 Good morning. I welcome you all to the 36th annual national prayer breakfast and Before I introduce to you the fine group of men behind me I'd like to first thank Congressman Bob stump for his beautiful pre-breakfast prayer and To thank him also for his leadership in the house prayer grew Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. I don't think so. It was still off. Good morning. Good morning. Can you yes? Good morning. We now have a microphone that works. I Want to welcome you to the 36th annual national prayer breakfast and Before I introduce the fine group of young men behind me. I Want to thank congressman Bob stump for his beautiful pre-breakfast prayer. We're still off We're having a little problem with our mic and we'll get it worked out Welcome you again and begin by thanking congressman Bob stump of Arizona for our pre-breakfast prayer And the Wheaton College men's glee club For a wonderful beginning of this fine day. Let's give them a hand. We're just For our opening prayer. I want to present Admiral William J. Crowell chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a man who's a distinguished career spans from as a young naval aid to president Eisenhower and president Eisenhower was our President of our first national prayer breakfast to hold the highest job in our military But also a man who has always recognized a need for prayer in divine guidance Admiral crowd. Thank you, sir Good morning You can't see yourselves, but I want to ensure you that you're a very inspiring sight The national prayer breakfast began in 1953 as a gathering of our government's leaders And I understand it was organized by president Eisenhower and a number of his friends in the Congress Whom had over the course of a lifetime of service found strength in a relationship with God Together they desire to make a conspicuous renewal of their dedication to the principles of their faith Now this is an institution and it has its represents an honored place in our national life the national prayer breakfast There is a corridor in the Pentagon dedicated to president Dwight Eisenhower's memory It's just outside the office of the secretary. Please join me in prayer Heavenly father. We have come together this morning To reaffirm our dedication to your teachings We still strive to give your commandment's life in our time We still yearn for that peaceful concert of peoples that order of justice and liberty In which all men can pursue their rightful aspirations in tranquility We still seek that unity in which all can share in the world's bounty We know these things are the heart's desire and the birthright of every individual on earth Grant us the wisdom to see the way to these ends through clouds of division and discord Make us strong against worldly weaknesses and vigilant to find and redress our own shortcomings Help us to see your image and others and to understand their ways of serving and searching for your path But all understand that to serve you is to hasten the day when nations without exception Shall lay aside rivalries and feuds and embrace one another as brothers This we ask on behalf of all your children and in your name Amen Now if you will allow me to introduce a few people who although do they do not appear on your program are very Significant to all of us especially those of us at the head table and if you will stand as I introduce you from my left Shirley Crowe the wife of Admiral William Crowe his crowd Bill together with Ellen his wife have been senator Bill Armstrong Thank you Lawton, thank you for your generous words far more than I deserve I sure wish you'd been with me in Cortez, Colorado the other day though In Cortez, Colorado instead of getting a wonderful introduction like that The person who was preparing to introduce me arose and began to ramble through a lengthy Disorganized introduction and it finally occurred to him Lawton as he was speaking that at some point in my life I had been interested in a particular obscure portion of the tax code and he began to explain The tax code to this audience and he got about three or four minutes into it And it finally dawned on him that this was getting completely off the rails and he stopped and he said If I try to tell you any more about this, I'm just going to make a fool of myself and I don't want to do that But senator Armstrong will Thank you. Lawton. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Mr. President. This is Reagan Mr.. Secretary Admiral distinguished guests my colleagues what a great morning. I don't know about you, but I'm excited This is a very very special time For Ellen and me and and I really believe for our country and for all of the nations that are represented here this morning And I want to join my colleagues in welcoming you to this unique gathering In a spirit of friendship In the spirit of brotherhood and in the spirit of Jesus Christ as I look out into the audience I see so many distinguished lawyers. I almost hate to bring up a legal issue, but I can't help recalling a Particular lawsuit. It wasn't Howard. It was not a great issue of constitution Some of you in the room knew dr. Charles Malick who passed away recently Important thing and the reason why I don't want to dwell on my own experience is that is what a wonderful wonderful message President this is the eighth prayer breakfast that you have participated in and In the 36 years of this event No president and his lady Have been more faithful in their participation or more helpful in all of the events surrounding the Breakfast the Meeting and the greeting and entertaining of our foreign guests and dignitaries and you and Mrs. Reagan and We wish to extend to both of you Our sincere gratitude for that and now I present to you the president of the United States Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you and thank you all very much You know hearing these wonderful young men from Wheaton College here took me down memory lane a little bit Because some years ago before they were born and well possibly before some of their fathers were born. I Played football against Wheaton College and it's kind of nice that I can say here at one of them asked me It ended in a tie game the risk of sounding facetious I Just want to say here in this room when has it been so eloquently stated by the people who've spoken already About the uniqueness of how all of us from so many different heritages have come together here in the name of that one man I Have long been Unable to understand the atheist in this world of so much beauty And I've had an unholy desire To invite some atheists to a dinner and then serve the most fabulous Gourmet dinner that has ever been concocted and after dinner asked them if they believed there was a cook But I want to thank each of you for being here today and for sharing With us the spiritual message that God is placed in