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Prayers from the Senate and House Chaplains – Intercessors for America

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Generous Lord, all good and perfect gifts come from You. It is You who set the boundaries of the land and sea; and by Your hand summer and winter, spring and fall were created.

Find out when your state prays.

In this season of harvest and thanksgiving, we are reminded that You have promised Your kindness to us, the gift of rain from Heaven, the abundance of crops in their due season, and the provision of enough food for this day. Our hearts are filled with joy as we reap the bounty of these Your gracious gifts.

Hear also our prayers of intercession for those who cannot see evidence of Your favor, those who suffer the damaging effects of disastrous weather or economic drought, destroying any hope they had for a prosperous yield. We pray for those whose tables are bereft of food or fellowship, chairs left empty because of financial need or family tragedy.

God, may our gratitude give us cause to show grace to those who find few things to be thankful for. May Your good gifts compel us to find opportunity to share with those in need. May others glean from Your harvest and discover the seeds of hope You offer us all.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Friday, November 18, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, our God, how majestic is Your name in all the Earth. We need only look to the skies to witness Your glory set above the heavens and over all the Earth.

Children in their innocent wisdom offer You praise by the pure joy of their laughter, their loving embrace of the world around them, and their trust in Your care and compassion.

Let us then, this day, consider Your handiwork, the work of Your own hands, the Moon and the stars, the waters of the sea, and the mountains and plains You have set in place. And when we do, give us pause to consider that despite our own insignificance, You are mindful of us. Born of the Earth, we nevertheless are graced to receive Your tender care and are crowned with the honor to serve You.

May we prove worthy of the responsibilities You have laid before us: for all flocks and herds, the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea.

We, who rule over all that Your hands have created, glorify Your name in all the Earth. O Lord, it is in Your majestic name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Spirit of Life, who soars upon the wings of the wind, breathe Your Grace in us. Remind us to be thankful for the people who bless our lives.

Thank You for the people who live exemplary lives and show us what productive living should be. Thank You for the people who inspire us to strive for noble things. Thank You for the people who comfort us, who help ease life’s hurts. Thank You for the people who strengthen us, who give us courage to tackle the difficult. Thank You for the people who enlighten us through the written word. Lord, thank You for our Senators, who strive to protect and defend our freedom.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Today, O God, we lay before You our petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving. We request that You bestow upon us the joy of Your presence among us, that when we look upon the faces of those who labor in these Halls, known and unknown, elected or employed, we may see Your image.

We pray for the health and welfare of this illustrious body, that as the scenery changes and the actors move on, around, or off the stage, You will uphold each one. Guide them in the roles You have called them to fulfill and grant them wisdom to discern the way You would have them go.

Lord, may our prayers serve as an intercession for those who do not have enough courage or strength to speak their own needs, for those who haven’t enough faith to trust what lies ahead, and for those who do not know how to receive the mercy You offer us.

Then accept our offerings of thanksgiving to You for the bounty You lay before us–the gift to labor, to serve, and to contribute our energies wherever You call us, but especially here in this, our Nation’s Capital.

May our words be good and pleasing to You as we pray them in Your most holy name. Amen.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O, God who keeps us in the midst of dangers, shelter us from temptations. Keep us from the pride that encourages us to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Save us from procrastination, from refusing to face the unpleasant, and from analyzing things until it is too late to ever do them.

Today, guide our lawmakers away from the temptations of criticism and fault-finding. Give them the strength to resist the weakness of thinking the worst of others.

Lord, provide us all with the purity to overcome evil with good.

We pray in your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, for Your name’s sake and out of the goodness of Your love, deliver the people of Ukraine from their enemy’s unrelenting attacks. We pray for the poor and needy, who have lost hope and home. Heal the hearts of those wounded within, who have lost faith and family. Consider those whose lives and livelihoods have faded away like the evening shadows. Shine on them the light of Your saving love.

Help the men and women, those of old age and the children, those who have fled their persecutors, and those who remain defiantly in place to preserve their land, the political leaders and the warriors who battle on all fronts. Protect each of them according to Your unfailing love.

Then may the foes who pursue them know that it is Your hand that has preserved Ukraine. May those who curse Ukraine be made mute by Your just word. May those who attack be put to shame by Your righteousness. And may those who continue to serve You faithfully in this, their time of trial, find reason to rejoice in You.

For You, O Lord, stand at the right hand of the oppressed, to save them from their distress.

And so it is with hope in Your salvation and in the strength of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty and everlasting God, the source of power and might, strengthen us. Lord, strengthen our faith so that we will trust You in our seasons of joy and sadness. Strengthen our will so that we will choose the difficult right and resist the easy wrong. Strengthen our decisions so that we will not vacillate when commitment is needed. Strengthen our affection so that we will learn to love You as You have first loved us. Lord, strengthen our Senators to believe that Your purposes will ultimately prevail.

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We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy Lord, You have been our dwelling place from generation to generation. Before the mountains were brought forth, even before the Earth itself was formed, from everlasting, You are God.

As we pause in Your presence and acknowledge Your infinite being, we cannot help but come to grips with our own finitude and limited hold on the things of this life. So it is with humility that we offer our prayers to You, prayers that ask for Your guidance in the living of this day, Your wisdom for the choices we make, and Your forbearance when we fall short of Your intentions.

Grant us the reassurance that despite the uncertainty that hovers around us, regardless of our inevitable mistakes and missteps, that in Your mercy, You have already woven this day into Your gracious plan for us.

Remind us that You have satisfied us this morning with Your steadfast love which lifts us up, dusts us off, and sends us once again on the path You would have us go.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. May Your favor rest upon us as You establish the work of our hands this day.

In Your sovereign name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, November 14, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Let us pray.

Eternal Spirit, who brings a rich harvest with Your footsteps, we praise Your Name and celebrate Your goodness. Lord, remind us that, without Your help, there is no national security. May we focus less on what we can accomplish and more on Your prevailing providence.

Send Your peace into the hearts of our Senators. Lord, take away distracting worries and fill them with faith. Cleanse them from any bitter or unforgiving spirit as You give them contentment in serving You and this great Nation.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and eternal God, praise be to Your name forever and ever. All wisdom and power are Yours. When measured against Your authority and dominion over the whole of creation, any advantage we boast, any victory we claim, fall short.

Humble us that we would acknowledge that all we have is Yours and any influence we wield is held accountable to Your design.

Immutable Lord, You change times and seasons, depose rulers, and raise up those who would replace them. Shape our sense of success into an awareness of and a commitment to our responsibility to live into Your grace plan.

Transform any sense of failure into the certainty of Your steadfast love and abiding faith in us. We are each held in the palm of Your guiding hand.

Grant wisdom to those who seek to become wise in serving You; and give knowledge to those who would discern Your will for their lives. In the strength of Your eternal name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend John Kellogg

O, God, bless the leaders of our land.

Grant our Representatives wisdom and integrity in the exercise of their duties. Give them courage and foresight to provide for the needs of all our people and to make wise decisions for the well-being of our society.

Keep this Nation under Your care. Amen.

Monday, November 7, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, in You all things were created–things in Heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.

As we stand on the threshold of yet another day of national decision, center our hearts and minds first on You. As we run the course toward our country’s future, remind us of the grace that You have shown the Republic from its inception, and grant to us again the mercy You have bestowed on us throughout our Nation’s illustrious, albeit sometimes ignoble history.

May we yield to the guidance You have provided that has allowed these United States to preserve the ideals of liberty and freedom, to protect the dignity and purpose of each citizen, and to enjoy the privilege of prosperity. Then give us the wisdom to reflect on our responsibility to be faithful to Your divine favor.

Grant us the coverage to uphold the decency that allows diverse opinions to be heard and considered. Strengthen in us the moral fiber that values voices different from our own. For in Your grace plan, You have bound us together, one nation, under You, O God, that we would bear witness to the faithfulness to be found in unity and not division, esteem and not enmity, love and not hatred.

May we prove worthy of the noble calling to which You have called us today, tomorrow, and in our future.

In Your eternal name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord our God. This day, as in all days, we are graced to see each new mercy You lay before us. In each fleeting moment You confront us with yet another opportunity to observe Your loving hand in our lives.

Open our eyes that as we gaze upon Your creation, the changing of the seasons and the movement of the stars, the bounty of the harvest and the provisions of our health, that we would see Your steadfast love and compassion for the world and all who dwell therein.

Then open our hearts that not only would they respond to the grand and glorious evidence of Your sovereignty, but that they would yield to the quiet and careful counsel You offer us for the living of our days.

Because of Your great love for us, we are not consumed by the controversies we face, nor discouraged by the desolate future we fear. Your mercies are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, to us each day.

By Your powerful name we pray, and for Your purpose we give You our labor this day. Amen.

Monday, October 31, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, we pray today for all the saints who now rest from their labors. Having lived their lives in faith, confessing the strength they found in You, may they be forever blessed.

You, O God, were their rock, their fortress, and their might. They looked to You to lead them in each well-fought fight. Welcome them now into the same eternal light that You shined in each dreaded darkness they faced in the years they lived among us.

While they now shine in glory, may we who continue to struggle, be emboldened by their witness and find fellowship with them in faith.

And when the battles we endure in our lifetime are fierce, when the warfare is unendurably long, may the song of the distant faithful steal on our ears. Then may our hearts be brave again and our bodies strong to face the trials with the same fortitude, the same faith that gives glory to You, O God our Savior.

On this hallowed eve we offer these prayers in the hope of Your name. Amen.

Friday, October 28, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Lisa Wink Schultz

Almighty God, we acknowledge Your creativity in the changing of the autumn leaves. We know that there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.

As our lawmakers face another election season, may they rest knowing that Your purpose will be established. Lord, abide in them as they abide in You, for apart from You, we can do nothing.

Provide generous grace and peace to all who work in this Chamber and to the Capitol Police who protect us day and night.

