Help them to see the great results that come from seeking to do Your will.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

We pray to You, O Lord, to work among and within us as we seek to serve You this day.

Open the closed doors of our hearts and encourage us to unlock all that bars us from discovering and receiving You in our lives and in this place.

Open our ears that we would hear Your voice calling us to serve You unequivocally. You have summoned us to this esteemed court of law that we would uphold Your righteousness and render Your justice.

Open our minds that we would grasp the knowledge and insight You offer us. In the most disagreeable moments, You challenge us not only to be tolerant of others, but to be open to the truths You teach us through these encounters.

Open our eyes that we will see the wonder of Your love, the spiritual beauty that resides in the souls of those whom and with whom we serve. In them, may we bear witness to Your everlasting faithfulness to all people and Your eternal presence among even the least of these.

Then open our hands that we may share the richness of the blessings You have bestowed on us. Deliver us from all selfishness and purge us from the meanness within us that desperately clings to Your grace gifts without regard for Your counsel that we have been so blessed so as to be a blessing.

All that we are and all that we have is Yours, O Lord. This day, help us to be faithful stewards of Your generous grace.

In your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Listen to our prayer, dear Lord, for You are our mighty fortress. When we feel overwhelmed, we place our hope in You. When we feel doubt, You fill us with Your faith. When we feel afraid, You continue to be our light and salvation. Thank You for keeping us safe.

Lord, guide our lawmakers. May they give You their burdens as they seek to do Your will and live for Your glory. Use them to help heal our hurting nation and world. Let faith, hope, and love abound in their lives.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Dr. Michael Cramer

Holy, Heavenly Father, creator and sustainer of this universe, You have given us the greatest Nation in the world to care for as stewards of Your people, Your resources, and Your land. Forgive us of our shortcomings.

You have assembled these specific Representatives here today to fulfill a precise purpose in Your sovereign, eternal plan.

You tell us that blessed is the Nation whose God is You. You tell us You give wisdom freely to all who ask.

So we call on You today for Your wisdom in the matters to be discussed and determined. We look to You today for unity. We draw on Your strength. We ask for Your grace and mercy to accomplish all things in a manner that is pleasing to You.

We yield all things to Your complete and sovereign will and pray this in the name of Your eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, eternal and unchangeable, You have ordained that day follows night and that in trials we find our triumph.

Keep our lawmakers aware of Your goodness and mercies that never fail. Lord, lift our Senators above contention to an optimism that trusts the unfolding of Your prevailing providence. May they also live with the awareness that our times are in Your hands.

Lord, give our legislators the wisdom to rededicate themselves to the doing of Your will so that this Nation may yet shine with the beauty of righteousness, justice, and peace.

And, Lord, remember the families of the servicemembers killed in the Jordan drone attack.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

With the psalmist we pray: “Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. Let us hear what God the Lord will speak, for God will speak to the people, to those who turn to God in their heart.”

God of grace and God of glory, we turn our hearts and minds toward You. In these days of warring madness, bend our pride to Your control. Shame the wanton disregard for human life and dignity that scourges our communities, our Nation, and our world. Shame the selfish gladness for power and domination that plagues all corners of the Earth.

Grant wisdom and courage to those who stand up to the hegemonic overreach in Ukraine. Grant wisdom and courage to those who seek fair and peaceful resolution in Israel and Gaza.

In the facing of these hours of discontent and strife, grant us wisdom and grant us courage as we seek to serve You whom we adore.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God of time and eternity, we come to You not because we are perfect but because we trust Your mercy, power, and grace. By Your grace we are able to triumph over evil, living no longer for ourselves but for You.

Lord, give our Senators a vision of the goals that produce righteousness, honor, justice, and peace. Empower them to serve the marginalized, to bear the burdens of freedom, and to labor for Your glory. Give them the gifts of Your light, love, and laughter.

Lord, we are grateful for our new page class, and we thank You for the exemplary life and legacy of Bobbi Barrasso.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Pastor Jack Hibbs

Almighty God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, together we come before You in humility as a people in need of Your forgiveness, Your mercy, Your goodness, and Your grace.

For these 250 or so years, our fathers in this Congress have prayed for Your guidance and protection. We stand here in humble petition that You today might do the same, that this Nation and its unparalleled Constitution—Your great gift to all freedom loving people–might be renewed here and across this land as a beacon of hope to all who seek peace.

I ask You today, Father, to bring to us a great awakening of righteousness and confidence in You who alone are mighty to save.

Hear my cry in this hour of great need that we might be humbly blessed before You in repentance of our national sins.

You, Almighty God, are the source of all wisdom, and there is no wisdom but that which comes from You.

So please come upon those here who are the stewards over the business of our Nation with Your wisdom which comes from above and with Your holy fear knowing that Your coming day of judgment draws near when all who have been and are now in authority will answer to You, the great judge of heaven and of Earth.

For the decisions that they make here in this place, I offer this prayer to You, Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, and our crucified Savior and resurrected Lord.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Monday, January 29, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Gracious and merciful God, receive our prayers and our purpose for this day. We begin with the best of intentions, renewed by the rest of the weekend, asking Your blessing as we tackle the challenges laid before us in the week ahead.

Hear our prayer that we remain committed to doing the right thing, and bless our desire to bring careful thought to do what is pleasing to You, taking pains to remain true to honest things, true not only in Your eyes, but in the eyes of the people we serve.

In this may we prove faithful to loving You with our whole heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with our whole mind.

And may the work of our hands and the intentions of our truest self serve as worthy proof that our love for our neighbor is no less than that for our own selves.

Lead us, O Lord, in the living of this day, we pray in Your most holy name. Amen.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Senate – Rabbi Mendy Dietsch

God of Heaven, Master of the world, please grace this distinguished, exalted United States Senate. Give blessings upon these distinguished individuals, chosen by so many who have entrusted them with the responsibility of legislating for the well-being of their constituents and families.

While each of us may come from different backgrounds, we stand here united with a shared vision and purpose, with conviction and determination, with love and strength, to ensure that each day is better than the day before.

As my revered teacher, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, said: Though humanity’s origin began in a perfect world, human shortcomings led to its failings. Yet it is through human goodness and kindness that we can reveal G-d in this beautiful world, his dwelling place on Earth with the redemptive time of the coming of Moshiach.

Almighty God, may those gathered here remain mindful of Your presence as they work to enact just laws, the process of which itself is one of the seven Noahide Laws given to You and all mankind, and align it with Your will to foster a peaceful and harmonious world.

Please let us see more peaceful days soon, with the safe return of those being held hostage as well as the dedicated men and women of our Armed Forces battling evil at this time. Bestow upon them wisdom, justice, grace, and empathy.

Bless our leaders with good health, compassion and joy, enabling them to bring honor to the United States and to Your Name the blessings to mankind as they fulfill Your divine will. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

As we pause to observe Holocaust Remembrance Day this weekend, we recall the haunting sentiments of Elie Wiesel:

Never shall I forget the long nights in camp, the smoke, the small faces of children whose bodies were transformed under a silent sky.Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.

Holy and merciful God, cause us to guard our souls carefully lest we forget the testimonies our ears have heard from those who survived this evil attack on humanity. Never let these heinous memories depart from our heart lest we forget the horror of those darkest of days and years when so many lives were cut short by hatred.

But let us make them known to our children and to our children’s children, that we will hold ourselves accountable to the consequences of our moral failures, of our disregard for human dignity, and of our negligence in defending their right to faith and freedom.

May we never forget, and may we forswear our prejudices and fight against the inhumanity that endures this day.

We offer this prayer calling on Your mercy and claiming the hope that is ours in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God who rules the raging of the sea, draw our Senators to You today by the cords of Your eternal love. Help them to strive to know You, cultivating a relationship of peaceful trust in Your prevailing providence. May the experience of being in Your presence enable them to better comprehend the role You desire for them to play in fulfilling Your purposes on Earth. Sharpen their vision to perceive Your movements in our Nation and world. Where there is anxiety, give our lawmakers the poise that comes from a confident faith in You.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for the years to come, continue to guide our lawmakers during these challenging times, infuse them with wisdom and energy so that they will not become discouraged by what sometimes seems overwhelming. Lord, show them the road that will lead to a desired destination, as You assure them of Your presence, love, and grace. Help them to defer to each other, to respect each other so that, by attitude and action, they will reflect Your divine will.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

Monday, January 22, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we lift our hearts to You, the giver of wisdom, strength, and peace. Guide our lawmakers through the deliberations of this day. Lord, give them wisdom to work for justice and to advance Your kingdom on Earth. May they set a course for this Nation that unites people in dedication to truth, courage, and righteousness. Lord, empower our Senators to meet today’s joys with gratitude, its difficulties with fortitude, and its duties with fidelity. Teach them to toil and to ask for nothing more than to know they are pleasing You.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Pastor Zack Randles

Gracious and awesome God, we come before You today on behalf of the men and women who serve in this Chamber, their teams, and their families.

May You bring peace and clarity to their minds so that they can hear Your voice and each other’s voices. May You provide them with words and concepts that will bring understanding and growth. May You open their eyes to genuine need and stir their spirits to act swiftly in prudence and creativity. Help them to forge a path forward together.

Protect them from destruction and direct them around pits and traps set by those who would seek to bring chaos. Fill their hearts with courage and their souls with conviction because hope is never lost for those whose trust is in the Lord. Give them resolve to finish the journey You started them on, and may You grant them a glimpse of the fruit that their righteous work is producing.

Thank You for being a God who hears us. I pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, who has placed us here and gives us work to do, we pause to thank You for sustaining this Nation from generation to generation in prosperity and in adversity, in peace and in war.

Lord, we praise You for this season of new horizons, fresh challenges, and high duties. Give our Senators the wisdom to exert their best efforts for the security of America and for peace in our world. In the words of the Prophet Micah, may our lawmakers do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. Join them in heart, mind, and soul to transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.

Lord, guide us all by Your higher wisdom that we may ever seek to know and do Your will.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, teach us to number our days, not that we would count down to the next milestone or fear the future ahead of us, but that we would come to value and to appreciate the moments You have given us.

Teach us to number the days of our work, that we would understand that each day matters. The decisions we make, the encounters we have, the privilege we have been given to labor in Your vineyard, all that we do contributes to the work to which You have entrusted us.

Teach us to number the days with our loved ones, that we would seize the opportunity to acknowledge even the smallest gesture of love and appreciate the greatest favor You have bestowed on us, to share this life with the precious people we call friends and the special ones we know as family.

Teach us to number the days of our lives, that we would use our time on Earth to appreciate the freedoms You have endowed us, to seek the wisdom You reveal to us, and to demonstrate the mercy and love You have shown us.

Teach us to number our days, that we may live this day wisely.

We offer this prayer in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, whose kingdom is above all earthly kingdoms, give our lawmakers this day clean hands and pure hearts to serve You for the glory of Your Name. Lord, equip them with grace, strength, and wisdom to face successfully the challenges that beset our Nation and world.

Infuse them with a creativity that will inspire them to do their work according to Your will, causing justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Lord, give them peace of soul when their thoughts and plans are right and disturb them when they drift from what is best. Lead them in paths of integrity, courage, and truth.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

You, O Lord, have been our God forever, and have delivered us from peril and menace time and again. We acknowledge no other God but You. Not our power or might, but only You can uphold us. We confess no other savior but You–neither our wit, nor our own wisdom, but Yours alone can redeem us.

For You have cared for us in our wilderness. You have provided shelter for us in the scorching heat of anxiety and the raging storms that threaten our well-being.

Deliver, then, Your people from the relentless power of devastation and desolation. After almost 2 years of fighting for their country and its citizens, redeem the people of Ukraine. As we mark the 100th day of ostensibly intractable conflict in Israel and Gaza, bring Your peace and justice to this region.

May those who are persecuted be rescued from death’s sting. May those who have sacrificed so much be spared from the grave’s victory. Do not hide Your compassion from them, but speak into the chaos and confusion of this horrific strife and once again grant Your deliverance and then govern us with Your peace.

In the light of Your love, we pray in the strength of Your name. Amen.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, Lord of history, lead our Senators above all irrelevancies and trivialities to a unity of passion and purpose. Create in them an elevated and refined patriotism that will make them eager to know and do Your will. May the words of their mouths and the meditations of their hearts receive Heaven’s approval. In the awareness that “without a vision the people perish,” give our lawmakers a fresh revelation of the United States of America. Also, keep ever before them the dream of a better world that is yet to be.

We pray in Your marvelous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Our Father, who art in Heaven, You have taught us how to pray. And with this familiar prayer or the prayers that reside deep in our souls, we offer these prayers to You. However we approach You, we pray that You will accept our manner of worship as holy and acceptable to You. Even as You receive us, in the multitude of languages and the range of voices that ascend to Your hearing, You teach us also how to love, commanding us to love one another even as You have loved us–with all our strengths and shortfalls, gifts and gaffes, differences and divisions.

On this day, which marks the 238th anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, authored by Thomas Jefferson, may it not be law but love that compels us to safeguard the freedom of religion for our fellow citizens. May it not be statute but stewardship of Your grace that calls us to honor the principles of the First Amendment, respecting the faith of all peoples.

Remind us again, that we owe no one anything but to love one another. And as we love one another, may we have fulfilled Your great command.

In the light of Your love, we pray in the name by which we know You. Amen.

Friday, January 12, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

With what can we come before You, O Lord, this day? How shall we honor You, O Lord, most exalted?

Shall we come before You with the sacrifice of our time and energy as proof of our dedication to serve You and the people we have been set apart to represent?

Will You be pleased with the multitude of our meetings and appointments, with the bounty of our hard-earned achievements? What should we lay before You to make up for our mistakes and missteps? How can we possibly atone for the transgressions of our souls?

Take away all that blinds us from what You have already shown us is good and acceptable in Your sight. Let us place before You the only sacrifice You require of us:

To do what is fair and just in all facets of our lives.

To be patient and compassionate, taking the initiative to show kindness even to those who are hard to be kind to.

To humble ourselves enough that we demonstrate that our love for You far exceeds our own self-interests.

In these offerings alone may we achieve what is the good pleasure of Your desire for our service to You and to this Nation. In your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, You soar on the wings of the wind. You are our strength, our rock, and our fortress. Without You, we do not know from whence we have come, why we are here, and where we are going. Without You, life is a narrow valley between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. With You, life becomes an open gate into eternity.

Merciful God, be a shield of protection for our lawmakers, our Nation, and our world. Place Your arms of love around us all, for You are our hope for the years to come.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Today, O Lord, may we hear Your voice. Inspire us not to harden our hearts, as we are so often inclined to do. Keep us from our quarreling when we find ourselves without answers, without direction. Save us from our anger when we are tested by demands and doubts and frustrated with misgivings and mistrust.

Though we test Your patience day after day, do not be angry with us nor abandon us even when we turn away from You.

Show us how to mend fences with one another, to turn disputes into discussions, to bridge impasses with compassion, and to set aside our irritation and yield to Your direction.

Today, O Lord, may we hear Your voice and set our will aside and obey Your own.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Father, You are our hope for the years to come. In this sacred moment, we turn our thoughts to You. We think of You because You have promised that no weapon formed against us will prosper. We think of You because You have given us mercy and grace to help us face life’s difficulties. We think of You because You have guided this Nation through seasons more challenging than we face today. We love and depend on You, so continue to use our lawmakers as instruments of Your peace.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and immortal God, we pause to offer our prayers of both gratitude and grief for Your servant, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson. Words cannot adequately express our appreciation to You for allowing us to share the journey of life with such a woman of perseverance and presence, leadership and legendary impact. Thank You for allowing her to touch the lives of so many in both her nursing and political careers.

While we mourn Representative Johnson’s passing, with hearts bereft of her friendship and mentorship, and with compassion for her grieving family, in the face of the fragility of life, we do not grieve as those without hope. For we trust in the promise she held dear, that those who have departed this life will be united with You in everlasting glory.

May her memory be a blessing, and may Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson be blessed as she rests now from her labor in lifelong service to You and to Your people.

Into Your everlasting arms we commend our lives, and in Your eternal name we offer our prayer. Amen.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, bless the citizens of this great Nation. Give them favor as they face the challenges of life’s seasons, enriching their lives with wisdom, love, and truth.

Lord, we ask that You would also inspire our Senators. Make them great enough in spirit, good enough in heart, and genuine enough in purpose to refuse to deviate from integrity as they strive to live for Your glory. May each lawmaker become Your channel for justice, courage, and peace in our Nation and world.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is our Your name in all the Earth. You have set Your glory above the heavens. We pause to consider the work of your fingers, the Moon and the stars that You have established.

Let then Your divine favor and Your creative spirit be upon all those who have gathered in these Chambers, who recommit their time and energy in this new year in their service to You and to this Nation.

Let not one person here boast in their own wisdom. Let not the powerful boast in their power. Let not those who are rich in wealth or influence boast in their favor.

For You alone, in Your incorruptibility are the builder of this House. Let not our labor be in vain. But let us have reason to boast in our desire to understand and know You. You are the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness.

So by our commitment to these same virtues, may You find reason to delight in us. In Your mercy we offer our work to You.

And in your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Monday, January 8, 2024

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Majestic Father, Your glory fills the Earth. In this first month of a new year, manifest Your glory and might in our Nation and world.

Arise, O Lord. Stand up against the evil that seeks to destroy freedom, to steal, kill, and desecrate. Rule over our world with Your marvelous might, using our lawmakers to do Your will on Earth even as it is done in Heaven.

Eternal God, we praise You with all our hearts.

We pray in Your wonderful Name. Amen.

Friday, January 5, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God of light, shine upon us. Disperse the deep and hidden things that confound our lives and challenge our days. Expose the fear and sadness, doubt and dishonesty that grow in the shadows. Remind us again that not even in the darkness can anything be hidden from You.

In this season when the shadows lengthen and the night descends quickly upon us, when all around us despair attempts to extinguish any hope for our future, we pray that Your love would dawn upon us.

In You there is no darkness at all. In You do we find solace in our uncertainty, calm in our anxiety, and strength in our weakness. Your abiding presence sheds light on the path and illuminates our way.

Enlighten the eyes of our heart. Awaken the awareness of our spirit that we may know the hope to which You have called us, a hope that is stronger than any enemy, a light brighter than even the shadow of death.

In the clarity to be found when we call upon Your name, we are bold to pray. Amen.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal Lord, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Many are the plans of our hearts, but Yours is the eternal purpose that prevails.

Receive then our earnest and most heartfelt prayers as we enter into this Second Session of the 118th Congress. You have set eternity in our hearts, and we yearn to find meaning and purpose in the work of our hands.

Receive our labors and sanctify our intentions. May all that we set forth to do prove worthy of Your gracious and eternal plan.

Scripture warns that some trust in chariots and some in horses. All too often we trust in the perishable and corruptible, but this year, in all that lies ahead, may we place our trust only in the name of the Lord our God.

It is in Your sovereign name that we are bold to pray. Amen.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

This is the day, the year, You, O Lord, have made. Let us rejoice and be glad in them, for by Your grace You provide for us possibility and hope for our future.

As we continue in our service to You in 2024, may we pause often to acknowledge that each moment is a gift that You desire us to enjoy. Each challenge is an opportunity that You strengthen us to overcome. Each disappointment is a siren to return to faith in Your mercy. Each encounter is a grace gift given that we would share the unconditional love You offer us all.

As we step into Your design for this new year, we pray to be faithful stewards of Your bounty, just arbiters of Your commandments, compassionate witnesses to Your kindness, and worthy disciples to Your Gospel of love.

We offer our hopes and fears for this new year and our whole selves to Your keeping, praying in the strength of Your name. Amen.

Friday, December 29, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Paul Anderson

To the God of all creation, those who instituted sound, tone, rhythm, and harmony, we give You thanks for the bounty, the purpose, and the mission of America.

From the pulpit of our plenty, we pray to be used by You as instruments of peace in zones of conflict and insufficiency.

May the deliberations here shift from the cacophony of partisanship. Rather, we pray, O God, that You would make this place a center of harmonic convergence from which a symphony of responsible, visionary, compassionate, and inspirational leadership will emanate and circle the globe like the rings of Saturn.

May we be for the world a cornerstone, if not a pillar or platform, of a more perfect Union, a Republic that still includes equity, justice, accountability, personal responsibility, and more power to the people, locally, nationally, and universally. Amen.

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

In the quiet conclusion of this holiday season, as we reflect on the time with family and friends, still reveling in the excitement and joy of the season, in this simple, sacred moment, we join with the great company of the heavenly host praising You, saying, “Glory to God in the highest.”

We pause in anticipation that You will grant our prayer for peace on Earth.

May we be among those with whom You are well pleased this day.

May we be among those upon whom Your favor rests throughout our journey in faith.

In Your most holy name, we offer our prayers to You. Amen.

Friday, December 22, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Gentle God of love and compassion, we approach You this morning, emerging from the longest night of the year. Far from just an astronomical event, this seemingly endless midwinter night serves as a painful reminder of the unrelenting shadow of loss and loneliness endured by so many, their grief made even more painful when held in stark contrast to the joyful strains of holiday songs and festive gatherings.

O come, O come Emmanuel, God with us, and ransom these hearts held captive to sadness and suffering. Hear their mournful cries pleading for Your mercy, desperate for Your salvation. Disperse the gloomy clouds of their nights of terror and trauma.

May the people who walk in darkness in this holiday season–in our own homes and our communities and across the globe–see Your great light. Those who live in a land overshadowed by death’s devastation, on them may Your light shine.

Wonderful counselor, Almighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, establish Your truth and justice on the Earth. May Your kingdom reign and of Your peace may there be no end.

In Your sovereign name we pray to You this day. Amen.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Sovereign God, You see everything that happens in our Nation and world, as You lead us by Your mercies and grace. Continue to shower our planet with Your blessings, protecting us from the forces that hinder freedom.

In this season of cheer, inspire our lawmakers with wisdom to express their gratitude for the gifts You have given this great Nation. May this gratitude also be expressed by their reverence for You and their willingness to obey Your precepts. Help them to keep their promises to You and to one another, no matter how great the challenges may be. Lord, enable them to walk securely in the path of Your will.

We pray in the Name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Merciful God, you hear us when we call. You guide us with Your precepts, enabling us to honor You with our lives. As our Senators work to permit freedom to ring in our Nation and world, may they find joy in showing with their lives what they profess with their lips.

Lord, use these lawmakers for Your glory, as You illuminate our world through their witness. May they fearlessly contend against evil and make no peace with oppression, as You enable them to permit justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

And, Lord, thank You for the trailblazing legacy of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we pray to You often for discernment, for the ability to see what we are to do in a day, to understand what we are to do when faced with decisions and discover how we are to do what You call us to do when the path isn’t clear.

And the answer You give us is so simple. You call us to do one thing before You grant us the insight we yearn for. You call us to love and to allow our love for You to increase more and more. The answer, You say, to all our doubts and fears, uncertainty and anxiety, is love.

Open our hearts, our minds, and our wills that we would grow in our ability to discover and then live into the love You first give us and come to trust Your divine will for our lives, even when we cannot see what that is. And in receiving Your love, may our love for others abound. In this may we grow in knowledge and discernment of Your gracious plan for us and for all creation.

Loving God, we yield ourselves to You and to Your design for us this day. May we receive the true vision that comes when we seek to see through Your eyes.

In the love that is found there and then shared when we pray in Your name, may we discover the joy that is found in You. Amen.

Monday, December 18, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, You have told us that in every circumstance we should give thanks. Today, we pause to thank You for the challenge of making responsible decisions.

Lord, we are grateful for the unfolding of Your prevailing providence and for Your love that sustains us through life’s seasons. We express gratitude for the eternal vigilance our lawmakers are willing to pay for the price of freedom.

Accept our thanksgiving also for Your promise in Matthew 28:20 that You will be with us always, even to the end of the age.

Lord of all, to You we raise this our prayer of grateful praise.

We pray in Your marvelous Name. Amen.

Friday, December 15, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God of peace, we pray for Your peace this day. In the hustle and bustle of the season, when our minds are overwhelmed by competing priorities and demanding schedules, we pray for a sense of peace that transcends the day-to-day grind and allows us the quietude to catch our breath.

As the world turns on an axis of struggles for supremacy and the preservation of whole peoples, we pray for peace among the nations. Cause us each to be still and know that You are God, that You alone would be exalted in all the Earth.

In our own hearts, when we find ourselves distressed by personal challenges, concerned for members of our family, fearful of our adversaries, grant us the peace that is not defined by this life. Let not our hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

O God, You are the Lord of peace. Give us Your peace at all times, in all places, in all circumstances. In every way, Lord, be with us.

In the peace that is found in Your name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Senate – Reverend RADM Gregory Todd

Eternal Father, ruler of wind and wave, You establish the heavens and order all of creation. Behold Your humble people, seeking only to serve and not to be served. Grant all who labor on behalf of the United States a heart of humble service.

Lord, in Your wisdom, You led the predecessor of this Congress, the Continental Congress of 1775, out of concern for the souls of sailors, to mandate that divine services be held on all Navy ships, thus giving rise 248 years ago to the Navy Chaplain Corps.

Inspired by the insight of our forebears, we seek Your divine hand to raise up more religious ministry professionals to serve as U.S. Navy chaplains. In our day, Lord, grant us an increase of Navy chaplains to care for the souls of sailors, marines, coastguardsmen, and their families as they navigate the daily challenges of military service.

We give You thanks for raising up righteous leaders who foster justice and promote the good. Grant Your wisdom to the newly confirmed and soon-to-be-confirmed flag and general officers, that they may bless Your people.

Grant Your favor to our Nation this holiday season; that though we are a people of many faiths or even no faith, we live united as a nation without hate or rancor. It is into Your divine hands we commit our prayer, trusting in Your divine mercy. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God of grace and truth, dwell among us today in all Your glory. In Your gracious arms, receive all of us, sinners though we are, and show us Your compassion. Welcome us into Your steadfast loving-kindness, though we are all undeserving of such divine mercy.

But isn’t that the truth You have been trying to tell us all along? You have created us to be the agents of Your love, the hands of Your compassion, the mouth of Your message of righteousness and justice. But too often we fall short of Your will in our service to You.

Yet with unmerited favor, in Your fullness we have received grace upon grace. You have forgiven our faithlessness, redeemed our waywardness, and offered us the promise of Your salvation.

In this holy season, may our lives reflect the light You have shone in our darkness, the blessings You have bestowed on us. And may we find countless opportunities to share the joy we have found in You, that all may know of the depth of Your love.

By Your grace in the truth of Your name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Turn and answer us, O Lord, our God, for we trust in Your unfailing love. May this season of peace on Earth help bring peace to our Nation and world.

Lord, You know the forces that seek to destroy freedom. Give our lawmakers the wisdom to become instruments of Your peace as they strive to honor You with integrity. May their words be true and sincere. Help them keep their promises to You and one another, no matter how great the challenges may be. Lord, empower them to walk securely in the path of Your will.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, we pause in this brief moment, acutely aware that beyond these Chambers are a host of issues that demand urgent attention and compete for increasingly limited resources. Outside the silence of this place, the drumbeat of need is deafening and resounds across the globe.

We pray to You, O Lord, for our world, for the ever more precarious position in which Ukraine finds itself, for the fog of war that has descended on Israel and Gaza, and for discord in our own discourse on just these two topics alone. Each of these is a crisis in its own right, and each is fraught with competing concerns that complicate even our best intentions.

Lord, You are not the author of confusion but of peace. Bring Your peace into our world and into this place, that our eyes would be open to Your leading, that our ears would hear, among the cacophony of voices that clamor to be heard, Your word of truth and justice. Out of our mouths may our words sow Your peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

We give ourselves fully to the work of You, O Lord. May our labor for You and for this Nation never be in vain. In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Senate – Rabbi Peter S. Berg

Eternal God, may Your Name be invoked only to inspire and to unify our country but never to divide it.