your hearts God's love shines through every word his truth is the ultimate power source, and it's always there It's available to ministers of the gospel presidents and the local grocery clerk His comforting hand Well, I could never carry the responsibilities of this high office without it our forethoughters drew on the Wisdom and strength of God when they turned a vast wilderness into a blessed land of plenty Called the United States of America God has truly blessed this country But we never should fall into the trap that would detract from the universality of God's gift It is for all mankind God's love is the hope and the light of the world Recently a letter found his way to my desk. I'm pleased to say and in that letter Was a copy of a prayer It was sent to me by a woman who had lost her husband in World War two This prayer had been written and delivered in a shell hole during World War two It read hear me, oh God Never in the whole of my lifetime have I spoken to you But just now I feel like sending you my greetings You know from childhood on they've always told me you are not I Like a fool believed them I've never contemplated your creation and yet tonight gazing up out of my shell hole I marveled at the shimmering stars above me and suddenly knew the cruelty of the lie Will you my God reach your hand out to me? I wonder But I will tell you and you will understand Is it not strange that light should come upon me and I see you amid this night of hell And there's nothing else I have to say this though I'm glad that I've learned to know you at midnight. We're scheduled to attack But you are looking on and I am not afraid the signal Well, I guess I must be going I Have been happy with you this more I want to say as You well know the fighting will be cruel and even tonight. I may come knocking at your door Although I have not been a friend to you before still Will you let me enter now when I do come? Why I'm crying oh God my Lord you see what happens to me tonight my eyes were opened Farewell my God. I'm going and I'm not likely to come back Strange is it not? but death I fear no longer and He did not come back this prayer was found on the body of a young Russian soldier killed in action in 1944 I also received some letters five letters in fact from Russian soldiers in Afghanistan who had deserted their government and their army Each one of them wrote a letter to me and in that letter revealed their belief in God and That they had deserted not out of fear of battle, but because they could not carry out the unholy orders that had been given them and Just last week one of those five we did get them out their plea was for sanctuary One of those five was in my office. I had some young man in his early 20s and It was evident and not from only from his letter, but from his words that when he was thanking me for what we had done that He believed in God And I asked him What how much of what he felt how much religion did he believe there was in his own country? And he said well among young people like myself It is spreading fast So I Know with all of us here and brought together as we've been told so often did did this morning in His name. I Just thank you God bless you all Now we're about to be blessed by a woman with a beautiful voice in heart Happy birthday, mr. President Happy birthday And now we're about to be blessed with a woman with a beautiful voice in heart Patricia born Barnes was born and raised here in Washington, DC and She's dedicated to her heart to sing of Christ's love For those of the center city She often sings for the benefit of the homeless and the needy and for those in prison Today as Pat sings great is thy faithfulness We are reminded of Christ's abiding love for each of us and Singing the closing song and then leading us together and one stands of amazing grace Patricia Barnes, we've been so specially blessed this morning with many many special guests many godly men and women and coming to Close us with a few words of prayer as a man that's known to all of us He's a teacher. He's an encourager He's a pro-claimer of truth and a man of prayer and a man of God We're told that God does not raise up a prophet Today, but I think we know that if he did he'd look like Billy Graham President Reagan Child's son of Armstrong distinguished guest It's been my privilege to be here at every prayer breakfast since the very beginning Except two and that was when I went out to speak to troops and when they were fighting out in other parts of the world I was here that first one and I think I've given the message here about 12 or 15 times So I've been a part of this prayer breakfast and now I've been here so long. They don't know how to drop me and So I'm here again But of all the prayer breakfasts that I have been to this one, I believe has honored Christ More than any that I can remember and I keep saying that and since this is the last Breakfast the prayer breakfast that president and Mrs. Reagan will be in their official capacity I would like to take this opportunity again to thank them for the wonderful messages that he has brought Since being here and this morning was one of the best he is brought maybe the best And we're very grateful And the moral and spiritual leadership Mr. President that you have given the country and the example you and your wife have said in teaching what love and loyalty Between husband and wife can be has been a tremendous inspiration for us and Mrs. Reagan I want to thank you for the many projects you have instigated and especially your emphasis On fighting the terrible evil of drugs in this country George Washington was our first president The first commander-in-chief who led the revolution and without him there might have never been an america He was a man of deep faith and when he left home his mother told him Remember that god only is our sure trust My son neglect not the duty of secret prayer He never forgot her words And as a young man he began to keep a little diary in which he recorded his private prayers And in that little volume he wrote these words Almost glorious god I acknowledge and confess my faults and sins Direct my thoughts words and work Wash away my sins and the immaculate blood of the lamb And purge my heart by the holy spirit Daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ Thou gavest thy son to die for me And it's given me assurance of salvation Upon my repentance and sincerely endeavoring to conform my life to his holy precepts and example We've heard this morning that same message that George Washington wrote in his little book Because George Washington and some of those early founders of america were firm believers In the gospel of jesus christ and the fact we need to repent of our sins and turn by faith to him And they did that we hope you'll participate in all the other events and thank you for being here this morning