We pray in Your powerful name. Amen.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and eternal God, shine Your light into our darkness. In this time of the year when nightfall is quickly upon us, when harsh words and controversy dim any glimmer of peace and concord in our country, when angry attitudes and intransigent posturing attempt to extinguish the light of Your truth, allow Your spirit to illumine the shadows that are cast over our lives. Awaken our hearts to the light of Your love.

Even as Hindus and Sikhs throughout the United States and around the world light their lamps in the season of Diwali, we each pray for protection from the spiritual darkness that surrounds us. Defeat again the powers that threaten to obscure the hope that is found only in You.

Rouse in us the desire to please and purify our lives, and grant us Your promise for a better tomorrow.

Shine Your light into our lives and keep our lamps burning that we may reflect the joy and righteousness You offer us each day.

By the power of Your name, we ask that You would receive our prayers. Amen.

Friday, October 21, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God of grace and God of glory, put a new song in our hearts this day. May our mouths sing praise to You, our God.

Many are the wonders You have done. We need only look around us and bear witness to Your remarkable creation. Gracious are Your plans for us. Your love is revealed daily in the opportunities You lay before us and the friends and family with whom You have surrounded us.

We look upon Your majesty and tremble when we realize how insufficient our efforts are before You. May our trust in You serve to bridge the distance that stands between Your intent and our best laid plans.

Blessed are those who trust in You. Better off are they who rely on You and not on their own pride, who yield to Your truth and do not turn to follow false gods.

O Lord, You are our help and our deliverer. May all who seek You discover the gladness to be found in You. May those who long for Your saving help soon find reason to proclaim Your greatness.

We offer our songs of praise and the prayers of our hearts by the power of Your name.

Amen.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, following the spate of mass shootings this weekend, we add Harrisonburg, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; and Raleigh, North Carolina, to our ever-growing, though sadly incomplete, prayer list. We pray today for all communities grieving too many violent deaths and tragic injuries inflicted upon unsuspecting men, women, and children, most of whom were just going about the business and pleasure of their day.

Hear our prayers as we seek to make sense of the senselessness of these events.

Tend to our grief as we look for consolation in the wake of the inconsolability that attend these crimes.

Grant us a way forward as we search for answers while consumed by countless unanswerable questions.

God, is it true, as St. Augustine assured, that You permit such evil so as to transform it to a greater good?

Give us, then, eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe in this unbelievable promise You offer.

Then give us wills to live into the possibility of this impossible hope and to be the visible agents of Your invisible grace.

Holy God, we lay our finite lives to the infinite mercy found in Your name. Amen.

Friday, October 14, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Gene Hemrick

O Lord, the Gospel of St. Matthew proclaims: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be blessed.”

O Lord, may our U.S. Congress be blessed in pursuing righteousness and the virtue of peace it procures.

May Your guidance bless it with wisdom that enables the U.S. Congress to hunger and thirst for newly formulated means that generate order and the tranquility peace produces.

May our Nation be a shining example to the world of our desire for peace and prosperity for all.

Amen.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Wondrous and sovereign God, thank You for the gifts of a new day and borrowed heartbeats. We trust in Your unfailing love and rejoice in Your salvation.

Lord, Your words are right and true. Your plans stand firm forever. In these challenging times, rule our world by Your wise providence.

As the Members of Congress seek to do Your will, help them to hate lies and embrace the truth. Give them the wisdom to guard their lips and weigh their words. Guide them with Your righteousness and integrity. May they leave such a legacy of faithfulness that generations to come will be inspired by their courage.

And, Lord, we continue to pray for Ukraine.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord, as we take this time to speak to You, may we be reminded to use every moment to extol You. May Your praise be always on our lips, now and throughout the day.

And by Your grace, may those who find themselves afflicted by their daily circumstances, caught up in their unwieldy challenges, hear of Your power and find hope in Your care.

If our words seem too lofty, our prayers out of touch with the earthly reality many struggle with each day, we ask that all who need Your protection somehow be made sure that even in the most difficult times, You surround them with the defense of Your angels, and that those who need even the simplest of favors can find rejoicing in Your blessing.

Hear our prayers, both the sublime and the simple, and receive them into Your tender care. Be present among us wherever and however You find us, that we would find strength in Your abiding love, this day and always.

By the power of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Friday, October 7, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

All that we are and all that we have comes from You, O God. You have graced us with life, abundant with love and abounding with opportunity. All we need do is look around and we can, with our whole being, see, hear, smell, taste, and touch Your generous gifts and know of Your extraordinary faithfulness to us.

With the psalmist, we sing Your praises:

Our love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, Your justice like the great deep.

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God. People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house. You give them drink from Your river of delights, for with You is the fountain of life. In Your light, we see light.

Lord, hear our deepest and heartfelt gratitude for all You have done for us and who You have made us to be.

May we live faithfully into these gifts.

By the power of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and omnipresent God, You have promised that blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Lord, we ask that though time and again we have failed to be merciful to our fellow humans, grant us Your mercy that we would be moved to tolerate, to respect, and to accept those whom we have wronged.

Who is praying on the wall?

Blessed are the pure in heart, You assure, for they shall see You. Lord, though day after day we are too often indifferent witnesses to the atrocities in Ukraine, Iran, and around the globe, we pray that You would allow us to see You in the stranger and minister to them in their distress. Purify us and call us to defend the goodness You desire in our world.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for You have established for them Your own kingdom. Lord, we pray Your protection for those in Iran who are not only persecuted, but like Masha Amini and the martyred Sharif University students, have sacrificed their lives for basic freedoms, preservation of human dignity, and protection against violence and cruelty. Establish for all those who endure the vitriol of hatred the protection of Your sovereignty.

We pray Your blessings on the pure of heart, the persecuted and reviled, and dare ask that the reward for their suffering would not be confined to heaven but may the peace and security of Your kingdom be granted to those who contend with the enemies of human flourishing and stand against the adversaries of human life.

Sure of the protection of Your name, we pray.

Amen.

Friday, September 30, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Lisa Wink Schultz

Almighty God, maker of Heaven and Earth, at Your word, the sea was created. Your hand formed the sand as a boundary for the sea. We praise You for Your magnificent, breathtaking creation.

We remember when You caused the storm to be still so that the waves of the sea were hushed.

We ask that You calm Hurricane Ian and have mercy to all in its path. Give wisdom to our lawmakers, especially those who represent the State of Florida.

Heal what has been broken, restore and comfort the faint, and give peace to all who work in this Chamber.

We pray in Your merciful name.

Amen.

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who saves us, we praise the greatness of Your power. Continue to be with those who must deal with the consequences of Hurricane Ian.

Continue also to bless our Senators. Keep them on the path of humility so that they will seek to serve others. Keep them on the path of forgiveness so that they will give others the same kind of mercy they so frequently receive from You. Keep them on the path of courage so that they will choose the challenging and narrow way that leads to life.

Lord, bless us all, as we strive to walk with an integrity that will honor You.

We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

We turn to You, O Lord, claiming Your promise to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Send the goodness of Your transforming word to those in Ukraine and throughout the world who, because of the oppression and hardships they face, cannot afford a meal or heat for their homes. May they know the wealth of Your divine provision.

Attend to those whose hearts are broken at the loss of loved ones by the hands of the enemy. May they feel Your tender love upholding them in these days.

Grant release to the prisoners of war who are being held captive for crimes they did not commit but who fought against brutal ideologies they could not tolerate. May they soon be freed into the arms of their loved ones, embraced by their communities once again.

And for those who sit imprisoned by the darkness of despotism, whose hearts are bound by selfish desires for power and control, shine Your light into their souls, that they would be disarmed by Your peace, redeemed by Your love, that they would put down their weapons and foreswear their malevolent ways.

In Your sovereign name, we pray.

Amen.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father in heaven, as Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc, protect those in harm’s way. Lord, we thank You that the winds and the waves obey Your will.

Today make us aware of our need for Your presence and empower us to reach out to others in Your name.

Lord, teach us to pray and sustain us by the wonders of Your word. Give us truths that will strengthen our minds, souls, and hearts. In times of distress, grief, confusion, and misunderstanding, illuminate our paths with the light of Your companionship. Guide our lawmakers in their challenging work, for You have promised never to leave or forsake them.

We pray in Your merciful name, amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty and powerful God, our creator and defender, we call upon You this day to speak into the whirlwind of the life–threatening storm surge and catastrophic winds that now bombard the Florida peninsula and have left behind unfathomable destruction in Cuba.

As Hurricane Ian rages, those who are caught in its ravages are filled with dread. Their personal calamity is its own whirlwind around them. In their distress and anguish, they––and we on their behalf––pray to You for their safety and refuge.

For You alone have the power with but a word to cause the tempest to still and the wind and waves to be hushed. Speak Your word. Shine Your light into the darkness of these days.

Listen to these fervent prayers. Deliver the thousands of evacuees from their plight. Lead them to find shelter in You from all that threatens them this day.

And for all the National Guardsmen, first responders, and those who will provide security and offer assistance for yet another natural disaster, we pray for their strength and fortitude. Use them to bring Your hope to those who cannot see their way through the destruction of their homes and their lives.

In Your sovereign and saving name, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who daily showers us with blessings, open our eyes to the generosity of Your grace.

Lord, help us to see in the beauty and bounty that surround us the movements of Your loving providence.

Remind our lawmakers of their responsibility to use Your blessings to make a better nation and world. Help them to understand that to whom much is given, much is expected. Lord, give our Senators the wisdom to release their control and ask You to take charge, guiding their steps by Your power.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

Monday, September 26, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

This, O Lord, is the day You have made. We shall rejoice and be glad in it. For You have given us these waking hours to appreciate the beauty of Your divine design, Your magnificent creation, the seasons changing, and the world which displays Your handiwork.

Open our eyes to see what You reveal to us today. Then open our hearts that we would discover true joy in Your manifold grace.

Bless those, O Lord, who can find no reason to rejoice. Relieve them of the burdens they bear. Lighten their load that they would have the strength to look up and find You.

Comfort those whose sadness dims their eyes with tears. Grant them hope that will soothe their sorrows and lift their eyes up toward the peace that is to be found in You.

