24/7 prayer proposed

Sat., April 7, 2007

Religion News Service The Spokesman-Review

For one group of congressmen, the buck doesn’t stop at the Capitol or the White House: It stops with God.

The Congressional Prayer Caucus, formed in 2005 by Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., is asking Americans to pray for five minutes weekly for the benefit of the United States.

The prayer caucus, made up of 38 lawmakers from both parties, has a new Web site, www.prayercaucus.org, where people can sign up for a five-minute block of time each week to pray for the nation.

The goal is to have Americans praying for their country 24 hours a day, according to the group’s charter.

“Our newspapers, televisions, and computers are overwhelmed with negative voices. We have become cynical and lost credibility in many of our institutions,” says Forbes. “We hope that God will hear our prayers and heal our land.”

While the prayer caucus members are all Christians, they urge people of all faiths and political persuasions to join in prayer for the nation, especially during the war in Iraq.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said lawmakers should “stick to their constitutional duties and leave religious decisions to individuals.

“Religion is too important to become a political football,” Lynn said.

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