We ask Your blessings upon our U.S. Senators and all who serve this body, that today and every day, they lead wisely and with civility, working together for our common good.

Tonight, Jews all around the world will light the sixth candle of Hanukkah. We will do so in a world that is teeming with xenophobia and hatred. Let us never forget that this is a time of year where we all bring light and hope to despair and to darkness.

Be with us now, God. Make us strong to do Your will. Help us to understand and proclaim the truth that not by might and not by power, but by our spirit alone can all of us prevail. Let injustice and oppression cease, hatred and cruelty and wrong pass away.

Bless, O God, the lights of this season. May they shine their radiance in this historic Chamber. They kindle within us the flame of faith and of zeal that, like the Maccabees of old, we bravely battle for Your cause.

May our Senators be blessed today to use their God-given light to chase away the darkness. Let us resolve to do our share to hasten the day by taking a true measure of life, by learning to face life, to judge the challenges that are set before us with realism, with courage, and with understanding.

These things we ask in Your Name, O God, until the radiance of peace and righteousness for all of God’s children shines to the ends of the Earth. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Yours is the spirit, O Holy One, that at creation brought order from chaos, that separated the waters from the dry land, and breathed Your very breath into humanity.

On this new day, inspire us anew. Open our hearts to Your transforming power in our lives and in this place. Where there is disorder, reveal Your direction. Where there is darkness, shed Your light. Where there is indifference, stir us with purpose. Divide all bitterness and allow civility to establish a foothold.

Create a new heart within us, O God, our creator. Renew a steadfast spirit within us. Do not cast us from Your redeeming spirit but restore to us the joy of Your salvation. Grant us a willing spirit to sustain us in our service to You and to this Nation and to Your people.

To You, O Lord, does everything on Earth owe its life. May all that lives and breathes, glorify Your holy name this day. Amen.

Monday, December 11, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Give heed, mighty God, to our prayers and hear our petitions. You are a God of justice, who always does what is right.

As Jewish people tonight light the fifth candle of Hanukkah, let there be peace on Earth, and may it begin with us.

Lord, You have examined our hearts. You know our motives. Continue to guide our Senators. Empower them to follow You faithfully, to seek Your will, and to find their peace through fellowship with You. May they trust You for safety, finding their highest fulfillment in knowing they are doing Your will.

When everything seems to fall apart, remind them that, in everything, You are working for the good of those who love You, who are called according to Your purposes.

We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Rear Admiral Gregory Todd

Eternal Father, ruler of wind and wave, You establish the heavens and order all of creation.

Behold Your humble people, seeking only to serve and not to be served. Grant all who labor in this House a heart of humble service.

Lord, in Your wisdom, You led the predecessor to this Congress, the Continental Congress of 1775, out of concern for the souls of sailors serving in the Continental Navy, to mandate that divine services be held on all Navy ships, thus giving rise 248 years ago to the Navy Chaplain Corps.

Inspired by the insight of our forebears, we seek Your divine hand to raise up more religious ministry professionals to serve as United States Navy chaplains.

In our day, Lord, grant us an increase of Navy chaplains to care for the souls of sailors, marines, coast guardsmen, and their families as they navigate the daily challenges of military service.

Lord, empower our Nation to send Navy chaplains to care for its greatest treasure: our sons and daughters.

Into Your divine hands we commit our prayer, trusting in Your divine mercy. Amen.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

God of might, as we remember Pearl Harbor and a date that would live in infamy, we are reminded that You are our defender. Without Your protection, we are powerless. Hear our prayers as we lift our hearts toward Your throne. Lord, forgive us for our failures and continue to defend us with Your mercy.

Today, bless our lawmakers. Make them instruments of Your peace. Guide and lead them as You have promised. Keep them safe from the traps that bring national ruin, and shelter them from danger. Help them to find the common ground that will bring blessings to our Nation and world.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Bishop Lawrence Brandon

Almighty and compassionate God, we humbly gather our hearts in solemn prayer for the United States of America.

Grant us, O guiding light, the serenity that breeds peace, embracing our land from coast to coast.

May justice, impartial and unwavering love flow through the veins of society, uniting us in the pursuit of equality for all.

Bestow upon the United States House of Representatives the wisdom to navigate complexities, fostering unity and understanding in their decisions. Lord, please, illuminate their minds to serve with integrity for the betterment of our diverse yet United States of America.

May the spirit of collaboration prevail over discord, and may the collective aspirations of liberty and justice be the compass that guides this great Nation toward a future of harmony, where all voices are heard and the flame of democracy continues to burn bright.

God bless America and help us, America, to bless You. Amen.

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Gracious God, during this season when we celebrate peace on Earth and good will, we pause to thank You for the gifts of Your blessings. Thank You for the blessing of Your presence that brightens this day, restores our faith, and fills us with peace. Thank You for the blessing of friends who support, encourage, and sustain us. Lord, thank You for the blessing of families who nurture and forgive and undergird us with love.

Thank You for the Members of this body for their love of liberty, for their desire to make a positive impact on our world, and for their commitment to You. Lord, guide them today so that Your will may be done on Earth, even as it is done in Heaven.

We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Open our eyes dear Lord. Give us sight in the overwhelming darkness that has blinded us to the light of Your will. The shadow of hatred for our brothers and sisters has blinded us to Your command to live and act in love.

Open our eyes and our hearts and purge the animosity from our world where weapons of war and arms of outright prejudice are set in motion by human hands and triggered by the hardness of our hearts.

Cleanse our hearts from every inkling of hostility wherever it dares to take root within us and however it is displayed by us: in our disdain for a relative or neighbor who has slighted us, in our contempt for Jews or Muslims or another person or group that has fallen out of our favor, and even in the insults we too often toss across the political aisle.

Bring us out from the darkness we have created and call us back to our love for You by following Your command to love one another, that once again we would live in Your light.

Shed Your divine light in our lives such that it would cause us to set down our weapons, abandon our hatred, and walk without stumbling, in the way You have revealed to us. In the power of Your name, we pray that You would grant us Your mercy and illumine Your will for us this day. Amen.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Lord God, source of our joys, answer us when we call to You. With Your mercy and grace, free us from the troubles that challenge us. We acknowledge that no problem is too difficult for You. Lord, we bring You our needs and challenges, asking You to do for us more than we can ask or imagine.

Give the Members of this body the patience to live courageously with life’s trials, knowing that You are the author and finisher of their faith. Lord, use them this day to bring healing where there is pain, hope where there is despair, and peace where there is warfare. May our Senators serve You with pure exemplary lives and thereby give those whom they lead an ideal to follow.

We pray in Your righteous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Our Father, creator–the one who made us who we are and who has given us all we have, as we call on Your name, may You be glorified.

Reveal Your heavenly splendor that we would be assured of the eternity You have promised each one of us. May our life here on Earth reflect this gracious design which is beyond our human imaginings.

Set the world right as we seek to serve You and allow what we do on Earth to be the unveiling of Your divine will for Your creation.

Provide for us this day the nourishment we need to sustain the work You have set before us to do. Strengthen our spirits by the bread that is Your word, that our faith will uphold us in the face of anything that we encounter.

We ask Your forgiveness for all that we have done or left undone which has caused pain and sadness. As we receive Your forgiveness, may we live into Your mercy by finding it within ourselves to forgive others.

Keep us safe today from all evil directed toward us and from all harm which our own temptations inflict upon us.

To You, O Lord, does everything on Earth owe its life. May all that lives and breathes glorify Your holy name this day. Amen.

Monday, December 4, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God of time and eternity, use our lawmakers today as instruments of Your will. Give them the wisdom to find joy in Your presence, trust in Your precepts, and confidence in Your prevailing providence. As they trust You to enable us to find shelter from the storms that batter our Nation and world, fill them with Your peace. May this be a day when our Senators serve You with gladness because Your joy has filled their hearts. Lord, keep them within the circle of Your will as they seek to honor You with lives of integrity.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, as we approach the winter of another year, we are reminded how quickly time flies and how fleeting our lifetimes. As sobering as this thought is, may it not paralyze us but instead propel us to pray to appreciate how You have received us into Your gracious and eternal plan.

We pray, then, that in the time we have been given–time with our families, in our vocations, in the moments we share–that we would take the time to love each other deeply. For all the mistakes we make and the missteps we take each day, if we have loved, then through Your mercy, all else will fall away.

May we demonstrate our love through hospitality to those around us, offering what we have without grumbling but sharing the gifts You have so graciously given us to serve others.

When we speak today, may we do so as if we are speaking the very words that would come from Your mouth. As we serve You, may we do so with the strength You alone provide.

In all things that we attempt and accomplish today, may You be pleased with our desire to bring glory to You, for it is in Your eternal and gracious name we pray. Amen.

Friday, December 1, 2023

House of Representatives – Pastor Jared Timberlake

Heavenly Father, we come to You today thankful for another day. We are thankful for Your blessings and Your love. God, I ask today that You would bring guidance to all of our Representatives and elected officials.

As a Nation, may we always seek Your face and Your will. Lord, I pray that You will bring unity to this House and to those that serve. May they serve for the common good of our Nation.

God, I thank You that You have allowed us to live in the greatest country in the world. I thank You for blessing America for 247 years.

Now, God, it is my prayer that America will bless You in all that we do, and that we will always be one Nation under God. Protect us and guide us in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Senate – Capt. Volodymyr Marius Steliac

Almighty God, we come before You today, humbly seeking Your guidance and wisdom as we gather in the Halls of the U.S. Senate. We recognize the importance of this esteemed institution and the impact it has on the lives of millions of people, both within this Nation and around the world.

We are grateful for the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy the United States represents. We acknowledge this Nation’s role as a beacon of hope and a force for good in the world.

We lift up in our prayers the Senators and all those who serve in this honorable Chamber. May You grant them the insight to make decisions that align with Your divine will, decisions that promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We also pray for the continued pursuit of peace, freedom, and dignity for all people. We thank You for the compassion and solidarity shown by this Nation under Your leadership, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Almighty God, bless and guide this Senate session. May it be conducted with integrity, wisdom, and a commitment to the common good. May Your presence be felt in every deliberation, and may the decisions made here be in accordance with Your divine plan.

I offer this prayer in Your Holy Name, for Yours is the glory now and forever. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we approach Your eternal light with humble hearts, in hope that we will use the opportunities You give us this day to reflect Your divine goodness. Shine forth in the work we do and in the words we speak, the kindness, gentleness, forbearance, and love You offer to all people.

But who are we to be bearers of such immeasurable grace? Who are we to be so bold in our anointing as messengers of Your mercy?

As if to answer us in our hesitation, You set before us countless individual men and women whose lives have proven remarkably influential. Remind us that You use the singular impact of people, such as the controversial yet competent Henry Kissinger and the kind and compassionate Rosalynn Carter, to demonstrate the difference one person can make.

Even as we pay tribute this week to their contributions on both the global and domestic fronts, remind us once again that You call each one of us to live, likewise, into the time and place to which You have called us.

May we have the courage to let the light You shine through us to shine forth to others. May we do nothing that would attempt to defeat Your most gracious purpose, but when our days are done, may You be glorified.

We pray in the name of the one in whom we live and move and have our being. Amen.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal, unchanging God, You are our rock, our fortress, and our stronghold. Empower our lawmakers to change in ways that will render them more faithful to You and more responsive to Your call. May they develop such moral and ethical fitness that they will clearly comprehend Your desires and be eager to do Your will. As they grow in grace and in the knowledge of You, deliver them from the bondage of fear as You turn their spirits toward the light of Your presence. May Your prevailing providence in our Nation and world make them more deeply committed to You.

We pray in Your majestic Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, shine Your light in the darkness of our world, in our Nation, and in our lives. Illumine the hiding places where evil resides and rout it out. Expose it to Your divine justice.

For malice breeds in the soul of humanity and takes hold of the hearts of nations and authorities who wield its destructive power against whole peoples and who care not for the suffering of the innocent in their path.

Show mercy on the hostages in the Middle East and free them from the grip of power and prejudice. Reveal Your peace in the conflict still raging in Ukraine and still the weapons of hatred and hubris.

Then examine our own hearts, O Lord. Judge our intentions and test our motives so that we ourselves would not be drawn into evil’s attempt to hold sway over our lives. Let us not be overcome by evil, but may we serve You in committing ourselves to overcoming evil with good.

We give thanks that You would want to enfold us in grace this day and every day, and we offer our prayers in Your most holy name. Amen.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O Lord, our God and provider, we thank You for the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of this great Nation. May we be good stewards of Your gifts. Lord, as we reflect on the future, we pray that Your sovereign presence will protect our Nation and world from evil. Equip us to do what is right and just and good.

We pray for our Senators today, asking that You would keep them courageous and focused on Your plans to guide and prosper us. We are grateful that You are here on Capitol Hill, listening, watching, and judging. May all of our elected leaders do what is right for Your everlasting glory.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Receive us, O Lord, this day into Your presence. Receive, too, these lawmakers as they return to the Capitol, having spent much-needed time with their families and friends, constituents, and communities. Receive us all into Your gracious plan for this day and equip us for the tests and rigors of this week.

Refreshed and renewed from the Thanksgiving holiday, we have opened our eyes and shown our gratitude for the many blessings You have bestowed on us. Remind us, then, that we have been so blessed that we, in turn, should be a blessing, that the country we serve and the people and concerns these Members have been elected to represent would be blessed by the words that are spoken and the decisions that are made here in these Chambers.

Restore us to the honor of bearing the responsibilities You have placed on our shoulders. Transform our hearts and minds so that we will discern and desire to return to You what is good, acceptable, and perfect in Your sight.

We give thanks that You would want to enfold us in grace this day and every day, and we offer our prayers in Your most holy name. Amen.

Monday, November 27, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God of time and eternity, who laid the cornerstone of the universe, use our lawmakers today as instruments of Your will. Give them the wisdom to turn from the thoughts, words, and deeds that weaken instead of strengthen freedom. Lord, help them to desire to be people of integrity who will stand for right and leave the consequences to You. May this be a day when our Senators serve You with gladness because Your joy is their strength.

Lord, all nations are Yours. Help us to trust You to rule our world. Bring peace to our planet.

And, Lord, we praise You for the life and legacy of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

Friday, November 24, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good, and God’s love endures forever. In all that we encounter this day, O God of gods, may we give thanks for Your goodness. May we remember that Your love endures forever.

We give thanks to You, O Lord of lords, for You alone do great wonders. You, who made the heavens and spread the Earth upon the waters, who set the Sun in the sky to govern the day, and the Moon and the stars to govern the night. Your love endures forever.

We give thanks to You, Loving God, for You have gathered families and friends around tables to enjoy life’s pleasures. You have given us cherished colleagues to share in the labor of our days, neighbors to help bear the burden of our daily responsibilities. Your love endures forever.

We give thanks to You, most gracious God, for the many blessings You have bestowed on us, and the trust You have shown in us to steward these gifts faithfully. You have instilled in us a sense of purpose, a moral foundation, a yearning for virtue. You have taught us compassion, shown us mercy, enfolded us in Your grace. Your love endures forever.

We give thanks for Your goodness, O God, this day and every day. We rejoice and remember that Your steadfast love is ours forever. Amen.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done. In You, O God, the world rejoices.

You, from our parents’ arms, have blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love. You are still our God today.

O bounteous God, through all our life, be near us. With ever joyful hearts, we pray Your blessed peace to cheer us.

Keep us in Your grace, and guide us when perplexed. Free us from all ills in this world and the next.

With thanksgiving and gratitude, our spirits soar. We are bold to pray to You, the one eternal God who was, is now, and shall be evermore. Amen.

Friday, November 17, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend John Fullerton

Eternal God, before whom nations rise and fall, by whose hand You establish those who govern, as You have established these men and women to serve in this Chamber, bless them now. Let Your face shine upon them. Be gracious to them.

Give them Your wisdom, deep humility, and a steely-eyed determination as they address and solve great problems. These Representatives come from the beautiful diversity of Your people. Give them unity in diversity. Help them speak the truth in love. Give them eyes to see each other as friends and not foes; as colleagues and not competitors. For those today whose heart is heavy with personal issues, concerns for family, friends, or self, be for them the God of goodness, compassion, and healing.

At the end of this day, may our country be better because these souls have gathered, and may Your glory be recognized through their work. Amen.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Lord God, we thank You for this Thanksgiving season. We are grateful for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Lord, we cling to Your promise in Isaiah 54:17, which tells us no weapon turned against us will succeed. Your promises are great, precious, and true.

Today, use our lawmakers to protect the oppressed, to preserve freedom, and to speak the truth with compassion.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

When faced with the appalling tragedies that span the globe, revealing themselves in every corner of the Earth, from Ukraine to Israel and from Armenia to Gaza, to name just a few, Lord, how do we pray?

When constantly bombarded with news of devastating atrocities that defy any sense of humanity or decency, criminal acts of torture and abuse, unspeakable crimes against innocents, Lord, where do we turn?

When overwhelmed by the complex networks of terrorist operatives and inundated with confusing reports that blur the lines between truth and falsehood, which make it hard to distinguish perpetrator and victim, what can we rely on to find our answers?

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.

When the enemy rises up against Your people, O God, when whole peoples are in danger of being swallowed up alive, when unbridled anger is kindled against them, do not let them be given as prey to the adversary. Allow them to escape the snare of their fowlers. Lord, pluck them from the jaws of the enemy.

Holy God, deliver all who this day are held captive to the hostile vagaries of aggression wherever the evil one dares wield his power in Your world. Bring Your peace.

In the power of Your name we are bold to pray. Amen.

Monday, November 13, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Mighty God, we trust You for protection in a troubled nation and world. You are able to do far more than we can ask or imagine. Provide Your power, presence, and peace to those who feel that the foundation of their world has been shattered. May we remember that in spite of calamity, chaos, and confusion, You still rule from Heaven.

Lord, remind us again that those who do what is right will see Your face. Today, give our lawmakers a greater passion for righteousness, justice, and peace.

Lord, we thank You for the opportunity we had recently to honor our veterans.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, may we seek You this day, that You would allow Yourself to be found. May we call upon You that You would hear our prayers.

All You ask of us is that we forsake our wicked ways, behavior that tears down, wounds, and causes pain intended to demean and dehumanize another. You require that we forsake our unrighteous thoughts, thinking that is not just contrary to Your will, but brazenly opposed to Your love for all creation.

Let us each return to You, setting aside both our shame and our pride, that You would have compassion on us. Let us come back into right relationship with You, where we will receive the abundance of Your pardon.

It is clear that Your thoughts are not our thoughts, Your ways are not our ways. For sure as the heavens are above this Earth, so are Your ways higher than our ways. Your thoughts exceed well beyond our own.

With humility, then, we offer ourselves, our thoughts, our ways, and our very beings to Your service this day.

In the magnificence of Your name we dare to pray. Amen.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Mighty God, we praise You and will tell of Your marvelous works. Even in a chaotic and confusing time, You continue to bring us joy. Our enemies cannot conquer You. They stagger and disappear.

Today, empower our lawmakers, silence the noises that distract them, enabling them to hear Your still, small voice. Lord, infuse them also with such courage that they will patiently endure even Your silence as they seek to fulfill Your purposes by their work. And, Lord, let Your peace and power prevail in our Nation and world.

We pray in Your righteous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – His Holiness Aram the First

We give thanks to You, dear God, for Your gift of life.

Grant us wisdom, courage, and vision in order that we may fully dedicate ourselves to the service of the people and the United States of America.

Help us, O God, actively engage in meaningful and fruitful deliberation and discussion for the good of our people and prosperity of our country.

Help us, God of wisdom, as elected Representatives of people to reflect and act with the profound sense of responsibility and accountability.

Help us, God of compassion, to promote mutual understanding, acceptance, and tolerance as one nation of coherent diversities.

Help us, giver of peace and justice, to work ardently for peace with justice in a world torn apart by violence and polarizations.

Help us, O God of mercy, to remember in our prayers more than 100,000 Armenian refugees who recently were forced to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, their centuries-old homeland, and face huge difficulties and uncertainties.

O God, protect us from evil and strengthen and guide us in our common responsibility. Amen.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, by whose providence our forebears brought forth this Nation, give to our Senators a passion to protect those liberties for which so many have given their lives to defend.

Lord, give them also the wisdom to trust You with all their hearts and to passionately and humbly pursue Your purposes, knowing that You have promised to direct their steps.

Today, may each lawmaker experience the constancy of Your presence that will enable him or her to cleave to the sunnier side of his or her doubts. Guide our Senators with Your higher wisdom and bring them to the end of this day with their hearts at peace with You.

We pray in Your precious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Merciful God, look down on us from Your holy temple; from Your heavenly throne give heed to our prayers. For there is much we need to lay before You this day.

Place on Your scales of justice the confusion that is the Israel- Palestinian conflict. Release the captives from the crosshairs of their enemies. Liberate the innocent victims of unspeakable and heinous criminality. Free those who find themselves hostages of hate, then expose those whose prejudice fuels their death grip on whole peoples.

Unearth those who conceal themselves in the shadows. Draw them out from their hiding places and hold them hostage to the judgment they deserve for their cruelty.

Lord, purge us all from the hate that motivates hostility wherever it is found. Save us from the vitriol that poisons even the most noble efforts intended to disarm the violence that pervades our world and threatens our communities.

We stand in need of Your mercy and pray in the sovereignty of Your name. Amen.

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, source of our strength, we come before You today remembering that Your presence, power, and purpose sustain us during life’s dangerous days. It is comforting to know that in every situation, You are always present to empower us with Your love and wisdom.

Today, use our lawmakers as instruments of Your peace and love. Examine their hearts and minds, providing them with the courage to walk continually in Your truth. Look favorably upon their efforts to bring peace to a war-torn world.

And, Lord, bless our Nation, bring healing to this land we love until all our strivings cease.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, Your grace is sufficient for all that we will face this day. When we find ourselves faltering for want of a reason to hope, weakened from lack of energy or enthusiasm, dismayed by the complexity of the issues at hand, let us not, as Howard Thurman encouraged, shrink from the present intensity, lest we turn away from the power of Your love.

Yours is the power that is made perfect in our weakness. Yours is the strength that carries us through the difficulties of the day. Yours is the mercy that enables us to endure the repercussions of our own mistakes. Yours is the hope that gives us purpose when nothing in our lives is certain.

May we not shrink from the many challenges this day will reveal, and may we never turn away from the incredible power Your love provides.

In the strength of Your word we stand, and in the power of Your name we pray. Amen.

Monday, November 6, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Here we are again, Lord, a people in need of Your presence and power in order to meet life with courage, faith, and perseverance. Today, strengthen the Members of this body with a faith that will ever choose the harder right over the easy expedient.

Lord, give our Senators wisdom to follow Your example of sacrificial service, infusing them with the courage to do right as You give them the light to see it. Lift from our world the burdens of loss and sorrow when forces beyond our control invade our lives and seek to rob us of Your peace.

Lord, bless the people of our world with the assurance that they are never alone, for You have promised never to forsake them.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Open our eyes this day, most loving God, that we would realize that though we have not sought You, You have always sought after us. While we have made ourselves the center of our own existence and interests, You, in surrounding us with the beauty of Your creation, sustaining us with the provisions of harvest and home, You have made us the focus of Your kindness and the objects of Your affection.

Forgive us, then, in our blindness to Your presence in our lives. Save us from our false sense of self-sufficiency. Redeem us from our desire to control everything.

Remind us that You, in Your sovereignty, have designed a plan drafted of grace and mercy for this world and for our lives. You have promised to seek what is lost and bring back again that which was driven away. You have assured us that You will bind up that which was broken and strengthen that which is weak.

Into this promise of Your steadfast and abiding love may we live our lives, and in response to Your desire for our faithfulness, may we dedicate our hearts, our minds, and our souls to You this and every day.

On the strength of Your word we stand and in the power of Your name we pray. Amen.

Friday, November 3, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Loving God, abide with us from this moment of prayer and remain with us all the day long. With You beside us, may we live into the righteousness, into the integrity that we cannot obtain on our own.

Align our hearts with Your heart so that any thought that comes to our minds, every word that leaves our mouths, every sight we see or look we give, would reflect Your divine goodness and reveal Your steadfast love for each and every person we encounter.

As we close out the end of this long and taxing week, may what is left of our limited strength be reinforced with Your infinite strength, whatever shred of patience we have left be infused with Your unfailing patience with us, and whatever ounce of compassion we can muster be magnified by Your compassionate and steadfast love for us and for all people.

Abide in us and may we abide in You. For without You, the fruit of our labor is worth nothing, but in You may we bear the fruit of Your Holy Spirit.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Mighty God, turn to us and have compassion, for we sometimes feel overwhelmed. Rescue us from the traps of freedom’s enemies, enabling our lawmakers to accomplish your work on Earth.

When the problems of our Senators seem to go from bad to worse, remind them that You are an ever-present help in times of trouble. Keep them from stumbling or slipping in their efforts to honor You. May integrity, honesty, and perseverance protect them as they put their hope in You. And, Lord, bring peace to our troubled world.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Draw the line for us, O just and merciful God. Help us to distinguish good from evil, that we would justifiably hate bitterness, rage, and anger wherever and whenever they seek a foothold in our lives.

May we speak out against hate when attacks on whole peoples command global attention, when bitter clashes between political adversaries regularly appear on the national news, when bigotry and intolerance in our own communities and even college campuses give birth to violence and vitriol.

To fear You, O Lord, is to hate the evil of prejudice, pride, and arrogance which fuels these conflicts. To love You is to examine our own hearts so that we would know the difference between our righteous anger and the fury within us which so easily explodes against our brothers and sisters.

Let our love for You be sincere, hating what is evil and clinging to what is good. Guide us this day as we walk that line.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Merciful God, the fountain of wisdom, as we witnessed what is euphemistically called collateral damage, we wrestled with what our eyes have seen, ears have heard, and hearts have felt.

Lord, some of us asked the question, When does the end justify the means? We reflected on Gandhi’s words that “the end is inherent in the means.”

Lord, across time, You have shown us how peace following a war can be jeopardized because of the long-term consequences of how the war was fought. Give our lawmakers the faith, wisdom, and courage for the living of these turbulent days.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth. We pause today to reflect on the enormity of that eternal truth.

In You, O Lord, the one who set the stars in the heavens, crafted breathtaking landscapes of mountains and valleys, who even now causes the oceans to rise and fall, and who sends rain to water the earth, in You do we live, and move, and have our being.

May this reality so strike us that we recommit ourselves this day to the pursuit of peace in every corner of Your magnificent creation. Help us to defend the innocents caught in the crossfire of Israel and Hamas and the blameless who are suffering in the war between Ukraine and Russia.

May we open our hearts and minds, changing the way we, in our own arrogance or ignorance, are working against the peaceable kingdom You have designed. Help us to set aside our inclination to use words to wound, insults to injure, and cruel digs to devastate. You have given us so many different relationships, and You have called us to treat each one with dignity and respect, with tenderness and mercy.

We call on Your name today that we would receive the magnitude of the help You alone provide and which we so desperately need in the living of these days. Amen.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Mighty God, thank You for the gifts of compassion, tolerance, and understanding that can help us navigate during these difficult times. May our lawmakers enable these gifts to help them feel the winds of pain, anguish, and despair blowing in our Nation and world.

As our Senators trust Your sovereignty in sunshine and in shadows, show them the right road to follow, guide them with Your precepts, and protect them with Your wisdom.

Lord, fill them with such reverence for You that they shall stand for right and leave the consequences to You.