On this day, may all find a way to praise You.

For You, O Lord, are God. You have made light to shine upon us. You are our God, and we will give You thanks. We will exalt You.

We give thanks to You for You are good. Your steadfast love endures forever.

In Your gracious name, we pray.

Amen.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal and blessed God, in a dangerous and unstable world, we find solace from Your presence. We praise You that even when wrong seems so strong, Your providence continues to prevail.

Today, as our lawmakers grapple with pressing issues, give them the wisdom to seek Your guidance. Respond to their petitions by undergirding our Senators with Your enabling might, empowering them to exercise responsible stewardship of their influence by striving to be lights in a dark world.

Lord, open their ears and hearts this day to hear and obey Your voice.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we know that You desire to set Your truth deep in our spirits, and we ask that You come to the hidden places of our hearts. Deepen Your truth in our souls. Speak to us there and teach us wisdom.

Create in us clean hearts. Fill our minds with pure thoughts and holy desires. Then may we be found ready and willing to do the work You put before us.

Delight in us today. May the words of our mouths, the thoughts in our heads, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You.

For Your pleasure is not to be found in our performance. Our sacrifice of time and service do not impress You. But You desire a contrite heart, a yielding spirit, a kind word, and a gracious attitude.

Lord, unlock our hearts and open our lips that from them will pour out thankfulness and praise. Then may our joy be a blessing to those whom we encounter this day.

In Your gracious name, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Heavenly Father, You are our mighty fortress. Continue to be for us a bulwark that never fails.

Lord, inspire our lawmakers to do Your will. Direct them in their work. Empower them to meet each challenge and shield them from discouragement. May they not depart from Your purposes for their lives in their thoughts, words or deeds.

Lord, give our Senators the discipline to relinquish any spirit of self-importance for the spirit of self-sacrifice. Give them also the certainty that You are guiding their lives.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

You, O Lord, are our strength, we watch for You. You, O God, are our fortress on whom we can rely.

God, go before the men and women of Ukraine and be the shield and defense of their country against their aggressors. In Your might uproot their enemies and bring them down.

For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let those who would slander Ukraine, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, consume them in Your wrath.

Deliver Ukraine, O God. Save its people from those who conspire against them for no offense or sin of their own.

Arise to help the Ukrainians. Look on their plight. We appeal to You, O Lord Almighty, the ruler of all nations.

In Your sovereign name, we pray.

Amen.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, in whom we live and move and have our being, we glorify Your precious Name.

Lord, we ask You to guide our lawmakers as they influence the future of this Nation and world. Lead them with Your wisdom. Direct them with Your patience and protect them with Your power.

Lord, we pray that our Senators will faithfully fulfill the duties set before them, providing for the common defense, striving to bring domestic tranquility, and working to ensure liberty and justice for all.

Likewise, we pray that You would lead and bless American citizens, guiding them to protect liberty from sea to shining sea.

We pray in Your righteous Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God our Savior, break into our world which is rife with bad news, and make known the redeeming proclamation of Your love for us and Your plans for our good and not our harm.

Preserve the welfare of countries and communities around the world from the disasters threatening them. Particularly on this day, we pray for the people of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean as once again they battle the devastation inflicted on them by damaging winds and raging seas.

Grant us redemption from all that seeks to distance us from Your love and distract us from faith in You. Restore our relationship with You that by Your mercy, we would all be welcomed once again into Your embrace.

Lord, You are the ruler of the universe. We appeal to You this day that Your saving hand would hold and protect Your people.

Renewed in Your name, we pray.

Amen.

Monday, September 19, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O, God, our provider, we come to You in our weakness, seeking Your mercy and help.

Lord, give us this day the mercy and grace of Your love that we may become all You desire us to be. Empower our lawmakers to cherish Your precepts and obey Your Word.

Lord, keep them walking in the way everlasting. Strengthen them so to run that they may reach the destination You have chosen for their lives. Enable them so to strive that they may win the victor’s crown. Prepare them so to keep the faith that they may persevere to the very end.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, as the world turns its attention to the final tributes of a great queen, we pray Your blessing over the leaders of this country. Each day as we renew our oath to support and defend its Constitution, signed 235 years ago, renew in us our “most sacred duty” to maintain “inviolable respect” for the sustaining energy of a free government.

While this document serves as the framework for the “vital principles” of liberty and security, it is You, Holy God, who laid the foundations of the Earth and of our Nation. Uphold us in our governance by the favor of Your grace.

Likewise, as we acknowledge the cornerstone George Washington laid 229 years ago for this magnificent Capitol building, we ask, O Lord, that You remain the foundation for all that takes place within these walls. Remind us that You, the master builder, have laid the footing of faith and virtue that You have tasked us, the American people, to build upon.

May we be worthy of the legacy which we have inherited, and faithful to the privilege to serve in this House and in this country, the care for each You call us to steward with wisdom.

Upheld by the strength of Your name, we pray.

Amen.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who harmonized the world with seasons and kindness, sowing and reaping, color and fragrance, we praise Your loving Name.

Lord, strengthen our Senators to do their part in fulfilling Your purposes for this land we love. Be for our lawmakers a refuge and a shelter from life’s storms. Give them the wisdom to find in Your word a lamp for their feet and a light for their path. Provide them also with the resolve to walk in that light and follow Your guidance. In Your compassion, free them from the cares that deplete their trust in You.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, come alongside us this day for in Your presence there is fullness of joy. So fill us with Your joy this day that we cannot help but reflect Your goodness and mercy in all we do, in all we say, in all our decisions, and in all our encounters with one another.

At Your right hand is pleasure to be found forever more. All that we need or desire, You provide. From the wealth of the satisfaction we find in You, may an abundance of gratitude flow from us that others would share in Your generous grace.

In You, love is found, for You are love. Let us then love one another for love comes from You. And so may Your love shine forth in us this day, that your compassion, concern, forbearance, and faithfulness be evident in this place this day.

In Your steadfast and loving name we pray.

Amen.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty God, Lord of hosts, we praise You for choosing to make Yourself known to us in the unfolding of Your loving providence. Our hearts expand with joy because of Your presence. Empower us to keep our minds steadfastly on You.

Lord, use our Senators to make a better Nation and world. Give them an openness of mind and heart that they may receive the fullness of Your grace. Consecrate them to the laudable task of permitting Your kingdom to flourish in this generation and beyond.

Lord, make our lawmakers instruments of Your peace.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God, our rock and our salvation, our prayers are, once again, offered unto You on behalf of Ukraine. Many are its foes. The fearful within its borders yearn for the strength of Your justice. The adversaries who surround them are saying that You will not deliver them.

But You, O Lord, have proven to be a shield around them. You are the source of their strength, the one who lifts their heads to face their enemies.

In these seemingly never-ending days and months of conflict, in their waking and their sleeping, Lord, sustain the men and women of Ukraine. May they not give in to fear though they are continually assailed on every front. May their faith in You uphold them.

Arise, O Lord, and deliver the people of Ukraine. From You alone comes deliverance. May Your blessing be upon Your people.

In Your mighty name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father and our God, in the silence of this moment, we feel gratitude for the privilege of approaching Your throne of grace. Lord, we come to You aware that You know us better than we know ourselves. We are grateful that You know what we need even before we ask. Forgive our mistakes and the wrong we have done.

Lord, You know that, at times, we have been difficult to live with. Enliven our lawmakers. Let Your power come among them, as You direct them according to Your will. Remind them that their lives, Nation, and world are in Your hands.

We pray in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, You have received into Your holy presence Your servant, Queen Elizabeth II. As she lays down her crown before Your throne, grant her rest from her labors and reward for her toil.

Remove from her shoulders the responsibilities You bestowed upon her, which she bore faithfully. Honor her for the devotion she has shown throughout her lifetime to You and to Your people.

Give peace to the people of the United Kingdom that in this period of mourning and transition, they will call upon their noble history and exercise the dignity of their heritage. Inspire in them the desire to uphold the divine values their Queen strove so diligently to protect.

May her memory be a blessing and her virtue a standard.

Then above all the pomp and circumstance, speak to leaders around the world to remind them that kingdoms and principalities are ever subject to Your will. Their rise and fall are at Your decree. Grant peace and prosperity to all who are placed in positions of power, who heed Your word and yield to Your authority. And may we who are called to serve You in these days, be a crown of beauty and a royal diadem in Your hand, O Lord our God.

In Your sovereign name we pray. Amen.

Monday, September 12, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, who hears our prayers, we praise Your righteous Name. Lord, You are the God who listens even to our groans as we bring our requests to You.

Lord, we thank You for the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II and request Your blessings upon King Charles III. Guide him with Your wisdom and keep him on the path of integrity. We also pray for our senators. Sustain them with Your unfailing love, making Your way plain for them to follow. Protect them from the enemies of freedom, for You have promised to be a shield for the godly.

We pray in Your loving name. Amen.

Friday, September 9, 2022

House of Representatives – Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti

Good and gracious God, today we experience so much division and distrust in our nation. Unite us in Your one spirit. Heal our divisions. Give us a spirit of holy obedience and trust that, under the leaders of our nation, we may journey together to build up Your kingdom on this earth and one day inherit the kingdom of eternity.

We pray this in Your most holy name. Amen.

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O Rock of our salvation, You alone are our hope for the years to come. Because of Your mercies, You have given us the gift of this day. You have been our help in ages past, and we place our future in Your hands.

Lord, forgive us when we do things our way, refusing to submit to Your holy will and seeking to derail Your wise and powerful providence. Remind us to seek first to stay within the circle of Your divine purposes, for You are God, and we are not.

Today, use our lawmakers for Your glory. Give them the unity they need to accomplish Your will. Guide them with Your wisdom.

We pray in Your matchless name. Amen.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

God, You are life, wisdom, truth, and blessedness. You are our hope and the center of our joy. Lord, the founders of this great nation walked in Your guidance and rested in Your compassion. Unite us so that we can do Your will. Remove from us all evil desires and empower us to embrace the good. Speak to our senators so that they may understand Your will for our nation and world. Illuminate their understanding with beings of celestial grace. Make us thankful for the privilege of prayer. May we never take it for granted.

