I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. – Psalm 59:16
A recent study by the University of Warsaw suggests that morning people have more faith and more satisfaction with life. They also have stronger character traits of being careful, hard-working, and diligent. The study out of Poland shows that “early birds“ are happier, while “night owls“ tend to be unproductive and angry. Experts point out that many people of faith rise early in the morning to pray, which also sets a tone for a more satisfied life throughout the day. Are you a morning person? Commit to making prayer an early morning practice. Seek wisdom as you dig into God’s Word. Prepare your soul for the day. Say as David in Psalm 5:3, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.”
Executive Branch: Pray for the President and his Administration
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said President Biden’s administration is looking for “substantive dialogue on arms control” with both Russia and China as the U.S. faces “near-peer” nuclear powers for the first time in history.
Pray for administration officials as they seek arms control talks between the U.S., Russia, and China.
Legislative Branch: Pray for Senators and Representatives in Congress
Representative James Comer of Kentucky has written to President Biden urging him to nominate inspectors general for the Departments of State and Treasury and for the Agency for International Development. They have been without the official “watchdogs” for years which is “holding back efforts to ensure the federal government is working as efficiently as possible on behalf of the American people,” he said.
Pray for the secretaries and directors of agencies in the government who are lacking inspectors general.
PRAY FOR CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing focused on childcare workers and access to childcare for families that included testimony from a number of witnesses from the childcare and education fields. The committee sought to discover whether families could afford childcare without a renewal of funds from the American Rescue Plan.
Pray for members of the Senate committee as they consider introducing legislation to provide childcare funding to families.
Judicial Branch: Pray for Supreme Court Justices and Federal Judges
District Court Judge Andrew Tipton granted an injunction against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) temporarily blocking their new regulations against pistol-stabilizing braces. The injunction applies to people employed by the State of Texas, its agencies, and all members of the Gun Owners of America.
Pray for members of the federal judiciary as they deliberate many cases on subjects that challenge the Bill of Rights.
As we lift up the federal government of United States of America, each day we will highlight one elected or appointed federal official serving in office. Pray with us for each of them as they tackle their unique responsibilities and fulfill their oaths of office.
“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they denigrate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.“
– President James Monroe
Pray for our Military
Four new units of the U.S. Space Force will be housed in Colorado, and questions remain as to whether or not the Space Command’s headquarters will continue to be located in Huntsville, Alabama. Some have suggested that the state’s strict abortion laws cause a problem in keeping the Space Force in Alabama. Officials have denied that connection.
Pray for the military leadership as decisions are made about the locations of military units.
PRAY FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE
The Secretary General of NATO said members are in agreement that Ukraine will eventually join the alliance. But, he stated, establishing it as a “sovereign, independent nation” and overcoming the Russian invasion are first priorities. “It is not for Moscow to have a veto against NATO enlargement,” he said.
Pray for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Recent reports based on leaked documents show Iran training militants in Syria in preparation for new attacks against U.S. troops there, particularly targeting American military vehicles and the American personnel in them. Another leaked document reports Russia, Syria, and Iran working together to get the U.S. out of Syria through a “coordination center” where Russia is directly involved in planning the campaigns against the U.S.
Pray for the president and U.S. military intelligence officials as they deliberate the appropriate actions to take in the Middle East.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A study published by the American Journal of Public Health revealed that the U.S. average life expectancy has consistently been falling behind over the past few decades while dozens of “globally diverse” countries are doing better. The current life expectancy is 76.4 years in 2023, down from 77.3 in 2020.
Pray for U.S. health and medical officials and their approach to the numerous health issues of Americans that are lowering life expectancies.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate would strengthen cybersecurity collaboration between the United States and the countries who have entered into Abraham Accords agreements with Israel. Efforts under the bill would strengthen collaborative cybersecurity defenses against threats from Iran and others in the region.
Pray for U.S. legislators as they seek cooperative efforts in the Middle East to stand strong against Iranian aggression.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
A new report from the Federal Reserve said, “Expectations for future growth deteriorated a little, although contacts still largely exceeded a further expansion in activity.” This means economic activity has changed in a more downward direction in recent weeks, and as prices continue to increase, the outlook has worsened.
Pray for U.S. financial officials and economists as they evaluate the nation’s inflation and that the economy does not go into a recession.
Pray for Goodness in America
Federal courts ruled that the mandate in California that attempted to force churches to provide abortion health care coverage for their employees violated the First Amendment. Now, officials in California have agreed to pay out $1.4 million to four churches who had sued, which will cover attorneys’ fees.
Pray for judges as they rule in cases that address the overreach of federal and state governments.
Pray for Needs Across the States
Governor Spencer Cox of Utah eliminated any mention of LGBTQ+ from his declaration of Pride Month 2023 and did not include any calls for greater inclusion or acceptance. Rather, he said, “As a State, we want a culture of hope, understanding, love, dignity, and respect. Happy Pride Month to all who celebrate!”
Legislators in the California Assembly and Senate debated more than a dozen bills that would address the fentanyl crisis. Some included establishing more enforcement against fentanyl dealers with the imposition of prison sentences.
Pray for state governors, legislators, and agency directors as they deal with the matters that impact their states.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“What is stated in Scripture [is] that there will be a day that there will be a coalition of nations that will be so upset at Israel. Now, it doesn’t specify why, but the coalition begins with the leader of that — the first one on a list mentioned … is Persia, i.e. Iran, and it describes a coalition of nations empowered by some country or empire from the north. … Evangelical scholars look at this [and] they go, ‘Oh my goodness. We’re living in the end times. Now, you have China and Russia. The kings of the east are, geographically, any nation, including, for example, Afghanistan, any country east of the Euphrates … you have the kings of east moving today.“ – Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, Founder, Israel Today Ministries, June 2023