Bring peace to our troubled world. We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Powerful God, we live in times that test our resolve, but You remain in control of our world. We depend upon Your might to empower our lawmakers to carve tunnels of hope through mountains of despair. Mighty God, enable our Senators to experience the blessings of Your unfolding providence as You empower them to find solutions for the problems of our Nation and world.

May Your goodness and unfailing love pursue them all the days of their lives. And, Lord, let there be peace on Earth.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, in You do we trust. We are safe under Your protection, like a city surrounded by mountains. Under Your watchful eye do we find rest. Now and forever, You are our guard and shield.

When the storms of change threaten our perspective, when perils unknown rumble in the thunder of unrest, when we are deluged by the rising tides of terror, let not these dangers overwhelm our faith founded in Your abiding presence.

Instead, may we always find strength in uncertainty, purpose in Your compassion, and direction in Your divine guidance.

In a world in which so much that we see and hear and experience appears hopeless, may we be ever reminded of the hope we have in You.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, each day, it seems we face new challenges, unexpected hurdles, and tragic realities. Have mercy upon us and this land we love. Remind us that Your plans for us are better than anything we can plan for ourselves.

Today, as our lawmakers depend on You for help, respond to their intercession with Your peace that transcends human understanding. Lord, fill them with the joy that comes from the strength You provide those who refuse to become weary in doing what is right.

Remind us all that we are travelers in this life in search of a city that You have prepared for us.

Lord, we mourn the tragic loss of life in the Maine mass shooting.

We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend John W. Matthews

God of all peoples, we are living on land once inhabited by the Pamunkey, the Dakota Sioux, the Ojibwa, the Anishinabe, the Lenni- Lenape, the Rappahannock. May the sacred memory of them humble us and the spirit of their ancestors inspire us as together we strive for peace, justice, and reconciliation in our day.

God of all nations, You have made each of us in Your image. Empower us to see Your face in the face of every other person here, at, and beyond our borders.

Inspire us to live beyond mere tolerance and rather in deeper awe to celebrate the beauty of Your whole human family. Help us to see the beauty of skin color, the complexity of gender, the richness of ethnicity, and the blessedness of religiosity in others, those who are different than us.

God of this day and place, empower the Members of this legislative assembly, as with the Senators next door and our President and Cabinet, to employ all of their wisdom and courage together to responsibly care for our planet and protect all of Your precious people, remembering especially the less fortunate and the most vulnerable.

May Your vision for this world, O God, forever be the goal of our lives and vocations.

Finally and timely, we invoke Your healing presence to surround the families of those harmed or killed in yesterday’s tragic shooting in Maine. Inspire us to nurture communities where hatred and violence find no home.

In Your blessed name we ask and pray these things. Amen.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we praise Your Holy Name. Even when we don’t understand the unfolding of Your providence, we place our trust in You.

Show our lawmakers the path they should choose. Rescue them from the traps of their enemies, and remove their fears with Your might. Continue to renew their strength. Protect our legislators with Your might, reassure them with Your presence, and comfort them with Your goodness.

Lord of Heaven’s army, we give our lives to You, for no one who depends on Your compassion will ultimately fail.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Jeremy Leganski

Good and gracious God, we praise You, we love You, and we thank You for this day.

Draw near to these Members of Congress. Remind them of their calling to serve the true common good. Help them to be instruments of unity, peace, and reconciliation in our country and throughout the world. Bless them, guide them, and fill them with an abundance of Your grace.

May they decide everything for the well-being of all, and may they never turn aside from Your will.

May all that they do begin from You and, by You, be brought to completion.

In Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who soars on the wings of the wind, we cry to You, and You hear us. You rescue us from life’s deep waters, restoring us when we feel powerless.

Continue to show Yourself faithful as our lawmakers seek to accomplish your purposes. Lord, be a shield for them as they place their trust in You. When they lose their courage, continue to be the God of their salvation. When they cry to You for help, answer their request. When they feel the pains of despair, fill them with Your hope, peace, and love. May they always remember that You will never forsake them.

We pray in Your precious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God our creator, our redeemer, and our sustainer, as we return again this week to these Chambers, we are keenly aware that we need also return to You. It is hard not to think that You have cast us off, rejecting us and our feeble attempts to lead ourselves. You no doubt are angry with us, but we pray You will restore us.

You have shaken the earth around us and torn it open. The wounds of our warring madness are painfully evident in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine, and too many other fractured places across the globe. Only You can heal the breaches of decency and democracy.

You have shown us hardship. You have allowed us to endure desperate and dire moments. You have made us drink the wine of confusion. You have let us get drunk on the fruit of our own orchard.

You alone can save us from the uncertainty that surrounds us. You alone can guide us through the disorder of these days. You alone can shed light in the darkness that seeks to overcome our spirits.

We pray then that You would redeem us, lead us, and enrich us in Your mercy. In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Friday, October 20, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Ryan Coffey

To our most precious, gracious Heavenly Father. We humbly bow before You now, acknowledging You as Lord of all. We pray as David prayed, saying:

For everything in the heavens and Earth is Yours, O Lord, this is Your kingdom. We adore You as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from You alone, and You are the ruler of all mankind. Your hand controls power and might and it is at Your discretion that men are made great and given strength.

So now, O Lord, I pray, make these servants great. Grant to them discernment to govern rightly, integrity beyond reproach, courage to fight for a bright and greater tomorrow, and a spirit of unity to move our Nation forward together.

Lord, in this hour, we need You. We need more of You. Lord, lead us and guide us and bless us according to Your will, and may Your name be glorified forever and ever. Amen.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, who has made of one blood all the nations of the world, make us one. Bring unity to our Congress, Nation, and world.

Lord, help us to see that awesome things can be accomplished when we stop worrying about who will get the credit. With this unity, infuse us also with hope, pragmatism, and courage.

Lord, give us realistic expectations about our future, reminding us that many problems that took decades to create will not be quickly solved. Motivate us to make the necessary sacrifices so that the rough places will be made smooth, the crooked places will be made straight, and the stars of hope will shine again in our hearts.

We pray in Your magnificent Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Compassionate God, overwhelmed, overwrought, or just plain over the circumstances in which we find ourselves today, would that we heed Your counsel not to be anxious about anything, but instead in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, pause to make our requests known to You.

With consternation over the discordant concerns in this Chamber, in prayer and supplication, may we set aside our differences and in this sacred moment, together make our requests known to You.

With deep disquiet for the countless threats to peace and security across the globe to which we have obligation to attend, in prayer and supplication, may we acknowledge Your direction over our efforts for the work before us, and together make our requests known to You.

With silent petition for our individual grief and pain which know no boundary between work and life, may we in prayer and supplication, yield to Your divine healing, as together we make our requests known to You.

With thanksgiving and with hearts united, if only for this brief moment, may we claim Your peace which passes all understanding and which will transcend the anxieties of this day.

Guard our hearts and our minds that we would bear witness in this place to the sure and certain hope to be found in Your sovereign care and steadfast love. Amen.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, our mighty fortress, as our hearts recoil at the horrors of war, we place our trust in You. We trust You because You have invited us to cast our cares on You, to call upon You in our day of trouble, and to comprehend that You are our refuge, hope, and strength.

Lord, we trust You to do more than we can desire, ask, or imagine. As our lawmakers trust You to make a way where there is no way, give them courage, wisdom, and perseverance.

We pray for all who are the victims of this tragic conflict between Israel and Hamas.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Speak to us, O Lord. Speak to us in words we can hear and understand, for the cacophony of chaos has overwhelmed our ability to receive Your guidance and discern Your direction.

Remind us of Your servant Ezra, who when embarking on a perilous future, petitioned God and then proclaimed a fast, calling the people to humble themselves before You, that You would lead and protect them on the journey.

We often call to mind Your reluctant servant, Esther, but remind us that when she was faced with the annihilation of her people and heard Your call for personal sacrifice in the face of political uncertainty, she too urged prayer and fasting, and then placed all her dependence on Your provision.

So, O Lord, as we face times such as these, the ongoing war of atrocities in Ukraine, the tinderbox of terror that is Israel and Gaza, the divisive unrest in these very Chambers, may we in prayer rend our hearts and not our country. May we fast, abstaining from all that detracts us from our reliance on You. Then may we return to You, O Lord, appealing to You for Your guidance and protection, for You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Speak the word You would have us hear.

In Your sovereign name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, ruler of the universe, provide our lawmakers with a perspective that will enable You to use them for Your glory. May they see themselves as called to serve You and the people of our Nation and world. Use this perspective to motivate them to remove the obstacles that prevent them from working together and accomplishing Your purposes. As they continually seek to discover opportunities they agree can make them more productive, give them the wisdom and courage to always strive to honor You.

And, Lord, bring a speedy end to the Hamas-Israel war.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we offer ourselves to You this day–a sacrifice we entrust to Your keeping, and we pray that You would find our gift pleasing in Your good and perfect will.

If we are found wanting, if we fall short of Your desires for us, show us how to renew our hearts and minds that they would be transformed and better able to discern what is good and acceptable in Your eyes.

In this one body of lawmakers, we have many Members, a representation not just of the diversity that is our country, but of the variety of gifts each has been given. On this day of choice, give us the vision to see how You have gifted each one, and how You call each to exercise their responsibilities according to the grace You have shown them.

Remind us that though we are many, we are members of one another. Out of many, may one emerge, one common purpose we each share to serve this Nation wisely, with purpose and compassion, with enthusiasm and discernment, with strength and with prudence, with determination and with humility, always in service to You and devoted to each other in love.

Teach us this day how to rejoice in hope, how to be patient in affliction, and how to persevere in prayer.

In Your hands we place the outcome of this day and in Your name are we bold to pray. Amen.

Monday, October 16, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Lord God, the author of peace, as wars and rumors of wars bombard us, we turn our eyes to You. In the past, You have brought order from chaos, light from darkness, truth from falsehood, peace from conflict, and hope from despair. Please, do it again.

Today, use our lawmakers as instruments of Your peace. May they strive to please You in all that they think, say, and do.

Lord, use us all as Your ambassadors of reconciliation. Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with each of us.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Rev. John Kellogg

Loving God, who stills our storms and soothes our hearts, be with everyone this evening who waits or works in uncertainty. Give us hope for the future, courage to endure what cannot be avoided, and the resolve to be the equal of whatever lies ahead. You are God and we need You. Amen.

Friday, October 13, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, bend down from Your throne and give ear to our fervent prayers for this world, for our Nation, for this Congress, and for its leaders. Time and again, You have shown us that we cannot put our trust in princes, in mortals in whom no help is found.

From where then will our help come? Remind us that our help comes from the Lord, You, who made Heaven and Earth. In You alone can we trust.

We are at the crossroads of much uncertainty. Do not let our feet be moved from the way You would have us go. Teach us to keep our eyes fixed on You. Guide us with Your right hand.

We find ourselves deeply disturbed by events around the globe, frustrated by the discord at home. Do not let the heat of our anger strike us this day, nor allow our anguish to overwhelm us at night.

In this time of turmoil and transition, on this day of global jihad, keep this House and its Members from all evil. Ensure that the soul of this Nation, the welfare of all Your people, are unharmed.

Keep us all in our goings out and our comings in, from this time forth and forevermore.

Sure of the strength we find in Your eternal name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, October 12, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Loving God, in this momentous time, when the events of the last week have disrupted so much, when unforeseen changes have caused upheaval in so many lives, and when the words and actions of both friends and foes have caused hurt and weakened bonds of trust, we confess our natural inclination to dig in and lash out against the turmoil and the people around us.

We are reluctant to pray for what seems impossible, but we pray that You would cause our cynicism to be surrendered to courage. Let our despair be turned to hope. Let hate be substituted with love.

Be merciful to us as we dare to make this profound change in our own attitudes. This love You ask us to share goes against our grain. We can only pray that You will abide in us and perfect Your love in us–a love that is patient and kind; a love that does not envy, does not boast, and is not proud. May our love not dishonor others, not be self- seeking, or easily angered. May we keep no record of wrongs. May our love not delight in evil, but rejoice with the truth. May our love always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere.

At this critical inflection point, may love be our aim.

In Your loving name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Omniscient God, Your eyes are in every place, keeping watch over the evil and the good. We ask then that You keep watch over all those at home or abroad who would do harm to the people of Your own making and undermine the moral precepts of Your own design.

Set a guard against decisions unmoved by the international widespread and pointless destruction of whole nations. Open our eyes to the horrific assaults on hospitals and holy places, infants and infirmed, logistic nodes and life-sustaining resources. Set a hedge of protection to uphold the sovereignty of Ukraine and restore peace in Israel.

Thwart all indiscriminate aggression with the strength of Your right arm. Safeguard the righteous with Your merciful hand.

Even as we pray for our allies around the globe, we pray, too, for the preservation of our own Nation. Restrain those at home who sow seeds of discord and doubt in the halls of democracy.

Dissuade us from acts of self-aggrandizement which threaten to subsume the common commitment to the welfare of the whole of this Nation. Defend all those who seek to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process and who strive to reinforce the foundational and moral principles upon which this country was built.

Watchful God, Your eyes are in every place. May we seek full restoration to Your grace plan, that once again we would find favor in Your sight. Amen.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

The Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, offered the following prayer: This morning, O God, keenly aware of the violence and turmoil in Israel and throughout the Middle East, we pray with the psalmist who wrote:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

May those who love You be secure.

May there be peace within Your walls and security within Your citadels.

For the sake of our families and friends, we will say, Peace be within you.

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, we will seek Your good.

Lord, in Your mercy, for the people of Israel, for the people in Gaza, in Your mercy, hear our prayers. Amen.

Friday, October 6, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and eternal God, like Ezekiel, we have stepped out of the frenetic events of this past week, and we wait for a word from You. We have been zealous to do what we believe to be right, unwavering in our devotion to the calling to which You have called us to serve our country and You.

There have been many winds, strong and powerful, tearing down structures and damaging foundations, but You were not in that wind.

There have been earthshaking displays of power and force, fires which have scorched our lives, but You were not in the earthquake nor in the fire.

Grant us then ears to hear Your still small voice that we would leave the shelter we have created as security for ourselves. Call us out to return to the business at hand, yielding to Your guidance and leaning on Your promise to reveal Your mercy and Your steadfast love for Your people.

In sure and certain hope of Your deliverance, we offer our prayers, calling on Your redeeming name. Amen.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, rule and reign in our lives. Lord, we are gratefully aware that You are the giver of every good and perfect gift. We are further aware of our own unworthiness.

As our Senators labor today, make them extensions of Your power in our world. May they arrange their priorities according to Your will and view their challenges from an ethical and moral perspective. Help them to walk in Your way, that You may prolong their days and prosper their work. Lord, sustain them in moments of stress and tension by renewing their faith in You.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

O God, most holy, You are more ready to hear us than we are to pray, for You know our needs before we ask for help. Give us listening ears, responsive hearts, and willing spirits.

Bless our Senators. Fill their lives with meaning, and shower them with Your wisdom. Reveal the issues that matter most so their work will glorify You. Let Your love sustain them through the welter and variety of the legislative process.

And, Lord, empower Your new addition to the U.S. Senate: Ms. Butler.

We pray in Your marvelous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

O God, You desire not the strength of our arguments, nor the vigor of our opinions, but the gravity of our humble sacrifice.

On this day, may we sacrifice our inclination for contempt and instead initiate kindness; loosen our grip on judgment and instead may we grab hold of a generosity of spirit; may we forswear our grudges and commit instead to exercise forbearance.

Hold us accountable that our arguments will support Your righteousness and not ring hollow in the defense of our rightness.

May our struggles serve to preserve the dignity of this body and not erode our commitment to its noble purpose. May our words underscore our devotion to the common good and not undermine our ability to see, even in our adversary, the image of God common to all. Open us to Your inspiration, for only in You can we aspire to an attitude of sacrifice. With You upholding us, we can be strengthened in our every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. We pray unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, hoping that You in Your mercy will receive our prayers and this body into Your keeping. Amen.

Monday, October 2, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Merciful God, You came near when we called You. In these recent days of dispute, disagreement, and deliberation, when we called to You, You spoke. In our distress, You upheld us, declaring to our hearts, “Do not fear.” Thank You for Your abiding presence and the assurance of Your protections in the midst of our turmoil.

Just God, last week You heard our troubles and took up our case. Rightly dividing requirement from embellishment, clarifying necessity from excess, and guiding the way through competing concerns, You redeemed our concerted attempts to uphold the stewardship of our country’s resources and the trusteeship of our government’s responsibilities.

Sovereign God, set the course this week that these Members can navigate the way ahead with Your leadership. Shed Your light on the path that both their debate and their decisions would reflect Your wisdom, Your compassion, and Your forbearance.

We call on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of all that we have endured and with the whole of our very being. Do not close Your ears to our cry for Your direction. Amen.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, our bulwark of safety, we worship You.

Though confronted by challenges, we continue to bless Your Name at all times. May our praises to You continually reside in our mouths with reverence. We speak of Your mercies that are new each day as we celebrate Your great faithfulness.

Lord, continue to manifest Your steadfast love to those who place their hope in You. Continue to use our Senators for Your glory. Continue to be our shelter from the storm.

We pray in Your matchless Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and eternal God, when You hear us pray, do we prove as faithful as the psalmist who wrote, with confidence, “I am always with You?” Do we demonstrate our trust in You as the one who with unwavering certainty said, “You, O God, hold me by my right hand?”

Grant us Your favor even if we have fallen short in our faithfulness, failed to place our trust in You, or if we have ignored Your steadfast presence in these days.

Guide us, O Thou great redeemer, through the barren land we have created for ourselves, a time bereft of certainty and muddled with confusion. Uphold us with Your powerful hand. Save us from the chaos of our own making, the turmoil of our own design.

Strong deliverer, ever be our strength and shield, but especially today and in the week ahead, that we would proclaim with certainty that You are always with us, that we will, with confidence, go where You will lead us.

Fed by the bread of Your word, and strengthened by the power of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Senate — Chaplain Barry C. Black

God of our weary years and silent tears, we continue to believe in Your sovereignty.

As we edge closer to a government shutdown, we choose to believe that You are still in charge. We continue to believe that the hearts of our lawmakers are in Your hands and You turn their plans as You desire. We continue to believe that in everything You are working for the good of those who love You and that Your purposes will prevail.

Lord, we pause to thank You for the life and legacy of Senator Dianne Feinstein. May her death teach us to number our days, that we may have hearts of wisdom.

Have Your way, Lord–have Your way. You are the potter. We are the clay.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, You still work wonders in the Earth. Teach us to do Your will. Teach us that prayer still brings results. Teach us that we need not fear what the future holds, for Your mercies endure forever. Teach us that Your blessings come new every day. Teach us to number our days to appreciate life’s precious moments. Lord, teach us that You are able to do immeasurably, abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, according to Your power working in and through us.

As our lawmakers continue to attempt to avert a government shutdown, give them courage and wisdom for the living of these days.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Let all who believe in You, O God, offer their supplications, their prayers, their intercessions, and their thanksgivings on behalf of our leaders and all who serve in positions of authority. Let us each pause to take advantage of the privilege You have given us to pray for the men and women of this Congress.

Lay on us, the American people, the awareness of our responsibility to raise our voices, not to condemn or cajole, but to pray to You, that You would intercede for our lawmakers, and to give thanks to You, showing our deeper gratitude for their service and sacrifice

O God, our creator, redeemer, and sustainer, we lay before You our hopes and fears. In You, and not in powers and principalities, parties or people, do we find the strength and hope we need to find our way in these challenging days.

Let all who are in authority, engaging in today’s challenges and making decisions that impact the entire American citizenry, do so with a clear and certain awareness of Your guidance and support, Your counsel, and Your caution.

In the strength of Your name, then, we lift up the leadership of this body, every Member who serves with commitment to the common good, every debate and demand, that You would stand in the breach of our impasses, mediate our differences, and lead us in the way You would have us go.

In the peace we find only in Your name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Senate — Lt. Col. Kent Lundy

Inspiring God that creates a way where there is no way, inspire these servant Senators to rise to every challenge by putting people over profits and freedom for all over privilege for a few. Bless them and their staff with a passion in their bellies and steel in their spine so that they can do the hard things well. May they never take more power than we the people give them. May the good they seek to do be the good for everyone who calls the United States home.

Give this body a passion to especially make sure our military is ready to defend democracy at home and around the world.

Eternal light that never shuts down, may our Senators answer a higher calling that will care for Your creation for at least the next seven generations, and may You endow them with wisdom as they steward the gift of freedom for such a time as this.

Instill the characteristics of integrity, truth, humility, and compassion in all Americans, just as we expect the same from these servant Senators. And let us commit to making selfless service great again.

Even if the institution of the Senate would last a thousand years, may the people one day say: This–this–was their finest hour.

Mindful of all the names Your children use to call upon You, I pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Merciful God, how hard it is in these days of contest and contention not to keep score. Both outside and inside these Chambers, we are hardwired to tally wins and losses, but while this may be the nature of things, forgive us when we gloat over our enemy’s loss, when we find ourselves selfishly satisfied when our opponent stumbles.

All around us there are countless situations where we find ourselves so inclined–internationally, when a hegemonic power suffers not just the loss of a certain battlefield advantage, but the devastating attrition of its young men and women sacrificed on the front line. In war, O God, there is no rejoicing. We pray for peace on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine and reconciliation for all who have suffered so terribly and unnecessarily.

So too we pray for ourselves as the battle lines have been drawn between parties, and the debate rages on all sides. Remind us once more that to disparage our opponent is no less an act of hubris than it is to celebrate when our adversary stumbles. Call us to our better selves–with hearts and minds governed by the compassion You have shown us time and again.

May Your mercy be our battle standard and Your love the weapon of our choosing.

In the peace we find only in Your name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Lord and King, You are forever. Send Your light and truth to guide our Senators. As they move into crisis mode in an attempt to avoid a government shutdown, give them insights that will help them solve the riddles of these times. Empower them to possess discernment in order to know what is right.

Lord, imbue them with a passion for truth that will compel them to do Your will. Strengthen them also with a humility that seeks to listen and learn. May they find joy in their work as they seek to please You. Remove from them discouragement and despair as You make them partners with You in building a nation where truth and justice will prevail.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Generous God, in this season when we are all the more keenly aware of the responsibilities this body has to steward our country’s resources with both prudence and compassion, we pray for Your clarity and courage.

To these men and women to whom You have given much–position, power, and perception–much is being demanded. Grant each the discernment to perceive what is of You and put off all else that is distracting and detracting them from heeding Your direction.

To whom You have entrusted much–the leadership of this country, the wisdom and opportunity to uphold our Nation’s ideals–how much more is being asked–forbearance, flexibility, and foresight.

As You have with so many throughout history, those with whom You have entrusted the mantle of authority, grant each in this body the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the insight of Daniel, the courage of David, and the faithfulness of Abraham as they endeavor to do what You require of them in these days.

In the strength that we find only in Your name, we pray. Amen.

Saturday, September 23, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Blessed are those, O Lord, who labor this day; the people in the limelight and those behind the scenes.

Grant that the men and women who are committing long hours and sacrificing every ounce of their energies to the forward progress of our government in this season will never tire of doing good.

Sustain the Members, the staffers, the clerks, the recorders, the legislative affairs personnel, the Capitol Police, the Sergeant at Arms, and all, who without thanks or fanfare, are sacrificing so much for the success of this day.

Grant them each Your spirit of encouragement and inspire them with Your desire to use this opportunity and the gifts You have so graciously given us. Ensure that our work will not be in vain. May each of us always prove to be faithful stewards of the responsibilities You have laid on our shoulders. Then bring swiftly the time when we enjoy the harvest of these labors; that none will give up but all will remain strong in service to You and to this country.

In the strength we find only in Your name, we pray. Amen.

Friday, September 22, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Break forth Your light like the dawn, O Holy One, and bring Your healing to our world, to this place, and to our lives. Only with Your blessing will we be restored. Only with You as our guide will we find our direction. Only with You as our rear guard will our efforts be found righteous.

Guide us always in the sun-scorched land of mistrust and animosity. Satisfy our desire for clarity and replenish our lack of respect for You and for each other.

Strengthen the framework of our democracy that what we do today will shore up the foundation of our country’s government, repair the breach of the broken walls of our common good, and restore the paths which lead toward the faithful stewardship of our Nation’s trust.

Hear us when we call, O Lord, and preside over us and the events of these days ahead, that we may find healing in the certainty of Your presence and approval in the accomplishment of Your will.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

God of our eternal hope, those who serve You live in Your presence. Give our lawmakers the wisdom to follow Your teachings. Let Your precepts lead them to make laws that will help the marginalized and strengthen our Nation’s moral foundation. May Your wisdom provide them with strategies to defeat the enemies of liberty. Remind them that You have a plan which enables Your will to be done on Earth even as it is done in Heaven. Lord, instill in our Senators the courage to obey Your commands, the grace to pray for their enemies, and the power to persevere in doing what is right.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Bishop Michael E. Dantley

Our Father, as we are gathered in this sacred space, we are compelled to praise You for Your goodness and mercy that follow us all the days of our lives. We are obligated to be reminded that it is You who have made us and not we ourselves. I pray that Your purpose and design for our United States will have predominance in this space.

As decisions are made through transparent debate, I pray that Your wisdom and insight will prevail over human reasoning and personal preference. I pray that as deliberations take place in this Chamber that the well-being of every individual’s life residing in the United States will be on the minds and hearts of every legislator. I pray that party lines will not diminish the desire to see policies established that are grounded in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all United States citizens.

I ask this in Your name. Amen.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, the fountain of all goodness, thank You that You have us in the place where You want us to be.

Teach our lawmakers to take seriously their role in solving the problems of our times, that they may fulfill Your plans for their lives. Continue to inspire them and to bless others through their work. Use Your sovereign wisdom to bring about good results from their decisions. Lord, give our Senators the courage to tell us what we need to hear so that Your truth will set us free. Make them willing to take judicious risk when it leads to justice and truth.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord of all the Earth, be exalted in the nations. In the cacophony of the crises we face this day, may we stand still and wait on You to speak into the whirlwind that surrounds us on all sides.

In the complexity that is the war in Ukraine and in conflicts across the globe, let not the discord of our disagreement or the ardor of our opinion prevent us from hearing Your demand for peace and justice.

In the impasse of political processes, let not the storms of dispute deafen our ears to Your direction, but may we yield ourselves to Your guidance in the deliberations that are laid before us in this season.

We need only to look to You and see what You, O Lord, have done in ages past. You have made wars to cease to the ends of the Earth. You have broken the bow and shattered the spear.

Lord Almighty, remain with us. May we learn to trust in You, O God, that You would be our guide and stay in these days of strife. Cause us, then, this day to be still and know that You are God.

In Your sovereign name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

O God of us all, who is above all yet in us all, make us ever sensitive to all of the expressions of Your Grace. Lord, thank You for the glory of a sunrise and sunset, for the refreshment of the breezes that invigorate, and for the technicolor in trees, shrubs, sky, and sea. May the challenges of these times never blind us to life’s wonders.

Prepare our lawmakers for today’s journey. May they strive to stay within the circle of Your will as You guide their steps. Lord, help them to be ready to solve problems, receiving inspiration from the creative power of Your love. Let business be done on Capitol Hill that will address itself to the real issues and not to games. May the work of our Senators become an expression of Your truth, righteousness, and justice.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord, on this day, grant us Your wisdom, for who is wise and understanding among us? But Your wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, and full of mercy.

Enable us to show that in living a good life, free of envy and ambition, boastfulness or falsehood, all that we do in the course of our day is born of Your wisdom.

And in our discourse with one another, teach us to show love. May we harbor no hate in our hearts. May we not reprove our neighbor, lest we ourselves be found wanting. May we not take vengeance or bear a grudge, but instead, love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

In fact, may the love we first received from You abound more and more. Remind us that You call us to offer this love to one another in knowledge and discernment so that we may perceive what is best in our service to You and to this country.