And Lord, we continue to pray for Ukraine.

We pray in Your merciful name. Amen.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Beautiful Savior, You have been our dwelling place in all generations, and we are sustained by Your steadfast love.

Today surround our senators with the shield of Your blessings as they work to keep our nation strong. Lord, teach them to be obedient to Your commands, doing Your good will as Your presence fills them with peace. May they be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Manifest Your power through their labors so that this nation will be exalted by righteousness.

May Your angels guard us in all our ways.

We pray in Your mighty name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, our time is in Your hands. Every precious minute we share with friends, family, loved ones, and colleagues is a reminder of the many gifts we are given to cherish.

Hour by hour, as we clock the passing of time with our meetings and appointments, remind us that we are called to set our schedules wisely and to exercise the skills and abilities as You have graced us, all for the betterment of our communities, the health and welfare of our nation, and peace in the world.

When each dawn breaks, may we greet it, rejoicing in the day You have made. And at the setting of the sun, may we pause to give You thanks that You have guided our steps and directed us on the paths You would have us go.

Allow us, then, to see Your presence in the minutes, hours, and days we are given. In each moment that You lavish upon us, may our spirits be renewed, our purpose made clear, and our lives proclaim the grace You have shown us.

We offer our prayers in Your everlasting and timeless name. Amen.

Friday, September 2, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Zack Randles

Gracious, Almighty God, we come before You today grateful for the privilege to serve and to support those that You have placed under our leadership. Give us an eagerness to be good shepherds, just as You are our good shepherd.

May we view our fellow man with eyes of compassion.

May we give voice to those needing courage and relief to the harassed and helpless.

May we be willing to consider others better than ourselves, with wisdom and humility being our identifying attributes.

May we know when to respond with strength and when to correct with gentleness, and may we find comfort in the nudges from Your guiding hands leading us toward righteousness.

I ask all of this in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Gene Hemrick

O Lord, Albert Einstein once thanked You for sharing with us divine harmony within our universe.

We especially thank You for the harmony of the four seasons.

As fall approaches, may Congress and our Nation be blessed with the inspiring harmony that is at the heart of the greatness You have bestowed on us throughout our history.

Amen.

Friday, August 26, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

To You, O Lord, we lift up our souls. All that we are, all that we hope to be, we give to You. For in You, O God, we place our trust, knowing that Your grace is our shield, Your love our defense.

Show us Your ways, O Lord, and lead us according to Your paths. Do not allow Your will to be hidden from us, but guide us in the light of Your truth. Forbid it that we remain ignorant or indifferent to Your direction, but may we respond to Your clear instruction and discern the way You would have us go.

For You are the God of our salvation. In You, time, as we measure it, cannot contain the depth of Your grace plan. We need only wait on You, and all things will be made known in accordance with Your infinite intent for our lives.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for us, too great for us to understand. So may we trust that You will hem us in behind and before, that You will lay Your hand on us. In this may we trust in and enjoy Your abiding presence with us this day.

We offer our prayers in the power of Your most holy name. Amen.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

On this day, O God, we call upon You. May our prayers rise like incense to You, the lifting up of our hearts and hands be like an acceptable sacrifice.

Come quickly to us. Hear our voices as we appeal to You. We offer to You our innermost thoughts, our heartfelt desires, our looming concerns, and our deepest hopes. Receive them all into Your grace.

Then redeem us, we who strive to be the people You desire us to be into the people You desire us to be. May our service be well-pleasing to You.

In all that we do and all that we say, look down with mercy upon us and receive with appreciation our most humble offerings. Transform our most feeble attempts to do the right thing, to the right thing to do.

We yield our whole selves to You this day, that You would use us to succeed in the work You set before us and to live into the responsibilities You have laid upon us. May Your will be done here in this place. And may You be glorified in our lives.

We offer our prayers in the power of Your most holy name. Amen.

Friday, August 19, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Omnipotent Lord, remind us this day of all You can do. Open the apertures of both our hearts and minds that we would see and believe that there is no violence You cannot suppress, no injustice You cannot reverse, and no evil You cannot overcome.

Help us to enter into this holy mystery that You would allow us to be the instruments of Your peace, the agents of Your justice, the champions of Your divine love.

Reassure us that there is no inadequacy that You don’t make whole, no fear that You don’t assuage, and no sin that You have not redeemed.

Then, with confidence and courage, may we go forth and do our part in Your grace plan for this day.

We offer our prayers strengthened by Your presence and empowered by Your most holy name.

Amen.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Mighty and all-powerful God, who are we that You should love us? For we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory You shared with us at creation.

Who are we that You should use us? For there is not a righteous person on Earth who does good and never fails in Your sight.

Who are we to dare to come into Your company? For mountains quake, the hills dissolve, and all are overwhelmed in Your awesome presence.

And yet, You have shown Your love to us while we are yet sinners. Your favor rests upon us and You prosper for us the work of our hands. You let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith in the mercy You offer to each one of us.

So may we be open to receive Your love and be willing to be used according to Your will and to seek You throughout this day, that we may and will do all things by the strength You provide.

Now to You who are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within us, we offer our prayers in Your most holy name. Amen.

Friday, August 12, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, receive us into Your eternal presence and grant us the discernment of Your direction and the peace of Your purpose for the deliberations of this day. Silence, if only for a moment, all voices but Your own, that we would hear Your counsel and receive Your instruction without the echoes of competing opinion or the whispers of our own self desire.

Speak in words that we can hear, whether in a still, small voice of encouragement or a clarion call to action, may we receive Your message for us today.

Sway our hearts to Your desire that in all we say and do we would strive to live into Your will. Then share with us the blessing of the sacrament of human encounter, that in the outward visible signs You provide, a stranger’s selfless service, shared laughter with a friend, or a random glimpse of the pure beauty of Your creation, we would experience the inward, invisible grace You offer us in each moment.

Would that Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayers we offer in this place, for it is in the promise of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

House of Representatives – Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff

Almighty God, we pray, reflect, meditate in different ways, but historic cherished words become shared dreams.

Elmer Davis wrote: “This Nation shall be the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” But not all are yet truly free, and many not so brave. Military heroes risk their lives, but many others lack sufficient courage to speak truth to power, to champion truth over position or career.

“Liberty and justice for all,” we pledge, “Proclaim liberty throughout the land” is emblazoned on our bell.

As war approached, FDR affirmed “freedom from want” and “freedom from fear” as freedoms more like dreams of better times.

The land of the free if the home of the brave–with leaders strong and of good courage who still can say “I have a dream.” Diversity our strength, equality our goal, may we strive for, move toward, liberty and justice for us all.

And may we say “Amen.”

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father in Heaven, we sing of Your steadfast love and proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.

Lord, make us one nation, truly wise with righteousness, exalting us in due season. Today, inspire our lawmakers to walk in the light of Your countenance. Abide with them so that Your wisdom will influence each decision. Keep them from evil so that they will not be brought to grief, enabling them to avoid the pitfalls that lead to ruin. Empower them to glorify You in all they think, say, and do.

And, Lord, we thank You for our faithful senate pages.

We pray in Your loving name. Amen.

Friday, August 5, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Vincent DeRosa

Good and gracious God who orders all things well and beautifully, grant to this people’s House wisdom and prudence that amid the ever-changing dynamics of a complex world we may secure justice and prosperity for our countrymen and peaceful coexistence with our neighbors. In a particular way, we ask You to hear our prayers for the sick or infirm in our land: grant them healing and bless their caregivers. Finally, author of life, we ask You to watch over the deceased whom we commend to Your care and those who grieve for them.

Amen.

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Father, our souls long for You, for we find strength and wisdom in Your presence. Guide our lawmakers to put their trust in You, seeking in every undertaking to know and do Your will. When they go through difficulties, may they remember that, with Your help, they can accomplish the seemingly impossible. Give them a faith that will trust You even when the darkness is blacker than a thousand midnights.

And, Lord, as we mourn the deaths of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and her two staffers Zachery and Emma, comfort our hearts.

We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, our shield, look with favor upon our Senators today. Guide them around the obstacles that hinder their progress, uniting them for the common good of this great land. Lord, free them from anxiety and fear as they put their trust in You. Enable them to go from strength to strength, fulfilling Your purpose for their lives in this generation.

Guide them to use their abilities to accomplish Your holy will. Striving to please You, empower them to stand for right and leave the consequences to You.

We pray in Your holy Name. Amen.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, our hearts are steadfast for You. Though evil sometimes seems to prosper, we trust You to cause justice to prevail. In these turbulent times, our hope is in Your goodness that continues to sustain us.

Today, give our Senators the ability to realize more fully that they are servants of Heaven. As good servants, give them Your perspective on their daily tasks and decisions. In faithfulness to You, provide the litmus test by which they evaluate each decision.

Lord, give our lawmakers such integrity that they will refuse to be careless about their spiritual and moral fitness.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Margaret Grun Kibben

With the psalmist, we give thanks to You, O Lord, for You are good. Your love endures forever.

As we consider the 80th anniversary of the WAVES, the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, signed into law July 30, 1942, remind us again of the long-lasting and vital impact decisions made in these Chambers truly have in defense of this country and for the welfare of its future.

Celebrating the innumerable contributions these first women made on intelligence, communications, and cryptology, to name a few, we give You our gratitude that You have put before this body critical opportunities to leverage the gifts and graces of all our fellow Americans for the common good.

May their experience of fortitude and resilience, faith and devotion to our country, in war and in peace, serve as a testimony of how You respond in times of trouble, how You deliver us from distress. Even now, You still the storms that rage to a whisper and bring the waves that roar to a hush.

Lord, we have seen the works of Your hands and Your wonderful deeds. Let those who are wise heed the history of Your faithfulness, and may we ponder Your loving deeds. We offer ourselves and our prayers for Your service.

Amen.

