Washington:
US President Barack Obama too feels the need to pray and on Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast he departed from an otherwise serious talk to take note of the advancing age of his daughter and prayed to god that with her age her skirt should also get lengthier.
He said that his faith has deepened during his two years in the White House.
The president said he had prayed for God's intervention on any number or occasions -- though not always on the weightiest issues of the day.
At one point, the president said he has prayed, "Lord, give me patience as I watch Malia go to her first dance, where there will be boys. Lord, let her skirt get longer as she travels to that place."
Twelve-year-old Malia is the older of his two daughters. Sasha is 9.
While Obama often speaks of his faith, he prefers to worship in private. He rarely attends church in Washington; the White House says his presence would be too disruptive to the congregation. Obama said Thursday that he starts his day with meditations from Scripture, and has pastors who often come to the Oval Office to pray with him.
The president said he also prayed that "a better day will dawn" over Egypt, where violence has erupted between supporters and opponents of President Hosni Mubarak.
"We pray that violence in Egypt will end, and the rights and aspirations of the Egyptian people will be realized," Obama said.