Pray the Vote
New polling conducted by RSLC-Cygnal on election issues shows that the economy far outweighs abortion concerns. Overall, Americans are more concerned about economic issues, including the cost of living, inflation, jobs, and unemployment. Around 8 percent say abortion is their more pressing concern, slightly less than the 9 percent who listed crime.
State legislative races have become more competitive after the Supreme Court’s abortion decision. Many states are evaluating what the return of the responsibility to their legislatures regarding the regulation or legalities of abortion will mean as they head into the midterm elections.
Pray for federal and state legislative candidates to be transparent and above-board with their policy stances and platforms.
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
The U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe has increased as the threat from Russia remains at the forefront of the international landscape. President Biden made an announcement at a NATO summit in Spain, saying there would be a permanent V Corps Headquarters Forward Command Post in Poland.
The Pentagon plans to spend almost ten times as much on balloon projects this coming fiscal year as it has in the past two years combined. The balloons, which fly at between 60,000 and 90,000 feet, would be added to the Pentagon’s surveillance techniques for a variety of missions, including being used to track hypersonic weapons being developed by China and Russia.
Pray for wisdom for the decision-makers at the Pentagon as they consider the strength and readiness of America’s fighting forces.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Dimitry Medvedev, Russia’s Security Council deputy chairman and head of the United Russia party, recently stated that Crimea will be a part of Russia “forever.” He said that any attempts by a NATO member nation to encroach on the peninsula could lead to “World War III.”
NATO delivered a warning to Moscow after one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies said Russia is “considering” an attack on Lithuania. “We have more than 40,000 troops under direct NATO command, most of them in the eastern part of the alliance and many of them in the Baltic region,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. “The purpose of this increased presence is to send a message that we are ready to protect and defend every inch of allied territory, including of course Lithuania and the other Baltic countries.”
Pray for wisdom for U.S. officials and NATO leaders as they attempt to address Russia’s expansionist stance.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is building up its surveillance system to track the outbreak of monkeypox in the U.S. with the activation of the agency’s Emergency Operations Center. The federal command center monitors disease outbreaks and coordinates the deployment of emergency response measures if needed.
Since January 2021, hospitals have been required to list online the prices for 200 common medical services, but new research has found that only 32 percent of hospitals have been fully compliant when it comes to knee and hip replacements.
Pray for U.S. health officials as they deal with staffing shortages and the increased pressure for medical care in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that he will not run in upcoming elections after leading a broad but fragile coalition government that fell apart barely a year after taking office. Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid assumed the role of the country’s interim prime minister after Israel’s parliament voted to disband. New elections are set for November 1.
Threats from Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah could delay Israel’s plan to deliver natural gas to Europe, Israeli officials said. Interim Prime Minister Lapid is pursuing help from France to defuse a crisis over its maritime border with Lebanon.
Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Lapid as he tends to the affairs of the nation of Israel.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
The Federal Reserve of Atlanta’s GDP Now tracker projects that the economy will weaken for a second consecutive quarter, in the latest sign of a possible recession. The update shows gross domestic product growth will fall to a negative 1 percent annual rate. The economy contracted at a 1.6 percent annual rate in the first quarter.
One in 10 of the U.S. homes sold in the first quarter of 2022 was “flipped,” or bought and sold within a year by an arms-length buyer, the highest level since 2000, as “flippers” take advantage of the continuing rise in home prices.
Pray for American families trying to stretch their budgets to meet the strains of inflation and the impact rising costs have on retirement plans and savings.
Pray for Justice in America
George Washington University is keeping Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as an adjunct professor despite protesters’ requesting his dismissal due to their disagreement with his rulings. The university stood up for freedom of speech in a statement that read, “Debate is an essential part of our university’s academic and educational mission.” In rejecting calls to cancel Thomas, the University’s Provost and Dean of the Law School stated, “Because we steadfastly support the robust exchange of ideas and deliberation, and because debate is an essential part of our university’s academic and educational mission to train future leaders who are prepared to address the world’s most urgent problems, the university will neither terminate Justice Thomas’ employment nor cancel his class in response to his legal opinions.”
Give thanks for the U.S. educators who stand up for freedom and do not give in to the cancel culture of today.
Pray for Goodness in America
A group of “America First” businesses is donating a portion of their proceeds to a military organization known as “Folds of Honor” to thank America’s military on Independence Day. Folds of Honor provides families of fallen and disabled service members educational scholarships.
Give thanks for America’s military, past, and present, and for their service to the nation. Give thanks also for the many groups who give support to veterans and military families.
Pray for America’s Media
A group of Senators led by Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Tom Cotton of Arkansas is pressing President Biden’s administration over national security concerns posed by Tik Tok, a popular video-hosting service. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the legislators said the administration has failed to enforce an August 2020 order by former President Trump directing ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns Tik Tok, to divest its American assets and destroy any data it acquired through Tik Tok.
Pray for federal legislators and other officials endeavoring to protect the privacy of the American public, particularly children, from foreign entities.
Pray for America’s Technology
A member of the Federal Communications Commission’s leadership called on Apple and Google to remove Tik Tok from their platforms due to the video-hosting service’s access in China. “Tik Tok is not just another app. That’s the sheep’s clothing,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr stated. “It harvests swaths of sensitive data that new reports show are being accessed in Beijing.”
Pray for U.S. communications and technology officials as they seek to prevent the “mining” of data by China and other nations.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The South Carolina attorney general is joining several other states in challenging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s corporate fuel economy standards. He stated that “South Carolinians are already struggling with the high cost of everything“ without being saddled “with higher-priced electric vehicles.”
Virginia food safety regulators say they intend to stop the sale of many synthetic THC products that state legislators thought they had just legalized. The state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Safety warned retailers it still considers Delta-8 and other intoxicating synthetic cannabinoids to be illegal food adulterants.
Pray for state officials who are seeking to protect the health, safety, welfare, and economic security of their populations.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“The moment our love for or concern for our country takes precedence over our love for people in our country, we are off mission. When saving America diverts energy, focus, and reputation away from saving Americans, we no longer qualify as the ecclesia [church]. We’re merely political tools. A manipulated voting demographic. A photo-op. … We give up the moral and ethical high ground.” – Pastor Andy Stanley, North Point Community Church, Atlanta, June 4, 2022