Monday, August 1, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Lord God of Heaven and Earth, thank You for the joy that comes to those who delight in Your presence. Your mercies are new each day, for You sustain us with Your wisdom as we follow Your leading.

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Today, continue to sustain our lawmakers as they embrace Your precepts and walk in Your path. Remind them that Your way enables them to become instruments for goodness in our Nation and world. Help them also to see that it is the difficult road that leads to life, and few find it.

As our Senators receive guidance from You, give them attentive hearts and open minds. Enable them to find in the diversity of ideas what is best for our Nation and world.

We pray in your merciful Name. Amen.

Friday, July 29, 2022

House of Representatives – Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord, it is good and fitting to eat, drink, and find enjoyment alongside the work with which we labor, and recreation in the days You have given us.

So it is on this day that we come to You in gratitude for the pleasure received not only in the privilege to serve You here in this place, but for the enjoyment of a good ball game, the civil rivalry of peers, and the abundant fellowship and support of friends and fans.

Now, having fought the good fight, may we finish the week, prolonging the collegial spirit found on the field, and upholding the shared commitment that brings us together for the common good.

Grant comfort to the defeated, humility to the victors, respite to the weary, and wisdom to us all.

Renewed by Your spirit we offer these prayers in Your everlasting name. Amen.

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, today, make our lawmakers instruments of Your grace and goodness. Teach them to be patient with themselves and others. Forgive them when they permit impatience to lead them astray, making them miss the wonder and majesty of Your purpose for our Nation and world.

Lord, renew in our Senators the joy of belonging to You, as they lovingly yield to Your guidance. Direct their steps so that no duty will be left undone and no constructive words will be left unsaid.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, deepen the appreciation of Your truth in our hearts. Unchanging, unwavering, God eternal, root Your strength in our souls.

For Your word endures forever, and your counsel stands for perpetuity. May our meager efforts find their foundation in Your eternal plan. May our decisions be rooted in Your everlasting word.

Use us in this time and this place that even the least of our accomplishments would find worth in Your design. Guide us in these days that the most inconsequential elements of our work would have value in Your eyes.

In each fleeting moment, confront us with the opportunity to acknowledge that You are present, here, now, and in every minute of our lives. And may we serve to glorify You this day.

In Your presence we stand, and in Your name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Lord of our lives, hear our prayers. Fill us with Your spirit so that we may please You.

As we seek Your divine approval, empower our lawmakers to do Your will. Lord, help them not to have an excessive focus on the temporary things while neglecting the eternal. May our Senators live lives that bring glory and honor to Your Name, receiving Your approbation for their faithfulness. Create in them humble and contrite hearts that will refuse to deviate from the path of integrity.

And, Lord, we continue to pray for Ukraine.

We pray in Your merciful and powerful Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, our redeemer, we look to You, “the rock from which Your people have been cut, the quarry from which we have been hewn.” You are our foundation, the source of our lives, and the inspiration of our breath.

Lord, 5 months have passed since your people in Ukraine have been besieged by the enemy of your desire for creation. Deliver Ukraine from the hands of tyranny. Speedily may Your righteousness draw near. With Your strong arm, bring justice to the nations. Grant salvation to those whose faithfulness has remained steadfast in the face of extreme hardship.

Respond to their abiding hope, with the comfort You surely offer. Look with compassion on her ruins, make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands Your own garden. Free the bounty of her fields from the devastation of despotism. Allow the produce of her rich land to provide for those across the globe who desperately depend on the yield of her harvest.

Then may joy and gladness be once again found in Ukraine’s cities. May the songs of thanksgiving rise up from the hearts of her people.

In the saving power of Your name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Holy God, all Your works do praise Your name on the earth, in the sky, and on the sea. Great is Your faithfulness.

Stir Your edifying spirit among our senators, liberating them from shortsightedness as they work diligently for freedom and justice for all. Lord, make our senators citizens of Your kingdom, so that Your will may be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven. Help them to draw near to You with true hearts and full assurance that their times are in Your hands. May this confidence in Your prevailing providence inspire them to pay the price of eternal vigilance for freedom.

We pray in Your sovereign name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy and gracious God, thank You for the countless times You demonstrate the intimacy of Your love for us–through the affection of a loved one, a desire met, serendipitous moments that grace our days with evidence of Your hand in our lives.

How easy it is to believe, having seen Your power at work, Your creative activity in the living of our days, in the healing of those we love and care for. We are truly blessed.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief.

We ask Your blessing when we can’t see, when the hurts, the evil, and the confusion of the world obscure any evidence of Your concern for us and deny Your willingness or ability to bring order to our chaos.

In this confusion, may we find certainty that transcends doubt. In our fear, may we find faith that sees beyond our hopelessness. And as we wait upon You, may we trust in Your sovereign power by which all things are possible for those who, even without seeing, believe.

In the inimitable power of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Monday, July 25, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty God, the judge of our desires and faults, You have withheld nothing we need. Today, continue to meet the needs of our lawmakers. Give them so much more than they expect that they will rejoice because of Your goodness. May their rejoicing and gratitude empower them to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of these turbulent times. Provide them with faith, courage, and good will to make the world a better place. Lord, use our Senators as Your servants to bring healing to our Nation and world.

We pray in Your powerful Name. Amen.

Friday, July 22, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Compassionate God, as we approach You at the end of our workweek, tried and tested by the many concerns that have crossed our paths, we lay our burdens before You, that You would make good of them in Your perfect plan.

We cast on You all our anxiety over what we have done, what we have left undone, and what remains to be done, because in the midst of all that we struggle with and tend to each day, we dare to believe You care for us.

By Your steadfast love then, give us reason to hope that You will sustain us. By Your righteousness, give us certainty that all we have done in faith will serve to contribute to Your will for this place and for our Nation. By Your abiding presence, relieve our worry for tomorrow, for all our days are in Your hand.

Upheld by Your everlasting arms, and in the strength of Your name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Almighty God, we would rest in You, for You alone can bring order to our world.

Reveal Yourself to our Senators, guiding them on the path of peace. May they place behind them disappointed hopes as they lean on You for comfort and strength. Lord, replace their doubts with faith. Strengthen the good in them so that nothing may hinder the outflow of Your power in their lives. Give might to the weak, and renew the strength of the strong.

Lord, we thank You for Your great power as we praise You in Your mighty Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord, You are the author of our lives, the perfecter of our faith. In You, we see what we are called to do and what You want us to be. For You have shown us love when we have been anything but lovable and mercy though we are not worthy. You have demonstrated compassion in our darkest moments and steadfastness when all around us falls apart.

To Your image may we be faithful.

Cause us to follow Your lead as You raise us up as leaders of our community and of this Nation. In everything we do or say, may we live up to the example You have called us to be by upholding what is good in Your eyes.

In our conduct in this place, in our love for one another, and in our faith in the face of adversity, and in our purity of thought and purpose, may we serve as bearers of the truth found only in You.

In the name of the one who is truth, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Redeemer, answer us in seasons of trouble. Send us Your help from Your sacred hills. Our souls long for You, for we find strength and joy in Your presence. Lord, increase our faith, and teach us to trust You even during life’s storms.

When our Senators endure dark nights of the soul, enable them to find strength in Your presence. May they claim Your promise that You will never leave or forsake them and that nothing can separate them from Your love. Help them seek in every undertaking to know and do Your will.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires are known, and no secrets are hidden, we lay before You the concerns of our hearts for peace in this world and the desires we have that Ukraine would be liberated from the oppression they now endure.

Nothing in all of creation is concealed from Your sight. We ask, then, that You expose tyranny and reveal its true motive of power and self-promotion.

Uncover the traitors to freedom and the enemies of sovereignty and convict them of their deceit. Unmask those who scheme for their own interest at the expense of their own country and have them answer for their transgressions.

May all who fail to contribute to the common good, all those who thwart the ideals of freedom and democracy in Ukraine, be laid bare before You and may Your judgment be swift.

Call us all to account for our deeds–things done and left undone, the overt and the contrived, the noble and the malicious. And align our lives, our Nations, and our world to Your perfect will for Your creation.

In Your omnipotence be merciful to us. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, the sky clearly reveals Your glory. It sings melodies about what You have done.

Today, teach our senators to do things Your way, embracing Your precepts and walking in Your path. Remind them that the narrow and difficult road leads to life and true freedom. As You teach them to live with integrity, replace their anxiety with calm, their confusion with clarity and their doubts with certainty. May Your heavenly peace which transcends human understanding guard their hearts and minds today and all.

We pray in Your loving name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Loving God, You have called those who believe in You to live in community, to love and support those in need, and to encourage each other in the faith. God, at times these seem like such easy tasks. All we need do is look around us, and we see fellow human beings in great want for so many things. And yet, we are reluctant to act, not knowing where to start, whom to help first, or what the right help is for us to give.

Open our eyes to those who are hungry, who need clothes, who thirst for the water that will satisfy their deepest needs. May we be the hands that lead even the stranger to find shelter in Your care.

Likewise, call us to ask how we can be of encouragement to one another. How do we serve one another that together we would be steppingstones and not stumbling blocks to the peace You would have us enjoy?

Despite our differences, despite our disagreements, cause us to look into the eyes of the other and see Your image, so then may we be at peace.

God of love and peace, be with us this day. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Monday, July 18, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, look down from Heaven to see those who passionately seek Your presence. Listen to our prayers. Lord, our hearts are steadfast toward You, so lead our Senators safely to the refuge of Your choosing. Thank You for giving us a future and a hope.

Today, give our lawmakers the power to do Your will as they fully realize they are servants of Heaven and stewards of Your mysteries. Provide them the wisdom to make faith the litmus test by which they evaluate each action as they refuse to deviate from the path of integrity. Lord, keep them from being careless about their spiritual and moral growth.

We pray in Your strong Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, call us into Your presence this day, that we, with full abandon, would run into Your loving embrace and receive the plenteous gifts You desire to lavish upon us.

What an image. Your love is so welcoming. Your concern for our welfare so strong, and Your generosity overwhelming. We are humbled by Your grace.