May You be glorified as we offer this day and our prayers to You. Amen.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, guide our lawmakers today as they seek to do Your will. Deliver them from the forces that seek to destroy freedom. Use our Senators to make a better world as they strive to create a planet where people can dwell together in harmony. Inspire our legislators to decrease that You may increase and illuminate our world with Your glory. Give them the wisdom to seek You often in prayer, with grateful hearts. Lord, guard their hearts and minds with Your peace. Help them to turn their struggles into stepping stones that will glorify You.

We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we dare to approach You this day, knowing full well that despite our best efforts, no one of us is righteous, no one of us is without blame. All of us have sinned and fallen short of Your glory.

We dare, however, to pray that in Your justice, You will be merciful to us as we strive to bring honor to You in this day You have provided us. In hope, we pray that in Your discipline, You will guide us in the way we should go, that in our life and our work, whatever we do would bring glory to You.

In this quiet moment, we yield to Your will and ask that in the more challenging moments that lie ahead of us, Holy God, You would be in our heads and in our thinking. God, be in our eyes and in our looking. God, be in our mouths and in our speaking. Oh, God, be in our hearts and in our understanding.

In Your everlasting name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, September 14, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Shepherd of love, as we begin today’s legislative session, we pause to acknowledge Your sovereignty. You are a God of might and miracles, and we are sustained by Your mercy. Today, lead our lawmakers beside still waters and replenish their spirits with Your power. As they grapple with the challenges of our time, give them a faith that will not shrink though pressed by many a foe. Lord, provide them with the wisdom to hear Your voice and the courage to obey Your precepts. Let Your hand rest on our Nation and lead it to a greatness that glorifies You.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Major Troy S. Bates

Almighty God, commander of the hosts of Heaven, humbly hear and grant our prayer today.

We pause today, before conducting the people’s business, asking for wisdom and courage. Wisdom to know the right way to lead and the courage to lead the right way.

The 9/11 anniversary reminds us our freedoms come with a cost. So I am thankful for those who pay that cost, for men like Staff Sergeant Patrick Quinn, who sacrificed his life in Afghanistan, as well as Captain Doug Frazier, class of 1975, who selflessly served humanity his entire long life. People like these represent our why.

God, You have shown us what you require: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You.

May we seek justice for all by living justly before all. May we proclaim mercy by being merciful, and may we walk humbly before You by living in humility before others. We pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday, September 13, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

We pause at the convening of this Senate session, Eternal God, to acknowledge our total dependence upon You. We are aware of the fragile and temporary nature of our earthly pilgrimage and look to You, the changeless one, to guide our steps. From You we borrow our heartbeats and because of You we live and move and have our being.

Guide our lawmakers today with more than human wisdom. Give them the ability to solve the difficult problems of these turbulent days. Break in and through their human efforts, empowering them to let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God, You are our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. We seek shelter in You in these days of great challenge in our world where thousands have been killed in the earthquakes in Morocco and thousands more have died in the floods in Libya. Make Your presence known in the rescue and relief efforts that none will fear, though entire communities fall into the heart of the sea.

We seek shelter in You in these days of great challenge in our country, where countless families still mourn the loss of their loved ones in the horrific events of 9/11 and the wars that followed. Make Your presence known in their sorrow and grief, that none will fear the upheaval of their lives, for You, O Lord of hosts, are with them.

We seek shelter in You in these days of great challenge in our Congress, where the waters of discord roar and foam. Make Your presence known, for You, O God, are in the midst of us. Utter Your voice and melt the ground that separates us from the direction You would have us go.

In these days of great challenge, let us then be still and know that You are God. In Your everlasting name we pray. Amen.

Monday, September 11, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for the years to come, on this September 11, we pause to thank You for being a bulwark for our Nation. Throughout our national history, You have been our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in turbulent and tempestuous times. You were with us on September 11, 22 years ago. You are with us now. We remember the victims, the grief, and the courage. We also recall that even during the most challenging seasons, Your prevailing providence continues to sustain us. Today, may our lawmakers celebrate that You have been our help in all our yesterdays and our hope for all of our tomorrows.

We pray in Your magnificent Name. Amen.

Friday, September 8, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Daniel Carson

Almighty and eternal God, we proclaim Your greatness and rejoice in You, our hope, for You have extended Your abundant mercy from age to age, and in Your kindness, You lift up those who turn to You. Come to our assistance, O Lord. Make haste to join us in our striving for faithful service to our sisters and brothers in the human family.

Pour out Your spirit of wisdom and goodness upon this body, we pray, and upon the whole government and all the American people, to dwell in our hearts and guide us so that this day and every day we may obtain an increase of peace, unity, and the common good, and that the sun of justice may shine upon this land with blessings of liberty and respect for the dignity and equality of every person. We ask this in Your holy name, O Lord.

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

God be in our heads, eyes, mouths, hearts, and in our understanding. God be in our looking, our thinking, and our speaking. God be with the Members of this legislative body today. Teach them and lead them into Your truth. Unite them with a common desire to do what is best for our Nation and world. Lord, give them grace to take judicious risks for the sake of truth and justice. Enable them to experience a fresh regenerating touch of Your power. In the decisions to be made, in crucial days ahead, make them worthy of these demanding times that call aloud for wisdom and character.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Lord, this is the day that You have made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank You for the beauty of the Earth and for the glory of the skies. Thank You for the love which from our birth over and around us lies.

Be near today to our Senators. Infuse them with reverence for You. May this reverential awe manifest itself through their civility, humility, integrity, and faithfulness.

Lord, give them a respect and forbearance in all they think, say, and do, as they are energized by Your divine presence. Bless them and keep them and give them Your peace.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Senate — Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who rules the raging of the sea, You reign over the nations of our turbulent world. You alone subdue the winds and the rain with a word from Your mouth. As we return from recess and open this session with prayer, we are reminded that life on Earth is a gift that allows us to live for Your glory.

Lord, we are humbled by Your generosity, for You have blessed this Nation in the best and worst of times. Speak Your dreams into our hearts, uniting us by the power of Your spirit. Lord, give our Senators the wisdom to believe that You are able to do for them more than they can ask or imagine, according to Your power working in and through them.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives — Rabbi Hannah Spiro

Creator of the universe, as the Jewish New Year approaches, we ready ourselves for transitions and growth; beginnings and endings. We anticipate repair, learning, and forward movement in our country, and we prepare to handle challenges together.

The core Jewish belief imbuing this entire season is that of return. It is the idea that we are all born pure and beautiful, and as we move through our lives, we make mistakes or transgress, but every single day, and every new year, we have the power to return to our best selves through soul searching, healing, and making amends.

This new year, may each of us remember that potential within ourselves. May we return to our best selves; and as we do, may we see the beauty, inherent value, and possibility for positive change in all those around us. Together, may we cocreate a sweet new year. Amen.

Friday, September 1, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Rachel Landers Vaagenes

Holy One, You are called by many names. We pray to You, light, and life, and love. I pray this day for our country and for our world.

I ask that You guide the elected leaders of our country as they seek the welfare not simply of their own constituencies but of all people. I pray for these Representatives as they speak for the people of the United States that they might wield their responsibility with reverence.

Though the terms in the House are short, and though the people can be fickle, I pray for patience for these leaders: patience with their opponents, patience with their staff, and patience with themselves.

Give to all who serve here an inner grace, and may this place be called a place of blessing in the world. Amen.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Stephanie Vader

Creator, here in the last few days of August, we are reminded that love and grace is as abundant as the miracle of summer squash.

God, You take a tiny seed, smaller than our pinky fingernail, and produce an abundance of squash the size of baseball bats.

God, You bless this world with overflowing abundance, but we often struggle to trust in Your abundance and act as if there is not enough for everyone to flourish.

Help us to trust there is enough.

We confess that although we love the good news of God’s abundance, we often give into our belief in scarcity–a belief that makes us greedy and unneighborly.

We confess that we cannot say we love our neighbor while remaining indifferent to their suffering. Loving our neighbor means sharing so all can have their daily bread. Loving our neighbor means caring for the Earth because it is our common home.

May it be so. Amen.

Friday, August 25, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend William Gurnee

Father in heaven, this day, August 25, is the feast day which commemorates the life of King St. Louis, whose image hangs in this gallery. In a letter to his oldest son, Philip, he wrote, “My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength.”

Lord, may the Members of this body learn to love You after the example of King St. Louis. May they be men and women of virtue who seek the good of others first. Watch over them and protect their families who make sacrifices so that they can lead this Nation in the pursuit of justice. Grant them, above all, the certain knowledge that they have served their country well.

We ask this in Your holy name. Amen.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Creator God, You made us, and we are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture. Gather us back into Your fold, that we may once again experience the warmth of Your embrace and the protection of Your steadfast love.

For we have wandered far from Your company. We have deviated widely from the paths You set before us. Even as we reflect on our own history as a country, our departure from Your divine will is painfully obvious.

Call us back to profound moments that rang the bell to return to You, to seek justice that rolls like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream which will lead us back to You. May we hear the resonant voice of Your servants like Martin Luther King, Jr., who 60 years ago spoke on the monumental steps of this city, sounding the clarion call to yield our lives to the fulfillment of Your vision of valleys exalted, mountains and hills made low.

Restore to us the joy that is ours when we do Your will, that we would work together to live into the dream of freedom and justice upheld, that we would pray together at the table of fellowship, and with dignity and respect, refine the content of our character even as we struggle together as equals.

For You, O Lord, are good, and Your love endures forever. Your faithfulness continues through all generations. In the strength of Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Friday, August 18, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

How good and pleasant it is when people live together in unity. Remind us again, O God, of this divine vision which has given the psalmist such joy.

Call to our minds the most wonderful moments in our lives: When we are overwhelmed with the abundance of Your sacred presence; when we are confident in the work You have given us to do, and the ability You have granted us with which to do it; when we are surrounded by dear friends on the occasion of life-changing events.

Bring to our memories the countless times You have blessed us when we have most needed Your blessing: With rain in times of drought; with shade from scorching heat; comfort in our sorrow; refreshment from the tedium of our labor.

Then, having reminded us of all these things, reveal to us that all these joys, these many blessings, no matter how wonderful, are nothing compared to the pleasure to be found in the harmony of those who live together in unity.

May we cherish and embody that joy this day. In Your merciful and gracious name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

House of Representatives — Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we pause because we believe that in pausing, in reorienting our hearts and our minds to You, You will look with mercy upon us and hear our prayers.

Merciful God, we pray because we believe that in offering to You our innermost thoughts, You will attend to our most pressing concerns, answer our deepest needs, and in Your grace, give us hope.

Gracious God, we hope because we believe that in hoping, in opening ourselves to the future You desire for us to enjoy and the lives You wish for us to live, You will, in Your steadfast love, abide with us in these days and always.

Loving God, we pause, we pray, we hope, because we believe. Help our unbelief.

In Your holy, merciful, and gracious name we pray. Amen.

Friday, August 11, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, how stunned we are to see an island paradise engulfed in flames, to watch hallmarks of Hawaii’s rich history absorbed in a firestorm. More overwhelming are the loss of life and livelihoods, the destruction of homes and holy places.

Hear our prayers for Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Provide comfort to the widespread grief for Lahaina and Kihei. We pray, O Lord, that You would grant safety to the first responders fighting the devastation, and shelter to the evacuees fleeing from its ruinous power.

Remind us again, especially in times like these, to call upon You, O Holy One, our savior. Make evident Your presence among those who now walk through the fire’s desolation. Let not the flames of loss and despair burn the soul of Hawaii. Let not the memory and tradition of “ohana” ever be overcome by the fiery blaze.

Lift from the ashes that special something which has also bound Hawaiians together in the face of both joy and adversity. Precious in Your sight, may they find the strength and hope You provide in the living of these days.

In hope of Your redemption and in Your strong name, we offer our prayers to You. Amen.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

House of Representatives – Rabbi Arnold Resnifcoff

Almighty God, this month is filled with memories of war:

Guns of August 1914, the First World War, the war to end all wars, we prayed. How wrong we were?

Bombs of August 1945, unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; built to win and end a second global war, and usher in a time of peace that never came to pass.

In Ukraine, brave citizens fight back since Russia has let slip the dogs of war; while here a different war: shootings in our schools, shops, and sites of prayer.

In politics, we find peace and common ground elusive. Compromise is now seen as weakness as some views drown out our neighbors’ fears.

We need leaders brave enough to lead the way they thought they would before they came to power, who remember dreams of who they would be if they only had the chance.

Great heroes helped us win world wars. May heroic leaders help unite us to seek peace at home. And may we say, amen.

Friday, August 4, 2023

House of Representatives – Rev. John Kellogg

Dear God, life is short, and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Help us be swift to love and make haste to be kind. Amen.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

House of Representatives – Pastor Zack Randles

Gracious and Almighty God, we come before You today asking for restoration for our Hill officials and their families as they begin a much-needed season of August recess. Time at home reminds us of who we are, where we came from, and what matters most in our lives. During their time at home, may You provide peace in abundance so that they can process the things that will require immediate attention when they return to the Chamber.

May You stir their hearts to find time for spiritual restoration and reflection. We lead best when we hear clearly from You. May You provide timely answers to complicated questions. May You be near them during this time with Your presence truly undeniable.

Thank You for being a God that both calls us to diligent service and prepares a time for us to rest and replenish.

I pray this all in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Friday, July 28, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Dorota Wright-Pruski

Gracious and loving God, by Your wisdom, You have bound us together in a common life, as one body. The eye cannot say to the hand: “I have no need of you,” nor, again, the head to the feet: “I have no need of you.” Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many, and all parts must work together for the common good.

As these Your servants gather today, help them embrace both the gifts and disciplines of a shared common life. Guide them toward decisions that honor all members of our human family, especially the most vulnerable. Give them a reverence for the Earth and all its inhabitants.

Strengthen them to act with mercy and kindness in all that they do, and give all of us grace to walk with You and one another in the way of love.

In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Majestic God, You have been our dwelling place in all generations, and we are sustained by Your unfailing love.

Today, surround our Senators with the shield of Your favor as they labor to keep our Nation strong. Lord, teach them to be obedient to Your commands, doing Your good will as Your presence fills them with joy. May they be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Manifest Your power throughout their labors so that this Nation will be exalted by righteousness. May Your angels guide us all in our ways.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Gracious God, in this summer season, when many have opportunity to take time with friends and family to enjoy rest and relaxation, we pray that in the August recess that is before this body that You would grant to our legislators respite to their bodies, counsel to their spirits, and renewal to their souls.

When year-round so much draws so necessarily yet heavily on their energy and attention, grant them opportunity in these coming weeks to allow their minds and their souls to pause from their grueling schedules. In the quiet of these moments, may they listen for Your voice, yield their wills to Your will, and realign their priorities to Your desired direction for their efforts.

Remind the rest of us, too, to take Sabbath from the onslaught of news and media. Silence our desire for the buzzing of the latest sound bite or the thrill of the hottest political contest. Give us pause from the critique and analysis and inspire in us the compassion and concern for those whom we have elected to carry the heavy mantle of responsibility of governing our Nation. May we dedicate this break in the congressional grind to pray for the health and welfare of our leadership.

May all who labor and who are heavy laden come to You in this season and always, that in You they would find rest for their bodies and peace in their souls.

To You be the glory as we offer ourselves and our prayers to You. Amen.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Senate – Rev. Dr. Richard Gibbons

Let us join our hearts and minds together as we pray.

Gracious God and loving Heavenly Father, in seeking Your presence today, we recognize that You are eternal in nature, infinite in love, holy in every aspect of Your being, yet immanent in grace.

Today, we ask that You would refresh and renew each Senator, stimulating and sustaining within them nobility of character, focused wisdom, inspired direction, and a profound dependency on You as they seek to serve these United States.

Grant to this upper Chamber the tender touch of Your Holy Spirit, equipping each lawmaker with thoughtful, measured, prescient leadership, capable of prolific solutions equal to the demands of the 21st century.

As Senators and their staff move toward the end of this legislative session and they are weary or perhaps frustrated, nourish within them a unified and energized focus on national priorities, compassionately supporting communities in need, inspiring new generations of civic leaders, and modeling for each one credibility, integrity, and authenticity as we seek to be “one nation under God.”

Father, we bring our prayers to You through the Name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Apart from You, O Lord, anything we have, anything we boast in, anything we hope for amounts to nothing. We draw near to You this day, the source of our strength, for in You only do we trust.

As we pray for this country, we ask that You would preserve all that You have granted us, especially the gift of liberty, which protects us from tyranny and oppression. In exercising this gift, may we do so with civility, respecting the rights of those who think differently.

As we pray for our communities, we ask that You would inspire in us the commitment to the common good. In living out this pledge, may our hearts be inclined to find the paths toward peace and security for all our neighbors.

As we pray for our world, we ask that You would give refuge and protection to those who are enduring unimaginable adversity. Answer the prayers of those who call upon You in the war-torn regions and contested areas of Ukraine, Sudan, Armenia, the Sahel, and so many others. In praying for Your people around the globe, we ask Your counsel that we may have the eyes to see and the minds to discern how You would have us serve You in these places.

On this day, stand before us and guide us. May we prove faithful wherever and however You would have us serve You this day.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

O God our refuge and strength, whose compassion encompasses humanity and whose mercy never fails, empower our Senators to be partners with You in Your redeeming purposes for this Earth. Remind them that the only greatness they will ever know is linked to Your transforming might.

Lord, as they strive to please You, make them seekers after peace, justice, and freedom. Transform this storied Chamber of our legislative branch into a place of vision, a lighthouse of hope, and a source of solace for those battered by life’s raging storms. May the Members of this body become architects of a new order of peace and justice for our Nation and world.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and eternal God, You have made everything suitable for its time. Give us pause to consider the beauty inherent in this day and the rightness of all that is around us at this very moment.

What a challenge that presents us, as there is so much that is far from beautiful, so much that isn’t right. Yet You have set eternity in our heart, and this is a mystery we cannot comprehend, we are blind to Your creative and redemptive work in our lives.

Give us faith, O God, in Your eternal purpose. Grant us the faith to believe that You see all things past, present, and future. All the things of yesterday, today, and tomorrow are subject to You.

Remind us that You are outside and above time. Your power to guide and direct our steps and order our days is not restricted to the limitations of our linear understanding.

In our haste to control the chaos around us, in our anxiety to the face of uncertainty, in our impatience to rectify the wrongness we battle daily, grant us a sense of Your steadfast love and sovereign protection, which was granted us in eternity past, abides with us now, and will guide us in the future.

Sure of Your everlasting kindness, we offer our prayers in Your most holy name. Amen.

Monday, July 24, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Grant us, O God, the spiritual awareness to know Your intimate presence in our lives. Enable us to see life through Your eyes, to see the beauty of Your creation, which You called good, and to see Your loving design in the people You place before us.

Help us to hear through Your ears, to hear the laughter of children and the joy of the innocent, to hear the concerns and pain of our closest neighbors and of those lost in this world.

Enable us to touch with Your strength, to use the power and influence You allow us access to, to touch the grieving with compassion, to calm the fearful with reassurance, and to guide the lost with Your direction.

God, You have graced us always with Your company and have made clear Your intent that this relationship You have established with us is now ours to share, responding in faith to the one who loved us. Open our eyes and our ears to see and hear You, enliven our senses to be aware of You, and soften our hearts that we may know You.

Then may our lives reflect the love and mercy that You have so graciously bestowed on us. As You work in us, may it be our aim to inspire others to desire all You wish them to receive from You.

By Your bountiful grace and sure of Your abundant mercy, we offer our prayers in Your most holy name. Amen.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, by Your providence, You gave us a nation conceived in liberty. Today, infuse our lawmakers with the spirit of liberty and justice so that their work will reflect Your purposes and plans. May their knowledge of Your providential purposes keep them from detours that lead away from abundant living. May their small successes prompt them to attempt larger undertakings for human betterment. As they seek to do Your will, bless them with the awareness of the constancy of Your presence. Lord, guide them by Your higher wisdom, and keep their hearts at peace with You.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Dr. J. Henry Buck, Jr.

Gracious God, we are present this morning by Your grace and Your mercy. We thank You for this privilege to be here to serve. We ask that in this most desirable time that we can learn, listen, love, and lead as we ingratiate ourselves in the fervor and favor of Your will.

We petition the power of Your wisdom as we seek to balance this Republic through reconciliation. Share and show us how to love unconditionally, help without judgment, and encourage without regret. Allow the spirit of unity to shelter in this place and peace to enable us all.

We thank You for the “We the People,” regardless of partisanship or platform. Bless our courts and our military personnel.

In closing, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.

In the sovereign name, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Let us pray. Lord of life, we magnify Your Name, for Your mercies are new every morning. Take our Senators by the hand and lead them on the road You desire them to travel. Remind them that You are the one who can keep them from stumbling or slipping. Motivate them to never deviate from the path of integrity but seek to glorify You in all they think, say, and do. May they remember Your promise in Hebrews 13:5, that You will never leave or forsake them.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God and ruler of all the Earth, from Your holy throne You reign over all the nations. Show Your greatness and Your holiness to the peoples. Make Yourself known in the sight of all the nations.

In the confusion of conflict and the ravages of war, make Yourself known in the sight of Ukraine, to her leaders, and to all her people.

In the prosperity of 75 years of trade and commerce and amid the polarization of its politics, make Yourself known in the sight of Israel, to her leaders, and to all her people.

In the hubris of aggression and the arrogance of imperialism, make Yourself known in the sight of belligerent nations, to their leaders, and to all their people.

In the certainty of our convictions, as well as in the discord of our discourse, make Yourself known in the sight of these United States, to our leaders, and to our compatriots.

For Your hand, O Lord, is not too short that it cannot save those who seek You, nor Your ear so dull that it cannot hear the prayers of those who call on You. Do not let the noises of this world so confuse us that we cannot hear You speak.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Lord, hear our prayers. Amen.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we praise You for the marvelous things You have done throughout our Nation’s history. Thoughts about Your mighty deeds continue to fill us with joy.

Lord, in these difficult times, we continue to trust You to guide our Nation toward Your desired destination. Surround this Nation we love with the shield of Your divine favor as You execute judgment from Your throne.

Lord, continue to remind our lawmakers that they are accountable to You. Use them for Your glory as they seek to ensure that Your will is done on Earth even as it is done in Heaven. Do for us all immeasurably, abundantly, above all that we can ask or imagine, according to Your power working in and through us.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, a wise man once said that life is short and we never have too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling on this journey with us.

May we heed his words, but more importantly, may we yield to Your own counsel to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Open our hearts to receive Your wise instruction and fill us with compassion for those who tarry with us in this place. In the days that You have given us, may we have the discernment and the desire to value the opportunities You set before us: to make someone else happy, to put someone else at ease, to share the burdens of those around us that keep them from enjoying the life You offer.

Even while the grass withers and the flower fades, may we prove swift to love and make haste to be kind.

In Your gracious name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, July 17, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the Earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by Your power, who stilled the roaring of the seas and the roaring of their waves, we pray You would be merciful to us and lay Your divine hand on these United States.

On this day when extraordinary heat is overwhelming regions within the Gulf South and Desert Southwest, we pray that You would again care for the land and water it. Enrich these areas abundantly.

In communities across the Midwest and elsewhere, where drought threatens farms and fields, livestock and livelihoods, drench the Earth’s furrows and level its ridges, soften it with showers and bless its crops.

The whole Earth is filled with awe at Your wonders. Where morning dawns, where evening fades, call forth songs of joy with Your grace. Crown this season with Your bounty.

In hopes of Your sure provision, we offer our urgent prayers in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Friday, July 14, 2023

House of Representatives – Dr. Tonya Foster

Our gracious Heavenly Father, thank You for this great Nation that we have the honor to call home. Thank You for the blessings of this Nation for 247 years. The Bible declares: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

Forgive us Lord, as a nation, that we have not always lived up to Your word or Your ways. But nevertheless, the Bible declares in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, who are called by My name, would humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and forgive their sins, and heal the land.”

Only You our God, through the power of Your spirit, can heal our land.

I pray for our leaders today in the U.S. House of Representatives, that we would become again one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Senate – Rev. Dr. Dale A. Meyer

O God, Your eternal being is beyond our comprehension. We are but creatures of a day.

The magnificence of these buildings in which Senators and their staffs serve, these monumental buildings we Americans visit, are sacred spaces. In silent splendor they testify to the mercies You have bestowed upon this Nation in generations past. May they inspire in us a passion that our stewardship of this Republic will serve Your good will and purposes for many years to come.

Jesus said: “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.” He gave His life in selfless service so that all people might experience Your goodness in their lives. Such service, pure service untainted by thoughts of self, is difficult, indeed impossible. We ask You to descend upon this Chamber with Your grace, grace received in honest confession that my time, our time, is fleeting. Unless You build the house, we labor in vain. We cannot achieve justice. We cannot embrace mercy unless we humbly walk with You.

O eternal God, You alone endure from generation to generation. Help us to be faithful stewards of this trust.

In Your holy and revealed Name we pray. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Guide us, O great Jehovah, as we make our pilgrimage through these days. Order our steps when at any point the path is obscure of certainty or our vision is impeded by doubt.

Strong deliverer, lead us through this day as we continue doggedly our pursuit of right answers and reasoned legislation. Direct us in this our daily quest for noble ends and sound decisions.

Grant Your servants an understanding mind to govern Your people, a mind of both compassion and reasonableness, a mind of both fairness and moral authority.

Enable us amid well-researched debate and passionate argument to have the insight to determine what is of You and how we are to align ourselves to Your gracious plan. And if any of us is lacking in such wisdom, may we be wise enough to ask it of You.

Bestow knowledge and discernment upon us generously and mercifully. May any test of our faith and our faithfulness this day produce endurance, and may our endurance serve to accomplish Your work in our lives that we may, at the end of the day, be found mature in our faith and closer in our walk with You.

In the strength we find in You and in the power of Your name, we offer our prayers. Amen.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, whose inward fellowship means cleansing, forgiveness, peace, and power, dissolve the barriers that keep our lawmakers from You. Take away the barrier of self-sufficiency that tempts them to live independent of Your will and way. Remove the obstacle of spiritual blindness that makes them unaware of invisible and eternal resources.

Lord, take our Senators over the hurdle of compromise that prompts them to deviate from integrity and to forget that You are the only constituent they must please. Give them the grace of receptive hearts and humble dependence on You.

We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign Lord, whose great strength and outstretched arm made the Earth and all who live thereon, look out upon Your creation and grant us Your divine compassion. You show mercy to those You want to, and You harden the hearts of those You choose to harden. Show mercy to the victims of the war in Ukraine, but we ask that You soften the hearts of those in whose power it is to bring peace, once again, into this war- torn region.

How long, O Lord, will You allow innocents to remain subject to needless violence and ruthless aggression? Are not 500 days long enough, 9,000 deaths enough, for the Ukrainian people to suffer? How long, O Lord, will You hide from us the just and righteous pathway to peace in the region?

Yet, O Lord, You have revealed to us in this interminable war what it means to reach to the depths of faith in the face of hopelessness. No wisdom, no understanding, and not even the most brilliant battle plan can succeed against You, our Lord, for in these promises have the Ukrainians found the font of their strength. You are their strength and shield, the source of their unwavering resilience.

Reward them, O God, for their faithfulness in the face of the indiscriminate hostility of their adversary. In their struggle not just against flesh and blood, not only against powers and principalities of this world, but in the spiritual conflict against the forces of evil rampant in this world, may all who believe in You take up the full armor You provide and find our deliverance in You.

