October 1st – October 7th, 2020
PRAY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION
President Trump ordered the Health and Human Services Department to ensure that federally funded facilities provide life-saving medical care for infants who survive abortions through an Executive Order.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed Greece amid tensions with Turkey over control of energy-rich Mediterranean waters, touting security cooperation with Athens in a statement that rebuked Ankara.
Pray for wisdom for President Trump as he continues to press forward on foreign and domestic matters.
PRAY FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is preparing lawmakers for an undecided election, informing House members they could potentially be called upon to make a decision in the hypothetical event there is an Electoral College tie in the presidential election.
October 12 has been set as the target date for the beginning of confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, the nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A swift confirmation is expected.
Pray for civility and respectfulness in the Senate when the confirmation hearings for Judge Barrett begin.
PRAY FOR OUR JUDICIARY
In two separate court rulings, judges have questioned the evidence that data from American users of TikTok or WeChat is being used by the Chinese government, imperiling U.S. national security under the Espionage Act.
A federal judge ruled that William Perry Pendley, who had been overseeing the Bureau of Land Management for 424 days, was at his post illegally since he had not been confirmed by the Senate, and the judge blocked him from continuing in the position.
Pray for wisdom for America’s judges, particularly as they rule on matters that affect the presidential election.
CURRENT EVENTS
WARS AND TERRORISM
Syria’s foreign minister is accusing Turkey of being “one of the main sponsors of terror” in his country and the region, saying it is guilty of “a war crime and a crime against humanity” for cutting water to more than a dozen towns that resisted Turkish occupation.
The U.S. has made preparations to withdraw diplomats from Iraq after warning Baghdad it could shut its embassy, a step Iraqis fear could turn their country into a battle zone once again.
Pray for diplomats and officials addressing hostility from Turkey and its assistance from Russia.
FOREIGN INTERESTS AND CONFLICTS
Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told the UN General Assembly that the U.S. is “the most serious threat to world peace,” but he did not address the many claims of human rights abuses leveled against his government.
Exiled citizens of Belarus are demanding ”free and fair elections,” saying Lukashenko is not their president. But they fear there could be bloodshed as protests against the self-inaugurated 26-year dictator continue.
Pray for people across the world who desire the same freedoms in their countries that those in the United States enjoy.
ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Two decades after the Second Intifada, when Palestinians rose in revolt against Israeli occupation, members of the PLO and other organizations are seen as having little support for nonviolence in a land where they say they are “separate but unequal.”
The nation of Sudan is reportedly requesting $3 billion to $4 billion in aid in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel during negotiations with U.S. officials, having turned down an offer of $800 million and investments as part of a deal with Israel.
Pray for those who are establishing new peace deals with Israel.
THE ECONOMY
The economy could have a full recovery by the end of the year, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said, saying GDP growth rate would require big numbers, “but not outside the realm of possibility.”
Sales of existing homes in August increased by 2.4 percent, marking the third consecutive month of sales gains. The National Association of Realtors expects to see continued gains through the remainder of the year because interest rates are at historic lows.
Pray for a resurgence in the U.S. economy and that the coronavirus’ impact would continue to decrease.
ACROSS THE STATES
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a decision by the state’s high court to count mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day even if they are not postmarked by November 3.
The Kansas Department of Labor reports that workers and the state’s unemployment system have been attacked by criminal organizations as part of a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme, saying they have blocked at least 45,000 fraudulent payments this year.
Pray for elections officials in each state both now and after the ballots are cast.
VERSE OF THE WEEK
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. – Hebrews 10:22