Held in Your everlasting arms, may we find the courage to ask for Your wisdom and guidance, that we would receive; to seek to discern what is good and right, that we may find; and to knock on doors barricaded by doubt and despair, that even these would be opened to us.

O God, You are the source of our every hope, the answer for all we seek, and the treasure we hope to be opened to us. In this knowledge, may our joy be complete.

In Your loving name we pray. Amen.

Friday, July 15, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy, holy, holy Lord, fill the Earth with the knowledge of Your glory. As the waters cover the sea, the stars inhabit the celestial heavens, the birds fill the air with their song, the majesty of the animals roam the forest and plains, so may Your sovereign presence reign in our lives, in this place, and in our Nation.

Lift up our eyes to the hills that we may discover from whence our help does come. You who made Heaven and Earth, speak Your creative word into our discourse, Your compassion into our engagements with one another.

Lord, You are our keeper, You watch over us so that the harshness of the day will not overtake us, the dark of the night will not overwhelm us.

Keep us, then, from all harm. Guard our comings and goings within Your eternal grace plan that we may live to sing of Your praises and accomplish the work You set before us.

In Your merciful name we pray and by Your grace we live. Amen.

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, we know that You exist. Every time we hear a baby cry or touch a leaf, we are reminded of Your presence in our world. Lord, continue to look with favor upon our Senators. Enable them to go from strength to strength as they strive to live in day-tight compartments. Guide them around the obstacles that hinder them from living for Your glory. As they strive to please You, empower them to stand for right and leave the consequences to You.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God, our guide, we yield our day, our plans, our wills to Your counsel. How much better is Your grace plan than anything we could create on our own? How much more valuable even than gold is Your wisdom? To have insight to Your understanding is better even than silver.

May our minds, our hearts, our ears be open to discern Your guidance today. You set before each of us trusted instruments of Your own divine counsel: staff directors and assistants, legal counselors, clerks and protocol experts, public affairs directors, all sorts of people who devote their time and talent to the success of this congressional process.

Speak clearly through them that we would hear. Stop us in our tracks if we head the wrong direction. Direct our steps that we would walk in Your will for our lives.

Remind us that our plans fail when we choose not to receive Your counsel. Give us the wisdom to heed the guidance You offer from all those whom You place in our path this day. Hear our prayers as we listen for Your voice.

Amen.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal Spirit, grant to this nation and to all people a social conscience built on the vision of the ancient prophets who saw sufficiency for people at a time when anxiety would be overcome by goodwill.

Lord, hasten the day when the small and weak can make their contributions alongside the great and powerful. Lead us to the day when we will see peace among the nations of the earth, when swords shall be beaten into plowshares. Use the members of this body to do Your will. Let Your glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

We pray in Your great name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, You bless the people who patiently endure hardship and testing. And so we bring before You our prayers for the people of Ukraine who, in these last months, have endured indescribable adversity and have been tested time and again. Yet, they have held fast to their faith in You and confident in Your deliverance from unspeakable horrors.

You see the atrocities inflicted upon Ukraine, O God. You know the torture the Ukrainians endure day after day at the ruthless hands of their enemy. They wait patiently for Your intercession. Where, then, is Your blessing?

O Lord, You have promised those who love You the crown of life. Give to the people of Ukraine, who have remained unwavering in their hope in You, who have embodied Your compassion in tending to the overwhelming suffering around them despite the risk to their own lives, give them evidence of the abundant life You have prepared for them.

Defend them with the strength of Your mighty arm. Crown them with righteousness, for in facing the wickedness that encroaches on them, they have remained steadfast in their devotion to You.

May they serve as a testimony to Your faithfulness and a witness to Your abiding presence. And may we prove worthy to endure the testing and hardship that befalls us when we are called to take our stand against tyranny and oppression.

All this we pray in Your sovereign name. Amen.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

We acknowledge today, O Lord, Your power, mercy, and grace. We need Your power, for the challenges we face require more than human wisdom and strength. We need Your mercy, for we transgress Your law and fall short of Your glory. We need Your grace, for we cannot offer anything to merit Your favor or gain Your love.

Lord, empower our Senators for today’s journey. Give them confidence to draw near to You that they may find grace to help them in this time of need. May they pass their days in the companionship of Your eternal presence. Enable them to learn the stewardship of time, energy, and abundance. And Lord, we continue to pray for Ukraine.

We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, as we set our sights on the week ahead, we pray Your guidance and strength to accomplish the work and the responsibilities You have set before us.

Ready our minds for action. May we prove to be doers of Your compelling will. May our thoughts center not just on the concerns of our constituents, but may we open ourselves to the broader purpose to which You have called us, that we would commit all our efforts to the common good.

Give us self-discipline, that as timelines and schedules, committee meetings, and caucuses all vie for our time and attention, that we would be discerning in our endeavors to use our gifts, talents, and energy as You would have us do.

Sustain us by the hope You set before us. Open our eyes to the multitude of opportunities and possibilities You so richly provide.

Then may we never rest, satisfied in our own accomplishments or on human approbation, but may we find our purpose in Your divine plan and our identity grounded in the grace found only in You.

We offer to You our plans for the week ahead and pray with certitude that we are, indeed, undergirded by the power of Your sovereign name. Amen.

Monday, July 11, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Oh, Lord, as our lips are open in prayer, so may our hearts be open to receive Your Holy Spirit. Help us to bow to Your will and live lives devoted to Your providential leading.

Lord, bless our Senators in their work. Let faith, hope, and love abound in their lives. Help them to seek to heal the hurt in our world and to be forces for harmony and goodness. Remind them that they will be judged by their fruits and that You require them to be faithful. May they seek to serve rather than be served, following Your example of humility and sacrifice.

We pray in the Name of Him who is our refuge from life’s storms. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord, You are good and Your love is eternal. From generation to generation, You have revealed Your faithfulness.

As we pause to reflect on those who have gone before us, who have sat in this very Chamber, and spoken from the same rostrum, remind us again how Your provisions for us from year to year are never failing.

As the Nation finds itself at odds over countless issues, overwhelmed by constant change, and struggling to find consensus over numerous concerns, remind us again that discord is not new and unrest is not foreign to the American experiment. Then reassure us that Your faithfulness endures throughout time.

Cause us once again to remember that You call us to give You our whole heart, mind, and body, and to believe that our days past, present, and future are all in Your keeping. Then may we not be inclined to lean on our own understanding in these days or ever, but to trust only in You. For You, O Lord, are good, and Your love for us is eternal.

In Your merciful name, we pray. Amen.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

House of Representatives – Dr. Lee Corder

Lord, as we gather today, we pray for our Nation, for unity and peace. May we reflect on some of the painful lessons learned in times of suffering and strife.

Lord, convict us when we divide ourselves into tribes rather than seek to live as a united people and are surprised by our lack of unity.

Lord, correct our arrogance and teach us humility when we are tempted to assume that those with whom we disagree have nothing to offer us.

Gracious Father, forgive us when we tolerate or contribute to the language of destruction and hate and are shocked by acts of violence.

Instead, imprint upon all who serve here the transforming truth that “we love because He first loved us . . . therefore, since God so loved us, we also are to love one another.” For You tell us that apart from love, kindness, and mutual respect, we will accomplish little of lasting impact.

In the name of the Lord we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend John Kellogg

O, God, the fountain of wisdom, whose will is good and gracious, and whose law is truth: We beseech You so to guide and bless our Representatives in Congress, that they may enact such laws as shall please You, to the glory of Your name and the welfare of this people.

Amen.

Friday, July 1, 2022

House of Representatives – Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti

Good and gracious God, the footprints of the evil one are rising in this land; hatred, division, violence, killing of the innocent, desecration of holy sites, and more. But we know that Your power is supreme; that You are Lord.

Today, we commend each and every person in this place and in our Nation to Your loving care. We place our trust in Your providence and guidance. We know that You will lead us safely home. We thank You, and we trust in You. Amen.

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Rachel Landers Vaagenes

Dear God, may we be reminded today that our universe is made of love. I ask that this life-giving love be manifest today in the hearts and minds of these Representatives of the American people, both those who are gathered in this Chamber today, and those who are away.

To be a Representative of the people is a great gift. May these public servants be honorable stewards of the trust and responsibility that they have received. May they work together for the common good of our country. May they come to their work with generosity of spirit and creativity of mind.

Today and every day, may this body be a reflection of love and care and righteousness. May the work done today contribute to the building up of our Nation and all who reside here, and indeed may it bless our whole world.

Amen.

Friday, June 24, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, You created the world and called it good–and it was good. As we acknowledge that our heritage is deeply rooted in the first human beings, we ask Your forgiveness. For like them, we have dared to challenge Your supreme authority in favor of our own will.

Like Cain who murdered Abel with his hands because his heart had turned from You, even today our wills are set on our position, our power, and our pride. We weaponize the things at our hands and fail to humble our hearts to accept Your peaceful design for community.

Turn our wills, O God, from evil. Speak into our souls and save us from ourselves. For from the beginning of time we have been the obstacles to peace and justice. From the smallest infraction against a colleague to the vengeance we call down on our enemies, we have been and remain responsible for the roadblocks to reconciliation.

God, grant us Your wisdom to live the righteous life You intended for our first ancestors. May Your divine insight make our hearts pure, peace-loving, considerate, full of mercy, impartial, and sincere.

Then may our deeds henceforth be borne in the humanity that comes from Your eternal and gracious plan.

In Your merciful name we pray, and by Your grace we live. Amen.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Mighty God, the source of all life and the light of all seeing, lift our thoughts to the greatness of Your majesty. May we strive to do right by trusting You completely.

Lord, judge our thoughts and desires leading us with Your love and faithfulness. Today, teach our lawmakers to love in the presence of hate, to forgive in the presence of injustice, and to illuminate in the presence of darkness.

Lord, may the promise of Your love be experienced in all of their relationships. Be for us all a helper and a shelter in the time of storm.

