Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The U.S. military has secured access to four more military bases in the Philippines. This will allow greater U.S. support for allies in the islands and increase the ability of the U.S. to monitor the actions of China.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that an Air Force hypersonic weapon produced by Lockheed Martin met all of its initial objectives in a successful launch. This is part of America’s efforts to improve military capabilities in the face of threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.
Pray for greater clarity for military leaders as they establish preparedness to defend against any actions of America’s adversaries.
PRAY FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE
According to a new Pew Research Center poll, a growing segment of the American population — 26 percent — think the United States is giving too much support to Ukraine, up from 20 percent in September.
In the wake of scandal probes, there is a reshuffling going on within Ukraine’s government. The defense minister is being replaced and other changes are being made as the nation prepares for a major Russian offensive.
Pray for administration and legislative officials as they continue providing assistance to Ukraine for defense against Russia.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
A U.S. Army veteran, who proclaims himself to be a First Amendment Auditor, has been detained, arrested, and harassed many times for exercising his First Amendment rights to free speech. He often will hold up signs saying, “God Bless the Homeless Vets” on public property, such as at city hall locations. He has now filed two separate lawsuits that he hopes “will hold public agencies and law enforcement accountable for violating his civil rights and that they receive training on respecting people’s First Amendment rights, so they do not violate them in the future.”
Pray for public officials at all levels of government to protect free speech and public discourse.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
The State Department told Congress that Russia is in violation of the nuclear arms treaty by refusing to engage with the U.S. over inspections. The State Department said that the New START Treaty permits both the U.S. and Russia to engage in inspections of each other’s nuclear weapons, but Moscow is in non-compliance.
According to CIA Director William Burns, China’s military has been instructed by President Xi to “be ready by 2027 to conduct a successful invasion” of Taiwan. Director Burns also said China has been carefully watching the Russian experience in Ukraine, leaving them a bit “unsettled.” He added, “That does not mean that he’s decided to conduct an invasion in 2027, or any other year, but it’s a reminder of the seriousness of his focus and his ambition.”
Pray for U.S. heads of intelligence as they monitor expanding tensions between the United States and adversarial nations like Russia and China.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A new report from The Commonwealth Fund says healthcare spending in the U.S. made up 17.8 percent of its gross domestic product in 2021, double that of other high-income nations, and three or four times greater than South Korea, New Zealand, and Japan. They stated that life expectancy is three years below the average of other developed nations, while obesity is nearly double.
CVS and Walgreens were warned by the attorneys general of 20 states that plans to use the mail to distribute abortion pills would violate state and federal law.
Pray for U.S. health professionals as the public health landscape changes and costs for care continue to rise.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
In a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the leader to accept a plan for security that would move control of major West Bank cities to Palestinian Authority control.
According to Tor Wennesland, the UN envoy to Jerusalem, increasing violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories has the situation “on the brink.” He called for “firm diplomatic intervention “to stem the bloodshed. “The UN cannot take over this responsibility; we cannot govern Palestine,” he said.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
According to a report from the Vanguard Group, a record number of Americans pulled out funds from their retirement savings accounts last year as inflation continued at its highest level in 40 years.
Capitol One executives say that delinquencies on loan repayments are on the rise as more consumers fall behind. They said many banks are tightening their lending standards while they set aside more funds to cover potential losses.
Pray for American families who are having difficulty making ends meet and are heading toward unmanageable debt.
Pray for Justice in America
The attorney general of Missouri sent a letter to the state association of school boards after schools took children to a drag show without informing parents. Attorney General Andrew Bailey said, “I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children, which includes preventing school officials from taking school children to drag shows. That’s why I am asking the Missouri School Board Association to call on their members to adopt a resolution pledging to uphold Missouri law on what can be taught regarding human sexuality in schools.” He added, “My office will use every tool at our disposal to ensure Missouri children are educated, not indoctrinated, and that parents have a say in the process.”
Pray for the attorneys general of the states who are taking a stand against exposing children to inappropriate sexual themes.
Pray for Goodness in America
Scientists are working to save the world’s third-largest coral reef just off the Florida Keys which has been attacked by an unknown disease threatening 20 of the 45 species of coral there. One conservation scientist said the disease is “burning through… like a wildfire.” The scientists have established a lab in Orlando as a coral reef “gene bank” to protect the genetics of the corals so their offspring “can ultimately be returned back to the Florida reef tract,” one curator said.
Pray for conservationists and scientists as they work to protect planetary ecosystems.
Pray for America’s Media
U.S. Surgeon General said that thirteen-year-olds are too young to be on social media. He stated, “What is the right age for a child to start using social media? I worry that right now, if you look at the guidelines from the platforms, that age 13 is when kids are technically allowed to use social media. But there are two concerns I have about that. One is I, personally, based on the data I’ve seen, believe that 13 is too early.”
Pray for those in positions of authority as they address the influence social media has on America’s youth.
Pray for America’s Education
In what they said is an effort to “level the playing field for discourse on campuses,” the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill has added the Civic Life and Leadership School, a new school to address woke ideology. The board chair said, “We are working to support a culture of respect, debate, and discovery. It won’t be easy and will often feel simply uncomfortable. Yet these are the skills our students, and we as citizens, need to be stewards of our democracy.”
The National Football League, in partnership with the American Heart Association and American Red Cross, will use the Super Bowl to promote involving youth education training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), particularly for those involved in sports, to ensure they have proper training and equipment to respond to medical emergencies.
Pray for school curriculum builders to return to the basics needed in a solid education and move away from indoctrination into ideologies.
Pray for America’s Technology
President Biden’s administration is asking legislators to revamp antitrust laws to address large tech companies like Google and Apple which they allege serve as “gatekeepers” in the mobile app market. The administration also advocates for the tech giants to be made to invest in privacy and security innovations.
Pray for wisdom for members of Congress as they address advancements in American technology and domestic production of both hardware and software.
Pray for Needs Across the States
A leading senator in the Indiana state legislature wants his state to pull public retirement pension funds out of any association with the People’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party. He has called such investments a financial risk and said the funds help promote human rights abuses in that country.
The Maryland legislature is considering a bill that would incentivize companies to move employees to a 12-hour, 4-day-a-week work schedule by offering a state tax credit when they participate in a pilot project to make the switch. So far, 33 companies have tested the 4-day program and none of them are planning to switch back.
Pray for the members of state legislatures as they consider the needs of their regions.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“Here’s your invitation to come into the throne of God when you pray, grace and mercy are waiting for you. Nothing else will help you stand in the face of traumatic situations. … Draw near. Nothing else will help you. God is waiting for you. God wants you to experience God in different ways than how you’ve experienced God before. God wants more and more for you than you can imagine.“ – Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, African Methodist Episcopal Church, National Prayer Breakfast 2023
