Pray the Vote
Fulton Cunty, Pennsylvania, has filed a lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems over what it alleges are “severe” issues with voting data discovered after the 2020 election. Among the allegations are that a “python script” had been installed on one of the devices and that the device was “connected to an external device on an external network,” reportedly one linked to Canada.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency turned down a multimillion-dollar proposal by a federally funded nonprofit to protect election officials from harassment ahead of November’s midterms. The agency has, however, published a number of resources on its website to assist states and local election officials in addressing election misinformation.
Pray for election officials and those who are seeking to secure both the ballots and the personnel involved in these midterm elections.
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The Department of Defense is taking new measures to help service members deal with rising costs as inflation continues to put pressure on Americans. The department is subsidizing grocery bills and creating easier access to the SNAP (food stamp) program.
The Air Force Academy has reportedly told cadets in diversity and inclusion training to use words that “include all genders” and refrain from using terms such as “mom and dad.” The training slide said, “Some families are headed by single parents, grandparents, foster parents, two moms, two dads, etc.: consider ‘parent or caregiver’ instead of ‘mom and dad.‘”
Pray for America’s military members who are struggling to make ends meet on their service salaries.
War in Ukraine
The United Nations’ International Commission of Inquiry reports initial investigations into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have found evidence of war crimes. The commission did not specify who was responsible for allegedly committing the offenses.
North Korea said it has never exported military equipment to Russia nor does it have such plans, after a U.S. intelligence report earlier in September indicated otherwise. The U.S. report indicated that Russia was purchasing millions of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea to use in its war against Ukraine.
Pray for the people of Ukraine as the incursions of Russia continue.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
An FBI whistleblower has reported to the Office of Special Counsel that he believes the bureau and Justice Department are violating the constitutional rights of January 6 defendants, falsifying statistics on domestic extremism, and misusing SWAT teams to make misdemeanor arrests.
Pray for those coming forward to disclose unconstitutional actions being taken by federal agencies.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
A new report details how China is recruiting scientists from the top government-sponsored research laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The report states the Chinese are trying to bring knowledge to their country on building missiles and drones.
Iran, a member of the prestigious United Nations women’s rights council, has been violently oppressing women who are demanding their rights and protesting mandatory Islamic head coverings and laws allowing for child brides, even without parental consent. According to a UN report, Iran “effectively devalues the worth of a woman’s life to half that of a man, and consequently makes women more vulnerable to crime.” The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against Iran’s morality police over the death of a woman in custody and violence against protesters.
Pray for wisdom on the part of America’s leaders in dealing with Iran and North Korea.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Many working parents are shifting away from traditional preschool and childcare centers to in-home care. Better paying nanny jobs are also luring workers away from childcare centers. At the same time, the shortage of childcare centers is keeping some parents, especially mothers, out of the workforce at a time when the U.S. is facing a labor shortage.
A decline in cancer deaths has accelerated in recent years, reaching a 2.3 percent annual drop every year between 2016 and 2019, according to the latest American Association for Cancer Research Center Progress report. They said improved treatments, diagnostics, and screening are making a difference.
Give thanks for the recent decline in cancer-related deaths.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
In an address to the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid outlined a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “An agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy, and for the future of our children,” he said. The prime minister did condition the potential existence of a Palestinian state upon it being peaceful and not a threat of terror.
Pray for the leadership of Israel as they head into their elections and for discernment regarding a potential division of the land.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
The Leading Economic Index, a gauge of future economic activity in the U.S., declined for a sixth straight month in August. This potentially signals a recession and the possibility of more interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve.
Existing home sales dropped half a percent from July to August as interest rates increased. It was the seventh straight month of declining sales. The median home price also declined from its record high in June, but prices are still up 7.7 percent from the same period last year.
Pray for American families as they face the pressures of inflation and rising interest rates.
Pray for Justice in America
The Labor Department Inspector General identified $45.6 billion in potential unemployment insurance fraud during the pandemic, a figure that far exceeds past estimates. The IG said scammers allegedly filed claims using suspicious email accounts or Social Security numbers of deceased or federal prisoners ineligible for the benefits. Some also filed claims in multiple states.
Pray for federal officials as they seek to identify and hold accountable those who committed such frauds at a time of national crisis.
Pray for Goodness in America
A young Tennessee entrepreneur is making a major difference in his community and the environment through his cardboard box business. The twenty-year-old with autism began recycling cardboard boxes in 2020. To date, he has recycled 40 tons of cardboard. He says it “feels pretty good” to be helping the environment and giving back to his community. Some of the collected cardboard gets donated to community gardens and emergency moving needs.
Give thanks for young men and women who are moving forward and making a difference regardless of the challenges or limitations they may face.
Pray for America’s Media
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve a bill that will allow news organizations to band together to negotiate with Alphabet’s Google and Meta’s Facebook to earn more revenue. The bill now goes to the full Senate. A similar bill is before the House of Representatives.
Pray members of both chambers of Congress as they deliberate legislation addressing technology and media platforms.
Pray for America’s Technology
The Federal Communications Commission approved a long-delayed proposal to reduce spam texts. These fraudulent text messages, which can include links or other tricks designed to steal money or personal information, have increased exponentially, with the volume now exceeding that of robocalls.
Pray for federal officials as they seek to eliminate spam, whether in texts, emails, or robocalls.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The Hawaii House of Representatives has the consensus necessary to move forward with a special session of the legislature. The session would be held to address the State Supreme Court ruling that preliminary hearings are not a lawful method for charging major felonies, including murder, but that prosecutors must obtain a grand jury indictment against a suspect to file felony charges.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has asked President Biden to address the Inflation Reduction Act section that gives tax credits to electric vehicle purchases only as long as they are assembled in North America. This proviso would eliminate 70 percent of vehicles on the market, along with plug-in hybrids, that would no longer qualify under the act.
Pray for wisdom for state legislatures and governors.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“I want to see America return to the days when we were a nation that placed our trust in God. I pray every day that our people be safe and blessed. … I want to help build an America that cherishes life and respects the inherent value in all people—from birth to death, into eternity. There is absolutely nothing extreme about that sentiment, nor has there ever been.” – Dr. Alveda King, evangelist, op-ed, September 20, 2022
