Breaking tradition, the President did not lead any prayer for the nation. Instead she listened to the prayers and preaching during the 23rd Philippine National Prayer Breakfast (NPB) at the Manila Hotel.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo delivered the "Prayers for the Nation and Our leaders" for Mrs. Arroyo at the gathering.
"Our President is trying, Lord — she looks at her people with hope in her eyes. She leads by example and tells us to sacrifice, to live humbly — like You; to bear the cross for others — like You. Bless her, o Lord, and give her the courage and strength to carry on."
In his welcome remarks, NPB co-chairman and executive director Jose Tan Ramirez cited the ecumenical gathering’s theme as the best message for these trying times: "Effective Leadership Under God."
"While in the midst of economic, fiscal and a fundamentally moral crisis, we gather anew in the spirit of prayer to listen to Your words through the reflection of our venerable speakers," Ramirez said.
In his "spiritual reflection," Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales underscored the need for "leadership with vision" and quoted Proverbs 29:18: "Where there is no vision, the people get out of hand; happy are they who keep the law."
"No one can lead without a vision," Rosales said. "A visionless leadership is a betrayal of the flock or the people. Leaders embody in their vision the collective desiderata of what people want to be, where and how they want to proceed with the values in their journey proven by their experience of success and even failings."
"Thus, when a unity vision has been framed as articulating the basic desiderata of the flock, leaders may come and go, but the envisioned people will continue the pilgrimage to fullness ever," he said. The featured speaker at the gathering was preacher John Maxwell, who likened Mrs. Arroyo to Queen Esther, a biblical character he referred to when speaking of five kinds of leadership.
Maxwell likened the president to Queen Esther who "never planned to be leader of her country."
"Being a leader is not a privilege," Maxwell said, "but to make a difference." Queen Esther, whose story comes from the Book of Esther, "exemplified a leader who risks everything to provide what is best for the people," he added.
Esther was an orphan of the tribe of Benjamin who rose from being a prisoner-exile to become Queen of Persia.
The reading of prayers was led by Vice President Noli de Castro, who shared a parable from the gospel of St. Luke.
"No servant can serve two masters," De Castro said, quoting Luke Chapter 16: Verses 1-15. "Either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Senate President Franklin Drilon read from the Epistles, Galatians 6:1-10, saying "a man reaps what he sows."
Speaker Jose de Venecia was one of the scheduled readers, but he was out of the country. Designated to read in De Venecia’s place was Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar, who read from the book of Psalms.
Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. was represented by Associate Justice Art Panganiban, who read a passage from the Old Testament’s 2 Chronicles 17:1-6; 19: 1-7.
Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz sought divine guidance from God in his "Prayer for Justice and Peace," in which he implored the Almighty that "we know nothing is impossible with You and that when we call, You will answer and show us the way."
"Unite us in these trying times," Datu Ibrahim Paglas III said in his "Prayer for National Unity."