We pray in Your righteous name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, give us eyes of faith. Like little ones who live with open hearts, open minds, and open hands, remind us that, as Your children, You welcome us into Your arms and hear our prayers.

Restore to us if not the innocence of the young––for we have seen, heard, and experienced too much to be that naïve––then grant us the ability to trust You and the people and purpose You put before us. Dispel our cynicism and hurt and open our hearts to Your movement in our lives.

Enable us to be respectful of differences of opinion. Relieve us of our need to dismiss people who disagree with us with labels and stereotypes, and open our minds to find not only our shared passions but the value of diversity in the health of our society.

Then encourage us to reach out in ways that will bolster up the other. For woe to the one who is alone and has no one to lift him up. Woe, too, to the one whose helping hands are bound by fear and contempt. Open our hands that we would be a strength and encouragement to those around us.

We give You thanks for the blessings You bestow on each of Your children. And we pray Your blessing that through what we seek to accomplish today, all would feel Your loving embrace.

In the name of the one who gives us life that we may live it abundantly, we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, shepherd of our nation and world, hear our prayer.

Lord, we turn to You because You are an intervening god who has asked us to pray without ceasing. We sometimes have difficulty comprehending the effectiveness of prayer, but we trust Your precepts and honor Your commands.

Lord, empower our lawmakers as You use them for Your glory. May they strive to keep themselves pure and to turn away from sin, as You show them Your ways and teach them Your wisdom.

Give them the wisdom to meditate upon Your mighty acts in the history of our nation and world. Lord, encourage them to trust You with their future.

We pray in Your sovereign name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Lord, our God, we exalt and praise Your name. For You, in Your perfect faithfulness, have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Reveal Your steadfast love to those who are being ravaged by senseless warfare––the Ukrainians whose cities are a heap of rubble, whose towns are now ruined––but not because of Your vengeance. The breath of the ruthless has been like a storm driving against a wall, like the heat of the desert.

Holy God, silence the uproar. Give relief from the intensity of this battle. Still the song of the avenger.

Once again, prove Yourself the refuge for the poor in spirit, a refuge for the needy in distress. Provide the people of Ukraine shelter from the storm of war waged against them. Give them shade from the oppressor’s heat of wrath.

Then, sovereign Lord, wipe away the tears from all faces, remove the disgrace of Your people. May they rise to proclaim: “Surely, this is our God. We trusted in Him, and God saved us. This is the Lord. We trusted in God; let us rejoice and be glad in God’s salvation.”

So may it be, according to Your Word, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Our Father, we wait in reverence before Your throne. Cleanse us from our sins, creating in us clean hearts, while renewing a right spirit within us.

Help our lawmakers today to discern Your voice and do Your will. Give them the ability to know Your guidance from all others’, permitting You to lead them to Your desired destination.

Lord, speak to them through Your holy Word, guide them with Your spirit, and sustain them with Your might. May they strive to permit justice and righteousness to flourish in this generation and beyond. Use them to rescue those who suffer because of violence and oppression.

We pray in Your great Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, You see us as we are – our strengths, our weaknesses, our accomplishments, and our shortcomings – and still You love us with a parent’s heart.

God, we give You thanks for the patience You show us time and again. Despite our inclination to take things into our own hands, to fool ourselves to think that our way is the only way, to turn from Your guidance and walk away from Your loving arms, nonetheless, You stand beside, behind, and before us, ready to right us when we stumble and to reassure us when we fail.

Like a hen that broods over her nest, You gather us under Your wings and tend to our every need. Open our eyes to Your gracious care over us. Call us to seek shelter in Your encouraging embrace and to trust Your steadying hand.

We ask that You give us this day reminders of Your abiding faithfulness and enduring mercy. As we stand in the light of Your grace, may we see both our guilt and our acquittal.

Then may we find restoration and renewal to serve You as those who have been given a new chance to bask in Your love and proclaim Your compassion for all people.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 17, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Stephanie Vader

God of all creation, who cannot be contained by our boundaries or our definitions, You are present in every place, in every moment in history. You are here and now.

Restore us anew to the vision of our forebearers who committed themselves to a vision of one Nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. We confess in this sacred Chamber of decision making that we have not realized that vision.

This weekend as we remember and honor those who father us and celebrate Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of enslavement in the United States, we think of our ancestors.

Where our ancestors failed to work for liberty and justice for all and contributed to oppression and harm, we lament.

Where our ancestors struggled to work for liberty and justice for all, we give thanks.

Restore anew the vision of liberty and justice for all in us. Help us to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression. To love only that which is good. To learn to be gentle. By our actions to lessen the tides of sorrow. To add to the sum of human flourishing. Amen.

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God, our refuge and strength, give us reverence for Your greatness. Guide our Senators around the pitfalls of their work, enabling them to have hearts sustained by Your peace. May they surrender their will to You, as they trust You to direct their steps. Lord, give them the wisdom to receive Your reproof with the understanding that You chastise those whom You love for their good. Make their lives productive for the glory of Your Name. And, Lord, bless Ukraine. We pray in the Name of our redeemer. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, bless us with Your abundance this day. All that we seek may we receive. Then may we see that You alone have provided for us.

We dedicate the work of our hands and our minds to Your purpose. Allow us all that we need, for in You we have the plenitude of Your abundant grace.

When we are uncertain that we have enough time, energy, or information to carry out our responsibilities to our country, our communities, or our families, remind us that You are able to bless us beyond our limited human vision, and provide for us when we fall short.

Remind us also that more than just the work that we do or the daily lives that we lead, You offer to us the wealth of spiritual prosperity available in You. May we draw from Your spirit the resources we need to face the profound challenges and meet the profane contests that seek to undermine our integrity and rob us of hope.

In all things, O God, may we call upon You and the mercy You desire to lavish upon us. In this may we find life and have it more abundantly.

In Your generous name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, every good and perfect gift comes from You alone. For with You there is no variation or shadow of turning. May we place our hope in You and never forget how You have sustained us in the past. Lord, give our senators the wisdom to trust You in the small things, realizing that faithfulness with the least prepares them for fidelity with the much. May they trust You to do what is best for our nation and world during these challenging and turbulent times. And, Lord, bless Ukraine. We pray in Your matchless name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Sovereign God, we pray to You again on behalf of the Ukrainian people. They continue to call to You, O Lord, in their distress. They call to You, our God. Hear their voices.

Relieve them of the hardship of their oppression.

Free them from the abuse of their captors.

Loose them from the chains of their enemy and give them the freedom of their own sovereignty and the blessing of peace in their homeland.

Then gracious God, allow us, we who are observers to this travesty, to be inspired by the faith of the Ukrainians in the face of their adversity. Open our eyes to the spiritual warfare being waged which has called forth their unshakable faith in You. They are living proof of the victory they have already won in You.

For they are hard–pressed on every side, but not crushed. They are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Almighty God, may we receive their testimony of Your saving grace. Then may we be found as steadfast in the living of our days.

In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, help us to so live that the generations to come will know of Your mighty acts. Today, give our lawmakers the singularity of heart to seek, find, and follow Your will so that their legacy will be exemplary. Lord, guide them in the path You have created, inspiring them with the potency of Your powerful presence. May they trust You in times of adversity and prosperity, knowing that they will reap a productive harvest if they persevere. Keep them from underestimating the power of Your great name. We pray in the name of our redeemer. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Eternal God, on this Flag Day, when we pause to acknowledge the symbol of liberty and democracy to which we pledge our allegiance, remind us of the significance of Your authority over this land of the free and the brave and the faithfulness to which we are called to give to You.

In this season when we celebrate with cookouts and patriotic festivities, when we stand and salute the national ensign held with great honor in the hands of scouts and veterans, may we pause first in homage to the author of our freedoms in whose hands our lives are held.

And as we consider the multitude of times this emblem of our country has draped the caskets of men and women who have worn the cloth of our Nation, having sacrificed their comforts, their security, their very lives in its defense, may we find strength in the covering of the peace You keep over our land and the solace You provide all those who grieve.

Almighty God, long may our flag wave under the banner of love You hold over us.

In Your sovereign name we pray.  Amen.

Monday, June 13, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, dressed in a robe of light, this is the day that You have made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Lord, we place our trust in You. You have guided our life’s journey through many dangers, toils, and snares. Your amazing grace continues to sustain us. Today, show our lawmakers the right path. Lead them by Your truth and save them with Your matchless love. You continue to be the God of our salvation, and without Your mercies, we would be consumed. And Lord, we thank you for our incoming summer pages and as always, we ask you to bless Ukraine. We pray in Your merciful name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

You, O Lord, ruler of the universe, we call on You today. Make us aware of Your presence here in this place.

Gracious God, not a breath is taken, not a bird falls from the sky, without Your knowledge. Such knowledge is too wonderful to conceive and at other times a confounding mystery.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. Remind us of Your abiding love which, by the gift of Your eternal spirit, You have never withheld from us from the beginning of time even unto today.

How wonderful it is to trust in Your sovereignty. How wonderful but how terrible when we come face to face with the tragedies we simply cannot accept, nor in which can we see Your merciful hand at work.

Remind us again that You deigned to set the world in motion, then blessed us with the opportunity to participate in Your grace plan for creation. And with that blessing, which is truly beyond our imagining, You have also laid on us the mantle to uphold and protect the values You have imbued in us.

In our attempts to live into these responsibilities as they reveal themselves in each encounter, may we feel Your nearness to us, and the guidance and direction You provide.

We offer ourselves to You, responding with lives of faith and praying to serve You this day as a reflection of Your peaceful presence and unwavering love in our midst.

In Your sovereign name we pray.  Amen.

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, You stretch out the starry curtain of the Heavens. May Your Name be kept holy. As our lawmakers depend on Your guidance, keep their feet on the path You have chosen. Lord, inspire them to make a commitment to always do what is right as You give them the wisdom to discern it. Open Your hands to bless their work, supplying their needs out of the bounty of Your celestial riches. Mighty God, may Your glory continue forever. Lord, thank You for the commitment and competence of the great spring 2022 Senate page class. Bless them as they prepare to leave us tomorrow. We pray in Your loving Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we humble ourselves and pray to You, yielding our wills to Yours, and giving ourselves over to Your authority. We pray that You would be merciful in Your discipline.

