Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for America’s Military
The U.S. Army has resumed training missions after temporarily grounding all of its Apache helicopter fleet due to a fatal crash in Texas. Two Army pilots of the 1st Cavalry Division died recently after their training flight crashed in a field near Fort Hood. The Army stated that the stand-down was conducted to get “a better understanding of the root cause of the accident.”
Pray for Secretary Dan Driscoll and U.S. Army officials as they oversee investigations into the cause of the fatal Apache helicopter crash near Fort Hood and consider safety improvements.
Pray for America’s Foreign Relations
Members of the Board of Peace have met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week after he rejected the U.S.-proposed 15-point plan that would implement the U.N.-adopted Comprehensive Plan for peace in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister said that the IDF would not withdraw from Gaza “until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.” President Trump announced last month that Hamas had agreed to a framework toward disarmament.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the indefinite severing of trade ties with Iran after accusing the Islamic Republic of launching ballistic missiles toward maritime traffic in UAE territorial waters. The UAE Foreign Affairs Minister stated, “In light of regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security, all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice.” The UAE’s Defense Ministry reported this was the first attack from Tehran since May.
Pray for U.S. and allied officials as they seek next steps in maintaining peace in Gaza and disarming Hamas. Pray for wisdom for American diplomats as they engage in discussions with Middle Eastern leaders.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated information on travelers returning from Ebola-affected regions as the number of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached 5,000. The agency stated, “Travelers, including U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals, who have been in DRC within 21 days before departure will not be allowed to board commercial flights with U.S. destinations. These travelers should plan to remain outside the United States for at least 21 days after they leave DRC.”
Pray for CDC and other U.S. health officials to be discerning as they address foreign and domestic disease outbreaks and seek to prevent or reduce the spread of infections.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport abandoned a plan to add more Islamic foot washing stations after Governor Greg Abbott said funding could be withheld over “illegal religious discrimination.” The governor directed a review and possible revocation of state grant funding and referred DFW and George Bush Intercontinental Airport to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation and enforcement. The Florida Attorney General also announced that an Islamic prayer facility at the Orlando airport was shut down after an investigation into the use of taxpayer funding.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein vetoed an election law that would require his state to cross-reference voter registration rolls with death records. The governor stated, “They would rather change the rules of our elections to secure advantage than to do the work that the voters expect, which is to improve people’s lives.” There is enough support for the measure in the state legislature to override Governor Stien’s veto.
Pray for state governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state, and legislators as they conduct investigations regarding the free exercise of religion and religious discrimination. Ask for wisdom as they address election integrity and security.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“When I heard that God could be my Father, it was these complex feelings that I had. I want that, but also, what does that mean? What does that come with? A lot of my journey of learning who God is is learning to not project the shortcomings of my father onto God. Also learning that my story didn’t start with me being born. … It even started before that with my dad’s trauma and his story, and he has had wounds. My mom, too, and their parents. There’s intergenerational stuff.
But then the story doesn’t even start with that. It goes all the way back to the Garden. It doesn’t even start with Adam and Eve. It actually goes before that. … Before anything, you were loved.” – Dave and Ann Wilson, Family Life Today, “God Can Use Your Story (Even the Pain): Quina Aragon”
