Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
Major General Joseph Ryan, Commanding General of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii, assured America’s allies that the U.S. is ready for battle in Asia after years of joint combat exercises. He added that Russia’s setbacks in Ukraine should be seen by aggressors like China and North Korea as a warning.
The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command said that they had made a successful launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base last week. It traveled about 4,200 miles over the Pacific. They stated, the Minuteman III is a “valuable deterrent.”
Pray for military leaders as they seek to maintain the combat readiness of U.S. Armed Forces.
PRAY FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Late last week, Russia launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks on cities in Ukraine, with particular targets on infrastructure and energy grids. Ukraine’s defense ministry said 71 cruise missiles had been launched which had been fired by Russian TU-95 bomber aircraft.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany that Ukraine is facing a “challenging road” with Russia preparing for a spring offensive. The group is comprised of more than 50 nations that support Ukraine with both military and financial aid. “But one year on, we are as united as ever,” Secretary Austin said, “and that shared resolve will help sustain Ukraine’s momentum in the crucial weeks ahead and help Ukraine to travel the challenging road that lies beyond.”
Pray for those who are working behind the scenes to try to achieve a diplomatic solution that would end the war in Ukraine.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
The attorney general of Minnesota and 19 others are seeking answers from the Justice Department and the FBI, stating they will use legal action, after an FBI memo that had been leaked showed that they had measures underway to identify and treat Catholics as “potential terrorists.” The memo, they said, “identifies radical-traditionalist Catholics as potential racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.”
Pray for the attorneys general as they seek to hold the leaders of the DOJ and FBI accountable for their actions.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with his young daughter at his side showed off what may be new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles during a military parade in Pyongyang. Those missiles were followed by another large missile “encased in a canister and transported on a 9-axle vehicle.“
China’s foreign minister said the spy balloon taken down by the U.S. off the South Carolina coast “does not belong to the U.S. It belongs to China” and they want it back. The U.S. Navy has pulled debris from the balloon off the ocean surface, and divers are hoping to recover critical technology from the floor of the Atlantic some 47 feet down. China stated the balloon “didn’t pose any threat to any person or to the national security of the U.S.”
Pray for U.S. officials as they make decisions regarding the leadership of North Korea and their intentions.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A new report published in the Patient Rights Advocate found that only about a quarter of hospitals across America are in full compliance with a federal rule that requires price transparency with online postings that are accessible and searchable. They showed that 6 percent of hospitals had not posted any information on standard charges. They found that none of the HCA Healthcare hospitals were in compliance.
A new study published in the Cureus Medical Journal which surveyed women between 41 and 45 years of age found that 60 percent who had aborted an unborn baby had been pressured into their actions. That same group also reported mental health and quality of life struggles at greater levels following the abortion.
Pray that the Lord would touch the hearts of women who have had or are contemplating abortion with love and tenderness toward their dilemma and a change of their perspectives toward the value of life.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
Iranian officials unveiled a new deadly missile with “death to Israel” written on it. The public exhibit in the city of Isfahan also showed off the underground airbase they are calling “Eagle 44” which is capable of housing fighter jets, bombers, and long-range cruise missiles.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu granted retroactive authorization to nine West Bank Jewish shelter outposts, announcing mass construction of new homes within those established settlements. He also said a planning committee would look into approving new settlement homes, a number that could reach 10,000.
Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu as he deals with domestic and foreign challenges.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
According to economists polled by Reuters, Americans’ economic sentiment has risen this month. However, households are still experiencing higher inflation, which they expect to continue for the next twelve months.
At the end of 2022, home prices nationally were 6.9 percent higher than the year before, the smallest annual gain since the summer of 2020, when the pandemic bit into the housing boom. The market could continue its slow growth as it faces weaker demand as a result of inflation and the barrier of higher mortgage rates.
Pray for the president and his advisers to seek the Lord as they address inflation and the economy.
Pray for Justice in America
Officials at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum have apologized to a group of Catholic Students and their chaperones who were asked to leave the museum because they were wearing blue wool caps with a pro-life and religious message embroidered on them. “A security officer mistakenly told young visitors that their pro-life hats were not permitted in the museum,” the museum spokesperson said. “Asking visitors to remove hats and clothing is not in keeping with our policy or protocols. We provided immediate retraining to prevent a re-occurrence of this kind of error.” The students have filed suit against the museum for First Amendment violations.
Give thanks that the museum acknowledged its error and pray that federal staff and personnel recognize the free speech rights of the American people.
Pray for Goodness in America
The kicker for the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, Harrison Butker, gave all the glory to God for his field goal performance. He was not the only player to point to faith in God or being part of God’s plan. Eagles’ Defensive Back K’Von Wallace said, “My faith Is everything.” Eagles Wide Receiver A.J. Brown and Defensive End Brandon Graham say they put their trust in God. Eagles Linebacker Christian Ellis spoke of his relationship with God, and Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni said God’s plan is always best. Chiefs Fullback Michael Burton said, “Remember to stay close to God and to continue praying.” Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said, “It’s all about glorifying Him.”
Give thanks for the professional athletes who readily speak of their faith and glorify God. Pray that their words would have influence over young people who look up to them.
Pray for America’s Media
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri says a bill he is promoting has bipartisan support for placing a legal age for children to be allowed on social media. He said that tech companies have put profits over protecting kids, which is a harmful practice.
Pray for members of Congress as they seek to protect children from the harms of social media.
Pray for America’s Education
A member of the Virginia Board of Education was removed after she spoke out against socialism and championed “traditional American values” and a defense of the Constitution. The woman, an émigré from India, said, “I thought people celebrated diversity. Whether it’s diversity of thought, diversity of viewpoint, or diversity of any of the many characteristics? I’m flummoxed.”
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has proposed legislation that would officially abolish the U.S. Department of Education, saying, “there is no Constitutional authority for this federal bureaucracy to exist.” The department was established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter’s administration, employs around 4,000 people, and has an annual budget of $70 billion or more.
Pray for governing officials and the controls over education and resistance to parental influence.
Pray for America’s Technology
Google unveiled a new tool that uses artificial intelligence, a rival product to ChatGPT, which interacts in research by allowing follow-up questions. Google says more AI programs are on the horizon.
Pray for leaders in the tech industry as artificial intelligence expands and people begin to rely on it.
Pray for Needs Across the States
Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma is calling on his state’s legislature for a bill that “bans all gender transition surgeries” for minors. In his State of the State address, the governor said, “We must protect our most vulnerable—our children. Minors can’t vote, can’t purchase alcohol, can’t purchase cigarettes: we shouldn’t allow a minor to get a permanent gender-altering surgery in Oklahoma.”
Under a proposal moving forward in the South Dakota legislature, drop boxes for receiving absentee election ballots would be illegal. The matter has been passed in the state’s House of Representatives and now moves to its senate for consideration.
Pray for the integrity of state legislators as they move on legislation that would benefit their constituents.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“Prayer is the only entry way into genuine self-knowledge. It is also the main way we experience deep change—the reordering of our lives. Prayer is how God gives us so many of the unimaginable things he has for us. Indeed, prayer makes it safe for God to give us many of the things we most desire. It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God as God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life.“ – Timothy Keller, from his book Prayer, 2014