In the power of Your name, we are bold to pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, continue to guide the steps of our Senators. Lift their gaze to the beckoning hills of Your help, leading them on paths that bring them to hope and away from despair.

Lord, as they journey toward justice and peace, make them satisfied to follow Your plans and fulfill Your purposes. Give them a positive attitude. As they face today’s challenges, direct them to discern what is Your best for our Nation and world.

Lead kindly, light amid the encircling gloom. Guide us through the darkness of our own devices to the sure and certain destination of Your prevailing providence.

We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

This is the day that the Lord has made. While we were yet asleep, O Lord, You watched over us, protected us from the worries of the past, and restored us to face the future ahead. As we face this new day, grant us that same peace as it unfolds. May our eyes be open to Your creative spirit and guiding presence. For this is the day You, O Lord, have made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the week the Lord has made. While these legislators have been dispersed from one another, attending to both the well-being of their communities and the needs of their own families, You, O Lord, directed their steps and equipped their souls, readying them to address the tasks ahead. Now that they have returned to these hallowed Halls, grant them that same guidance. May all our minds be open to Your edifying spirit and enlightening presence. For this is the week, O Lord, that You have given us. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Ours are the lives You, O Lord, have made. While we have, time and again, tried to take the reins, masterminding the course our lives should take, You have safeguarded us from our folly and upheld us in Your mercy. Now, in this moment, we turn our sights to You. We ask that You would grant us the courage that we would yield our lives to You, as well. May our hearts be open to Your design for our days and Your righteous intent for the stewardship of all Your gracious gifts.

For this is the day, the time, and the lives You have made. Let us rejoice and be glad in them.

We glorify You, O Lord, as we offer these prayers in Your name. Amen.

Monday, June 10, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Father of love, as we live this day, give us wisdom, strength, and commitment to serve You in all we do. We acknowledge You, Lord, as the Creator and Sustainer of our destinies. So show us how to do Your will.

Lord, guide our Senators. Lead them by Your wisdom as they seek to know and obey Your precepts. Illuminate their path with the light of Your truth, and keep them from sin, which is a reproach to any people. Help them to overcome the temptation of trying to make it on their own strength. Instead, guide them until they yield to the inflow of Your wisdom, insight, and vision.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, we are Your servants and children of our ancestors who served You in the days of their lives. As we pray to You, we remember all those who have gone before us, the forerunners of faith, our predecessors in service to this country, the martyrs of freedom, the forebears of our democracy.

As we muse on the sacrifices these men and women have made on our behalf, and as we enjoy the liberties and privileges they afforded us, make us aware of the mantle of responsibility You have placed on our shoulders and call to our minds what You now expect of our generation.

We place our offering before You this day, an offering of our bodies to the tasks You have assigned to us, an offering of our minds to the unique challenges we face in this day and age, an offering of our hearts to the needs of the people in our communities, and an offering of our whole selves to the commitments necessary for the legacy we will leave behind.

Hear our sincere desire to fulfill our vows to You, to live faithfully into the callings to which You have called us. May we stand with righteousness before the people whom You have commanded us to serve.

We glorify You, O Lord, as we offer these prayers in Your name. Amen.

Tuesday, July 6, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, You have taught us how to live in a way that will please You. Call to our minds again and again those lessons that we would work, act, and love in that way. May we be compelled to live even more faithfully in all that we do.

God, You desire us to be holy, to learn how to control our minds and our bodies so that people who do not know You would observe in us our desire to give honor to You. May our lives and our attitude this day imitate You.

May we never wrong others or cheat them, for in these distasteful misdeeds we demonstrate our refusal to obey You; You who have given us the gift of Your abiding presence and Your merciful love. How we disdain not just Your righteousness but Your grace when we fail to share with others the mercy You have shown us.

In the love You have made known to us You have taught us what it means to love and how it is that we are to love one another, and to allow that love for our brothers and sisters to increase. May we love as You first loved us.

Grant us then a day of blessing and a life of peace. In the righteousness You grant us by the power of Your name, we are bold to offer our prayers. Amen.

Monday, July 3, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Spirit of the Living God, by Your hands we have received all that we enjoy, and in You do we find all that we need. On this holiday where we reflect on the liberties You have granted this Nation, may we also pause in gratitude for our individual freedoms, intended since that day, not just for our colonial ancestors, or to a notable few, but to each American.

Remind us that this independence we so zealously celebrate comes with profound accountability. When we are inclined to laud our freedom at the expense of another’s, call us back to the crown of grace You have bestowed on us, adorned with the fealty of brotherhood, the compassion of sisterhood, the honor of compatriots. Under this mantle of responsibility, may we live into Your desire that we serve one another in love.

For the patriot dream, that sees beyond this day, beyond the current strife, beyond the present challenges, beyond even our best endeavors, we pray Your mercy on us all. Trusting in Your dominion over the years we have here on Earth, and the generations that follow, we pray Your continued grace on us and on our Nation. God bless America.

In the strength of Your sovereign name we offer our prayers. Amen.

Friday, June 30, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O God, our God, remind us again that Your love is forever. Whatever took place in the past is now in Your merciful keeping. Use what we have learned from our mistakes yesterday to give us wisdom for today. Take what we have accomplished and bless it, that our labor would serve to glorify You.

Grant that what we set out to do this day would reflect the mercy You have shown us, that in our interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and even enemies, we would reveal the same compassion You have given us. Work in us that our whole being will reflect Your faithfulness to this generation.

Your love stands firm forever. In the covenant You have made with us, You have promised us strength and safekeeping forever. May we dedicate ourselves to live up to our responsibilities to this bond You have established with us, that we would ever bring glory to You.

Your kingdom is built on truth and justice. Love and faithfulness are servants to Your throne.

In this promise do we find strength and purpose, and in Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God our provider, sustainer, and friend, we give You thanks that in Your provision You have sustained the Senate and this country, with our friend Chaplain Black, and his 20 years of ministry in this Capitol. By Your grace, we have borne witness to a man who has shown us what it means to pray without ceasing and serve You without reservation.

Having given over 25 years of service wearing the cloth of our Nation as a chaplain in the United States Navy, having come alongside countless marines and sailors, offering Your comfort and guidance in times of peace and war, Chaplain Black again heard Your call and heeded Your claim on him to continue with gladness in his service to You in these hallowed Halls.

God, if we could hear Your voice, most of us would know it already, for Chaplain Black’s booming and scholarly locution resonate with Your divine guidance. But it is more than the caliber but the content of his speech and the profound testimony of his faith walk with You which has inspired us.

When Chaplain Black speaks, we are transported into Your divine presence. We find ourselves drawn to desire to know what he knows, that each of us are called to give witness to You at all times with the same measure of devotion Chaplain Black has demonstrated in the face of circumstances and consequences, challenges and celebrations that have both tested and testified to his faithfulness.

So in thanksgiving to You for the grace You have shown us in the ministry of Dr. Barry Black, may we too be compelled to rejoice always in Your will and pray constantly for Your guiding word.

By Your grace and in Your name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 23, 2023

House of Representatives – Pastor David Bullock

Heavenly Father, maker of Heaven and Earth, redeemer, generous provider, we are desperately dependent upon You for all things. Bestow Your wisdom on this body and its Members to know and do Your will for our Nation, to abandon unrighteous agendas, to hear and heed Your voice, and to make decisions according to Your Holy Word so that we may practice kindness, develop unity, and walk humbly before You. Bring about unity in our Nation through the power of the holy spirit.

May we, in reverence and through repentance of our sins, return to You. As the psalmist said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Father, open up Heaven’s windows to bless this Nation as we humble ourselves before You.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty and everlasting God, we bow in reverence before Your glorious presence, praying that Heaven’s unity may fill our lives.

Lord, empower our lawmakers to make bipartisan progress, enabling our Nation to meet the challenges of our times. Bring to fulfillment the ancient prophet’s dream: “How good and pleasant it is for people to dwell together in unity.” Make our Senators vividly aware that beyond the appraisals of constituents, there falls upon their decisions and actions the searching light of Your judgment. Save them from weak and expedient choices as You use them to heal and bind, to build and bless.

And, Lord, we thank You for the contributions of the first phase of the summer 2023 page class.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Loving God, what a gift You have given us in embracing us in the depth of Your love. Such a wonder it is that You would choose to love us that it is both beyond our understanding and yet reaches into our deepest needs.

Because You, in Your mercy, have first loved us, help us to respond by loving others. Enable us to live fully in the mystery of Your heavenly love, that all hatred and malice would not find a way into this day’s encounters. Root out any inclination our hearts may have to disdain Your compassion by our failure to show kindness to one another.

Save us, too, from any love that obscures Your own. Our passions, our pet projects, our priorities, are poor substitutes for the purpose You have for us. Our arrogance, our self-absorption, our attitudes, are nothing but self-generated obstacles, blinding us to Your activity in the world around us.

Let Your love be the lens through which we look at the people with whom we interact in this place, that our life would reflect the depth of our love for You and the magnitude of Your love for all of creation.

By Your grace and in Your name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Most holy and gracious God, who turns the shadow of night into morning, satisfy our hearts with Your mercies, that we may rejoice and be glad all the day. Abide with the Members of this body, permitting the light of Your countenance to calm every troubled thought and to guide their feet in the way of peace. Lord, perfect Your strength in their weakness and help them to serve You and country to the glory of Your Name. In a world so uncertain about many things, make our Senators sure of no light that illuminates their pathway will lead them into darkness. Give our Senators the courage to see the truth and wisdom and to humbly follow where it leads.

We pray in Your precious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, we look to You to receive guidance in our lives, strength in our battles, comfort in our sorrows, and peace in our world. We appeal to You on behalf of those at war in Ukraine and those who are making decisions affecting this grueling conflict and impacting countless lives. Grant them the belt of Your truth that their leadership would be bound in integrity and faithfulness.

To the men and women on the front lines so violently uprooted from their families and communities, now fighting a battle to preserve the livelihoods they once enjoyed without fear, grant Your breastplate of righteousness. Protect and defend them from the feelings of anger, betrayal, and vindictiveness. Safeguard them from any deed that would bring dishonor or disgrace. May the justness of their actions be undisputed.

Comfort the grieving with the shield of faith. Preserve their souls and spirits from the fiery arrows of heartache and despair. In You may they find the strength and comfort that transcends our finite grasp of Your steadfast and eternal love.

Your work, O God, is powerful. Speak into the warring chaos that threatens our world and wield Your word of peace.

In Your saving name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, on yesterday, we commemorated the end of American slavery. We were reminded by the violence in our land of the truth of John 8:34, which states: “[E]veryone who sins is a slave of sin.”

Free us from fear, self, others, and sin. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, and deliver us from the chains of hatred and prejudice. As we remember Juneteenth, may we offer ourselves to become slaves of righteousness.

Lord, help our lawmakers and everyone they serve to discover the holiness to which You call us, as we experience the eternal freedom to be found in living for Your glory.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who alone spreads out the heavens and rules the raging of the sea, on the very day we celebrated the freedoms You have intended for each person, a day when, by the pen stroke of one person in Texas, Juneteenth became the symbol of the last vestiges of slavery in the United States, on that same day, by the stroke of violence inflicted on the community of Willowbrook, Illinois, and other areas of this land we love, we realize we are all still slaves to sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for the countless times we commit ourselves to bringing good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed that, despite our best intentions, we, all too often, succumb to the yoke of hatred and prejudice.

As we remember Juneteenth, remind us again that You have freed us from the bondage of our sinful nature. May we offer our whole selves to You, that we would allow ourselves to become slaves to righteousness.

We pray in Your merciful name. Amen.

Friday, June 16, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Generous God, You have gifted us with yet another day and the work to be accomplished in it. May each of us, in some manner, find enjoyment in what we do and realize that just as You have given us the pleasure of food and drink, so, too, You have intended for us to delight in doing the tasks You set before us.

Grant us the joy that comes from having something to do, the sense of purpose in doing it, and the reward of accomplishment when it is done.

This day may we hear anew the calling to which You have called us as we embrace the claim You have laid upon us. May we well and faithfully perform the duties of that calling wherever You have asked us to serve, that we may glorify You in our labor. And may our lives be a testimony to the peace that is found in serving You.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

God most high, Your faithfulness endures through all generations. Hear our prayer. You desire truth and justice, and You are true to Your promises. Let Your presence be felt today on Capitol Hill.

Lord, open the hearts of our lawmakers to the guidance of Your Spirit as You empower them to serve with faithfulness. Dwell in them and those who support their labors, making them productive for the glory of Your Name. May our Senators hear Your call to rise and follow where You lead as You inspire them to be obedient to Your perfect will. Lord, give them patience with those who oppose them, and may they trust in Your perfect love, which never fails.

We pray in Your glorious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Deacon Dan S. Borne

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Melt us. Mold us. Fill us. Use us.

Direct our actions by Your holy inspiration, and carry them on with Your gracious assistance so that every prayer and work of ours may begin with You and through You be brought to successful completion.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Amen.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, Your great Name keeps us from harm. We remember all Your gifts and praise You for Your protection.

Today, guide our Senators. Make their plans succeed as they find wisdom by following Your directions. When they don’t know what to do, teach them to be still until You make Your will clear. When they feel alone and fearful, remind them that You will never abandon them no matter how difficult the challenge. Lord, help them to focus on the things that are excellent, commendable, true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.

We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and righteous Lord, bring us back to You. When everything around us demands our attention away from You, distracts our awareness of You, and draws us apart from You, like a shepherd lead us back to You, that we would acknowledge Your saving grace and loving mercy in every aspect of our lives.

In this, may every Member of this body align their work, their wants, and their words according to Your righteousness, and may we each yield our desires and demands to Your virtuous design for this Nation.

Open our eyes to those countries around the world who do not enjoy the liberties we have, and yet in their faithfulness have been preserved from their enemies and upheld by Your mercy. Nonetheless, no country is strong enough to boast of worldly strength nor able to rely solely on their own human virtue. None, not even Ukraine can claim as sacred the works done from the rightness of their cause. Only by Your grace, reflected in their faith, are they able to withstand their adversary.

Awaken us to share in this testimony of faithfulness and their belief in the gift of Your protection against all odds stacked against them. Summon our hearts to follow their example of trust in Your guidance, and remind us to hold on to, and claim in the face of all adversity, the hope we have in You.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Senate – Reverend Asriel McLain

O Lord, how excellent is Your Name. In the mighty Name of Jesus, we praise You for this land of the free and home of the brave.

Lord, bless this U.S. Senate and its leadership on both sides of the aisle. Remind us that Your amazing grace is, indeed, nonpartisan. Use these servants of freedom to represent all the Nation from sea to shining sea. Bless their families, their staffs, and their constituents back home.

Bless us all with the vision to see what is right and the power and strength to do what is right. Help us not to forget the Savior’s words that the greatest among us will be servants of all.

Inspire us all to heed the words of the eighth century prophet Amos when we read, “Let justice run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

The heavens tell of Your glory, O God. The firmament proclaims Your handiwork. Each day announces Your benevolence and every night provides wisdom gleaned from the day.

Holy God, Your creation speaks of Your goodness, Your kindness, and Your mercy. Would that our voices be so pure. Would that our speech reflect Your concern for the world. Would that our words–the very thing creation does not have–prove as illustrative of Your steadfast love and patience.

Every word that comes from Your mouth, O God, is pure and powerful. Your voice provides a shield for us, protecting us against both enemies and our own self-destruction.

Lord, may we choose to take refuge in Your word. Then may the words of our mouths and all that we consider within our thoughts and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You this day here where we are called to serve You.

In Your most merciful name we pray. Amen.

Monday, June 12, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty and everlasting God, whom the heavens of heavens cannot contain, illumine us by Your Grace that we may represent You.

May our Senators, today, show You their gratitude through humble service to this land we love. Lord, help them to do Your will by bringing deliverance to captives, guidance for the lost, and relief to the oppressed. Direct their steps, and give them the wisdom to focus on the things that truly matter. When bewildered by vicissitudes, may they look to You as the one constituent they must please.

Touch us all with Your unfailing love, particularly the many staffers and other unsung heroes and heroines who labor long hours in the background for liberty.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Reconcile us to You O God. We stand before You in our imperfection, keenly aware of our shortcomings, asking You to bridge the gap between our realities and our intentions, our best efforts and Your desires. In Your perfect mercy recreate us that as individuals, as a body, and as a Nation, we would find restoration in Your righteous plan.

Even as You have reconciled each of us to Yourself, call us to be reconciled one to another. Acknowledging Your divine regard for us, may we regard no one from a human point of view, but see in each person the reflection of Your redeeming love for all of Your creation.

Entrust us this day with this message of reconciliation. May we prove worthy of Your trust in our response. So may the past have no claim on us, the things of old not hold us back. May we find renewed purpose, assured of Your blessing on the work You set before us.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 9, 2023

House of Representatives – Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti

Good and gracious God, we struggle to allocate funds properly. We strive to use our resources for the good of all. Remind us today that You are the source of all good. You are the maker of our lives and our world, and all things will return to You.

Help us to keep our eyes fixed on You and on our heavenly goal. Thus, we will be guided by Your spirit in the difficult choices of these days.

We pray all this in Thy sacred name. Amen.

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Father, in spite of the dramatic decline in our air quality in so many of our cities, we continue to believe that the Heavens proclaim Your glory and the skies display Your craftsmanship. We embrace Your command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks.”

We thank You today for those who positively touch our lives. Thank You for mothers and fathers who make good homes and guide us to ethical clarity. Thank You for friends who help to make life beautiful as they inspire us to show great love. Lord, thank You also for loved ones who through personal sacrifices have given us a great heritage. Thank You for our Senators who labor diligently to keep our country strong. And, Lord, we thank You for the memorable page class, the spring page class of 2023.

We praise You in Your great Name. Amen.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we acknowledge that You have been our help in ages past. You are our hope for the years to come. You are our shelter in the time of storms. Thank You for the seasons of sowing and reaping, for color and fragrance. Thank You for the time of harvest when our labors and dreams are rewarded.

Today, bless our lawmakers. Illumine their lives to keep them on the right path. May the creative power of Your word produce in them a stronger faith and brighter hope. Keep them from stumbling. Fill them with courage as You show them Your unfailing love.

We pray in Your precious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, when the Earth was without form and void, You spoke. Speak now into our world, a world bereft of peace and security in almost every corner of the globe. Speak now into the senseless conflict in Ukraine. Speak now into the meaningless disputes within communities here at home. Speak now into the confusion of tempers and tensions that transpire even among colleagues.

Darkness has invaded the homes of the destitute who take cover in war-torn cities, enduring days without electricity. Ukrainians and all those who live in the deep of war’s night long for Your words: “Let there be light.” Innocents who hide in the shadows of homelessness or abuse yearn to hear You to command the light to be separated from the darkness.

Water’s unleashed violence threatens whole regions of Ukraine after the destruction of dams and critical infrastructure. The shortage of water jeopardizes American homesteads and harvests. Send Your divine spirit to move over the face of these hostile and deficient waters and bring order into the chaos.

In the newness of this day, God speak Your word into the void. Send Your spirit over the turmoil. Let there be light. Lord, in Your mercy, let it be so.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, our Father, in a chaotic and violent world, we look to You as our mighty fortress. Have mercy upon our Nation and world. Help us all to remember how You have led us in the past.

Guide our Senators so that they clearly understand Your desires, and give them the wisdom to obey. Lord, provide our lawmakers with daily strength to honor You with their service. Remind them that they will answer to You for the way they use their talents to serve others.

Inspire all of our hearts to honor You with faithfulness and humility.

We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, You call us into relationship with You. That we can stand here in the place of our labor, in the middle of our day-to-day lives and, with confidence in Your love and mercy, approach You with our hopes and concerns, our joys and our burdens, is nothing short of a profound privilege.

Evoke in us the certainty of Your gracious plan for us, so that as we consider the problems set before us, our response would serve as a testimony to the love, joy, and peace to which You call us.

Deepen our trust in Your providence and care so that as we tackle the work ahead of us, we would face all that we encounter with patience, kindness, and generosity.

Awaken us to the goodness and worth of each person with whom we serve. Despite our differences or our diffidence, our proximity or our disparity, may we encounter each one with faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Remind us that there are no laws that prohibit us from either receiving or giving these precious proofs of Your spirit at work in us. And so, we dedicate ourselves to the stewardship of all that You have bestowed on us and recommit ourselves to bear the fruit of Your love.

In Your generous name we pray. Amen.

Monday, June 5, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

We draw near to You, O God, before we begin the legislative business of this day and pray that You will abide with us as we address the matters that will be brought before this body.

Would that we wash our hands of malice and mean-spiritedness, ire and indignation. Cleanse us of all that detracts us from Your noble intent.

Would that we examine our motives, that they would be free of selfishness or indifference. Search us and know us, that with singleness of purpose, we would live to serve You with integrity.

Would that we present to You our hearts for the work of this Congress. Inspire us that what we aim to accomplish would reflect Your grace plan for our communities and our country.

O Lord, consecrate the work of our hands. Clarify the judgment of our minds. Direct the desires of our hearts that all we do today would be worthy of this opportunity we have been given to serve You in this place.

In the righteousness of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Lord God, Your promises are sure. Bless our lawmakers in all their undertakings. In their friendships, keep them faithful and true. In their emotions, keep them calm and serene, free from anxiety and care. In their material things, give them contentment and generosity. In their spiritual lives, deliver them from doubt and distrust. In their work, give them guidance, courage, and success. And when misfortune comes, use the trials to bring them closer to each other and to You. Let nothing make their certainty that You alone are sovereign over their lives be shaken.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, enable us this day to find reason to rejoice. In our walk with You, may we look at things differently. Our minds open to Your creative work in the world, in our communities, and in our own lives. Help us to see how You make us new, allowing us to leave the past behind for the future You desire for us.

Even as we have been renewed, may we strive to be newly restored one to another. Call us to find pathways not just to compromise, but to be reconciled with those with whom You have called us to serve in this place.

Enable us to find ways, even in our differences, even with all our diverse perspectives, to encourage one another on this journey we call life. Restrain us in our inclination to disparage the other and inspire us to reach out in concern and support, even to those with whom we disagree.

In all of this, may we be of one mind in our service to this country and the ideals on which it was founded. Together, may we find more that unifies us than divides us as together we support and defend our Republic.

In Your most merciful name, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Father, we trust in Your unfailing love and commit our lives to You. Thank you for listening to our prayers. Help us to live in purity so that we will never dishonor You.

Lord, guard our minds so that our thoughts will please You, as we passionately seek Your truth.

Today, strengthen the Members of this body in their work. Use them to bring comfort and courage to the marginalized. Help our Senators to give their hearts to You and seek to please You in all they say and do. Empower them to live in such a way that by the wisdom of their words and the power of their example others may be moved to follow You.

We pray in Your awesome Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, watch over us this day. Remind us of Your abiding presence in the valley of decision. Walk alongside each of us that we would receive Your assurance that we are not alone in our efforts to serve this country. The concerns we harbor both personally and professionally are safely in Your keeping.

Guard our hearts and minds and fill them with the grace of Your spirit that, in the discourse of this day, we would take each thought captive in our obedience to You.

Replenish our energy and purpose with the good treasure of hope found only in You, that we would trust that in Your loving mercy and prevenient grace, what is good will be brought forth from the work this week.

Protect us from everything that would draw us away from You. In the multitude of decisions, actions, and all their consequences, remind us that our eyes should remain fixed on Your guidance and our faith stand firm in discerning Your will this day and in the days ahead.

In the certainty of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, dressed in a robe of righteousness, we place our trust in You. You refuse to let our enemies triumph over us. As we return to the business of freedom, use the Members of this body to accomplish Your will.

Lord, strengthen them to never abandon the struggle, and inspire them to endure to the end. Help them to press forward to the goal of Your ideal for humanity. Inspire them to choose the more difficult right.

Lord, remind them that perspiration is usually the price for laudable accomplishments, and that without the cross, there is rarely a crown.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, You spoke, and the world came to being. You breathed life into humanity and gave us the same influence when You allowed us to speak. Remind us this day of the responsibility we have in wielding this authority. Call us to accountability as, even today, we wield the power You have bestowed on us to create and destroy just with a word.

We pray Your blessing on the innumerable words, opinions, and concerns that have been voiced in the last days, weeks, and months, and which will be brought forth during the deliberations facing this body this week. As the concerns of all parties are placed on the table, cast Your light on the decisions to be made, that there would be clarity on each issue. Grant Your wisdom that each Member would receive the gift of Your discernment, and shed Your grace into the process, that all would be inspired to act with the graciousness You have shown us.

Remind all of us of all You have done for us as a nation. Charge us each to avoid unrelated controversy and unprofitable argument, but to commit ourselves to thoughtful speech and careful consideration of each concern.

In this prayer, we dedicate ourselves to the building up of this body and the goodness of this country. In You alone do we trust. May this day reflect our confidence in Your guidance in all our endeavors.

In the strength of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, May 29, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend John Kellogg

Almighty God, on this day of remembrance, we give You thanks for all those who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. We also ask that You send down upon our Representatives in Congress Your spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice; that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people. Amen.

Friday, May 26, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

On this Memorial Day, we lift our voices in prayer to You, O God, for those whose eyes fail because of their tears, whose spirits are greatly troubled, whose hearts are poured out on the earth. Our lamentation is on behalf of those who have no voice, their throats stricken with grief.

Merciful God, cast Your eyes upon those parents, spouses, children, and cherished friends whose heads are bowed over well-worn photos of their favorite servicemember, whose tears fall on names etched in stone, and whose cries spring forth from hearts overflowing with sorrow.

We pray as a Nation, ever grateful for the costly sacrifice our country’s heroes have made on the altar of freedom.

We pray as brothers and sisters in faith, in the certain hope that one day You will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

We pray, O Lord, that those who have died have not died in vain. Stir in us a renewed commitment to liberty and freedom.

Receive our petitions, dear God, that those who mourn this day will know the comfort of Your everlasting arms. Give ear to our prayers, that in You we will find peace.

In memory of our fallen and in the strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 25, 2023

House of Representatives – Dr. Michael T. Whitson

Almighty God and Heavenly Father, we acknowledge Your holiness, Your goodness, Your faithfulness, and Your undying love that forgives our transgressions. We confess before You our total inability to make ourselves righteous before You, and we bless You for providing a way of forgiveness and a path to know You.

Drawing from Your unfailing Word of the prayer of King Asa, a powerful King of long ago, who cried out to You and said: “Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on You.”

You established leaders over this Nation. May we acknowledge and recognize You as our only source of strength. Your Word convinces us that we can do nothing without You. Because of that, help us to totally trust You in all things. May Your cause be our cause.

We humbly ask in Your matchless name. Amen.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Give ear to our prayers, O God. Do not hide Yourself from our supplication, but hear us and answer us, as there is so much this day that troubles us.

We look to one side of the world, and we see the extensive damage visited upon Guam by Typhoon Mawar. Its three-pronged attack of high winds, torrential rains, and life-threatening storm surge have wreaked havoc upon Your people.

Lord, grant them respite from storm and tempest. As they flee the destruction around them and huddle in emergency shelters, grant them Your comfort and hope. Wrap Your hedge of protection around those who bear the responsibility of guiding people to safety, tending to the wounds of the injured, or providing solace to the grieving.

So, too, do we find ourselves praying as we look to the other side of the globe where we are still witnessing the terrible devastation inflicted upon Ukraine at the hands of their aggressors. Their raging assault upon Ukrainian sovereignty, the leveling of whole cities, and the inhumane hostilities against innocents have caused unnecessary death and ruin. God, these, too, are Your children.

Lord, grant them respite from war’s storm and tempest. As they continue to flee the destruction around them and huddle in emergency shelters, grant them, too, Your comfort and hope. Wrap Your hedge of protection around those who bear the responsibility of guiding people to safety, tending to the wounds of the injured, and providing solace to the grieving.

