Pray the Vote
The campaigns of several mayoral candidates are focused on getting a handle on crime, replacing calls to “defund the police” in recent years.
A recent Rasmussen national survey found that 66 percent of American voters favor a proposal requiring all state and local elections to be held on a single day; with 20 percent disagreeing and 14 percent not sure. Sixty-three percent also believe such a change would bring about a significant increase in voter turnout.
Pray for voters to be informed and discerning as they cast their ballots in the midterm election primaries already underway.
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that would allow service members who were dismissed for vaccine-related reasons to be reinstated. The vaccine against COVID-19 had been made mandatory for all service members in August 2021 by the Pentagon.
Military leaders are considering a proposal from a defense contractor to develop an initiative by which the military would fund athletic college scholarships in exchange for mandatory service. Athletes from every sport except football and basketball at the NCAA, NAA, and junior college levels would commit to a yet-to-be-determined amount of service after they finish school.
Pray for leaders in the Pentagon as they work to keep recruitment at adequate levels.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas in which he stated the focus of the “Orwellian” board to focus on the threat of “mis/disinformation” should “shock the very core of the American belief system, a threat to free speech that will rightly alarm freedom-loving people across America, including those in my home state of Missouri.”
Pray for federal officials as they express and respond to concerns regarding freedom of speech with the establishment of the Disinformation Governance Board.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
The U.S. Trade Representative has questioned China’s protection of U.S. intellectual property She said that Beijing still must make a “full range of fundamental changes” to improve the protection of American patents, copyrights, and trade secrets.
A former NATO Deputy Allied Commander Europe stated, “The West must prepare for a ‘worst-case’ scenario” in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine: war with the Kremlin. He said NATO should “double down” in its support for Ukraine.
Pray for President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Defense Secretary Austin and the decisions they make concerning China and Russia.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Moderna submitted a request to the FDA for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 months to under 6 years of age. Young children have not received much in the way of intervention throughout the pandemic and approval of the request by the FDA could permit them to get a vaccine.
According to a report released by federal investigators, Medicare Advantage Organizations delayed or denied payments and services to patients, even when the requests met Medicare coverage rules. Payments to providers for some services that met both Medicare coverage rules and their billing rules were also denied.
Pray for officials in various federal agencies that are responsible for protecting public health.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
Israeli police addressed violence from Palestinians at Jerusalem’s most contested site as large crowds of Muslims gathered for prayers on Friday, ending a week of relative calm. The renewed tensions at Al Aqsa mosque compound have given rise to concerns of further violence as the month of Ramadan ends.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander said that Israel is creating conditions for its own destruction. The statement came during a “Jerusalem Day” rally in which the country’s new domestically-made Kieber Buster missile was displayed. State television said millions of Iranians joined the rallies in state-organized marches across the country chanting “Death to America. Death to Israel” slogans.
Pray for Israel’s officials as the nation faces threats both from within and without the nation.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
America’s economy shrank at a 1.4 percent annual rate in the first quarter as supply disruptions weighed on output, but solid consumer and business spending suggest growth will resume. The decline is the sharpest in the gross domestic product since the pandemic lockdowns in 2020.
According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, contracts to purchase previously owned homes dropped to the lowest level in nearly two years in March as soaring house prices and mortgage rates reduced the pool of buyers.
Pray for U.S. economists and administration officials to make wise moves to address the impact of inflation on both households and businesses.
Pray for Justice in America
An Ohio university will pay a philosophy professor $400,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees after disciplining him for using the wrong pronoun when addressing a transgender student who wanted to be referred to as a female. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the university violated the professor’s free speech rights when it punished him. The professor believes God created only two genders, male and female, which are determined by a person’s biology.
Pray with gratitude for the judges and courts upholding the rights to freedom of religion and speech.
Pray for Goodness in America
A Florida-based mission group announced that a Christian cycling group raised over $1 million for youth ministries around the world. “We give people who want to change the world opportunities to use cycling to bring the hope of the gospel to global youth through multi-day, Christ-centered bicycling tours,” they said.
Pray for those participating in ministries around the world who are reaching out to youth with the message of Christ Jesus.
Pray for America’s Media
According to a new research study, exposure to partisan news can shift sociopolitical attitudes over time. The findings suggest the relationship between partisan news consumption and partisan views is not merely a matter of self-selection. Instead, consuming news from partisan sources appears to alter perceptions of reality and sociopolitical attitudes.
Pray for decision-makers in the various major news outlets to return to straightforward reporting without political bias.
Pray for America’s Education
A school board in Massachusetts has now approved the application of a church with a largely Hispanic immigrant congregation to open a religious private school known as the Real Life Learning Center. School board members had previously voiced opposition to the church’s religious beliefs.
Pray for members of school boards around the nation as Christian schools and charter schools face increased opposition.
Pray for America’s Technology
The United States and more than 55 partner countries signed a declaration to foster an open, free, reliable, and secure internet. Administration officials said this action is partly in response to a rising trend of digital authoritarianism, including Russia’s actions to block credible news sites and promote disinformation during and leading up to the invasion of Ukraine.
Pray for U.S. leaders who are seeking to preserve the internet from censorship.
Pray for Needs Across the States
An all-encompassing education reform bill was signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike Dewine. The legislation’s sponsor said the bill paves the way for more Ohio students to receive higher education. The law provides $2,000 grants to students who re-enroll in college after “stopping out” and promotes partnerships between public universities and community colleges.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments bill into law, expanding on healthcare reforms originally promoted by former President Donald Trump. The legislation would allow experimental but potentially life-saving treatments for terminally ill patients without the approval of the Food and Drug Administration.
Pray for state legislators and governors as they endeavor to do what is right for their citizens.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“God knows we must be tried in the fire so that we can become as pure as gold. God brings us into the wilderness to perfect our faith. You cannot have all pleasure without pain, neither can you enjoy only good times without adversity. Your faith is perfected in the furnace of affliction and adversity. There is something about going through dilemmas and crises that bring us to the place where we discover things about God which we would not have known under other circumstances. ” – Bishop T.D. Jakes, The Potters House, Dallas, Texas, from Water in the Wilderness, 2011
