Pray the Vote
A judge ruled that the election commission in Tennessee’s largest county can open only one polling location during the first days of early voting for a county election. Judge James Butler decided the commission had not been shown to violate either the Tennessee Open Meetings Act or the state Constitution.
The Republican National Committee voted unanimously in favor of withdrawing from the Commission on Presidential Debates. They stated, “The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense reforms to help ensure fair debates including hosting debates before voting begins and selecting moderators who have never worked for candidates on the debate stage.”
Pray for officials in the states still going through the process of redistricting to have finalized the districts before the state primaries.
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
A trio of congressional legislators has written to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth calling on her to address high rates of suicide among service members serving in Alaska. They said, “We believe that the Army must take more comprehensive actions than what has been taken so far in order to change the trajectory.”
Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said that preparing for retaliation from Russia for supporting Ukraine is nothing new for the Defense Department. He said, “We never lose our focus on force protection or being able to defend ourselves or our allies.”
Pray for the leadership of the U.S. military at the Pentagon, and for the commanders over the troops that are deployed.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
Citing Second Amendment freedoms, Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Mike Braun of Indiana, and Mike Lee of Utah said they are preparing to introduce a Congressional Review Act Joint Resolution of Disapproval to prevent the Justice Department from implementing new rules regarding firearms.
Pray for members of congress as they attempt to provide oversight for the president’s new rules as it relates to the Second Amendment under the Bill of Rights.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that countries seeking advantage by failing to condemn Russia’s “heinous war” against Ukraine are being short-sighted and will face consequences if they undermine Western sanctions. She said the U.S. and its partners “will not be indifferent” to them.
A top Russian official said his country would consider U.S. and NATO transports in Ukrainian territory as “legitimate military targets” and that any effort to impede Russian forces would be “harshly suppressed.”
Pray for U.S. officials as they continue to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and for the millions of refugees who are seeking shelter in other European countries.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended all children be screened for anxiety starting as young as 8 years old—fresh guidance as doctors and parents warn of a worsening mental health crisis among young people in the wake of the pandemic. The task force is a panel of independent, volunteer experts.
The Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration have jointly issued warning letters to two websites for illegally selling Adderall, a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which has a high potential for abuse and addiction. They said the websites selling the pharmaceutical without a prescription pose a risk to consumers as the products, while being marked as authentic, may possibly be counterfeit, contaminated, expired, or otherwise harmful.
Pray for America’s children who have been so adversely affected by the pandemic.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
The leaders of Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip have met together to establish their “rules of engagement with Israel.” They have called for Palestinians to mobilize against Israel, threatening to escalate tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank,
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told a military parade that Iran’s armed forces will target Israel’s heart if it makes “the slightest move” against the Islamic Republic. This claim comes amid stalled talks between Tehran and world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear pact. Israel says it will not be bound by any Iranian nuclear deal and could eventually take unilateral action against Iranian nuclear sites.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
According to the Labor Department’s consumer price index, wholesale prices rose again in March to 11.2 percent from a year ago. Economists project no immediate end in sight, but predict a recession next year.
New research shows that several million workers who dropped out of the American workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic plan to stay out indefinitely because of persistent illness, fears, or physical impairments. This report finds this could potentially exacerbate the labor shortage for years.
Pray for economic and labor officials as they assess long-term implications for the economy and the possible recession ahead.
Pray for Goodness in America
Six years ago, two brothers from Brooklyn quit their day jobs to embark on a more meaningful life. In their efforts to make the world a kinder place, they provide hundreds of schoolchildren across the nation blankets wrapped in handwritten notes of encouragement to give to people experiencing homelessness, now including Ukrainians who were forced to flee their country after Russia invaded. It is the brothers’ way to remind people that they are not alone. They said a movement of kindness begins with the kids.
Pray that the Lord helps you to recognize opportunities to give “even a cup of cold water in the Savior’s name” to those who are less fortunate (Matthew 10:42).
Pray for America’s Media
Google’s cybersecurity unit reported they recently discovered coordinated attacks by North Korean government-backed hackers against U.S.-based organizations in the news media, IT financial technology, and cryptocurrency industries. Two separate North Korean groups exploited a vulnerability in the web browser Chrome in an effort to remotely install malware.
Pray for U.S. technology and cyber security officials as they work to prevent disinformation and hacking that affects many in America’s media.
Pray for America’s Education
New Mexico’s sweeping new changes to the state’s social studies standards, which would introduce racial and social identity lessons to children as young as 5, have drawn opposition from some parents and others. The State’s House Minority Whip has called on school districts to “reject” the new standards.
The Department of Education released a 19-page memo outlining several measures it said will increase “equity” in the nation’s schools. The department will also start “collecting race, ethnicity and gender data” on federal student loan applications and eliminating questions about drug convictions.
Pray for educators and the legislators who are wrestling with curriculum and ideology as worldviews are colliding in elementary schools.
Pray for America’s Technology
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has warned a group of privacy advocates that proposed antitrust laws will leave users with less choice for privacy as an unintended consequence of making iPhones less safe, which will put users at risk to “data-hungry” companies looking to sidestep privacy features. Proposed antitrust legislation is presently before Congress.
Pray that members of Congress widely consider unintended consequences of legislation being deliberated.
Pray for Needs Across the States
Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi signed into law a bill that prevents outside funds from being injected into Mississippi elections, a move he said strengthens the security of elections in his state.
The Nevada Department of Taxation warned residents about a fraudulent notice received by taxpayers. They stated, “The notices mention that the taxpayer has unpaid tax debt that needs to be paid immediately or enforcement such as seizure or forfeiture of Social Security benefits and garnishing of wages and bank accounts will take place.” The department does not have the authority to take those actions without taking prior legal steps.
Pray for state officials seeking to do what they deem best for their constituencies.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“If worship was only about the mountaintops, then… this wouldn’t be a good time for us. One thing I’m certain of is that worship is not reserved for the mountaintop. Worship is our response in the valleys. Worship is our response in the trenches. Worship is our response when the whole world is falling apart. Worship is our response when there’s nothing else to hang on to. Worship is our response in the fire.” – Joel Houston, Hillsong United worship band leader, Orlando, Florida, April 2022
