Pray the Vote
A report from the Washington Examiner revealed billions of dollars are being spent on the midterm elections this year, more than $9.3 billion, up from $7.1 billion spent in the midterms four years ago.
As early voting begins in Illinois, election officials continue sending out vote-by-mail ballots. One Board of Elections official said those ballots will take up to two weeks to count after the polls close on November 8, and people should expect delays getting the election results for that period or longer.
Pray for election officials to conduct their ballot tallies with integrity.
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines are now admitting recruits that had been rejected or delayed in the past to better meet their enlistment goals.
Legislation introduced last week in Congress would allow persons who might be missing part of their limbs, who have previously been disqualified from enlisting, to be able to serve in medical or other non-combat roles.
Pray for military recruiters as they address shortfalls in military enlistments.
War in Ukraine
Russia formally announced the annexation of parts of occupied Ukraine amid international outcry over a weekend referendum in which voters allegedly agreed to the annexation with overwhelming (97.5 percent) support. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called the election a “propaganda show” and a “sham.”
Vladimir Putin’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions has drawn criticism from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He warned that no one can stop the Russian president from following through on his recent threats of using nuclear weapons. The defense secretary said, “To be clear, the guy who makes that decision—I mean, it’s one man. There are no checks on Mr. Putin.”
Pray for U.S. officials as they respond to the Russian “annexation” of parts of Ukraine. Pray for the mental health of President Putin.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
According to data from the Virginia Firearms Transaction Center, hundreds of people in Virginia have had their guns confiscated through red flag laws since those rules were put into effect more than two years ago. Red flag laws allow police to seize firearms from a person if a judge deems him or her to be a threat to himself or others, even if that person has not been convicted of a crime or even accused of a crime.
Pray for judges and governing officials as they make decisions and take action on red flag laws that subvert the Second Amendment.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Representative Darrell Issa of California revealed that a senior U.S. official told Congress during a classified briefing that negotiations with Iran over a revamped version of the 2015 nuclear deal have hit a dead end.
OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and its oil-exporting allies are weighing significant cuts to oil production in order to deal with falling fuel prices. A new report says OPEC+ will cut over 1 million barrels per day. It would be the world’s largest production reduction since the onset of the COVID pandemic and would raise the price, further increasing inflation.
Pray for U.S. officials as they navigate relationships with nations in the Middle East.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
To help consumers ascertain the nutritional value of foods more easily, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing putting nutrition labels on the front of packaging instead of on the back. The proposal will be combined with an update on criteria for what foods can be called “healthy.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has “moderate” confidence that the rate of monkeypox cases in the U.S. will continue to decline or hit a plateau in the next two weeks.
Pray for leaders in the FDA as they determine and issue new regulations regarding which foods are healthy and for whom.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
The responsibility for a wave of protests in Iran has been directed at Israel and the United States. Referencing specific occurrences of unrest, Ayatollah Khamenei stated his belief that “these incidents were designed by America“ and “some traitorous Iranians abroad who helped them.“ He added, “Their main problem is with a strong and independent Iran and true progress of the country.”
The University of California Berkeley has banned pro-Israel speakers from university events, effectively causing the school to create “Jewish-free” zones.
Pray for those in authority in the U.S. to take appropriate measures to counter antisemitism and Jew hatred that is on the rise.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
A Workplace Benefits Report from the Bank of America revealed that 71 percent of workers claimed their salary and wage growth is being outpaced by a rise in the cost of living, and that families are falling behind as inflationary pressures mount.
Mortgage rates rose to their highest level in more than 15 years, a new high since the 2008-09 financial crisis. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is now 6.7 percent, adding pressure to the already slowing housing market.
Pray for U.S. families who are struggling as inflation places a strain on their budgets.
Pray for Justice in America
An election worker in Michigan has been charged with falsifying returns and records, as well as using a computer to commit a crime, during the August primary election.
Pray that prosecutors and judges uphold election laws to hold anyone who has tampered with election results accountable.
Pray for Goodness in America
Leaders from the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., traveled to Greece to formally return a 10th-century handwritten Gospel manuscript looted by Bulgarian troops in 1917. The manuscript is one of the world’s oldest hand-lettered Gospels and was among hundreds of priceless objects looted from a monastery in Greece during World War I.
Give thanks for this and other actions by this Museum in returning artifacts to their proper historical sites.
Pray for America’s Education
A U.S. Court of Appeals judge called out Yale Law School during a recent address, citing the cancel culture at the Ivy League school. He said he will no longer hire clerks from Yale and encouraged other judges to follow his lead. He stated that he wants “nothing to do with“ the closed and intolerant environment at that institution.
Teachers’ unions are assisting school districts with the implementation of Critical Race Theory and gender identity through different initiatives such as LGBTQ badges, summer reading lists, and advertisements. These agendas are being promoted at a time when the nation posts record learning losses: K-12 reading levels have dropped to where they were in 1990, the largest ever drop in the score, while math levels saw their first ever decline.
Pray for school administrators and parents as controversial curricula and programs are introduced from kindergarten through upper divisions at universities.
Pray for America’s Technology
The CIA, along with multiple other entities, is taking part in funding the biotechnology company Colossal Biometrics, which is attempting to bring back the wooly mammoth from extinction. “Biotechnology and the broader bioeconomy are critical for humanity to further develop. It is important for all facets of our government to develop them and have an understanding of what is possible,” Colossal co-founder Ben Lamm said.
Pray for wisdom for U.S. officials and technological leaders at biotechnology laboratories that are endeavoring to create life through the use of extracted DNA of long-dead species.
Pray for Needs Across the States
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said his coastal state is working to build a stronger and more resilient infrastructure to combat the effects of global warming in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Department of Social Services will implement new eligibility benefit levels beginning October 1 in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/food stamps) giving assistance to 17,600 households being added to the aid program.
Pray for state governors and legislature working to improve the lives of their citizens.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“In and through it all [Hurricane Ian], I was reminded of the Lord’s mercies. Very often these reminders came from the people with whom we were communicating. God kept babies safe. He kept first responders strong enough to fulfill their duties. … He gave wisdom to our governor and local officials. He displayed His power over His created world in ways that are undeniable for those who have eyes to see. The greatest meteorological minds could not precisely predict the track of the storm, much less control it. Our God displayed that He, and He alone, is God.” – Pastor Tom Ascol, Grace Baptist Church, Cape Coral, Florida, September 30, 2022