From the violence of nature’s wrath to the vitriol of war, in the West and the East and around the world, Your people cry to You. Give ear to our prayers, O God, and do not hide Yourself from our supplication. We trust in the strength of Your name as we call upon You this day. Amen.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

May the peace of God, which transcends all our understanding guard our hearts and minds this day. For if You, O Lord, guard our thoughts, how can we think of anything but of that which is derived from Your truth? So may our hearts also reflect Your integrity.

If You guard our thoughts, almighty God, how can we think of doing anything except that which is noble and right and pure? So also may our hearts reveal Your nobleness, Your righteousness, and Your perfection.

If You, O Lord, guard our hearts, how can we avoid living lives that show forth Your merciful love? So may we direct our minds to live in light of Your compassion and kindness.

If You, holy God, guard our hearts, how can we resist living lives that are worthy of Your admiration and Your praise? So may we lead our minds to discover Your more excellent way.

We may not understand how or even why You are calling us to participate in the peace You desire for this world, for this Nation, or for this place. But may we dedicate our hearts and our minds to Your keeping, that Your love, kindness, and truth would, in Your mercy, be revealed through us.

We pray in the name of the one who has shown us what is good, acceptable, and perfect. Amen.

Monday, May 22, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

We approach You, Lord our God, embraced in Your perfect love. In You do we find all we need. If we are afraid, we find courage. If we are despairing, we find hope. If ill, we find healing. We need only give up all that holds us back from receiving the grace and mercy You offer so freely to each of us.

May we not allow ourselves to be caught up in the fear of failure, the fear of the unknown, or the fear of our enemies, but by Your grace may we discover the courage to move forward where You would have us go.

May we not be inclined to look through the lens of despair, the despair of loss, the despair of rejection, the despair of death, but in Your mercy may we gird ourselves with the hope of Your presence in these shadows.

May we be willing and open to find the strength You provide to endure our suffering. Be we ill in mind, body, or spirit, may we find healing in Your peace, a peace that surpasses our understanding.

In You, O Lord, do we find all that we need this day: courage, hope, and healing. O holy one, may we not live our lives for desires that fall short of Your grace plan for us, but open our eyes to Your provision and recognize Your unfailing love for us.

In the name of the one who is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Let us pray. Eternal God, our help and strength, we bow in awe and reverence before You. You are the mighty fortress in whom we find refuge. You do for us more than we can ask or imagine.

Lord, strengthen our Senators for today’s journey and all the changing scenes of their lives. Help them to bear in mind that You will empower them to meet every challenge. Give to them the abiding awareness that nothing can disturb their peace if they put their trust in You. May our Senators live in the sure faith that You can enable them to live worthy of Your grace.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Pastor Craig Pridgen

How can I say thanks for the things that You have done? The voices of 1 million angels could not express our gratitude. All that we are and ever would hope to be, we owe it all to Thee. To God be the glory for the things You have done.

It is in the stillness of a room steeped in tradition that we pause to invite Your presence. I pray Your continued guidance for those whom You have perfectly placed in these hallowed seats. As the psalmist declared, how wonderful and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity. Despite the differences of political affiliation, demographic, gender, or ethnicity, we stand together in this House of the people in unity. One Nation under God.

In the name of the one who is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all we can ask or think. Amen.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Let us pray. Eternal Lord God, we are reminded of Your mercies that have been of old. You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Guard and guide our Senators. Provide them with the sense of purposeful direction. Lord, give Your enabling grace to our legislative leaders that they may unite their best efforts for the health and strength of the Nation and for peace and justice in our world. Cleanse anything in them that would block the flow of Your power. May gratitude to You be the motive for their work as they strive to live worthy of Your grace.

We pray in Your majestic Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Omnipotent God, we lift our prayers today with those of the people of Ukraine. Like Your servant Job, they grieve the weight of their anguish, they suffer from the burden of their calamities. O, that You would grant their request for respite from the tyranny they still endure. Would that You hear their desires for deliverance from their unrelenting adversary.

How You will answer these prayers is beyond our comprehension. Why You are allowing these atrocities to continue is beyond our understanding.

But if it is for us to see the resolve of the Ukrainians’ belief in their salvation despite all they have endured, then give us eyes to see that You are the source of their resilience. If it is for us to hear that, like Job, they do not curse You despite the injustice visited upon them, then give us ears to hear that You are the reason for their hope.

May their faith inspire our own, that all who claim their belief in You would learn what it means to trust in Your mercy, to proclaim Your steadfast love, and to witness Your redeeming power in our world, in Ukraine, and in our own lives.

Bless the righteous, O Lord, and cover them with Your favor. In the strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Let us pray. Almighty God, You know all about us. You are our Lord. Our goodness is nothing apart from You. Give us Your Holy Spirit to purge us of every wrong thing so that our lives will glorify You.

Today, guide the steps of our lawmakers. Deliver them from those who shoot from the shadows as You rule the nations with Your justice. Lord, examine every heart, both the evil and the good. Empower our Senators to run when they can, to walk when ought, and to wait when they must. Open their minds to discern Your will and inspire them with the willingness to follow where You lead.

We pray in Your matchless Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, You, O Lord, are our strength and our shield. In You do we find trust and find our refuge. In protecting us against threats of harm, defending us in the face of danger, You have set among us brave men and women who have taken up the shield of service. This National Police Week, hear our prayers of gratitude for their commitment to uphold and defend the peace in our communities, our country, and the Capitol.

Remind us, O Lord, that the security they so dutifully provide comes at considerable personal cost to them. The long hours and relentless pressure to stand yet another extra watch steal precious time away from their loved ones. Their commitment to providing unwavering protection for those in their charge has too often demanded of them the ultimate measure of their sacrifice.

For these countless acts of dedication, their selfless service, and their heroism, for the 556 men and women whose names were added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial this year, and for all who have gone above and beyond, paying the final price in their efforts to safeguard the citizens of our Nation, we pray Your blessing be upon their families, and we pray Your assurance that their deaths will not be in vain.

Bless the righteous, O Lord, and cover them with Your favor. In the strength of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, May 15, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Let us pray. Gracious Lord, King of our lives and ruler of all, help us today to walk uprightly, speak Your truth, and strive for righteousness. Turn the Members of this body back to the truth that those who would be great must be willing to serve humanity and that those who lose their lives for a worthy cause will find life everlasting.

Lord, make our lawmakers, this day, receptive to Your wisdom, even amid the sometimes contention and collision of debate. Help them to shine with Your peace and good will. Fill this Chamber with Your presence and each Senator with Your power, for the work of this day and beyond.

We pray in Your righteous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, sanctify this day and the week ahead, that our work would serve to glorify You and our efforts would prove worthy of You.

You, Lord, are all we have. The riches of wealth, the blessing of talent and opportunity, the allure of beauty, and the fortune of friends and family are nothing compared to the portion we have in You.

You, Lord, are all we have, and You give us all we need. You supply us not just with life and breath, but with purpose and meaning as You send us forth to uphold truth and justice and to remain steadfast in mercy and compassion.

You, Lord, are all we have. You give us all we need, and our future is in Your hands. In the certainty of Your protection, may we find our courage. In the sureness of Your presence, may we find our strength.

Then, in the bounty of Your grace, may we find our worth as we live into Your desires for us this day and this week. May our hearts be open to the lives You would have us lead and our wills on the paths that You would lead us.

In the power You grant us in Your name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

Gracious God, most holy, the source of our hope, keep us from dragging the honor of this great Nation in the dust.

Lord, our Senators need Your presence and help for the journey ahead. You have promised that You will never fail or forsake them. So empower them to trust You, come what may. Allow them to minister to those on life’s margins, continuing Your work of setting the captives free.

Lord, give our lawmakers wisdom and courage to serve their generation in a way that honors You. May they place their lives and this Nation’s future into Your all-powerful hands.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Gracious and generous God, every good and perfect gift comes from You. We need only pause and reflect on how our lives have been blessed with family, children, loved ones, and friends, and our hearts are filled with deep gratitude that You allow us these loves in our lives.

So, too, is Your munificence bestowed on us with every skill, every talent, every opportunity that we exercise here in this place and enjoy sometimes without thinking how blessed we are. We need only stop and remember that these qualities which have brought us success in our careers and comfort in our circumstance have been afforded to us by Your kind provision.

In times of growth and grief, faith and fear, accord and acrimony, we need only turn to You in whom there is no variation and whose steadfast love never fails. We need only remember You are always the provider of every gift and, without fail, the answer to our every concern.

All good gifts around us are sent from Heaven above. We need only take the time to thank You, O Lord. Hear our prayers as we offer them in appreciation for all that we have and all that You have allowed us to enjoy.

We offer our prayers in the strength of Your name. Amen.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

Let us pray. Eternal God, known to us in countless ways and times without number, we turn to You, that in Your light we might see light. Lord, illuminate the minds of our lawmakers regarding how to solve the difficult problems of our Nation and world.

As our Senators become aware of Your presence, may their lives experience the splendor and strength that You alone can give. Help them to remember that You are still their best help in the time of trouble. Send them forth to face this day armed with a faith that will not shrink though pressed by many a foe.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, our God, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are Your ways our ways. But we pray that You would grant us insight into Your gracious plan and provide evidence of Your steadfast love for creation even as war continues to rage in Ukraine and senseless attacks are visited upon the Ukrainian people.

You look from Your heavens and permit humanity to continue on its course toward destruction. Lord, we pray that You would redeem our foolish ways and show us the path toward peace.

The heavens are indeed higher than the Earth and Your ways beyond our comprehension. Lord, we pray that You would magnify our understanding of Your presence in the midst of the mayhem that rages throughout the world.

Your thoughts are most certainly higher than our own. We acknowledge that we cannot fully know Your purpose as we hear of innocent people having to endure unspeakable strife in their own families, in their communities, in the sanctity of their homeland. Lord, we pray that You would enlighten our minds, temper our will, that our thoughts and ways would serve to carve the way toward reconciliation.

Hear our prayers as we offer them in the hope of Your saving name. Amen.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

O Holy God, who has taught us to place our confidence in You, give the Members of this body the power of Your wisdom. In all their duties, empower them to be loyal to You and obedient to Your precepts. Although violence, chaos, and turbulence seem to prevail in our land, give our Senators faith to believe that You are willing to help them solve the problems they face.

Lord, be their abiding reality and lead them into the paths of loving service as they strive to honor You. Open their eyes to the many things they can do to accomplish Your will.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, be our guide for the week ahead of us. In all that will be discussed, debated, and disputed, reveal Your direction in each deliberation. May each of us not only have the eyes to see how You would lead us, but a heart inclined to Your word and the will to follow Your own wherever You will take us to accomplish Your work in this place.

Call us again to humble ourselves, and in response, may we assume a posture of obedience, an attitude of surrender, and offer this day and ourselves to You.

Unburden us from the worry and anxiety that attends us, and free us from the chains that bind us, that we would learn to live our lives in hope.

With our prayers and in our living, we commit ourselves to seek first Your righteousness. Add unto us the clarity of Your claim on us this day, the wisdom of Your word in our hearts, and the certainty of Your sovereignty over our lives.

In Your strong name we pray. Amen.

Friday, May 5, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Hear our prayers, O Lord, this day, as we lift our voices with those around the country who just yesterday joined to share in faith on the National Day of Prayer. We call on the profound power of prayer, as together we offer our own prayers from a variety of religious traditions, each yielding ourselves to Your divine guidance, praying for Your deliverance, and leaning on Your divine promise to hear our prayers and heal our land.

May our unified voices move mountains and remove barriers to achieving our common purposes, obstacles in the way of our shared goals. May our expressions of faith, even when it is no larger than a mustard seed, prove effective enough to reveal possibilities in the face of the apparent impossibility of finding comity in our efforts.

As we pray, be it of one accord as yesterday, or in the solitude of our hearts today, empower us, collectively and individually, to influence the course of our society. May our faith in You turn the tides of tyranny, dissuade us from disrespect, and free us to forge roads toward civility in our homes, in our communities, and in our Nation.

Lord, hear the prayers of the righteous and show mercy to the rest of us, so that we would receive the blessing of Your response.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

O Lord, our redeemer, abide with our Senators through the passing hours of this day. Strengthen them to stand firm for those good and eternal values that keep the Nation strong.

Lord, give them the courage to do the right even when others are doing wrong. Remind them that You are the pilot of their lives, who can guide them to a desired destination. Let discretion preserve them and understanding keep them, protecting them from the forces of evil.

Lord, save them from pride that mistakes their abilities for possessions, and keep them humble enough to see their need of You to solve the problems of these turbulent times.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arms have bound the restless waves, let Your still, small voice echo down time’s corridors to renew our lawmakers and to lift their vision of one Nation guided by Your wisdom. Inspire them to dedicate themselves to eternal values and to be unafraid of the consequences of following the highest standards they know.

Lord, guide them by Your living Word, as You infuse them with the spirit of service. Help them to see that nothing they do can separate them from Your love. Do for them, as You have promised, more than they can ask or imagine.

We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, our hope and guide, during this season where each day seems to bring news we find difficult to believe, we continue to trust Your sovereignty. Look with mercy upon our Senators in these challenging times. Draw them close to You and each other in humility so they will sincerely seek to find common ground.

As they seek to confront history’s surprises, may they not lean only on their abilities but put their ultimate trust in You. Lord, prepare them to expect and celebrate the healing intervention of Your powerful providence.

We pray in Your magnificent Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

You, O Lord, are God. It is You who have made us and we are Yours. We are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture.

As we perform the duties You have set before us in the governing of our Nation, as we pursue these efforts, remind us of the wondrousness of the kinship we have with You. Remind us also that we are ever in Your presence, and may our hearts sing about joy and our mouths show forth Your praise. Remind us that our lives are Your sanctuary, and so may we live them with thanksgiving, and may we enter Your courts with praise.

For You, Lord, are good. Your kind devotion endures forever. Your faithfulness extends beyond our lifetimes to all generations.

In Your grace, grant us reminders of Your closeness to us this day. Guide us and all that we do by Your steadfast love.

In the strength of Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Monday, May 1, 2o23

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Holy God, who inhabits eternity, lead our lawmakers with Your might. Help them to not run ahead of You or ignore Your wisdom. Restore their spirits with trust and hope, and order their steps toward Your desired destination. Lord, keep them calm in the quiet center of their lives so that they may be serene in life’s swirling stresses. Fill them with the peace that comes from keeping their focus on You. Help them to listen to others as attentively as they want others to listen to them.

And Lord, give us wisdom regarding how to make our Nation less violent.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

Friday, April 28, 2023

House of Representatives – Pastor Greg Shipe

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the Earth.

We confess that Your word is proven and You are a shield to all those who trust in You.

We thank You for the freedoms, the blessings, and the responsibilities You have bestowed on this land.

Father, we humbly bow before You, asking You to guide this House as they debate, vote, and interact with one another and their constituents, and that they would do so in a manner pleasing to You. We pray that You would grant them wisdom, a wisdom not derived from fallible man, but rather from You and Your infallible word.

We pray for families in our Nation and the needs of vulnerable children. We believe, Father, that righteousness exalts a nation, and so we pray for justice and truth to prevail that You might be glorified in this Nation.

We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

God of our destinies, guide our Senators this day by Your higher wisdom. Lord, watch over them and use their work for Your glory. Replace fear with faith, pessimism with hope, and error with truth. May these lawmakers become Your instruments for enabling justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. Give our legislators the serenity to accept what they can’t change, the courage to change what they can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Provide them with strength and courage for the living of these days.

And, Lord, we thank You for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the U.S. alliance with South Korea.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord, give strength to Your people. Bless them with Your peace. Even as we pray these words of the psalmist, we do so keenly aware of the poignance of these desires for the Republic of Korea and her people.

Grant them, they who are constantly on guard, always prepared to defend against the political instability in the region and ever at the ready to fight and protect their national integrity, both the physical and moral strength needed to uphold the democracy and stability they hold dear.

Bless them and the entire peninsula with a strong peace and common prosperity. Enable the Korean people, including families and loved ones torn apart by different government systems and political ideologies, to make room for the possibility of reconciliation and move closer toward the de-escalation of historic discord.

O Lord, strengthen the United States in our commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, with His Excellency Yoon Suk Yeol, with the country’s political and military leaders, and with its citizens. May we as Americans serve to be partners in building bridges of understanding, advancing dialogue, and securing for all the blessing of peace for the Korean Peninsula.

God, You are our hope for Korea, for East Asia, for our world. Bless us with Your peace. In the strength of Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

Almighty God, whose power moves in the changes of the seasons and in the beauty of the stars, let Your gentle strength live in our hearts. Today, infuse our Senators with Your wisdom so that they will walk in the path of Your will. Lord, keep them faithful. May Your love empower them to grow in knowledge and judgment so that they will be able to choose what is best. Amid the haste and hurry of their labors, remind them to spend time with You in order to experience the joy and strength of Your presence. Make their lives gifts of Your love to a hurting nation and world.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God of us all, we pray Your grace over our labor and Your blessing on all that we seek to achieve this day. Should our sense of success be borne of our envy over another, we pray Your mercy. Should we find ourselves chasing the wind in our pride, we pray You humble us gently that we would submit even our best efforts to Your sovereign will.

When winning seems to be our only goal, when we are so often caught up in our vain desire to overcome any perceived or imagined adversary, remind us again that only in You do we find the promise of true victory.

By the power of Your love, You have already defeated all that we call hateful. So with Your standard of strength before us, may we follow You and greet any fear or frustration before us with the certainty found in You, face any anxiety or anguish that threatens us with the hope You provide, and encounter any enemy with the faith in Your promise of redemption.

In all contest and critique, defeat and disagreement, in all that seeks to overwhelm our spirit of unity and purpose, remind us that we are more than conquerors in You who have shown Your steadfast love for us.

In the strength of Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, send Your peace into our hearts. Hasten the day when nations will live in friendship with each other, united by their allegiance to You.

May the Members of this body seek to build with You a world without dividing walls. Keep our lawmakers faithful in their efforts to unite our Nation and world. Lord, strengthen them to work together for the common good, as You place Your peace that passes all understanding in their hearts. Empower our Senators to set country above party and place Your will above all else.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, the reports of war, sadly, are not just rumors. For the people of Sudan, war is once again their reality. We pray Your peace over Khartoum and throughout Sudan.

Sovereign Lord, call each leader and citizen to turn from evil and do good. Establish among them a lasting truce between the opposing sides so that no just cause is dishonored but each person is held accountable for wrongdoing.

In You only can peace be found from the rampant abuses and widespread deception. In You only will the Sudanese people emerge from the horrific shortage of food, fuel, and water.

Ensure that other nations in their proximity are not inclined to become entangled in the dispute between Sudan’s warring factions. Remain the judge between the nations. Settle the disputes of the peoples within their country’s borders, that the region would know peace.

By Your power, would that all beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, that none would know war anymore.

O God of peace, we cry to You once again, sure of the power of Your name to answer our prayers. Amen.

Monday, April 24, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God of all wisdom, You have made Your instructions abundantly clear. You have shown us what is good and taught us that justice, mercy, and humility are required of each of us.

May we not forget Your teaching, but may it remain embedded in our souls and kept kindled in our hearts. In this may we always find peace for the length of our days and the years of our lives.

May we never let our steadfast love for You or our faithfulness to You ever diminish from us. But may we wear them like jewelry and inscribe them on our hearts. May they become like a rhythm to our steps. May our whole countenance reflect our devotion to You.

In serving You this day, may we find Your favor. May our sense of success, whether it comes from You or those around us, ultimately be derived from our desire to be aligned to Your righteous will.

O Lord, we trust in You and vow not to lean on our own limited understanding. We acknowledge You. Make straight our paths to serve and glorify You this day.

We offer You our praise, honoring Your holy name. Amen.

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who rules the raging of the sea, we exalt Your Name because, in spite of the chaos and confusion in our world, You remain the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We will continue to praise You for as long as You permit us to borrow our heartbeats from You. Lord, use our lawmakers to transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Lift up the heads of all who place their trust in You.

And, Lord, we praise You for the life and legacy of Dr. Charles Stanley, who was in touch with You, enabling him to touch the lives of millions.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God, our creator, by Your divine hand You fashioned the world, hanging the stars and the heavens and causing the land to emerge from the waters.

The Earth and all that dwell therein attest to Your handiwork. The fullness of the Earth is the magnificence of Your own making.

We give You thanks for the amazing creation that surrounds us, the thick canopy of trees, the richness of the soil, the majesty of the mountains, the roar of the oceans. You have established every bird that flies in the sky, every animal that moves in the forests, the fish that fill the waters.

Who then are we to be so graced with the enjoyment of the fruits of Your bounty? How do we deserve to stand in the midst of Your garden of generosity? Who of us is worthy to come before You in the power of Your presence?

We pray that You would grant us the purity of heart that our intentions to serve You on this Earth would be worthy. Purify the work of our hands, that our labor would receive Your blessing. Open our eyes to the wonder of Your creation that we would with our mouths proclaim the goodness of Your provision and honor You with the devotion of our whole selves.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our God and King, we come in thankfulness because You have loved us through all the seasons of our lives. We find peace in the knowledge that You know and accept us as we are. Thank You for enabling us to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. Lord, keep us always in Your care.

Bless our Senators. Keep them steadfast in their defense of freedom. Give them knowledge, compassion, kindness, and forbearance as they interact with one another.

God, bless our Nation. Drive back the forces of evil, and release the power of goodness throughout our land.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, receive this day our prayers of concern for our world and help us bear wisely our responsibility to intercede on behalf of the afflicted, rescue the downtrodden, and pursue avenues of peace in areas of war and turmoil.

Where, O Lord, do we start? There are so many under the threat of tyrants and tormentors around the world, to include the countless Ukrainians for whom we haven’t ceased praying. They are on their knees daily before You, the Almighty, appealing to You and to allies and friends like us to stand with them in their suffering. Where in the world do we best serve You?

Holy God, how should we intervene in the discord among nations and in conflict within countries? By what right do we step in in order to affect the peace you have obliged us to pursue, when our own country is fragmented, fractured by so many competing views? What do we need to do to unify ourselves around our sacred values of freedom and justice, life, and liberty?

Indeed, O Lord, our prayers are heavy laden with the complexity and responsibility of each of these burdens. We pray that the kind of rest You promise us would allow time for discernment, clarity of purpose, and faithfulness to the tasks You have entrusted to us this day.

We offer ourselves to Your guidance in all these things as we pray in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, You have said that the truth will set us free. We thank You that Your idea of freedom leads to harmony and productivity.

Lord, liberate our lawmakers from deceptions that misrepresent truth. Teach them the fine art of conciliation, and inspire them to choose roads that lead to progress. Lord, lift them above polarization, and give them the power to walk in Your light, to act in Your strength, to think with Your wisdom, to speak with Your truth, and to live in Your love.

We pray in Your preeminent Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Today, most merciful God, we remember those 6 million Jews and other minorities who cried to You, fearing that in the face of the horrendous genocide of the Holocaust, You had forsaken them. For years You seemed so far from saving them, so distant from their cries of anguish.

Yet, amidst the horrific experiences, the heartbreak of innocent lives lost, the threat of torture and cruel suffering, nevertheless, they held fast to You and to their Jewish faith. They did not disavow their divine heritage, even in the face of death. Even now, as the Jewish community recites Kaddish for the generations lost, they proclaim their belief in the Sun even when it isn’t shining.

Use this annual commemoration to inspire in us such faith in the face of adversity, but at the same time remind us, warn us, how seductive is the desire for power, how natural the inclination toward hate, how insidious the culpability of apathy. Lead us not into the hands of our enemies, neither allow us to perpetuate or ignore the injustice to our neighbor.

Remind us that You will not forsake Your people. You will not hide Your face from us, for in You do we find strength to live justly. In You do we find reason to live rightly.

In Your most holy and merciful name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, April 17, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Most holy and gracious God, who turns the shadow of night into the glory of morning, shower our lawmakers with Your mercy this day. Lord, calm troubled thoughts, and guide their feet in the way of peace. Let Your strength be more than sufficient to help them build a better nation and world. Make them instruments of Your Grace and goodness as You renew in them the joy of belonging to You. Let Your eyes rest upon our Senators and become for them a bulwark, never failing. Guard their feet so that they will not deviate from the path of unwavering integrity.

We pray in Your blessed Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we approach You this afternoon because we believe. We believe that not only do You hear our prayers but You answer them. We believe that not only do You in Your grace plan allow for the possibilities for which we pray, but in You all things are possible.

Sure that You will respond to us and certain that You will fulfill the hopes we place before You, we offer our heartfelt prayers for the welfare of our country, for civility and respect among colleagues, for strength to serve both justly and mercifully, and the faith to heed Your guidance in all these things.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. Even as we offer these prayers, we can’t help but hold on to some doubt that what we ask for will be given, that what we seek we will find, given how hopeless things seem these days.

Remind us again that faith in You emerges from our doubt. In You we find strength in weakness. In You all we desire can be found.

So we yield ourselves to You as we offer our prayers in the power available to us in Your most holy name. Amen.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God, our creator, on a beautiful spring day as it is here in the Nation’s Capital, it is hard not to lighten our step, hum a tune, and be filled with joy at the sights and sounds and the vivid colors and enthusiastic displays of Your magnificent handiwork. Thank You for the way You break into our ordinary routine with such extraordinary reminders that each day is a gift from Your gracious and generous hand.

So may we then somehow reflect that special something that is revealed in Your earthly garden this day. May You shine through us the same beauty and radiance that would inspire others to sing with the knowledge of the love You desire each of them to enjoy.

May our encounters with loved ones, co-workers, and even strangers somehow be music to their souls. Somehow may our lives be like songs and hymns that touch their spirits and resonate in their hearts with the melody that You have inspired in all the Earth.

To You, O Lord, do we lift up our voices in harmony with the chorus of creation to sing Your praise.

In the new life You offer to us in Your holy name do we pray. Amen.

Monday, April 10, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

In You alone, O Lord, do we find peace. Throughout the history of the world, we have had tribulation upon tribulation. But in You we take heart, for in You the troubles of the world are overcome.

Receive the gratitude of our hearts for the peace negotiated in Ireland 25 years ago this day. In the time of the Troubles, where violence escalated daily, bombings destroyed neighborhoods, and conflict shattered families and communities, peace seemed impossible, stability in that war-torn region a hopeless dream.

In Your mercy, the faith and fortitude of those who carried both pain and purpose to the negotiating table prevailed. May this memory serve as a lasting blessing to Ireland and an encouraging testimony to our troubled world.

Bless Ireland, that this accord made with human intellect would be upheld by the peace You alone give, a peace no human mind can construct but by which we are each offered avenues for respect and dialogue, compromise and cooperation.

May we take heart in the hope You provide for us and strive to remain true to the peace You desire for our country and the world You created. In You alone, O Lord, do we find peace. In You we take heart, for in You the troubles of the world can be overcome.

In the hope You offer to us by Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, April 6, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend John A. Kellogg

Gracious God, watch over our country now and in the days ahead. Guide and bless our Representatives in their pursuit of faithful administration and wise laws. Grant them wisdom and integrity in the exercise of their duties. In the complexities of the issues they seek to address, give them quiet spirits and courageous hearts. Keep our Nation under Your care.

Amen.

Monday, April 3, 2023

House of Representatives – Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti

Good and gracious God, in this most holy time of the year, we pray for a spirit of gratitude in this Chamber and throughout our Nation. May we be truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts for all the good You have done for us. We give thanks for the grace of life, which we cherish, and we especially give thanks for the gift of eternal life, which You offer us as a sheer gift of Your self-sacrificing love. We thank You. We bless You. We glorify You.

