Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The Army announced a decision to put a civilian in charge of the command that conducts criminal investigations. This action is in response to widespread feedback that the unit is understaffed, overwhelmed, and filled with inexperienced investigators.
General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during an ROTC commissioning ceremony that the U.S. military must widen opportunity and improve advancement for service members of color who remain underrepresented in some areas, including among Air Force pilots and in the most senior ranks. He said diversity, an important strength of the military, is currently inadequate.
Pray for the military leaders as they deal with matters of law and equality.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
A civil liberties group has set up a fund to defend professors who are threatened for their speech or research and face the expense of legal action at their universities. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is encouraging professors to call the project’s 24-hour hotline to quickly be paired with “early responders” who are paid for their time. The legal defense fund wants to provide faculty a free lawyer at the earliest stages of conflict with administrators, and potentially all the way through any trial.
Pray for educators and professors who have experienced opposition to their freedom of speech.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
According to U.S. General Stephen Townsend, who leads the Africa Command, China may be looking to extend its influence beyond the Pacific with the potential construction of a large Atlantic naval base on the western coast of Africa. China has been in contact with countries as far north as Mauritania and as far south as Namibia on establishing a naval facility with the capability to host submarines or aircraft carriers.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said sanctions on Iran could only be lifted if the country comes back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement. She added that there has been some progress in talks between Iran and world powers, and it is a good sign that talks are continuing.
Pray for U.S. diplomats and officials working on responses and alliances to address nations like China, Iran, Russia and North Korea.
Pray For AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A new poll shows that less than a third of parents would get their child vaccinated as soon as the shots are approved for children. Only 29 percent of parents of children under age 18 said they would get their child vaccinated “right away,” according to a poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Some healthcare officials have said that vaccinating children is key to ending the pandemic.
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration said there had been an elevated increase in firearms detected at airports last year, doubling from 2019. The trend has continued into 2021. He said 80 percent of the firearms discovered were loaded.
Pray for the officials working to tackle issues pertaining to the health and security fo Americans.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
Israel’s president has given Yair Lapid, a centrist politician and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongest rival, the opportunity to try forming a new government, though his path to success is uncertain. Israel’s longest serving leader, Netanyahu, 71, has been fighting to hold onto office through four inconclusive elections since 2019. A 28-day mandate to put together a coalition ran out after Netanyahu was unable to agree to terms with potential partners, opening the way for Rivlin to assign the task to another member of parliament. Lapid also has 28 days to try to form a coalition.
Hamas has launched hundreds of rockets on Jerusalem early this week while thousands of Israelis celebrated Jerusalem Day. The Israeli Defense Force sent reinforcements, closed roads, and postponed a planned drill as tensions mounted. Bomb shelters opened in areas that border the Gaza region. Many of the missiles were not intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Tensions continued to increase following a violent encounter on Friday at the al Aqsa Mosque between Palestinians and Israeli police, in which 146 people were wounded, including 83 who required hospitalization.
Pray for God’s purpose to be fulfilled as Israel prepares to respond to the rocket attacks.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
Women dropped out of the U.S. labor force in April for the first time since January, signaling the jobs recovery may be more haphazard than expected even as more schools reopen and vaccinations accelerate. Some 165,000 women aged 20 and over withdrew from the labor force claiming they aren’t employed or searching for a job.
Even though the monthly jobs report was disappointing, President Biden claimed the U.S. is “on the right track.” He said there is evidence “our economy is moving in the right direction, but it is clear we have a long way to go.” There were 266,000 jobs added to the economy in April, a figure that surprised many economists and Wall Street observers who had been anticipating figures around 1 million as states lift public health restrictions and vaccination rates climb. The numbers for March were also revised sharply downward, to 146,000 jobs added down from 770,000.
Pray for discernment federal, state, and local administrators of unemployment benefits as potential workers remain on the sidelines of the economy.
Pray for Goodness in America
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Ventura County has new protectors due to its Southern California location that makes it vulnerable to wildfires. More than 350 goats were brought to the property this last week to clear out brush surrounding the building. Over the course of two weeks, the goats will eat away at the grasses and natural vegetation covering the 13-acre area that contains the library. The Ventura County Fire Department is paying for the goats which, according to the library’s spokeswoman, are doing a “tremendous job.”
Pray for community officials in areas vulnerable to wildfires to have understanding and take preventive measures.
Pray for America’s Media
According to the White House, social media companies have the responsibility of shutting down misinformation. During a press conference, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about Facebook’s decision to uphold its ban on President Trump. Psaki said she had no comment on the former president but said President Biden’s view is that the major platforms have the job to stop amplifying “untrustworthy content.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the “communications shop” in the White House discourages the president’s willingness to engage with reporters who shout questions during public appearances. “That is not something we recommend,” she said. “In fact, a lot of times we say, ‘Don’t take questions.’ But he’s going to do what he wants to do, because he’s the president of the United States.”
Pray for U.S. officials and citizens as they evaluate the rights and responsibilities of private companies that are restricting the access to and distribution of information.
Pray for America’s Education
Educators across the U.S. agree that the mental wellbeing of students is becoming a bigger priority after the pandemic forced schools to shut down or operate with a mix of remote and in-person learning. Students struggled to focus, and isolation, worry, and depression have taken a toll on many. Those concerns have led to a flood of new funding and initiatives aimed at helping schools navigate the pandemic’s aftermath.
Pray for teachers and students returning to in-person learning in the fall and for school psychologists and others dealing with the mental health of students.
Pray for America’s Technology
Banks spend more on technology than any other industry, a Wells Fargo Security analyst said earlier this year. Bank of America said it has poured $35 billion over the past decade into mobile banking and other digital services. The bank’s CEO said, “The focus to make sure the digital services, which are less costly than both branch visits and ATM transactions, offer good feature functionality and are built secure and to scale.”
Pray for banking officials to keep hackers from gathering personal data on their customers as they increase their reliance on technology.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The legislature in Maine held a public hearing regarding a bill that would prevent transgender athletes from playing on teams and in leagues that do not match their biological sex.
The North Carolina Senate nearly unanimously approved three healthcare consumer protection bills. One would require healthcare facilities to notify patients of any healthcare providers at the facility who may not be in the patients’ insurance network. A second has to do with a facility’s costs to purchase diagnostic center equipment and major medical equipment and Certificate of Need Review Requirements. A third allows small business owners to offer employees the same healthcare plans as large employers.
Pray for state legislators working to achieve what is best for the majority of their constituents without ignoring the needs of others.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“Reconciliation requires us to listen deeply to one another. In this moment, the church desperately needs courageous and compassionate pastors to respond to the injustice and toxicity we see around matters of race. Our congregations need models of love, maturity, humility, and truth telling to navigate the complexity that surrounds this issue. And I believe God longs to empower us for this task.” – Rich Villodas, Pastor, New Life Fellowship, Queens, New York, 2020
