Greatest Gift For Politicians

WASHINGTON (BP)--The "greatest gift" an American can give public officeholders is to pray for them, President Bush said Feb. 1 at the National Prayer Breakfast.

The president thanked all those "who lift all of us up in prayer" in an eight-minute speech to legislators, administration officials, foreign diplomats, religious leaders and others who gathered in a Washington hotel ballroom for the 55th annual event.

He also sent a message to the armed forces carrying out the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Our troops must understand that every day - every day - millions of our citizens lift them up in prayer," Bush said, according to a transcript provided by the White House. "We pray for their safety; we pray for their families they have left at home; we pray for those who have been wounded, for their comfort and recovery. We remember those who have been lost, and we pray that their loved ones feel the healing touch of the Almighty. During this time of war, we thank God that we are part of a nation that produces courageous men and women who volunteer to defend us."

Read more of this story on Baptist Press.

Read a transcript of the President's speech.