WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush extolled the power of prayer Thursday in personal and national life and touched on how it was invoked during the war to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Americans, he noted, first prayed that war would not be necessary, then prayed for the safety of coalition troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom and now pray for a just peace.
"This past month has been another time of testing for America and another time of intense prayer," he said.
"Americans have been praying time for the safety of our troops and for the protection of innocent life in Iraq. Americans prayed that war would not be necessary, and no pray that peace will be just and lasting.
"We continue to pray for the recovery of the wounded and for the conform of all who have lost a loved one."
Bush made his comments during festivities at the White House marking the National Day of Prayer, a long-standing event criticized by some who say it violates Constitutional strictures on separation of church and state.
Following the ceremony, which kicked off with a soloist's rendition of the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," Bush boarded Air Force One for California, from where he was to fly to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to deliver an evening address to the nation declaring the end of major military operations in Iraq.
The president was expected to stay overnight aboard the carrier as it heads toward San Diego at the end of a 10-month deployment in the Gulf region.
Noting that a number of military chaplains were at the event Thursday morning, Bush thanked them for their service, saying "you make a tremendous difference in the lives, the daily lives of people who are frightened and lonely and worried and courageous."
Bush also thanked the millions of Americans who have prayed for him.
"Today, we recognize the many ways our country has been blessed, and we acknowledge the source of those blessings," he said. "Millions of Americans seek guidance every day in prayer to the Almighty God. I am one of them.
"I also know that many Americans remember Laura and me in their prayers and I am very grateful."
Bush is a devout born-again Christian and is not shy to publicly invoke the Deity.
"All strength must be guided by wisdom and justice and humility," he said, referring to how prayer can help America. "We pray that God grant us that wisdom, that sense of justice and that humility in our current challenges, and in the years ahead."
Bush's declaration Thursday night, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EDT, formally ushers in the reconstruction phase of U.S. operations in Iraq. Bush, however, will not formally declare an end to hostilities.
The White House notes that troops are still on the receiving end of sporadic hostile fire.
A formal declaration of the end of the war would also bring into play a number of strictures detailed under international law, including the immediate release of all prisoners and responsibility for law and order and essential services.
The White House said Bush would also discuss reconstruction in Iraq in his speech.
