Washington Lawmakers Call for Prayer

Last week lawmakers renewed a 2005 call asking Americans to pray for God to heal the country. “Prayer is good for the soul,” said Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., Gannet News Service reported. “It forces us to lean on the One who is greater than us.” Walberg and other members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus are asking Americans to visit their Web site prayercaucus.org to sign up for a five minute slot so that someone is praying for America 24-7. “[We want to] build a spiritual prayer wall around America until God heals our land,” said caucus leader J. Randy Forbes, a Republican congressman from Virginia. In 2005 Forbes began a prayer meeting in the 219th room of Capitol Hill. The congressional prayer meeting eventually grew into the Congressional Prayer Caucus Inc., a nonprofit organization formed to call individuals as well as local “219 Groups” across the country to pray without ceasing. Many lawmakers believe prayer can help change the U.S. “I’m driven to prayer many, many times every day,” Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., told Gannet. “Sometimes on my knees, sometimes just walking to meetings. I believe prayer can change things.”