We pray all this in Thy sacred name. Amen.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Savior, lead us today as a shepherd. Guide our lives and inspire our hearts. May the talents gathered here on Capitol Hill help in the awesome task of bringing healing to our Nation and world. Strengthen our lawmakers as they deal with unattended needs and unsolved problems. Make them eager to lift burdens and ready to respond in service to humanity. Lord, help each of us to feel a bit of the responsibility for the challenges that hang heavy over our land. In Your unfailing love, give us the wisdom to follow the leading of Your powerful providence. We pray in Your holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God of grace and mercy, in You do we find our hope, a hope that cannot disappoint us, for You have poured Your love into our hearts. God, it is Your love that assures us that in all we endure, through all that we are called to persevere, Your love for us bears us up.

Remind us then, first, to hold on to that hope. As we are faced with countless situations and issues that confound and concern us, assure us, once again, that nothing can steal the hope we have in You and in Your activity in this world and in our lives.

May the assurance of Your protection and the certainty of Your direction fill us with a profound sense of joy and peace as we yield our lives to You and trust in the providence of Your will.

Then, let us bear witness to the hope that is found only in You. Keep our testimony of hope strong and unshaking, that our work and our lives would reflect the sublime strength You alone provide.

May we remain bold in our privilege to offer our prayers to You in the strength of Your holy name. Amen.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, You are our mighty fortress. Lord, You have done wonderful deeds in our Nation’s history. When we have cried to You in seasons of distress, You have answered us. Though our faith is sometimes small, inspire us to speak to our mountains until they move. We thank You for Your promise in Philippians 4:13, that we can do all things because of Your strength. Today, strengthen our lawmakers, granting them courage and wisdom for the living of these days. And Lord, we thank You for the heroism of the Nashville police.

We pray in Your awesome Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, on this 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war, we pray Your divine blessing on those veterans who left hearth and home to respond to the call of our Nation. We give tribute to their faithfulness to the ideals of freedom and democracy, even when the winds of war blew with increasing uncertainty.

We pray for those who, in the ambiguity of conflict, found themselves facing unimaginable ethical dilemmas and who are now left with indelible moral trauma. Bless those who yet tend to lingering physical and emotional injury. Give each of them peace when the nightmares overwhelm and the echoes of battle resound in their slumber.

May all who returned unwelcomed find themselves received into Your warm embrace and upheld by Your loving and everlasting arms. In Your mercy, sanctify the lives of those who remain missing in action and preserve the memory of the ones who never made it home.

Grant eternal rest to those comrades ever memorialized on granite walls and gravestones across the country. May they now know Your peace.

Holy and merciful God, mend the wounds of war, both seen and unseen, individual and corporate–that as we commemorate this anniversary, we would acknowledge the cost of war and honor the value of peace.

In the everlasting strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we stand in awe of You. Lord, when babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers. Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

Lord, deliver our Senators from the paralysis of analysis that waits for the miraculous. Use them to battle the demonic forces that seek to engulf us.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Humble us, O Lord, as we pray for this Nation. As proud as we are of the greatness of its strength, the resilience of its people, the equity of its government, yet we are reminded too often that our children still die at the hands of the disgruntled. Evil will find a way, even into the sanctum of schoolrooms.

In our humility, we pray You forgive our sin and heal our land.

Guide us, O Lord, as we seek to serve this Nation. As dedicated as each of us may be, as noble as our cause, as devoted to upholding what is right, nonetheless, our country is as deeply divided as it has ever been, and our steps have departed far from the path You would have us follow.

As You call us to yield to Your will, we pray You forgive our sin and heal our land.

Speak through our hearts, O Lord, when we, as a nation, engage one another. As passionate as we are to speak out of deep concern for our future, as compelling our words in the defense of freedom, liberty, and justice, more often than not, our intent is misinterpreted for selfish gain, our compassion mistaken for judgment, our collegiality for weakness.

As we seek to reflect Your truth, one with another, as compatriots of these United States, we pray You forgive our sin and heal our land.

May Your eyes and Your heart be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place as we offer it in Your holy name. Amen.

Monday, March 27, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O Lord, our God, we come in thankfulness because You have loved us through the seasons of our lives. We find peace in the knowledge that You know and accept us.

Lord, thank You for enabling us to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. Continue to keep us in Your care.

Bless our Senators. Surround them with the shield of Your love. When they feel discouraged, increase their faith. Give them wisdom and courage to live each day as Your children.

We pray for those dealing with the deadly aftermath of the Mississippi tornado. We pray also for the victims of the Nashville school shooting.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty and all-loving God, we approach Your throne this day with prayers on behalf of those who perished in the recent tornadoes across the Southern United States and for the survivors who now find themselves searching for scraps of their livelihood amidst the devastation.

We pray especially for the men, women, and children of Rolling Fork and other towns like it as they face the monumental task of combing through the debris of their lives, establishing safe living conditions amidst downed power lines and fouled water sources, all the while grieving the inconceivable loss of loved ones and neighbors. Despite our own inability to grasp the enormity of this tragedy, hear our prayers, as inadequate as they may seem to be in the face of this catastrophe.

You, O Lord, are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Grant, then, all who are enduring heartbreak and loss the courage to meet with strength the uncertainty ahead of them. Remind them, though the Earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam, and though the mountains tremble with its tumult, You, O God, are in the midst of their city.

Lord of hosts, remain with Rolling Fork, for we believe You are the refuge for all who are lost, afraid, and anguished this day.

Hear our prayers as we offer them in Your most powerful name. Amen.

Friday, March 24, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Dear Lord, may Your eyes be on the righteous and Your ears open to their prayers. In Your mercy, redeem us that we would be worthy to stand before You. Enable us to hold our tongues from malicious intent. Prevent our lips from speaking deliberate deceit.

Strengthen us that we would turn away from evil and do good. In Your eyes, O Lord, what does that really mean? Few of us are so ensnared by malevolence that we would not desire to do what is right by You.

Speak into our sense of self-assurance and remind us that our adversary gains a foothold if we do not have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Guard us against the insidiousness of evil so that our natural response would not be to repay offense or disagreement with our own wrongdoing. But may we find ways to seek concord. Inspire us to pursue peace.

For Your eyes, O Lord, are on the righteous. Your ears are open to their prayers.

Hear our prayer, O Lord. Amen.

Thursday, March 23, 2o23

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty God, our refuge and strength, we thank You that You have set the star of hope in our life’s sky; that in the darkness, we can see Your brightness; that in times of shadow, we can enjoy Your guidance.

Lord, we confess today our deep inner need for a fresh inflow of Your spirit. Remind us daily that human flesh is as fleeting as fading flowers. Teach our lawmakers to number their days, to labor not simply for time but for eternity. Lord, give them the wisdom to believe that nothing can separate them from Your love.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we need Your presence with us this day. As a deer longs for streams of water, so our souls long for You. Our very beings thirst for You, the living God.

Be with those who intentionally fast in this season of Lent and Ramadan. Even as they wash their hands, purify their hearts, and draw near to You, draw near to them. Call us each to come closer to You and fast from all that tempts and distracts us from a right relationship with You.

Deliver us from our dependence on our physical strength and uphold us with the power You alone bestow on us. Save us from our inclination to fill our minds with disparaging thoughts and our mouths with sarcasm and gossip. Release us from anything that deters us from the good and righteous life You call us to lead.

Then may we in our deprivation be privileged to receive Your revelation of truth. May we, in our weakness, learn to draw our strength from You.

Break into our lives this season and remind us once again that who we are, what we enjoy, and all that we receive are grace gifts from You. We humble ourselves before You in the hope that You will restore us to the fullness which is found only in You.

In Your most holy name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, You are our mighty fortress. Thank You for Your mercies, which are fresh each day. Your spirit restores us to newness of life. Because of You, we have a new joy, a new song, and a new hope.

Today, bless our Senators. Guide their steps, and inspire their hearts. May they use their talents to make the Nation and world better. Lord, be their strength and shield from every danger as You fill their hearts with a peace that the world can’t give or take away.

We pray in Your wonderful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Hear the cries of Your people, O Lord.

Out of the depths of their suffering, hear their voices, pleading for rescue from the hands of their tormentors for an end to the violence they endure from the hands of their oppressors and relief from the poverty they experience in both body and spirit.

Let Your ears be attentive to the pleas that rise to You from across the globe from the innocent men, women, and children who are caught in the crossfire of the war in Ukraine and from the enemy’s conscripted soldiers who are forced to fight a war that is not of their own making.

Hear the voices of those who dare to speak words of peace and reconciliation into the winds of war and silence the rhetoric of false claims to the hegemony of property and the control of Your people.

We wait for You, O Lord, to speak Your word. Countless wait on You to reach into their souls and give them reason to hope. More than those who wait in the darkness for the dawn, more than these, do we wait for Your power to redeem Your children.

In Your steadfast love, save us from ourselves and from our inequities.

In Your most holy name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, our sure refuge, teach us how to live this day. Give us relaxed attitudes that lengthen life. Make us like trees that bear lifegiving fruit. Keep us calm when we feel indignation. Grant that our work will bring freedom and not captivity.

Look with favor upon the Members of the Senate, and bless them according to their needs. Lord, move their minds to discover Your purposes. Keep alive in each of them the grace of Your spirit, lest they lose the awareness of Your presence in their lives.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Hear our praise, O Lord. As we stand in this House, in the courts of Your law, we praise You for You are good. We praise You for You are gracious, and Your goodness is everlasting.

May we always lift our voices to You and to You alone. For You are great. Heaven and Earth, the seas and all deeps are the evidence of Your pleasure. When the clouds emerge from the horizon, when lightning accompanies the rain, when the wind passes over the Earth, these are displays of Your creative power.

In awe of You, we set aside all other idols who compete for our attention. Silver and gold fascinate, but we have shaped them into vain prizes. The work of our hands creates marvelous structures, monuments, and memorials of our own fleeting life spans.

But they stand mute before Your omnipotence. They are deaf and blind to the hearts and souls of even the ones who crafted them. Though we are inspired by them, they have no breath of their own.

You alone are the creator. In You, and no one else, do we live and move and have our being. Our lives are richer when we honor only You.

In Your most holy and revered name we pray. Amen.

Friday, March 17, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

On this St. Patrick’s Day

May our worries be slight and our troubles few.

May we always choose right in whatever we do.

Then, O God, may You give us for every storm, a rainbow,

For every tear, a smile,

For every care, a promise,

And a blessing for each trial;

For every problem life sends,

A faithful friend to share,

For every sigh, a sweet song,

And an answer for each prayer.

Sure of Your grace and love this day and always, in Your sacred and most holy name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who made us in Your image, thank You for Your sustaining power. Because of You, we receive the gift of heartbeats each day. Great is Your faithfulness. Lord, enable us to see Your divine image in every human being.

Bless our lawmakers. Bring to the surface the goodness within each of them. Keep them safe as You give them the wisdom to do Your will on Earth, even as it is done in Heaven.

Lord, give us all insights into Your will and the courage to do it.

We pray in Your matchless Name. Amen.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father, in whose patient hands the mighty seasons move with quiet beauty, we acknowledge today our great need for Your guidance. Lord, we are challenged by complexities that require more than human wisdom. We sometimes feel like children, grasping in the darkness, lost without light.

Bless this government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Guide its leaders to strive to possess that righteousness that exults a nation. Enlighten our Senators with Your wisdom, lest the darkness of our times hide the paths of Your providence.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we are transient creatures who long for a sense of permanence. Give us that permanence as we find in You our fixed and abiding center of faith.

Lord, we praise You because You are changeless, without any variableness in Your judgment and mercy. Strengthen our lawmakers for the challenges of our times. Keep them in the shadow of Your wings, and teach them to show mercy. Use Your powerful arm to rescue our Nation from the hands of all enemies of freedom. Let the tranquility of Your dominion increase until the Earth is filled with the knowledge of Your love.

We pray in Your glorious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, our God, You are above, before, behind, and around us, guarding us from all sides. You have shown time and again You care for us as a shepherd cares for each sheep, as a parent loves a child.

Thank You for the rest You offer us from time to time: The peace You give us as we walk in the canopy of color emerging from the budding trees, the guidance You offer as You lead us to streams of clear spring water.

Because of You, we enjoy the abundance of life. The bounty and blessings that You provide for us are beyond our wildest imaginings.

Teach us then how to walk with You in righteousness. Though so much around us threatens to overwhelm or overtake us, remain beside us that we would be encouraged by Your presence, strengthened by Your provision, and assured of Your protection.

May we never doubt or overlook Your goodness and mercy. But on this day and throughout our lives, allow us to live in the welcome and shelter of Your love.

In Your hallowed name we pray. Amen.

Friday, March 10, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

How great are Your works, Lord. Your thoughts are unfathomable. Open our minds this day to the vastness of Your truth and reveal our need for Your law that we would not deceive ourselves with our own understanding. Cause us to think of the incredible depth of Your knowledge and how limited our own human perspective is that we would discover how much we still need to learn from You.

Teach us that You are to be found in all of nature’s beauty and bounty, and yet You are still greater than all of creation. Teach us that even our most profound thoughts of You cannot compare to the breadth and depth of Your being. Teach us that even when we love You with our whole selves, Your love for us surpasses our deepest devotion to You.

In Your greatness may we, in our weakness, learn to rely on You for all that we need this day and what You have in store for us. In Your unfathomable mystery, may we take refuge in the divine plan You intend for us. In Your unconditional and incomprehensible love, may we receive the mercy You desire for us.

In the majesty of Your hallowed name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty God, our rock and fortress, You put the mountains in place and bring silence to roaring waves. We celebrate and sing because You are always with us. You are a strong tower where we find safety. Strengthen our faith and forgive us when we doubt Your power and providence. Thank You for this great land and for the many freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

Lord, we appreciate Your faithfulness and Your mercies that are new each day. Today, lead our lawmakers so that Your Name will be honored.

And, Lord, bless Senator McConnell with a speedy recovery.

We pray in Your marvelous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

From generation to generation, You, O Lord, have spoken. With a word You called the world into being. You spoke and creation came to life.

Speak now to us this day, You, from whose mouth came the very law we seek to uphold and defend. Cause Your righteousness to be the framework on which we build our communities, our country, and our Congress.

In a whisper in the whirlwind, guide us when all around us is uncertain, uncivil, and unclear. May we hear Your direction that it would enable us to find certainty, to live civilly, and to discover clarity in the decisions You put before us.

Timeless and timely, Your word remains alive and powerful. May those who lead this country yield themselves to its authority and heed its judgment of their thoughts and the attitudes of their hearts.

Nothing that proceeds from Your mouth will return to You empty without accomplishing what You desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which You spoke. May we hear Your word for us this day that it would give us purpose for our labors.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who alone spreads out the Heavens and rules the raging of the sea, thank you for the gift of life and for the opportunity to invest in freedom.

Lord, infuse our Senators with strength to meet the challenges of our time. Remind them that humility precedes honor and that service is the litmus test of greatness. May our lawmakers look to You throughout this day for guidance. Help them to remember that they are doing Your work and reward them from the reservoir of Your love.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from You no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, that we may approach You today without guile or self-righteousness.

Accept the desires of our hearts, desires for peace in our world, especially in Ukraine, Taiwan, and Myanmar. Grant us wisdom to know how You are calling us to respond to the severity of the humanitarian needs, the atrocity of offenses upon the innocent, the infringement on territorial and ideological integrity.

On this International Women’s Day, make us keenly aware of the mothers, daughters, and small girls whose lives are in imminent danger at the hands of the enemy. Hear their voices and amplify them, that we would respond to their cries for freedom and safety.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, observing the wicked and the good. Let not then the secrets of evildoers be hidden from Your watchful eye. But to You may each give account for their iniquity.

We stand before You today with hope for Your mercy and the promise of Your salvation.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, source of all wisdom, as Senators strive to make critical decisions, guide their hearts and minds. Give them such courage of conviction that they will ignore the siren calls to deviate from integrity. Help them to walk along ethical paths even when they are misunderstood by insiders and outsiders. Lord, deliver them from those who question their motives and misrepresent their intentions. Remind them that You are the one constituent who ultimately matters and that pleasing You must be their first priority. May they trust You to open doors that no one can shut and to shut doors that no one can open.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, our God, we look to You, to the mountains You have formed, to the heavens where You dwell, and still we find ourselves asking, where does our help come from? Sometimes when we don’t look in Your direction at all, the answers we so desperately look for are that much more elusive.

O maker of heaven and Earth, remind us again that our help comes from You. You will not let our steps slip when our path is difficult. You will stay awake with us in the anxiety of our sleeplessness.

Be our shade in the heat of this day: the heat of argument, the fever of illness, the firestorms of hatred.

Keep us from all harm that threatens us: the hurt from an ill-meaning word, the dangers of public service, the injury of our own forms of self-destruction.

Watch over us this day. In the comings and goings from meetings to meetings and in the travel that brings us here to serve, watch over our lives, now and forever more.

Into Your everlasting arms we find Your hope, and in Your eternal name we pray. Amen.

Monday, March 6, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal spirit, King of kings, and Lord of lords, we thank You today for the gift of this opportunity to serve You and country. Give us the wisdom to invest our lives in things that flourish beyond our lifetime.

Lord, guide our lawmakers. May the reality of their accountability to You prompt them to live their lives for Your glory. Empower our Senators to listen to the whisper of conscience as they labor for liberty. May their first priority be to stay within the circle of Your loving providence.

Lord, give all of us the power to fulfill Your purposes for our lives. We pray in your powerful name. Amen.

Friday, March 3, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we pause to give thanks today for the prayer warriors across the globe who have dedicated themselves to this World Day of Prayer. For even as we pause here in this place to offer our own prayers for this body, for our communities, and for our country, how heartening it is to know that there are thousands of women around the world joining their voices with our own.

As they pray, so do we, that all would come to know You better. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we would all receive the hope You have granted each of us. May all who believe be strengthened by Your incomparably great power, and may we together share in the riches of the inheritance You have bestowed on all Your people, sharing the bounty of wealth, food, medication, and clothing with those in need.

Remind us today and each day that prayer is our greatest defense against the affliction of despair and hopelessness. Would that we wield that privilege often and with compassion and wisdom.

In the sure and certain hope that in our asking You will answer, we pray in the strength of Your eternal name. Amen.

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Loving King of the universe, thank You that nothing can separate us from Your love. Remind us that we are surrounded by Your unconditional, positive regard, regardless of our faults and failures. Lord, help us to see that our anxieties and fears, our doubts and disappointments cannot diminish Your affection for us.

Today, bless the Members of this legislative body. Give them wisdom to see what needs to be done and the courage to do it. Lord, help them to persevere in doing Your will, knowing that a productive harvest is certain.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal spirit, You see our thoughts from a distance. You look not merely on our exteriors but also at our interiors. You know our desire to please You and to honor You with our lives. You know our remorse for neglected duties, missed opportunities, and selfish pursuits.

Lord, You are aware that we need strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Today, meet the needs of our lawmakers as they confront the challenges of our time. Give them faith to trust that Your sovereign providence will prevail. Remind them that they are never alone.

We pray in Your holy Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Search us, O Lord, and examine us; test our minds and our hearts. Analyze our commitment to Your righteousness in the work we set out to do and to Your direction in the decisions we will make. Judge our faithfulness to Your desire for the living of our lives this day.

Test our minds that they would prove wise enough to understand the scope of our responsibility that You have laid on us as well as its limits. Enable us to discern wisely what is the faithful stewardship of resources You have charged us to manage. As war rages in Ukraine, as Turkiye and Syria emerge from earthquake devastation, and all the while our own enemies seek to exploit our vulnerabilities, the weight of our duty to speak, to act, and to wait is heavy on the shoulders of this body.

Test our hearts, that as we weigh the costs of our involvement with the many areas in dire need around the world, that we would not be found callous to the toll these atrocities have had on tens of thousands of innocents, and the inestimable damage that has been inflicted on the integrity of peace in our lifetime.

May our righteous inclination to devote ourselves to these tragedies not cause us to ignore equally urgent needs at home.

To whom much is given, much is required. May we prove faithful to the many requirements Your gracious gifts demand of us.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Senate – Reverend Mark Antal

Eternal God, King of Kings and Lord of all nations, we come before You today seeking Your divine wisdom, mercy, and love.

From the theme verse of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

We come to You not in a state of slavish fear but in an attitude of love and reverence. From houses of worship and places of prayer, people all across our Nation pray daily for these men and women assembled here in this Chamber.

Guard, keep, and protect these Senators as they travel from their homes here in Washington and then to their respective home States. Help them to know that they are respected and honored by a grateful nation.

Their task may appear huge at times. Help them to remember the words of the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta: We cannot do great things in this world. We can only do small things with great love.

From the words of the great hymn writer Pollard-Stebbins, we humbly pray:

Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.

To You, O God, belong the glory. Amen.

House of Representative – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

God, our guardian and sure defender, cause us not to go forth into this day with such haste that we fail to wait on You to direct our steps, for You have promised time and again that You will go before us. So we pray Your guidance for this day.

May we trust You to lead us where You would have us go. May we be sure that You have already prepared us to do the work that is set before us. May we anticipate the blessings You have provided for us. Remind us that we need only follow Your lead.

Then, O God, as You go before us, be also our rearguard. Surround us with Your encouragement when we are hesitant to move forward. Protect us from those who come from behind to exploit our vulnerabilities. Uphold us as we strain under the weight of schedules and expectations.

God, go before us to lead us, behind us to defend us, and be ever with us that we may enjoy the embrace of Your love.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Monday, February 27, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

We praise You, O God, for the opportunity to serve You and country. May we refuse to boast about tomorrow, as we trust You completely to guide our steps.

Today, sustain our Senators in their legislative work of sowing and reaping. May they faithfully plant and water the seeds of truth, justice, and peace. Lord, give them the wisdom to cultivate the soil of debate with kindness and civility. Whatever they do, in word or deed, may they do all in and for Your honor.

And, Lord, we thank You for the legacy of our first President, George Washington. We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, turn our eyes so that they remain fixed only on You, for in You we behold all that is good and right and holy. How can we be inclined toward anything else?

So then may we cease to try to serve both You and the things around us. Keep us from becoming obsessed with the stuff of this world: money, power, and success, loving these things and failing to show our love for You through our generosity, humility, and compassion.

May we redirect our loyalty for one side or another, the rightness of our argument, our disparagement of those with whom we disagree, for such behavior fails to show our fealty to You but instead reflects our contempt for Your desires for faithfulness, reconciliation, and respect for Your presence in the people and purposes You set before us.

This day, in all that we do, all that we say, and all that we are, may we serve only You.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Friday, February 24, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, on this year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, we pray Your peace. Let Your justice dwell in the dark wilderness caused by the countless injustices inflicted upon the innocent, in the chaos created by the violence against freedom.

May Your protection uphold the spirit of the Ukrainians in defense of their freedoms and Your provision restore the fields of Ukraine to their vital fruitfulness. Grant Your people peaceful habitation once again, with territorial integrity and basic human liberties once more enjoyed.

Let the effect of Your righteousness be peace upon those who have endured unimaginable hardship and suffered inhumane torture. May the result of the righteousness of Your people be faith and trust in Your favor.

We pray also for wisdom for those in whose power it is to cease the warring madness and restore peace in the land. May the eyes of those who see not be closed to the atrocities that are rampant in cities and villages in all of Ukraine. May the ears of those who hear give attention to the cries of those who suffer at the mercurial malice of their oppressor. May the hearts of those who serve You, take a stand against the transgressions against humanity.

Strengthen the hearts of those who understand and know the effects of evil. Hasten the wills of those with voice to speak distinctly into the winds of war. May none be found idle in the battle against evil in our day.

In the sovereignty of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend William Gurnee

Father of peace, we pray today for the Members of this body who have been given the privilege and responsibility of conducting the people’s business.

They have tremendous tasks before them. They must seek to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

Clearly, no one person by themselves is equal to such a task. However, guided by Your loving hand and working together, such goals can be achieved.

Therefore, be with them this day and every day they serve here. Give them the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, and the compassion of the Good Samaritan so that at the end of their days they may have the sure and certain knowledge that they have served their country well. Amen.

Friday, February 17, 2023

House of Representatives – Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben

Put a fresh heart in us this day, O God. Renew our desire to serve You and inspire our spirits with the enthusiasm for the relationship we are graced to have with You.

As we pause today, may we offer our prayers without thinking that they may fall on deaf ears or end up lost in the chasm between Heaven and Earth. But as those with hearts intent on pleasing You, may we remain sure and grateful that You receive our deepest thoughts and yearnings.

Invigorate our work. Although it is the end of the week, the tasks You have set before us are yet many. Save us from our complacency. Redeem us from any boredom we may feel when tackling the mundane but necessary chores that support the mission of this body.

Enliven our speech that our words would not ring hollow but would reflect our belief in Your involvement in everything we do. May all that we say be worthy of the mission to which You have called us. Preserve us from using our words for anything but Your message of peace and reconciliation.

You, O Lord, have reached to us in love and surprised us with gifts of unending help and confidence. May we prove our willingness to use wisely all that You have bestowed on us this day.

In the strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Senate – Dr. Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, You are not only just and holy, but Your mercies endure forever. Because of Your goodness, we receive Your forgiveness and love. Forgive our past mistakes, and give us new hearts that we might serve You with passion.

Today, bless our Senators physically, mentally, and spiritually. Lord, strengthen them so that they will control their thoughts, words, and actions. Give them such providential guidance that all their own decisions will be made for Your glory.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, source of knowledge and wisdom, give us Your truth. Open our eyes to see Your truth. Strengthen our hearts to face Your truth. Illuminate our spirits to understand Your truth. Fortify our minds that we will remember Your truth.

Give Your Senators today the determination to obey Your truth. Show them what to believe and what to do.

Lord, help us all to listen carefully to Your wise counsel and store up knowledge that transforms lives.

We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, in these challenging times, give our lawmakers the courage and wisdom to keep America a beacon of freedom. Lord, strengthen our Senators, giving them a sense of Your abiding presence. May they honor Your Name in their thoughts, words, and actions. Provide them with compassion for the poor and helpless, and use them to rescue the perishing.

Bless our great land. Use us all to serve one another with humility, following Your example of sacrifice. Lord, fill us with Your hope, that we may become instruments of Your peace.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and most merciful Lord, You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. On this day where so many celebrate the loves in their life, may we pause in gratitude for the love You lavish upon us.

The sweethearts we show appreciation for today are evidence of Your grace to us, reminders of Your presence with us, as you care for and cajole us, challenge us and treat us to daily tokens of your affection. Lord, You are gracious and compassionate.

Thank God, You are slow to anger and rich in love. Greeting cards can’t keep up with the mistakes we make in our relationships, and no amount of chocolate can erase past failures. But You, O Lord, give us chance after chance to redeem the ways we have offended You, and in the wealth of Your love, You wait patiently for our return to the relationship You desire to have with us.

On this day and every day, may we take time to celebrate how good You are to all Your beloved. May we rejoice in the compassion You show to all whom You have created.

Praise be Your name in which we offer our prayers. Amen.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Awesome God, who fills our hearts with songs of thanksgiving, each day we lift our hands in prayer to You, for You are always merciful. Lord, thank You for blessing us each day. You have rescued us from dangers and kept our feet from slipping. You banish our worries and calm our fears. Lord, thank You for Your eagerness to forgive us and for Your unfailing love. You alone are God.

Today, strengthen the Members of this body. Help them to trust You without wavering. Teach them Your ways, that they may live according to Your truth. Lord, give them purity of heart, that they may honor You.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

Friday, February 10, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

On this day, O Lord, may our voices praise You. Wherever we find ourselves there You are. We praise You in the sanctuary You have established among us here on Earth. We praise You in Your heavens which surround us.

