Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The Pentagon announced the establishment of U.S. Space Force Korea, a unit positioned to monitor the activities of North Korea. They will be stationed at Osan Air Base near Seoul.
President Biden’s administration is considering sending additional troops to Ukraine as they endeavor to track the flow of American weapons into that nation. Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said, “We will continue to review our presence in-country as security conditions evolve.”
Pray for the safety of American troops stationed away from families during this holiday season.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
A poll by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty shows that Americans’ support of the right to practice the religion of their choice rose dramatically in 2022. They reported that this result, which cross both religious and political divisions, has “never been higher.“
Pray that politicians and judges would honor and uphold the protections of religious liberty in the Bill of Rights.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
China has complained to the World Trade Organization that the United States is not abiding by WTO rules.
Iran has been removed from a United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, after that nation’s brutal response to protestors, including the death of a young woman in custody. The resolution proposed by the U.S. was approved by the 54-member U.N. Economic and Social Council.
Pray for discernment for America’s governing officials and diplomats as they address adversarial nations.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Director Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, issued a recommendation to return to masking as a respiratory virus has surged. He acknowledged that there is “fatigue” over COVID-19 mandates.
A report from the minority members of the House Intelligence Committee says the origins of COVID-19 “may have been” linked to a Chinese biological weapons program as questions continue to surround the activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Pray for the health of American families and individuals during this Christmas season.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
A group of Senators has warned U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray not to conduct an investigation into the Israeli Defense Forces following the death of a Palestinian-American journalist killed during an IDF military operation against suspected Palestinian terrorists. The intent is to allow Israeli investigators to determine “the truth regarding the circumstances of her tragic death.”
The country of Jordan has begun a six-year $300 million building plan to attract more tourists to a site 31 miles from Amman, Jordan’s capital. The site is believed to be the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. They will be creating a “biblical village there that attempts to recreate a 2,000-year-old experience.”
Pray for U.S. leaders to maintain a strong relationship with Israel. Pray for peace in Bethlehem this Christmas.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
In a recent poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 63 percent of American adults say it is more difficult to afford the Christmas gift-buying they want to do this year, as prices are higher.
The Commerce Department has announced the biggest drop in retail purchases in a year. U.S. retail stores reported sales falling sharply in November even as the holiday shopping season was underway.
Pray for U.S. economic officials as inflation impacts Christmas shopping and giving.
Pray for Justice in America
The Christian Medical & Dental Association has joined an individual Christian doctor to sue the State of New Mexico in federal court for enacting a law that forces participation with assisted suicide, “even if they object for reasons of conscience or faith,” their attorney said. “The Christian doctors we represent believe that every life is sacred and full of inherent value and that assisted suicide ends the innocent human life without justification.”
Pray for U.S. health professionals who are standing up for the sacredness of human life, from conception to natural death.
Pray for Goodness in America
The winner of a million-dollar prize in a television series is donating the funds to an organization that helps America’s military veterans, commenting “there are people who need the money more.” He donated the prize money in the name of his father, a Green Beret.
Pray for guidance to show God’s loving provision and generosity as the year comes to a close.
Pray for America’s Education
The San Francisco Unified School District has distributed a guide for teaching elementary grades that addresses integrating LGBTQ information and gender diversity themes into class material for the year, without parental involvement.
The Board of Education in Ohio voted 10-7 to approve a resolution that requires students who compete in sports and use bathrooms, locker rooms, and restrooms to do so based on their biological sex. The measure contradicts the Title IX revisions of President Biden’s administration which is based on gender identity.
Pray for children, parents, and teachers as the battle continues over gender identity issues.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that legislation establishing “education opportunity accounts” was unconstitutional. The measure would allow people to contribute to these accounts in exchange for tax credits to help pay for schools outside their districts, including private schools that require tuition.
After a year of debate, the Board of Education of Mississippi has adopted new standards for social studies to be implemented in the fall of 2023. The standards will include gender issues and Sikhism after determining these were in the public interest.
Pray for federal, state, and community educators as they make decisions concerning the education of America’s youth.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“No matter how bad things are, never give up hope. This is a season of expectation and preparation, an opportunity to align ourselves with God’s presence and rediscover Christmas. … Hope is the fuel of faith, dreams, and possibilities. It’s the spark that ignites a promise into a blazing fire with flames that reach the sky. It’s the flicker of first light on a new morning. No matter how bad your year has been, no matter what kind of problems and struggles you are facing right now, no matter what kind of season of darkness or pain you are in, let me encourage you to never abandon hope.” – Pastor Rich Rogers, Faith Chapel, Pleasanton, California, December 2020
