Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for our Military
U.S. forces shot down an Iranian-made drone that appeared to be conducting a reconnaissance mission flying near troop housing in Syria. American troops have fended off several rocket attacks against bases in Syria, including three suicide drones, and have responded to Iran-affiliated fighters with a rocket attack.
Included in a number of new policies released from the Pentagon, service members will now receive up to three weeks of leave to travel for abortions and other non-covered reproductive health care. Additional details were also provided along with guidance on how the new directives are to function.
Pray for troop morale and for their safety wherever they may be stationed.
PRAY FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Researchers at Yale University have identified some 43 campuses or other facilities where Russia is holding at least 6,000 Ukrainian children (likely more) of which they say, “The primary purpose of the camp facilities we’ve identified appears to be political re-education.”
Ukrainian President Zelensky has asked Israel to provide its defense system known as “David’s Sling,” to use “against Goliath.” So far, Israel has rejected requests to provide advanced defensive weapons to Ukraine, but President Zelensky believes it will come. “Delay has always been and still is a mistake,” he said. “There is no alternative to Ukrainian victory… No alternative to Ukraine in the EU. No alternative to Ukraine in NATO.”
Pray for the citizens of Ukraine, those who have fled the region, and the children who have been taken.
Pray for AMERICA’S FREEDOMS
The small town of Wilmore, Kentucky, with a normal population of around 6,000, swelled over the weekend as an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people came to attend services at Asbury University, where a revival has been taking place. Greg Gordo, the founder of SermonIndex.net, said “God is doing a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives to prepare us for what is ahead.”
Pray that people attending the revival will have an encounter with Jesus Christ and that the Lord remains the focus of the activities.
Pray for AMERICA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Senators from both parties are seeking to stop Mexico and China, and other nations that supply the precursor chemicals for making cheap, potent fentanyl, from illicit trafficking. They have urged President Biden’s administration to take additional steps “to confront the fentanyl epidemic,” Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey said. He added, “It’s time for the United States to build a multi-lateral coalition to hold China accountable for failure to meet its international obligation to stop illicit drug trafficking.”
The UN Secretary General claimed that climate-induced increases in sea levels could spark a mass migration and “increase the potential for conflict.” He said, “We could witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale, and we would see ever-fiercer competition for freshwater, land, and other resources.” On a global scale, sea levels have risen 8 to 9 inches since 1880, and scientists say the rising continues.
Pray for America’s diplomatic corps around the world.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A new rule proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services would require nursing homes to disclose more extensive ownership and management information so consumers could have greater transparency in their decision-making.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously voted to recommend that Narcan be sold over the counter. Narcan, currently available by prescription only, is a nasal spray used to treat opioid overdoses.
Pray for families dealing with the selection of nursing homes, hospice care, or other long-term or end-of-life treatment issues.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
After Israel’s government voted to legalize Jewish outposts in the West Bank, the Palestinian Mission to the United Nations is asking the Security Council to condemn Israel’s decision. The resolution stated, “We strongly oppose these unilateral actions which will only serve to exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution.”
Front Page News reports that Israeli deaths have risen 900 percent since President Biden’s administration delivered $1 billion to the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 2021. Terror incidents have increased with Al Qaeda and ISIS tactics being used in increased violence against Israeli citizens. Meanwhile, Israel’s Knesset approved a bill that would revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists who receive payments from the Palestinian Authority.
Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu as he addresses expanding settlements and the increase of violence from Palestinian youth.
Pray for AMERICA’S ECONOMY
A new Census Bureau report shows that retail sales rebounded more than expected in January, driven largely by spending at restaurants and bars. Analysts also reported an increase in purchases of sporting goods equipment and home furnishings.
Sales of previously-owned homes fell again in January for the twelfth straight month. They are now at the lowest level since October 2010 as mortgage rates sideline would-be buyers.
Pray for American families to be wise in their budget decision-making as the nation continues to experience inflation.
Pray for Justice in America
A recent survey shows that forty percent of Jews in America feel less secure in the U.S. than they did one year ago. They are also concerned about rising antisemitism in the U.S., with 43 percent of those polled saying it has “increased a lot” and 39 percent saying it has “increased somewhat.” Nearly a quarter of the survey respondents said they have been directly targeted by antisemitic “expressions” toward them.
Pray for the Jewish community in America, and that Christians would lead the way in denouncing all forms of antisemitism.
Pray for America’s Media
A new Gallup poll shows that half of those surveyed think the news is deliberately manipulated to mislead the public and that national news organizations “intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public.” The analysis said that “many Americans… feel distrust on an emotional level, believing news organizations intend to mislead them and are indifferent to the social and political impact of their reporting.”
Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are calling for an investigation into the U.S. government funding an organization that is blacklisting and trying to defund conservative news media outlets. The Global Disinformation Index has been indirectly bankrolled by the State Department.
Pray for U.S. political and media officials as policies concerning First Amendment rights to free speech are addressed.
Pray for America’s Education
A school board in Idaho has put its gender identity policy on hold following a strong response from the community. The policy would allow the use of bathrooms and locker rooms on the basis of gender identity rather than biological sex, among other things. A state representative said, “The gender you’ve been assigned at birth, that’s the bathroom that you’re going to use, that’s the locker room that you’re going to use.”
Across the country, school districts are dropping honors and advanced placement classes in an effort to increase equity. A school board member in Santa Monica-Malibu, California, said, “This is a sound pedagogical approach to education.” According to the Wall Street Journal, on average, Black and Latino students enroll less often in accelerated classes.
Pray for America’s educators as they consider the elimination of rewards based on merit and excellence, as they implement equity policies.
Pray for America’s Technology
The FBI has issued a warning to state officials on the threat of Chinese hackers to the security of their state information and of a potential increase in cyber activity from China this year.
Pray for U.S. public servants to be vigilant as surveillance attempts by China and other nations increase
Pray for Needs Across the States
Following a train derailment in East Palestine and controlled burn that released toxic chemicals into the air and water, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio said he would hold the feet of Norfolk Southern rail lines “to the fire” adding “we’re going to make sure they pay for everything as we move forward.”
The Idaho House of Representatives passed a resolution that calls for discussion between Idaho and Oregon concerning making rural Oregon counties part of Idaho. Eleven counties in southern and eastern Oregon have already voted to join Idaho, although the move is not likely to succeed as the changes would require the support of both states and the U.S. Congress.
Pray for wisdom for state governors and legislatures.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“Christians often do their unbelieving neighbors a disservice. Uncomfortable with their own doctrine, they will soften it, or talk it up like it’s not so bad. The problem starts with a church that has created a god, not the biblical God mind you, but one that is in our own image, an image of what we want him to be. … The Lord God Almighty lives, and he is not to be trifled with. And whether you take him seriously or not does not alter an inescapable fact: He is coming for you.“ – Larry Alex Taunton, author and apologist, April 2022
