July 9th – July 15th, 2020
PRAY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including Tik Tok, suggesting it shared information with the Chinese Communist government, which Tik Tok has denied.
Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft warned the UN Security Council that if it fails to extend a vital Syrian cross-border aid program, “mass graves” could result. The program is due to expire this week and there is wide Russian opposition to extending the aid.
Pray for the continued good health of President Trump and his family, and for those who attend him including the Secret Service.
PRAY FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS
Senator Rick Scott of Florida said the coronavirus pandemic can be defeated if the government stops issuing mandates and starts “giving people good information.” He added, “People are smart. … Tell them where there is the spread of the virus, the places they are at risk.” Trust the people to act wisely, he said.
Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona is calling for the White House coronavirus task force to be disbanded to prevent health officials from causing President Trump’s message about the economy to be “distorted,” while the pandemic compromises America’s economic recovery.
Pray for members of Congress and the particular perspective they have from inside reports on the truth of the coronavirus pandemic.
PRAY FOR OUR JUDICIARY
The Supreme Court will decide whether American corporations can be sued for alleged human rights abuses after two companies were accused of knowingly helping perpetuate slavery at Ivory Coast cocoa farms.
A U.S. District Court ordered the largest pipeline from the North Dakota Shale Oil fields to be shut down and emptied within 30 days, ruling in favor of Native American tribes who have fought the line’s route across a crucial water supply.
Pray that the judges in America would rely on law and precedent in making their rulings.
CURRENT EVENTS
WARS AND TERRORISM
Terror groups such as Islamic State, al Qaeda, and their regional affiliates must not be allowed to exploit the increasing “fissures and fragilities” due to the psycho-social, economic and political stresses laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary General declared.
Terror group ISIS appears to be in the drug producing business, the Italian police say, after they seized 14 tons of amphetamines with a street value of approximately $1.5 billion U.S., which they claim came from ISIS drug producers in Syria.
Pray for international governments as they endeavor to stop the production of illicit drugs that benefit terror groups and do harm to people who are addicted worldwide.
FOREIGN INTERESTS AND CONFLICTS
A new policy confirmed by United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is offering many residents of Hong Kong a pathway to UK citizenship in response to China’s new “national security” law which severely restricts the freedoms of the people there.
China’s military and economic ambitions are expanding in Europe and the Arctic where they are trying to gain control over important shipping lanes and seaports, according to a top U.S. admiral and Western analysts.
Pray for those in Hong Kong and neighboring regions who are adversely impacted by the decisions and actions of the Chinese government.
ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST
A Middle Eastern intelligence official said Israel was behind an explosion and fire at a nuclear complex in Iran that was caused by a “powerful bomb” that resulted “substantial damage,” but Defense Minister Gantz said “not every incident that transpires in Iran necessarily has something to do with us.”
Israel’s cabinet will convene to decide on new plans and restrictions as it is in a state of emergency due to a resurgent coronavirus outbreak, and additional steps are needed to stem the spread and meet the economic challenges.
Pray for the leaders of Israel as they deal with the coronavirus in their nation.
THE ECONOMY
The economy gained 4.8 million jobs in June, lowering the unemployment rate to 11.1 percent, easily beating expectations set by forecasters, yet clouded by the uneven reports of coronavirus surges in some areas.
U.S. manufacturing activity rebounded in June, hitting its highest level in more than a year as the broader economy reopened, but a rise in COVID-19 infections threatens that recovery, a new report says.
Pray for a steady and sustainable increase in the U.S. economy and that the impact of the coronavirus would soon be reduced.
ACROSS THE STATES
City officials in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are warning that several students are throwing coronavirus parties where people who have the virus are invited to intentionally infect others and the parties have been happening “for several weeks.”
As record-setting numbers of people of Colorado flood public lands, ignoring rules about fires, walking off trails, and other posted signs, state officials are citing growth of the “knucklehead factor,” and are looking for back-up plans to deal with those recreational visitors.
Pray for state governments as they seek reasonable solutions to address some who choose to disregard local policy.
VERSE OF THE WEEK
So, then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. – Galatians 6:10