Open our hearts that we would praise You for Your acts of power and extol You for Your transcendent greatness. You, O Lord, are in all and above all. May our praise reflect our reverence.

With everything we have available to us, may they be used as instruments of our praise. With music and musings, dancing and devotion, prayer and purpose, with our whole selves, may we express our adoration for You this day.

Let everything that has breath praise You. With every breath we take, may it serve to give glory to Your name.

In Your most holy name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, the fountain of light and truth, we rise and stand because of Your mercies. You make our plans succeed.

Today, shine the light of Your presence upon our Senators. As they wrestle with complexity, show them the way. Lord, give them the wisdom You have promised to all who will simply request it. Remind them of Your mission to bring deliverance to captives and liberty to the bruised. May our lawmakers focus on pleasing You and not on political consequences. Give them contrite and humble spirits. Teach them new and creative ways to cooperate with each other for the common good.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, our Father, what great love You have lavished on us. We need only open our eyes to the affection You show us in the generosity of a friend, in the laughter of children, in the endearing embrace of a loved one to know that all good gifts come from the depth of Your love for us.

But even these precious gifts pale in comparison to the unmerited grace You have bestowed on us that we should be called Your children. That we would enjoy such close fellowship with You, to call upon You as Your beloved ones, is both humbling and heartening.

In Your love do we find life. So may our lives then reflect Your love.

Inspire us that we would love one another as You have loved us. From the love that comes from You, may we show love to those whom You have called us to serve.

With the compassion You have shown us, may we show compassion to those in need.

Out of the generosity You have shared with us, may we show the same generosity of spirit with our children.

And with the same selflessness You have demonstrated to us, may we give selflessly of ourselves to our family and friends.

In love, may we give love, in Your strong name, may we pray with strength. Amen.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Our help is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. We call upon Your holy name, O God, that You would hear our prayers in Heaven and attend to our needs here on Earth.

There are wars and rumors of wars overwhelming our news feed, including the ongoing conflict in places like Ukraine and South Sudan. Nations rise up against nation and our hearts sink at the sight of the injustice and unrelenting warfare. We call upon Your righteous name, O God, that You would hear our prayers in Heaven and bring peace and justice to our world.

We are horrified by the earthquakes’ merciless devastation in Turkey and Syria, and deeply saddened by the unprecedented famine in other regions across the globe. We call upon Your powerful name, O God, that You would hear our prayers in Heaven and be merciful to Your people. Rescue them from this time of tribulation and in Your grace provide for them in their dire need.

We confess that in our own families and communities and in this country, we seem to have turned from our faith in You and have betrayed one another in countless ways. Lawlessness has increased and our love for You and our fellow human beings seems to have grown cold. We call upon Your merciful name, O God, that You would hear our prayers in Heaven and heal our land.

May the gospel of Your sovereignty serve as a testimony to us and to all Nations that, once again, we would call upon Your name. Amen.

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Most gracious Father, remind us that we never drift out of Your love and care. Faces may change, and conditions may alter, but You are always there just when we need You most. Thank You for protecting us from seen and unseen dangers, for being our refuge and strength.

Today, lead our Senators to do Your will. May their actions spring from thoughts that are pure, just, true, honest, and good.

And, Lord, we pray for the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Guide us, O Lord, for many are the plans of our hearts. The schedules we have carefully laid out on our calendars, the expectations we bring with us into this Chamber, the outcomes we desire from the decisions before us are multitude. Many are the plans of our hearts, but it is Your purpose that prevails.

Remind us then of Your sovereignty in all that befalls us in this day. When our schedules are upended, when our expectations are far from met, and when those outcomes we desire escape our ability to influence, remind us that it is always Your purpose that prevails.

In Your grace plan for us, may we find that in all that we intend, You have a grander vision. In all that we anticipate, You offer us so much more. In the results we seek, You have already provided a future beyond our imaginings.

Many are the plans of our hearts, but Your purpose, O Lord, prevails.

In sure and certain hope in Your divine guidance and in the strength of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, February 6, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kiben

God, You are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. We offer our prayers today asking that You provide the people of Turkey and Syria, who are in the throes of the unfathomable devastation of today’s earthquake, refuge from this disaster and strength to endure its indiscriminate destruction.

Be their rock even as the Earth still crumbles beneath them. Shelter them under Your wings until this disaster passes. Erase the divide of politics and past hatred by the rescue efforts and humanitarian aid of their neighboring countries, and then from the rubble may there emerge the shared responsibility we each have as humans one for another in times of suffering.

Embrace in Your arms all who have lost loved ones this day and uphold those who are still awaiting news of those not yet rescued.

In the midst of this tragedy, grant each of them the certainty of Your abiding spirit. May their fears be relieved though the Earth should change, their uncertainties assuaged though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea. For You, O Lord, are their refuge and their strength, a very present help in these times of trouble.

In the hope to be found in You and in the promise of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, the center of our joy, we find our delight in You. Thank You for the gift of prayer, for the opportunity to come confidently and repeatedly to Your throne of grace. We praise You for Your promise to provide us with grace and mercy to help us in our times of need.

Lord, bless our lawmakers. Give them confidence in You that will free them from fear of an uncertain future. May they live lives that boldly proclaim that You are at work in our world.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, how good and pleasant it is when people live in unity. And on this day, when many have been in fellowship together at the National Prayer Breakfast, people of different parties and nations have broken bread together, people of different beliefs have shared in faith, we give You thanks for the harmony of their devotion to You and for giving us a glimpse of what is good and pleasant in Your eyes.

May all of us have the willingness to look for such common ground in our engagements with one another, whether it be over a matter of policy or in a moment of prayer. Reveal Yourself to us in the other, that in them we would see again what is good and pleasant in Your eyes.

Sovereign God, remind us that to strive for unity does not mean to disparage diversity. Rather, You call us to be one in You, for there we will discover that the dissonance of our voices will resolve to harmony. How good and pleasant that would be.

In Your loving name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, who has guided our lives and is the author and finisher of our faith, teach us to live for Your glory. Keep us from becoming intoxicated by the desire for success and protect us from the fear of failure that paralyzes noble striving. Lord, lead us through the valley of pride and across the gorges of pretension to the richness of Your transforming spirit of love.

Today, guide the Members of our Nation’s legislative branch with Your wisdom. Show them solutions to the problems that beset our land and empower them with the compassion that seeks first to honor You. We pray in Your righteous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Intercede in our lives, O Lord, even as we offer prayers of intercession for others. While we offer our petitions and thanksgiving for our leaders and all who are in authority, with our voices we also pray for those who have no voice, for those who have no hope, and for those who don’t know how or what to pray in the moments they are now enduring.

Hear our prayers for the individuals we know and name in our hearts who are grieving loss or suffering illness. For too many who are mute with pain and despair, may the prayers from our lips reach You on their behalf.

Hear our prayers for our communities and our country who are fractured by the tragedies of violence in all its forms. For the many cities and neighborhoods disrupted with animosity and distrust, may the prayers we offer together in this place bring forth a comity to be found only in You.

Hear our prayers for the war-torn countries around the world and for their citizens who suffer from abuses of power, the deprivation of religious liberties, and the brutal oppression of human rights. For these who are prohibited from praying, may our prayers be louder and stronger than the adversary who seeks to silence them.

You alone are sovereign, O God. May our faith be found righteous before You that our prayers would be powerful and effective on behalf of Your people.

In the strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Spirit of love, enlarge our horizons. Give to us this day perspectives that go beyond pessimism and negativity. Lord, enable us to lift our eyes to You, our provider, sustainer, and friend. May we refuse to permit today’s challenges to make us forget how powerfully you have led us in the past.

Bless our legislative branch today with Your wisdom. Help our Senators to follow the path that leads to the fulfillment of Your purposes. Inspire our lawmakers to focus on the priorities that will cause justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

We pray in Your marvelous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord of our lives, may we approach You this day with earnest and truthful hearts. May we be eager to obey Your laws, desirous for Your company among us, and committed to remain loyal in our service to You and to this Nation.

Enable us to keep Your commands ever before us, like lenses through which we look to determine our steps; like reminders written on our hands, so that we cannot ignore them.

And when we walk these halls or take our seats in meeting rooms or rise to speak in these Chambers, may we pause to realize that You are here in our midst. Thus, may we not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought, but prudent in employing the opportunities You have entrusted to us.

Always and with sincerity, may we devote ourselves for Your intent for our lives, not with lipservice, but as ones totally beholden to You for all that we have. Today and every day, may we strive to do Your will with our whole heart.

In Your sovereign and gracious name we pray. Amen.

Monday, January 30, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Lord of life, rescue us from the faults to which we are prone. Keep us from saying one thing and doing another; from criticizing others for what we allow in ourselves. Keep us from demanding standards from others which we ourselves make no effort to fulfill. Lord, keep us from the indecision that cannot say “yes” or “no.” Keep us from the reluctance to break habits which we know are wrong. Today, keep our Senators from anything that prevents them from giving all their loyalty, allegiance, and heart to You. And Lord, comfort the loved ones of Tyre Nichols. We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, hear the supplications of Your people. We lay before You our greatest concerns, our innermost thoughts, and the whole of our hopes and fears. And when You hear us, forgive us for any doubt, any reluctance, and any failure to believe that You will answer.

Silence, then, all voices but Your own. May the words in our heads and our hearts be quiet. We who speak for a living, who have devoted our lives to fixing what is broken, and stepping into right wrongs are uncomfortable sitting back and waiting for Your word, listening for Your guidance.

So then when You do speak, when You make clear the direction You would have us go, the work You have called us to do, the lives You have designed us to live, may we be open to receive Your divine direction.

With ears to hear from even the most unlikely source, and eyes to see what You reveal from the viewpoint of Your throne, and with the hearts open to the stirrings of Your Holy Spirit, may we prove worthy of Your attention and faithful in our response this day.

In Your sovereign and most gracious name we pray. Amen.

Friday, January 27, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Gracious God, open our eyes this day to the things that are true. Inspire our actions that they be noble. Reveal to us at every turn what is right. May our motives be ever pure.

Then may as we live our lives here in this place, may they reflect what is lovely. May our example to each other and to this country be admirable.

And should the outcome of our work today succeed in being excellent or praiseworthy, may we think not on these accomplishments for our own attribution. But may we each take our thoughts captive, that we would instead choose to think with Your mind and reflect on our efforts as participation in Your creative work. May we focus our eyes on what You see and order our days as You would have us do.

To You be all glory and in Your truth and righteousness do we offer our prayers this day. Amen.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Senate – Dr. A.R. Bernard

Our Father and our God, to whom belongs all glory, honor, and praise, we humble ourselves in prayer, seeking Your wisdom and guidance as we accept the responsibility to guide, guard, and govern this great Nation. As the prophet Jeremiah said, “We stand at a crossroad.”

We join our hearts and minds in the simple prayer of the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophet of the New Testament. We ask “Thy Kingdom come,” not a future messianic Kingdom–that we leave in Your care and control–but the power of Your presence in the here and now; the power that changes the hearts, minds, and lives of people by truth, righteousness, justice, and peace and thus transforms our Nation, its political constructs, our social institutions–their systems, structures, policies, and practices–that while elevating some, tend to marginalize others; the power that transforms relations between government and citizens, labor and capital, between neighbors and friends, between the members of a household.

Let our love of a free market and our responsibility for the most vulnerable collaborate toward the common good.

Help us to clarify our role and function, both domestic and abroad.

Help us to understand the meaning of our identity as one nation under God.

Bring the spirit of renewal to our Nation. Reawaken passion, fervor, and creativity toward purpose. Let it begin with the individual and spread to our culture.

We understand this is a big prayer, but You are a big God. So we ask You and trust You to help us, O God, and hear our prayer. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the Earth. We need only look to the rising Sun after days of gray skies and behold Your glory as it breaks through the clouds, and then we bear witness to the awe of Your creation. So may Your presence dawn on us this day and dispel the fear and hopelessness that has for so long cast its long shadow on our lives.

You reign forever. There is nothing that is not subject to Your judgment, not our own errant thoughts, our misdeeds, our adversaries, nor our inability to acknowledge our dependence on You. You rule the world with righteousness, and You judge the peoples with equity.

In light of Your justness and Your justice, may we order our lives. In You may the oppressed find refuge and the wavering a stronghold in times of trouble.

You have never forsaken those who trust You. Those who know You find strength in calling Your name.

And so we offer to You our prayers, our efforts, and our very selves this day in the strength of that sovereign name. Amen.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Sovereign Lord, we trust You to guide our Nation and world. Permit us to feel Your nearness and to know the inspiration of Your presence. May our closeness to you help us to choose truth over falsehood, love over hate, and good over evil.

Lord, move among our lawmakers, instructing, lifting, and guiding them so that whatever they do in word or deed they will glorify You. Show our Senators what needs to be done and give them the courage and wisdom to do Your will.

We pray in Your glorious Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, God of peace, we pray this day for the peace found only in You, not as the world gives, for that which is found there is fleeting and flawed. Reveal yourself in this world which rages with hostilities, where there are wars and rumors of wars as far-flung as Ukraine is from Taiwan, where violence threatens to be the only answer to discord. Reveal yourself and grant us Your peace.

Lord, how long? How long will aggressors take it upon themselves to usurp not just the sovereignty of a nation but basic human rights? Lord, put an end to the senseless shedding of blood, the indiscriminate targeting of innocents.

Then may those who have suffered in ways we cannot imagine emerge from the ashes of their shattered lives and be raised up as a testimony to their enduring faith in Your redeeming grace. May the religious resolve of the persecuted in Ukraine, the endangered believers in Nigeria, the repressed Uyghurs in Xinjiang shine as a light in our darkness and show us what it means to believe in the hope of Your salvation.

Turn our hearts to receive Your mercy and transform our lives to reflect Your peace, for it is in Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, the Earth belongs to You and everything in it. We look to You in every season of life’s pilgrimage because You remain the champion that initiates and perfects our faith.

Lord, help us to maximize today’s possibilities with humble and grateful hearts. Forgive our past faults and failures and empower us to press forward with faith toward a productive tomorrow.

Bless our lawmakers and the members of their staffs. May the words of their lips and the meditations of their hearts bring glory to You. Let not life’s weariness or this world’s confusion rob them of their trust in You.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O infinite one, Your love for us is great. You who are rich in mercy, bend Your ear to us and hear our prayers. Draw near to us this day and allow us to experience Your generous and forgiving embrace and to receive Your manifold kindness.

Then may we respond with the faith of our hearts and not just the ideas from our heads, for nothing we can conceive in our minds will come anywhere near to the devotion You desire of us. Help us to trust You with our innermost being and not just rely on the work of our hands, for the tasks You set before us are best accomplished when we yield our wills to Yours and align our efforts with Your grace plan.

For we are what You have made us to be. We are each unique witnesses to Your handiwork, created to do the good work You have called us to do.

Grant that all of us this day demonstrate the faith and trust You deserve in all that You have prepared for us. Then may our lives serve to glorify You as we call upon Your name. Amen.

Monday, January 23, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who restores the soul and gives life in the midst of decay, empower our Senators to accomplish Your purposes. Lord, be to them a faithful guide on the challenging road they travel. Teach them to find contentment in striving to please You and provide them with Your power, wisdom, and strength.

As tomorrow’s difficulties loom large, remind them that You can move mountains and create opportunities. Blaze the trail ahead for our lawmakers with Your might and wisdom, for You are our shelter and hope.

We pray in your Holy Name. Amen.

Friday, January 20, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, You are our light and our salvation. In the darkness of our days and the bleakness of this season, reveal Yourself that in all we endure and in the challenges we face, we would know that You are with us.

Throughout our country there are regions ravaged by floods, neighborhoods threatened by mudslides, and other areas endangered by extreme drought. Defend those who live there against the advance of destruction. Preserve them that their livelihoods would not be leveled before them.

In the days of trouble, keep us each in the safety of Your protections. Rescue us, too, from the less evident dangers we are sure to encounter: the slander of enemies, the noise of hostility, the inclination toward bitterness, and the penchant for discord.

In Your keeping are we liberated from all that would bring us low and dare to hold us down. Lift up our heads to face with courage the enemies of body and soul. For in You do we find strength. In You are we redeemed.

So may our lives serve to glorify You as we call on Your name this day. Amen.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, You are the first and the last. You have made known the end from the beginning. In Your timelessness, You have set forth Your servants to speak Your eternal word to us, that we would hear You in our time. And in such a time as this, we recall the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke words of forgiveness. May we have ears to hear them this day.

We pray for upward forgiveness that we may embrace Your divine mercy. For You have judged us and others around us, and still, in Your magnitude, You forgive us all.

We pray for the capacity for inward forgiveness, giving up that deep- seated desire within us to get even with those who have hurt or offended us. May we find in us Your spirit which ministers to our own and receive the ability to give forgiveness from within our heart.

We pray that we would offer outward forgiveness, to share an attitude of reconciliation in all our broken relationships. Would that You, through us, allow us to promote a spiritual mindset of forgiveness that even our most challenging encounters would be redeemed.

We humble ourselves before You, acknowledging that we need first to come lay before You our own faults. Only then may we receive Your mercy and will You use us this day to share the good news of Your eternal love.

In Your everlasting name, we pray. Amen.

Friday, January 13, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Generous God, Your grace is overwhelming. We need only look around us to see that You have given us sufficiency in all things: the lives we live, the people we share that life with, and the privilege to serve You with the talents and skills You have afforded us.

By virtue of Your grace, You have not only blessed us, but You have equipped us that we may abound in every good work. So may we be faithful stewards of Your many blessings, remaining ever watchful for those who need what You have entrusted us to give.

Would that we be used as the hands which give Your grace to others in need, that they too would receive the gifts that You intend for their sufficiency. Would that we yield all that we are and all that we have so that all Your beloved children would be empowered to share their gifts and graces and contribute to the work to which You have uniquely called them.

In this may we each discover how we build each other up in our service to You. Bless our efforts to do just that this day.

In the strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

We pray Your blessing on us this day, O Lord. Trusting in Your daily provision, may we find ourselves like trees planted by water, that we may receive the strength and refreshment You provide. In this may we face the heat of the day and the drought of spirit that attend the demands on our time.

Reveal to us the sustenance available to us as our roots, our very beings, reach deep to find anchor in Your truth. Grant us the security of Your protection as we yearn for the refuge of Your steadfast love.

Then may we, as a Congress, as a country, and as communities seek to rid ourselves of fear and anxiety by placing our trust and confidence in You. Extend to us Your wisdom that we need not depend on our own understanding.

Test our minds this day and search our hearts. If we are found wanting, be gracious unto us.

In You does our hope find its foundation and, in Your name, will our prayers be answered. Amen.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord God, do not wait any longer to be gracious to the people of Ukraine. Rise up and show mercy to them as they endure the terror of their oppressors.

For You, O Lord, are a God of justice. We ask then that You would bless all those who seek cover in the undergrounds of Kyiv, those who mourn the destruction of neighborhoods like Bucha, they who seek refuge in Lviv. Be gracious to them and answer their cries.

You have given them the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. But do not hide yourself anymore.

May their eyes see You when they turn to the right and to the left. May their ears hear Your word behind them guiding their steps and delivering them from their torment. May their spirits be led by Your spirit into the redemptive future You have provided for them.

Bring soon the day when You will bind up the injuries of Your people and heal the wounds of the afflicted.

We offer this prayer in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

On this day, O Lord our God, give us a fresh anointing, a sure sense of purpose and protection, as we execute the responsibilities You and the American people have entrusted to us.

And with Your Spirit in our midst, may we each walk in humility, with a healthy sense of our strengths and our weaknesses, our unique gifts and our vulnerabilities.

May we walk in gentleness, with the power we could wield under the authority of Your purpose. Guard us against our own inclinations to dominate or defend. But spur us to engage in kind disagreements and civil conversation.

Help us to walk in patience, to bear one another in love, a love born of selflessness and mercy, respect and forbearance.

God and creator of us all, You are above all and through all and in all. May we each give testimony to the grace and peace to be found in You.

We offer this prayer in Your most holy name. Amen.

Monday, January 9, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy One, we come before You, resolved and refocused, to attend to the business before us. We pray for all that transpired last week, that You have blessed what was good: the unity of purpose, the collegial ministrations, the common commitment to this country.

Will You also forgive what fell short? Need we list all our transgressions? As we stand here, our iniquities, personal and corporate, are ever before us. Your judgment of us would be justified. We pray Your mercy.

Now, as we move forward, bless the work that lies before us. Only by Your grace will we be able to confront the myriad of challenges we are sure to face in the days, months, and years ahead.

O Lord, abide with us always in the good, the bad, and the challenging. For all things are subject to Your authority. With You to strengthen us, we can accomplish and be content in the work You have called us to do.

We offer this prayer in Your most holy name. Amen.

Friday, January 6, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Dear God, it seems this evening we may be at last standing at the threshold of a new Congress.

I am not done yet.

Should we, with Your blessing, find our way through the doorway this night, cause us to consider carefully what we have learned on the way.

Turning to You each day, we asked for Your help in our deliberations, and You answered us. But Your answer was to allow us to suffer the anxiety, uncertainty, and aggravation that follows when we choose to allow healthy debate to devolve into contentious and unproductive argument.

And yet, in Your mercy, You transformed this foray into discord into an opportunity to learn to find common ground with unlikely partners. Would that this be a habit we continue.

Remind us that while the spirit of dispute can be traced to our government’s earliest days, we have served this country best when we sought to reconcile our differences with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May we be more willing to wield these fruits of Your spirit in our future discourse with one another.

We pray Your continued mercy on us. May Your anger with us last but a moment and Your favor a lifetime. And for all that we endure this night, allow joy to come in the morning.

In the hope found in Your name, we pray. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Our hope is in the Lord, not in rulers or principalities, parties or persons. And we are keenly aware, especially on this day, as the psalmist has said, that their plans come to nothing. You, O Lord, thwart the plans of nations. You thwart the purposes of the people.

On this day of profound remembrance, may we lean on the strength to be found only in You. Come alongside us and show Your mercy on the American people as they and we approach today with a host of feelings:

The abiding emotional and spiritual unease stemming from the memory of inconceivable unrest in these Chambers 2 years ago;

The exhausting frustration over the prolonged impasse in the deliberations that obscures the way ahead;

The fear that resides in the hearts of families and staffers, communities and constituents, who are affected by the lack of resources and security while this legislative body remains unseated.

We wait in hope for You, O God, for You are our help and shield. In You, we will find reason to rejoice, for despite all that makes today, today, we trust in You.

May Your unfailing love rest upon us, for it is in Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, January 5, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Silence all voices but Your own, O Lord. Quiet the cacophony of counsel and still the storms of dissent, that each of us would be able to hear You speak Your word to us this day.

Humble our hearts that nothing we argue for or act upon would be out of selfish ambition or conceit. But in humility, may we empty ourselves in our service to You and to this Nation. With eyes of faith, may we look around this room that we would appreciate the country, which You have called each of us to serve, and dare to value it above our own interests.

Protect us, that in this imbroglio of indecision we do not expose ourselves to the incursion of our adversary. Watch over the seeming discontinuity of our governance and the perceived vulnerability of our national security. Build Your hedge of protection against those who would take advantage of our discord for their own gain.

And bless this country, that in the messiness that is democracy, we would discover and defend the reward of freedom it affords us.

Then raise up among us a leader who has the faith to live into Your will, the hope to inspire and engender the trust of this body, and the love to serve You wisely in such a time as this.

In You do we trust, and in Your name we pray.  Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Build this House, O Lord, lest all who labor therein do so in vain. Watch over our gathering this evening, lest we stay awake without purpose. Provide wisdom, discernment, and forbearance, lest we eat the food of our anxious toil and exhaust ourselves for nothing.

For You have called us together from the far–reaching corners of this great Nation to uphold a vision founded on our belief in the fundamental rights endowed by You, O God, our creator. And You have appointed each person here to represent this country’s rich diversity of thought and experience, race and creed, that collectively, we would serve as a city on a hill, a light to the world, revealing the strength and nobility to be found in our Union.

Remind us that we fulfill this divine mission only when we acknowledge that we are meant to function as one body. Nothing You ordain can be accomplished without the trust in and respect for each other. You have graced each of us differently, with passion and compassion, insight and oversight, voice and vote, that we would use these gifts to build up the larger body which is these United States.

Deliver us from intransigence and impudence, free us from fear and control, that in our deliberations this night, the light that shines from the dome above us would clearly reflect the commitment we each make to freedom, justice, and peace in our world.

In the name of our guardian, guide, and stay, we offer our prayer.  Amen.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, in these days of uncertainty and change, we turn to You who are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Regardless of the circumstance, Lord, You are not just present but provisioning, supplying us all that we need to forge into and navigate the unknown ahead.

Give us reason, then, to cling to faith and to trust Your guiding hand in this liminal period of our Chamber’s leadership. Offer us the gift of perspective. Bring to our minds the upheaval taking place in countries like Ukraine. In the face of chaos, they yet remain resolute, ever committed to the defense of their country and the strength of their government, bound together and upheld by their faith that You will sustain them.

How can we possibly succumb to our own disquiet and frustration when we reflect on the challenges governments around the world struggle to resolve in the name of democracy?

Even as we seek to establish this new Congress, remind us that we have a building not constructed by human hands. In our momentary distress, may we never lose sight of Your divine hand that guides our own Nation.

Call us to live this day in faith, if not by sight, and seek always to make it our goal to please You as we serve the Nation You have entrusted to us.

We lean on You, our rock, and pray in the name of our sure redeemer. Amen.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, You are our rock, refuge, and fortress. As the 118th Congress convenes, bless all our lawmakers in their going out and coming in, in their rising up and lying down, in their labor and leisure, and in their pleasure and pain.

Lord, empower them to live with such reverence for You that their legacies will be like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, and like the gleaming of the Sun on new grass after rain.

Lord, we pray for Damar Hamlin.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, into Your hands we commend the efforts and accomplishments of the 117th Congress. The Members, officers, staff, administration, Capitol Police, and all who have endured long hours of heartfelt and intense labor now lay their contributions before You for Your blessing.

Receive the work of our hands that by Your hand our Nation would be upheld in the pursuit of a more perfect union.

Bless the outcomes of heated debate and passionate argument that by Your righteousness, what is right in Your eyes would prevail.

Sanctify both the profound and the mundane moments of these last 2 years that we would be assured that Your grace plan has been advanced, whether because of or despite our best efforts.

Hear our prayer, O Lord, for this past Congress that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts will have been acceptable in Your sight, our rock and our redeemer.

We pray this in Your sovereign name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, You spoke and the Earth brought forth life. With a word, Your spirit breathed into humanity the essence and purpose of our very being. Speak to us now, O Lord, and breathe into the body of the 118th Congress Your word of truth and justice, compassion, and wisdom.

Give each Member the guidance to be faithful stewards of this divine tasking, and to wield this privilege carefully. Even as You grant us the favor to serve You in this place, remind us that amidst all the debate, You will always have the final word.

Your word is alive and powerful, sharper than any two–edged sword. Divide then our souls and spirits. Discern our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts and may they be acceptable to You.

Lay on the shoulders of these men and women the mantle of both responsibility and accountability. Nothing is hidden from Your sight and each will always answer to You.

Call these who represent the hopes and dreams of the Americans who have voted them into office to heed first Your voice. As they uphold and defend the Constitution and its moral principles, grant them strength and reason, purpose and insight.

Bring this 118th Congress to life, and breathe on us the creative work of Your Holy Spirit. Give us eyes to see Your guiding hand, ears to hear Your wise truth, and hearts to hold firmly to the faith we profess in You.

We pray this in Your sovereign name. Amen.

(Prayers from the Senate and the House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Canva)