Pray the Vote
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to keep Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins out of the 2022 elections, affirming a lower court decision that disqualified him for inaccurately listing his address on qualifying forms.
A California judge struck down a San Francisco law that would have allowed noncitizens to vote in school board elections, finding the practice violates the state constitution. The judge said, “Transcendent law of California, the Constitution… reserves the right to vote to a United States citizen, contrary to [the] San Francisco ordinance.”
Pray for state and federal judges who are hearing cases and ruling on matters involving the coming election.
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder will be the Pentagon’s next press secretary, the first uniformed officer to fill the position since 2015. General Ryder is the current Air Force public affairs director and is replacing John Kirby, who left the Defense Department in May to join the White House.
The Pentagon rejected a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in what the mayor has called a “growing humanitarian crisis” prompted by thousands of migrants being bused to the city from Texas and Arizona.
Pray for the new Pentagon press secretary as he answers wide-ranging queries regarding national defense.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
A San Diego, California, megachurch will be able to hold its Christmas program in a public setting this year after finally being allowed the opportunity to rent a local venue. The San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association, which manages the venue Rady Shell, reversed a decision that had initially prohibited the church from renting the venue because it is a “religious organization.”
Give thanks that the symphony group reconsidered its original decision and that it will allow the church in San Diego to hold a Christmas program in the shell venue.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Africa in part to unveil a new U.S. strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, which is in the midst of a population growth surge. “By 2050, 1 in 4 people on this planet will be African,” he said. “So this is the future, quite literally. And what we’re investing in is that future.” Recent Congressional efforts to prevent Russian influence in Africa may complicate his plans to improve U.S. ties with one of the continent’s leading nations.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a warning at the Tenth Review Conference for countries signed up to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that the “nuclear danger” has not been seen “since the height of the Cold War,” adding the world is “one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.”
Pray for U.S. governing officials as the nuclear capabilities of countries across the world increase, and for wisdom and discretion for those who have the power to deploy the weapons.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
New York state health officials have issued an urgent call for unvaccinated children and adults to get inoculated against polio, citing new evidence of possible “community spread” of the virus.
According to a new report from the Manhattan Institute, the student mental-health crisis is worsening dramatically, and government programs that are intended to help may be making things worse. The report revealed detrimental results as a consequence of federally-funded Mental Health First Aid programs.
Pray for wisdom for parents and pediatricians in both caring for children’s mental health and regarding the polio inoculation.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed the commander of the Islamic Jihad amid heightened tensions on the border between Israel and Gaza. According to reports from Gaza, at least seven others were killed in the airstrike, including one child, and more than 40 were wounded. An Israeli military spokesperson said the strikes were made against jihadists who were preparing to conduct attacks against Israel.
Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid met with defense officials to mark the end of Operation Breaking Down after a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was called to end the fighting.
Pray for Israeli and Islamic Jihad leaders as the truce between the two is tested.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
U.S. manufacturing activity in July slowed for the second month, albeit less than had been expected, amid news that supply constraints were easing. The post-pandemic glut in inventories and a growing trade deficit caused by global supply chains are the key contributors, though overall economic momentum has slowed down after the economy contracted in the first part of the year.
A significant number of Americans saw their income decrease in July even as prices continued to rise. The number of Americans reporting lost pay or income rose from 11 to 11.7 percent last month. Those at the lowest end of the economic scale have been the hardest hit.
Pray for American families and their budget constraints under rising inflation.
Pray for Justice in America
The use of facial recognition software in certain circumstances is coming back to some cities where the technology had been banned. The restrictions had been placed largely due to controversy over privacy issues and the frequency of wrongful arrests, particularly among people of color.
Pray for law enforcement as they make use of facial recognition software to be judicious in its use and look for confirming information in criminal investigations.
Pray for Goodness in America
Residents in a western Michigan town voted against a property tax increase that would have funded the local library after the building displayed LGBT literature. Voters who opposed the increase said they were against books in the library’s adult and young adult section that depict, in some cases in detail, same-sex relationships. One group who opposed the library’s ideology said, “Pray that we can make changes and make the Patmos Library a safe and neutral place for our children.”
Give thanks for communities willing to stand for moral values and the safety of their children.
Pray for America’s Media
The social media platform Snapchat has added safety controls to its app that allow parents to see with whom their kids communicate on the ephemeral posting platform.
Pray that the decision-makers of social media platforms would increasingly acknowledge and provide for the needs of parents to supervise the online activities of their children.
Pray for America’s Education
The Pennsylvania Department of education has updated its website to allow students to select an array of different genders, and among the additional updates is a message to teachers that encourages them to ask students for their pronouns to prevent them from accidental misgendering. Educators are instructed to use the website as a “resource guide,” which includes a lesson guide for teachers to host a “gender-neutral day” in their classrooms for students as young as grade 3.
School districts across the country report increasing difficulty in recruiting teachers ahead of the upcoming school year, with officials blaming both the COVID-19 pandemic and political conflict over education. The executive director of the School Superintendents Association said that he’s “never seen it this bad,” when it comes to a dearth of teachers.
Pray for educators and school board members who are guiding the ideological direction that schools are instructing America’s children.
Pray for America’s Technology
Semiconductor manufacturers are pushing for immigration reform that would allow more highly skilled workers to remain in the U.S. after Congress passed a bill to strengthen domestic chip manufacturing. Semiconductor companies told congressional leaders that the U.S. should reform regulations around green cards to retain highly skilled workers.
Pray for federal legislators as they consider the request for additional provisions for foreign nationals who are educated and equipped to work in the chip industry.
Pray for Needs Across the States
Governor Brad Little of Idaho had vowed to defend his state’s pro-life law after the Justice Department filed a “politically motivated” lawsuit against the state. “The Justice Department’s interference with Idaho’s pro-life law is another example of Biden overreaching yet again,” he said in a statement. “We are proud that we have led the country in protecting preborn lives.”
Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island said families in his state will soon receive some extra money to help cover living costs through the Rhode Island Child Tax Rebate. The measure is expected to support nearly 115,000 Rhode Island families.
Pray for state governors, many of whom are up for re-election in the midterms in November.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“We believe it’s very important that parents begin teaching their children at a young age about God’s design for humanity, for relationships, and for marriage. You’re not talking to kids about sex at this point. You’re just saying God made us male and female in His image. And that’s a good thing. Boys and girls are both good but they’re different from each other and that’s the way God made us. I encourage parents to maintain a relationship with their child, to do what you can to maintain a relationship with them while you’re still holding on to biblical truth.” – Jeff Johnston, Culture and Policy Analyst with Focus on the Family, August 3, 2022
