Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
America’s military is in talks with Canadian miners concerning the potential funding of projects to mine critical minerals in Canada as reliance on China for such minerals is deteriorating. The minerals in question are necessary for building defense equipment and electric vehicles.
The Defense Department is in the process of shutting down the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The aging infrastructure of the facility contaminated drinking water in Oahu last year and the Pentagon finally agreed to permanently close it after initially fighting the move. Officials estimate it will take three years to complete the process.
Pray for the defense secretary and Pentagon officials for wisdom as they make decisions and take action.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Iranian authorities have continued efforts to suppress protests. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas said that President Biden’s administration “will not let freedom be denied in Iran.”
U.S. Central Command’s leader said that a refugee camp in Syria is becoming a “breeding ground“ for terrorists and Islamic extremists after visiting the al-Hol camp a week ago.
Pray for U.S. diplomats and military leaders as efforts are made to improve America’s relationships with Islamic nations.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug that delays the onset of Type 1 diabetes. The director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders and Obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research stated this approval “adds an important new treatment option for certain at-risk patients.”
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced the Phase 1 winners of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize. Ten projects have been chosen out of 52 proposals for detecting active Lyme disease infections in humans.
Pray for researchers and scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and the brought oversight they have on pharmaceuticals.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
An Israeli-related oil tanker was struck off the coast of Oman by an Iranian bomb-carrying drone. Company officials reported that the crew is safe with no injuries and that, despite some minor damage to the hull of the vessel, no cargo spilled nor did water enter.
Israeli Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu is holding talks with the nation’s political coalitions. He has said he will legalize small communities of Jewish settlers, known as outposts, in the West Bank after the coalition is sworn-in.
Pray for Prime Minister designate Netanyahu and the changes he will be making to the Israeli government.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
For the eleventh straight month, confidence in the housing market on the part of builders has continued to decline. According to the National Association of Home Builders, interest rates increases, the rising cost of materials, and the loss of affordability are all contributing reasons.
Retail sales across the U.S. rose 1.3 percent in October as compared with September. Some economists expect that the Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates due to the show of continued high inflation.
Pray for the members of the Federal Reserve as they are planning interest rate discussions in December.
Pray for Justice in America
In this month’s midterm elections, four states approved measures that eliminates the “involuntary servitude” of prison inmates. The involuntary servitude of prisoners was the one exception to the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, one of the states that voted in favor of that ballot proposition, called the constitutional loophole “a moral abomination that launched the mass incarceration we see continuing to this day.”
Pray for U.S. officials endeavoring to close the “slavery loophole” under which incarcerated persons have been forced to work.
Pray for America’s Education
A local school district in Massachusetts is being sued after the father of a student was ordered not to enter his children’s school. The man had questioned the school board about the district’s masking policies, but was told the time for public comment had expired. The district has given him a “no trespassing” order.
The Department of Education has announced the launch of the Unlocking Career Success initiative, a partnership between the Departments of Education, Labor, and Commerce. Education Secretary Cardona stated, “It’s time we bridge the divide between our K-12 systems and our college, career, and industry preparation programs.“
Pray for U.S. education officials, school boards, and administrators as they make decisions that impact students and their learning environments.
Pray for Needs Across the States
Senators in the Tennessee legislature have introduced legislation that makes it an offense for “drag queens” or “adult cabaret performers” to hold events where they could be viewed by children, whether on public property or any other location. They have introduced another bill titled “Protecting Children from Gender Mutilation Act.”
The Ohio secretary of states is promoting a rewrite of the state’s laws to require a supermajority of 60 votes in order to pass certain state constitutional amendments as a “win for good government.” A resolution on such a plan could be introduced in the spring 2023 statewide ballot—which itself would require a 50 percent simple majority to pass.
Pray for state legislators as leaders begin developing agendas for the sessions in 2023.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“Every kindness, every grace, every favor we enjoy in this life comes from God Himself. So when a friend or a stranger or a family member extends grace or favor to us, we are thanking God indirectly when we thank them directly. And the opposite is true: When we fail to thank someone directly for a favor bestowed, we are indirectly failing to thank God who is the source of ‘every good gift and every perfect gift‘ (James 1:17). When we express gratitude to another person, we are also saying ‘Thank You‘ to God.” – Dr. David Jeremiah, Turning Point ministries, November 2022