Search our hearts and melt all hardness that You find therein. Liberate us from the bonds of hostility that prevent us from living lives of love and compassion.

Inspire us also to humble ourselves and to unite in prayer as a nation. Search the soul of our society and speak into the pain and suffering. Hold us accountable to the countless ways we are inclined to stray from Your will.

Then silence the voices within and among us which vie for power and strive to eliminate cooperation. Remind us of Your desire for mutual and respectful dialogue and of our responsibility to respect those with whom You have called us to serve.

Call us not to listen for our own counsel but to heed Your own. Call us out when we hasten to judge the differences of opinion, rather than work for the common good. And call us from our intransigence into Your transcendent presence that we would experience Your grace and be transformed by Your spirit.

May we serve the people––Your people––with kindness and wisdom this day.

In Your divine name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal God, robed with honor and majesty, we praise You for the marvelous things You have done throughout our Nation’s history. Lord, thoughts about Your mighty deeds continue to fill us with joy. You are Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. Lord, in these tumultuous times, we continue to trust You to compel evil forces to retreat. Surround this Nation with the shield of Your divine favor as You execute judgment from Your throne. Lord, continue to remind our lawmakers of their accountability to You. And Lord, bless Ukraine. We pray in the Name of our Savior. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

God of peace and author of our salvation, we pause in prayer to You for the ongoing conflict overwhelming the country of Ukraine and terrorizing its people. After over 100 days of fighting, O Lord, the people cry to You for deliverance.

We pray to You on their behalf as their voices grow weak with exhaustion, their hope dim with each passing hour of unrelenting adversity.

God, You are their refuge and their strength. Do not delay Your salvation from them. You are their ever–present help in time of trouble. Do not deny them the strength of Your abiding spirit.

Though the Earth gives way to the aggression of their foe, give them reason not to fear. Though the seas are ensnared with the adversary’s worst intentions, send Your spirit to brood over these waters and disrupt their chaotic plans and bring the order of Your peace.

May Ukraine bear witness to Your promises. God, You are within her, she will not fall. God, You will help her at break of day. Lord Almighty, You are with them. You are their fortress.

We pray with Ukraine by the power of Your sovereign name. Amen.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Lord, You are our source of hope and salvation. So why should we be afraid? You have been our fortress when evil has seemed to be winning. So why should we tremble? Lord, keep us fearless even when surrounded by predatory evil. Even when there is violence within our Nation, give us confidence that Your purposes will prevail. Today, use our lawmakers as instruments of Your peace. Hear this prayer, mighty God, for Your faithfulness continues to sustain us. We pray in our Redeemer’s Name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Almighty God, hear our prayers as the country lies divided before You. And yet there is not one person in this room who doesn’t want to relieve our children of fear or to ensure the safety of the day–to–day lives of American citizens.

How then do we address faithfully the rash of tragedies that have plagued our communities and gripped the Nation with turmoil and terror, frustration, and fear?

Holy God, how do we respond appropriately to the devastation that has infiltrated our schools and our playgrounds, haunted nightclubs, and grocery stores, and taken over city streets and neighborhood graduation parties?

Lord, how do we discern the way to peaceful dialogue without our personal prejudices getting in the way?

And how do we avoid our inclination to be right but seek instead the wisdom of Your righteousness?

As we approach You, whether from the depths of our sadness or the heat of our anger, remind us that these days and every day belong to You. Though the discussions in which we engage ourselves seem fraught with discord, You alone have the power to bring order to our chaos.

Call us then to set our minds not on our own self–interests but to adopt a more faithful attitude that leads to life and peace––an attitude that comes only from Your holy spirit.

Inspire us to yield ourselves, our deliberations, and our lives to Your guidance that our Nation would be restored.

We pray in the power of Your name to serve You faithfully in all that we face this day.  Amen.

Monday, June 6, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Savior, lead us like a Shepherd. Lord, we experienced more mass shootings over the weekend leaving a carnage of dead and wounded. Forgive us when we do too little too late. Give us the prudence to anticipate the evil and choose the right priorities to prevent it. Lord, provide our lawmakers with the ability to discern and do what is right, even when it is difficult. Give them the courage to speak the truth regardless of the consequences. Help them to be productive in all their endeavors as they strive to walk along the paths of justice. And Lord, bless Ukraine. We pray in our Savior’s Name. Amen.

Friday, June 3, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

O Lord our God, You are our strength and our song. By Your mighty hand, You have brought us to this moment in time that our lives would sing Your praises.

As we begin the day, cause us to reflect on the countless times You have upheld us through chaos and calamity, those moments when we had nothing left in our own reserves but could only draw on Your strength to see us through. Then may those reminders of Your abiding presence remain with us during the events and challenges in store for us today. Would that we look to You and the encouragement, motivation, and inspiration You provide for us in both the obvious and the more subtle gifts of grace You offer.

May we see Your face in all things and thus be empowered to meet You in all the things we face.

We can do all things through the one who strengthens us. May this serve as our refrain this day.

In the power of Your name, we pray to serve You faithfully.  Amen.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, we find ourselves at the end of this Memorial Day weekend having honored the heroes of our country. We lift our hearts in gratitude for those who chose to give their lives in the fight for right and freedom, the honor of this country, and the preservation of its noble ideals.

We pray for those families, friends, and communities who sent their loved ones off to war and who now touch a gravestone just to sustain the memory of their sacrifice.

But as the first funerals are held today following the tragedy in Texas, we also grieve the innocents who didn’t live long enough to have a choice as to how they would give their lives.

Lord God our Father, we raise our voices of grief and mourning in memory of the ones who were lost on Uvalde’s battlefield, the 19 children and their two teachers. We cry with the families who sent their children off to school but who now drape themselves over tiny caskets, yearning just to hold them one last time.

Our country’s eyes are dim with grief, and we call out to You, spreading before You our deepest sadness. Our Nation’s prayers are offered before You in the hope that You would turn Your ear to our cries for those whom we have loved and lost.

O Lord, You are the God who saves. Show Your compassion to us in these moments. Declare Your love to us in the midst of our grief.

In Your sovereign name we pray Your favor. Amen.

Friday, May 27, 2022

House of Representatives – Reverend Russell Gordon

God of creation, we praise You for the sheer beauty of this world, for its astonishing diversity among plants and animals and peoples who together call this place home. We pray for Your gracious providence to encourage us in being responsible caretakers of all that You have made, to respect the delicate nature of the Earth, and to preserve this wondrous world for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

We most especially pray this day for those families who have recently lost their children and loved ones due to gun violence. Bring them a good measure of Your comfort and Your peace.

As we begin this Memorial weekend, help us, O God, to do so humbly, grateful for the utmost sacrifice made by those in uniform in all fields of conflict, lives given so we may enjoy the fruits of life and liberty. We pray for those families who still feel their loss. May their supreme offering inspire this Nation and its leaders to strive for those ways that lead to greater unity, justice, freedom, and peace. Amen.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O God our Father, we wait to serve You as You desire. May we do what is right and trust You completely. Lord, make us alert to the needs of those lives You seek to touch, providing us with opportunities to transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Examine and test us. Judge our desires and thoughts. Today use our lawmakers to bring relief to captives and deliverance to the oppressed. Give our senators such faith that they will bless even those who are hard of heart. May our legislators courageously work to lift those who are brought low by sorrow and empower those who are buffeted by grief. We pray in your precious name. Amen.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

Eternal redeemer, the Father of mercies, You are our help in time of need. Lord, as we mourn the senseless tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Texas, guide us with Your grace. Lord, sometimes prayers seem so useless, yet in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, You told us to pray without ceasing. We lift our voices again to You. We pray because You have helped us in the past. We pray because You are our hope for the years to come. Strengthen us to pray and work until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. You inspire our lawmakers to strive to become islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference. Lord, use our senators to build a more safe nation and world. We pray in Your merciful name. Amen.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Senate – Chaplain Barry C. Black

O Lord who serves the mind of all called to serve You and country, guide our lawmakers to fulfill Your purposes. When it is difficult to see the path ahead, give them the wisdom to trust the unfolding of Your powerful providence. Empower them to resist the sins that bring dishonor as they seek to live for Your glory. Lord, unite them to bear the burdens which are laid upon them during these challenging days. As they remember their accountability to You, inspire them to be good stewards of Your bounty. And, Lord, bless Ukraine. We pray in Your great name. Amen.

House of Representatives – Reverend Gary Studniewski

Almighty God, from this, the people’s House, we give You thanks for the many blessings that You have bestowed throughout our Nation’s history. You have raised up generations of citizens who have enjoyed the freedoms upon which this country was established, the first of which is the freedom to worship You and to beseech Your favor upon our Union.

Lord, we ask You now to bless the Members of this House of Representatives and all who support its proceedings. Give them the wisdom to make decisions that would strengthen and prosper our Nation, make laws that are just, and serve with integrity and selflessness.

We continue to rely on Your good favors, dear Lord, as we pledge our devotion and our service.  Amen.

Friday, May 20, 2022

House of Representatives – Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben

Holy God, You have allowed to fall upon us both blessings and obstacles, that we would never take for granted the precious gift of our existence and the fragility of our life.

When we experience moments of Your favor, may we rejoice in Your will, and in times of displeasure, may we take seriously Your desire that we turn and return to You with all our hearts and souls. Whether we find ourselves banished to unknown frontiers or struggling at the periphery of our community, You, O Lord, will gather us in and bring us back to Your loving embrace.

May we ever obey Your guidance and give heed to Your direction, that we would know of Your delight when we choose to love the Lord our God and walk in obedience to You.

Today may we choose the ultimate over the urgent, the significant over the trivial, the substantive over the spectacle, and the eternal over the temporal.

In Your sovereign name we pray.  Amen.

(Prayers from the Senate and the House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Canva)

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