Praying for Our Leaders in Government
Executive Branch: Pray for the President and his Administration
President Joe Biden will meet with majority leaders in the Senate on Thursday to promote changing the filibuster and passing voting legislation. Both measures have appeared to be on the brink of defeat and would be necessary for portions of the president’s agenda to move forward.
The president designated the Department of Homeland Security as the federal agency to coordinate domestic preparedness and response efforts that relate to the current Russia-Ukraine crisis. While there are no specific threats to the American homeland at this time, DHS is taking appropriate steps to ensure federal efforts are coordinated should the need arise.
Pray for wisdom for President Biden and all who are advising him regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Legislative Branch: Pray for Senators and Representatives in Congress
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia called on President Biden to increase domestic energy production to curtail the U.S. reliance on Russian oil and gas imports. He noted the U.S. is importing about a half-million barrels of oil products from Russia a month which poses a “clear and present danger to U.S. national security.”
Legislators are making the case that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine supports their opposition to energy regulations, saying increased domestic production would have the United States in a better position to handle the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They have called on the administration to “turn on the spigots” of domestic oil fossil fuel production.
Pray for those in Congress urging the president or writing legislation to change course on oil production in the U.S., to reduce or eliminate reliance on importation.
PRAY FOR CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Tom Carper of Delaware, said a report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change illustrates “the dire climate reality we face… the report makes it clear that we must adapt in response to climate change.”
Pray for committees holding hearings each week that investigate how laws are being implemented or where new legislation may be needed.
Judicial Branch: Pray for Supreme Court Justices and Federal Judges
The Supreme Court has agreed to review a case involving a federal law that gives Native Americans preference in adoptions of Native children. A federal appeals court upheld the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act and the authority of Congress to enact it; but the judges also found some of the provisions of the law unconstitutional, including the preferences for placing Native American children with Native adoptive families and in Native foster homes.
The Supreme Court began hearing arguments in a case that could curb the use of federal power to address environmental issues and limit President Biden’s plan to address climate change with executive actions.
Pray for the courts as they consider cases that may significantly impact families; pray for the new Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, as she visits with senators prior to her confirmation hearings.
