Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The U.S. military is coordinating with allies for a summer of exercises in the Pacific. Displays of air, land, and sea power will take place in Guam, the Northern Marianas, and Australia. The exercises involve over 17,000 U.S., Australian, New Zealand, Japanese, South Korean, and British troops.
The commander of Fort Rucker, Alabama, issued a general order that requires unmasked service members to carry proof of their vaccination. Current regulations required all unvaccinated service members to wear masks on and off post.
Give thanks for the relationship the U.S. military has with its allies, and pray for the exercises in the Pacific to be effective in deterring adversaries.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
The District of Columbia Council passed the Minor Consent Act for Vaccinations Bill late last year which has allowed children to receive COVID-19 vaccinations without parental knowledge or consent. A children’s health advocacy group has recently filed a lawsuit against them and the mayor in federal court. The suit states the law “subverts the right and duty of parents to make informed decisions about whether their children should receive vaccinations.“ The law allows government-recommended inoculations of children 11 years and older if a doctor determines that a minor is “capable of meeting the informed consent standard.” The parents who filed the suit object to COVID-19 vaccinations on religious grounds, and they are asking for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the district from enforcing the bill.
Pray for federal judges as they hear cases regarding parental rights and government expansion.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
China has been buying up American farms and now Washington wants to reverse the trend. Legislators in the House of Representatives recently advanced a bill warning that China’s presence in the American food system poses a national security risk. Some Senators have also shown interest in keeping American farms in American hands by prohibiting foreign purchases of prime agricultural real estate.
Canada will begin allowing fully-vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into the country on August 9 for non-essential travel. Businesses on both sides of the border, particularly the travel and airline industries, are demanding an end to the restrictions on non-essential travel between Canada and the U.S. which were first imposed in March 2020.
Pray for U.S. agencies seeking to protect against the threats to America’s national security from cyberattacks, direct threats, and the takeover of the country’s agricultural lands.
Pray For AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
President Biden urged Americans to get inoculated this week, saying the unvaccinated are responsible for a surge in cases that has contributed to a drop in the stock market. The nation fell short of the president’s goal of 70 percent of American adults receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. He said the vaccine is “effective against the Delta variant of the virus” which is “potentially more dangerous.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics said there should be “universal masking” of students older than 2 years old when school returns, regardless of vaccination status. They are making the recommendation because a “significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines,” and if masks are used, “opening schools generally does not significantly increase community transmission.”
Pray for wisdom and clarity for U.S. health leaders and discernment for the American public as the coronavirus continues to be a threat.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
Hamas and Islamic Jihad held summer camps for the youth of Gaza. About 7,000 youth from all age groups attended what was called the “Sword of Jerusalem” camp. Military trainers and commanders from the al-Quds military brigade run the camp. A spokesman said the reason for the camp was so the boys could “confront the plundering enemy” in the next phase of war. A promotional video urged students from primary, high school, and college to participate, where they could practice shooting with AK-47s, anti-tank weapons, and video simulations.
The United Arab Emirates has become the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Israel. Its envoy hailed the trade and investment opportunities that closer ties would bring at a flag-raising ceremony that was also attended by Israel’s president.
Pray for Israeli officials and military as they strengthen ties with Arab nations and face terrorist activities within their own borders.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
A recent poll conducted by the American Action Network revealed that most Americans are concerned about the rising cost of living. About 88 percent said they were “somewhat” or “extremely/very” worried, and a total of 86 percent said they were concerned about inflation, with 79 percent adding they were anxious about rising gasoline prices.
The hospitality and leisure industry is facing a struggle to recruit and hire workers as the pandemic wanes and economic demand grows. Many former hospitality workers say they have no desire to return to their jobs, with some 38 percent saying they are seeking work in some other field that offers a different work setting, better pay, and better benefits.
Pray for members of the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury charged with monetary policy to be wise in attempts to mitigate inflation.
Pray for Justice in America
Four New York state legislators are seeking to block Chick-Fil-A from being included as an option at the state’s rest stops over the company’s history of standing for Christian values. One Assembly member who represents Manhattan said, “New York State has long stood on the right side of history and supported the LGBTQ+ community, but this decision [to allow the restaurant] flies in the face of our progressive values and will undermine the progress we have worked to achieve.” The Christian fast-food company responded, “We want to be clear that [our company] does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants. We are proud to be represented by more than 180,000 diverse Team Members nationwide, and we strive to be a positive influence in our local communities.”
Pray for the protection of religious freedom and for the testimony of prominent Christian individuals and businesses to remain solid.
Pray for Goodness in America
Fourteen-year-old Zaila Avant-garde is the winner of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, the first African-American to win the highly competitive contest. She said she studied 13,000 words a day in her preparation. In an interview after her victory, she said she hopes her historic win will inspire other young black people in the United States to excel at spelling. She is proof that anyone can overcome difficult circumstances and what they can accomplish by striving for academic excellence.
Pray for parents, teachers, and communities to help young people, whether disadvantaged or not, to see their potential for greater achievements.
Pray for America’s Media
A Gallup survey of confidence in major U.S. institutions showed that television news had an 18 percent confidence rate in 2020 and 16 percent in 2021. Newspapers had 24 percent confidence in 2020 and 21 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, confidence in the police rose from 48 percent in 2020 to 51 percent in 2021, and the military had the highest confidence level at 69 percent, although they too were down from 72 percent from the prior year.
The U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has limited federal prosecutors’ ability to obtain records of reporters’ contacts when investigating government leaks of sensitive information. This curbs a longstanding practice that had drawn disapproval in recent weeks, including from President Biden.
Pray for the nation’s new sources to report events and current affairs without bias and with accuracy.
Pray for America’s Education
At least 41 percent of public high school students in Baltimore, Maryland, made below a D grade point average during the first three quarters of the 2020-2021 school year, according to an analysis of the district’s data. COVID-19 created significant problems for student learning. A candidate for the Baltimore City Council said, “This is terrible. This is just further perpetuating a cycle of poverty, of despair.”
For the second time this year, the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against the University of Iowa for discriminating against a Christian student club. The unanimous three-judge panel stated, “Employees of the University of Iowa targeted religious student organizations for discriminatory enforcement of its Human Rights Policy,” an action that was “clearly unconstitutional.”
Pray for teachers and administrators as they seek ways to encourage their students to learn.
Pray for America’s Technology
Representative Byron Donalds of Florida responded to the White House’s comments that suggested those who are banned from one social media platform for “misinformation” should be banned from others as well. He said, “The fact that the White House thinks it’s OK to collude with social media companies is dangerous to me.“ He went on to say that the White House press secretary is “forgetting what the First Amendment of the United States Constitution actually stands for… It says the government—the government, mind you, which includes the White House, which includes her—cannot infringe on free speech, period, full stop.”
Pray for U.S. officials at all levels of government who are evaluating the regulation of social media and the dangers of censorship.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The Michigan state Senate voted to repeal the emergency powers law that Governor Gretchen Whitmer used to order lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic. The 20-15 vote along party lines supported a petition that could block the governor from issuing a veto in the matter.
The speaker of the Georgia House is demanding an investigation to “determine if any irregularities or willful fraud occurred” in the state’s largest metropolis during the election last November. He stated that recent revelations about problems with vote-counting in Fulton County merit an independent probe.
Pray for state legislators who are investigating and potentially modifying state election laws.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
”I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it.”- Francis Chan, author, teacher, preacher, and church planter.
