Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen confirmed that a small number of U.S. forces are in Taiwan to train with Taiwanese soldiers. The presence of American troops affirms Taiwan’s stance on self-governance against China’s claims over Taiwan. Tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated in recent weeks as Beijing increases military and political pressure. China has not ruled out taking the island by force.
The USS Gerald Ford, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, is set to deploy next year, four years after its original maiden deployment date. Commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 Rear Adm. Michael Boyle said, “Everything is on track,” as he prepares to lead the carrier in its first deployment.
Pray for American troops wherever they are deployed or stationed, and for the families left at home.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
India tested a nuclear-capable ballistic missile amid growing military threats by China. The surface-to-surface missile reportedly hit its target “with a high degree of accuracy.” Known as Agni-V, it has a range of more than 3,000 miles and can carry a payload of more than one metric ton, including a nuclear warhead, New Delhi’s defense ministry said.
Iran will return to nuclear talks before the end of November, its chief negotiator said, thus paving the way for the first talks since June on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. U.S. and European hopes of reviving the nuclear deal have faded abruptly in recent months.
Pray about the “race” for nuclear weapons and delivery systems that is escalating throughout many nations.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have opened a study for a vaccine seeking to prevent triple-negative breast cancer, which is targeted as the strongest and most deadly form of the disease. “We are hopeful that this research will lead to more advanced trials to determine the effectiveness of the vaccine against this highly aggressive type of breast cancer,” said the principal investigator.
Pray for those working to develop vaccines and advances in pharmaceuticals to deal with significant diseases.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the U.S. will be moving forward with the process of reopening the consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem. “That’s an important way for our country to engage with and provide support for the Palestinian people,” he said.
The U.S. State Department said it strongly opposes Israel’s plans for more settlement units in the occupied West Bank as “inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions” and damaging to the prospects of a two-state solution advocated by the president’s administration. Israel had published tenders for about 1,300 new settlement homes and authorities are also expected to discuss proposals for another 3,000 homes.
Pray God to be at work through the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
In the third quarter of 2021, America’s economy grew at its slowest pace in more than a year. Experts believe this is due to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases which further stretched global supply chains and led to shortages of goods and putting the brakes on consumer spending.
The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, expects that holiday sales gains could shatter last year’s record-breaking season. This comes even as global supply chains have slowed the flow of goods and resulted in higher prices for a broad range of items.
Pray for administration officials are they look for ways to address delays in deliveries and shortages in supply chains.
Pray for Goodness in America
A group of lifeguards carried a 95-year-old vacationer across an Alabama beach so that she could put her feet in the sand, see the waves crashing on the shore close-up, and enjoy her vacation. The woman’s daughter said, “We are forever indebted to the guys with Orange Beach Surf Rescue.” She added, “They made my mother feel special. She was not made to feel like she was a burden on anybody.” One of the lifeguards said the service they provided was “just another day at the office” and “many of us have grandparents.”
Give thanks when you observe younger generations honoring the elderly.
Pray for America’s Education
An analysis by McKinsey & Company found that school shutdowns left K-12 students, on average, five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. The research will continue as many try to understand the long-term effects of the pandemic.
Pray for the well-being of America’s schoolchildren and for the nature of their education, particularly over social issues.
Pray for America’s Technology
During a congressional hearing, Executive Michael Beckerman at social media app TikTok denied that it has given information or to the Chinese government. He also said that the company has taken steps to safeguard U.S. data.
Pray about the ways in which foreign governments gain access to U.S. data through systems installed in programs or hardware provided by them.
Pray for Needs Across the States
Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois has declared gun violence a public health crisis and says $250 million in state and federal money will be directed toward the issue over three years. The state will focus efforts on areas including youth intervention programs, trauma recovery, and other mental health services.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy called on the U.S. Supreme Court to rein in the scope of an environmental law that could have a significant impact on how Alaska property owners manage their land. In an amicus brief, they are asking the justices to reject federal overreach over navigable waters currently regulated under the Clean Water Act.
Pray for state governors and members of their administrations as they look to protect the citizens of their states.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“God wants us to choose to love him freely, even when that choice involves pain, because we are committed to him, not to our own good feelings and rewards. He wants us to cleave to him, as Job did, even when we have every reason to deny him hotly. That, I believe, is the central message of Job. Satan had taunted God with the accusation that humans are not truly free. Was Job being faithful simply because God had allowed him a prosperous life? Job’s fiery trials proved the answer beyond doubt. Job clung to God’s justice when he was the best example in history of God’s apparent injustice. He did not seek the Giver because of his gifts; when all gifts were removed he still sought the Giver. “ – Philip Yancey, author, from Where Is God When It Hurts?
