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- Issue 678 – Verse of the Week
December 19th – December 25th, 2024
VERSE OF THE WEEK
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. – Isaiah 60:1
Shine
Do you put candles in your windows at Christmastime? Researchers believe that, without obstructions, a person with healthy but average vision could see a candle flame from as far away as 1.6 miles. Jesus came to be light to the world. Then He stated that you are to be a light as well. How far is your “illumination” seen? How wide is your sphere of influence? Are you a light in the darkness of this world? Do you reflect the goodness of God to those around you? Do others see the Lord’s glory emanating from your life? As you live your daily life and shine His light, you are a witness to the brilliance of God’s love and power. Burn brightly for the Savior is come! Burn brightly because He will come again!
We look forward to the new year with hope. READ NOW!
Our gift to you this holiday as we remember the true reason for the season with sacred and traditional Christmas music.- Issue 678 – Federal Branches
Praying for Our Leaders in Government
Executive Branch: Pray for the President and his Administration
The State Department announced that the U.S. Treasury is imposing sanctions on two individuals and one entity to disrupt North Korea’s proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their delivery. The individuals, Chinese nationals based in United Arab Emirates, and the entity have allegedly acted as proxies or agents in facilitating money laundering and cryptocurrency conversion services.
Pray for U.S. officials as they seek to deter adversarial nations’ attempts to fund WMDs through money laundering.
Legislative Branch: Pray for Senators and Representatives in Congress
Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Peter Welch of Vermont introduced an amendment to the Constitution this week that would abolish the Electoral College so that winners of presidential elections would be determined by only the popular vote. Senator Schatz said, “The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic. It’s time to end it.”
Pray for members of Congress in both chambers as they consider legislation and amendments.
PRAY FOR CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s COVID-19 panel issued a final report this month that addressed the origins of the pandemic, U.S. funding for the Wuhan lab, and the mandates and lockdowns. Committee Chair Brad Wenstrup of Ohio wrote, “A future pandemic requires a whole of America response managed by those without personal benefit or bias.“
Pray for federal legislators as they seek to improve the government’s responses to national crises.
Judicial Branch: Pray for Supreme Court Justices and Federal Judges
TikTok has requested an emergency order from the Supreme Court this week to block a federal law that would ban the platform in the U.S. if China-based ByteDance does not sell it. The heart of the case is the conflict between national security and freedom of speech.
Pray for the justices of the Supreme Court as they receive requests for injunctions and stays.
Featured Leaders For Prayer
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Teri Donaldson, Inspector General, Department of Energy
Energy Department Inspector General Donaldson said that the Loan Programs Office has engaged in a “very high-risk endeavor” as she wraps up a probe of the green energy loan program.
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Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator from West Virginia
Senator Joe Manchin voted against the nomination of the current chair of the National Labor Relations Board to another 5 year term.
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Judge Reed O’Connor, Northern Texas U.S. District Court
Judge O’Connor rejected a plea deal between Boeing and the DOJ that required diversity considerations in choosing a compliance monitor.
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Lt. Colonel Evan Shockley, USMC, Commanding Officer, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251
The commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 commemorated the reactivation of the USMC’s East Coast squadron and introduction of the 5th-generation fighter jet.
As we lift up the federal government of United States of America, each day we will highlight one elected or appointed federal official serving in office. Pray with us for each of them as they tackle their unique responsibilities and fulfill their oaths of office.
TODAY’S NATIONAL LEADER FOR PRAYER
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- Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Born – December 1966 in New York City, New York
- Education – B.A., J.D., Yale University
- Military Service – None
- Profession – Attorney
- Political Experience – U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
- In office since – 2017
- Family – Married to Lisa, 2 children
- Religious Affiliation – Undisclosed
- Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
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AMERICA’S HISTORY OF FAITH AND PRAYER
- Issue 678 – Faith and Prayer History
“How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is given.”
There is a certain stillness at the center of the Christmas story. A silent night when all the world goes quiet and all the glamour, all the noise, everything that divides us, everything that pits us against one another, everything — everything that seems so important but really isn’t, this all fades away in stillness of the winter’s evening.
And we look to the sky, to a lone star, shining brighter than all the rest, guiding us to the birth of a child — a child Christians believe to be the son of God; miraculously now, here among us on Earth, bringing hope, love and peace and joy to the world.– President Joe Biden, December 22, 2022
- Issue 678 – National Prayer Needs
Additional National Prayer Needs
Pray for America’s Military
The Department of Defense stated that the U.S. Army and Navy “recently completed a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.“ The test was a live-fire event that used a Battery Operations Center and a Transporter Erector Launcher. It is the second successful flight test of the All Up Round this year.
Pray for military leaders and service members as they develop and test new missiles and weaponry.
PRAY FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Ukraine claimed to have conducted the attack that killed a top Russian general, the head of his nation’s nuclear defense forces, who allegedly used chemical weapons on the battlefield against Ukraine. He was killed when a scooter bomb exploded in Moscow this week.
Pray for U.S. and allied officials to be discerning in their response to and support of Ukraine’s actions in the war.
Pray for AMERICA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL
President Biden’s administration asked Israel to approve a request from the Palestinian Authority for military equipment from the U.S and the release of frozen P.A. assets to pay its forces. The P.A. forces launched a counter-terror raid in Jenin, briefing both the president’s administration and the president-elect’s team. Members of the P.A. forces have a history of carrying out suicide attacks on Israelis.
Pray for discernment President Biden and his advisors as they seek support from Israel for the Palestinian Authority’s actions against terrorists.
Pray for AMERICA’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
The Food and Drug Administration is promoting its Prescribe with Confidence campaign, which provides training and resources to health care providers and prescribers “on utilizing medication to treat opioid use disorder.“ The FDA characterizes opioid use disorder as a “treatable chronic health condition.”
Pray for FDA officials as they seek to inform health care professionals on prescriptions to treat opioid use.
Pray for Needs Across the States
The state of Washington has proposed a sports division for transgender athletes to prevent boys from competing against girls in women’s sports. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association made the suggestion for an open division to “ensure a level playing field” in female sports.
Governors Jared Polis of Colorado and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma issued a joint statement on behalf of the National Governors Association opposing Legislative Proposal 480 from the Armed Services Committee to reassign Air National Guard units to the U.S. Space Force without approval from governors. The governors of every U.S. state and territory have unified against the proposal and encouraged Congress not to approve it.
Pray for the governors of states and territories as they seek to preserve states’ rights and individuality under the federalist system.
Pray for America’s Faith Community
“Do you have people in your life who only talk to you when they want something? Conversations that revolve around the other person’s needs or demands make it hard to develop true fellowship. These one-sided relationships can lead to us feeling used and manipulated. Yet that is exactly what many of us do to God when we only approach Him in prayer with a need or desire. … God wants to see prayers that are filled with genuine praise and thanksgiving for what He has done in the past. He wants our hearts to be filled with awe and gratitude for His blessings. He wants us to set up memorials in our hearts testifying to the provisions He has given us. God does not want to be taken for granted. He does not want to be given our lists of wants without any true desire to know Him.“ – Michael Youssef, Leading the Way
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