President Bush said Thursday that he and other Americans “surrender our will to God?s will” when they immerse themselves in prayer, an exercise thathe said “transforms us.”
Bush, who describes himself as a born-again Christian, made the remarks at a White House ceremony marking Thursday as the National Day of Prayer.
“America is a nation of prayer,” Bush said. “Prayer is a gift from almighty God that transforms us, whether we bow our heads in solitude or offer swift and silent prayers in times of trial.”
Bush once said that he prayed after ordering the U.S. military to invade Iraq. Some have complained that Bush sees himself as a messianic figure chosen by God to lead the war against terror.
The president has always denied the charge, although he is unapologetic about his devotion to Christianity. He says he feels buoyed by the prayers of countless Americans, many of whom write him letters or approach him after speeches.
“They say, ?I?ve come to tell you I pray for you, Mr. President,? ” Bush said. “And the only thing I know to do is to look at them in the eye and say: ?That is the greatest gift that a fellow citizen can do for those of us who have been entrusted to lead our country.? ”
At Thursday?s ceremony, the president made clear that he answers to a higher authority.
“In the stillness and peace of prayer, we surrender our will to God?s will, and we learn to serve his eternal purposes,” he said. “By opening ourselves to God?s priorities, our hearts are stirred and we are inspired to action ? to feed the hungry, to reach out to the poor, to bring aid to a widow or to an orphan or to the less fortunate.”
