Prayer for our Nation, its Leaders and Topics of Concern for 10/24/13 - 10/30/13

God of All Times

Fortune tellers, mediums, psychic hotlines and the like stay in business because people want to know the future. But the only one who truly knows what’s coming next is God. And most of the time He doesn’t tell, except for in the prophecies in the Bible.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark. Hebrews 11:7

Instead, He’d rather you know Him in the present. In Christ, you are God’s child and He desires your worship and an intimate relationship with you. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8)

Sometimes your belief in what the Bible says about the present and the future will separate you from the world. Then, like Noah, you’ll have to stand up for what’s right and condemn the world, as it says he did in the continuation of today’s verse. It may be hard, but as you obey Him in reverent fear, you become “heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7) – and make a lasting difference in your culture. Get close to God through Bible study and prayer, and ask Him to help you impact the nation to His glory!

Read John 17:14-26

 

Be BOLD in Prayer Today for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces - James E. Baker, Chief Judge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces exercises worldwide appellate jurisdiction over members of the United States Armed Forces on active duty, and other persons subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

As the Lord leads, BOLDLY pray:

·        That God would make Himself known in undeniable ways to James Baker, drawing Judge Baker closer to Himself and His grace.

·        For wisdom and courage for Judge Baker as he administers the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and rules on actions that come before him.

·        For an outpouring of God’s love upon James Baker and his family.

  

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew says President Obama will keep trying to undo or ease the cuts in spending that he reluctantly signed into law as part of the Budget Control Act in 2011. The Obama administration has announced that White House tours will resume, on a limited basis, seven months after they were suspended due to the "sequester" spending cuts. Pray for President Obama and his Cabinet as they focus on domestic spending and healthcare issues.

 

Nearly 30 congressional lawmakers will sit down next week to begin working out a budget plan for the federal government. Florida Senator Marco Rubio says passing immigration reform will be a lot harder to accomplish after Democrats and President Obama refused to negotiate with Republicans during the recent fiscal crisis. Pray that our lawmakers will tackle the tough issues of the budget and immigration reform.

 

The United States Supreme Court this week said they will review a Florida Supreme Court ruling that upheld the death sentence for a man who scored just above the state‘s cutoff for mental disability as measured by IQ tests. The U.S. Supreme Court has asked the Obama administration for advice on sanctions imposed against Arab Bank Plc in a lawsuit by victims of overseas terrorist attacks. Pray for the members of the Supreme Court as they hear oral arguments and read briefs on cases before them.

 

THE WARS The Kenyan government says it has likely recovered the remains of four gunmen who stormed the Westgate shopping mall on September 21, killing more than 60 people. Two British men have appeared in a London court where they’re facing terrorist offenses. Both are charged with possession of information on bomb making, and one is charged with preparing a terrorist act. Pray that government officials in all nations will be alert to the rise of terrorism. TERRORISM The U.S. National Security Agency captured more than 70 million French telephone records during a 30-day period, in a surveillance operation that has angered the French government, which is demanding an explanation. Pollution is 40 times higher in one northern Chinese city as the region begins its high-smog season, reducing visibility to less than half a football field. Pray for America’s relationships with its allies and for the Chinese people as winter sets in. THE ECONOMY Millions of American families could face a sparse holiday table when food stamp benefits get reduced in November. According to the USDA, that could be just the start of deeper cuts to the program to feed poor families. Nearly six million young people are not in school and not working, according to a new study. The Opportunity Nation coalition – which wrote the report – says that number represents almost 15 percent of those between 16 and 24. Pray for the youth of America and those families struggling to make ends meet. ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST Egypt‘s government and religious leaders condemned an attack outside a Coptic church in Cairo that killed four people. The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned Israeli “incitement” against PA President Mahmoud Abbas and warned against its negative impact on the peace talks. Pray for God’s protection over the land and people of Israel as they live among hostile nations. HEALTH CARE The Obama administration is enlisting additional computer experts from the government and private sector to help fix glitches in the online health insurance website, which has been plagued by technical problems since its launch. A new study says when we sleep, our brains get rid of gunk that builds up while we‘re awake, in what researchers say may provide new clues to treat Alzheimer‘s disease and other disorders. People don’t understand the critical importance of health, until someone close to them or they themselves become deathly sick and have to struggle to survive. Your health, “is the most valuable thing that you have – everything else pales in significance compared to your health. Pray that problems with the health care system’s website will be resolved.

 

 

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius says she has no intention of resigning over the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature health care law. This past week, Kansas Senator Pat Roberts called for Sebelius to step down over what he called the “gross incompetence” that has thwarted millions of people trying to buy insurance through the federal exchange that opened on October 1.     General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff American and South Korean military officials discussed interoperability capabilities and the threat from North Korea during the 38th Military Committee Meeting several weeks ago.     Christmas in School Okay in Missouri, Lawmakers Vote   A new Missouri law has recently gone into effect that allows public schools and buildings in the state to observe Christmas, or any federal holiday, without restrictions. The bill was overrode by state lawmakers in September after it was vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon over public safety concerns. House Bill 278 became law last week after the state‘s legislators voted to override Gov. Nixon‘s veto on the bill in September. Although the law does not explicitly mention Christmas, supporting lawmakers of the bill have said that Christmas was specifically in mind when the bill was drafted. The bill‘s text reads, in part, "No state or local governmental entity, public building, public park, public school, or public setting or place shall ban or otherwise restrict the practice, mention, celebration, or discussion of any federal holiday." All prayer requests are made directly from our Presidential Prayer Leader.  We ask you all  to pray for our leaders as the scripture says.    1 Timothy 2:1-3   King James Version (KJV) 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;   Contact Evangelist Waters: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistries.com Follow my Bible Study Blog: www.PureGoldMinistries.blogspot.com Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Prayer for our Nation, its Leaders and Topics of Concern for 10/17/13 - 10/23/13

Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior The Interior Department will reopen national parks if states fund the National Park Service personnel who have been furloughed in the government shutdown. The decision, announced late last week, follows political attacks from Congressmen who allege the Obama Administration has gone overboard in closing off access to popular tourist spots.   Charlie Dent, Representative for Pennsylvania As a moderate within his party, Representative Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania typically finds himself somewhere near the middle when the majority of his colleagues veer well to the right. But now Mr. Dent is in the center of things as perhaps never before as the shutdown fight entered its second week.   Colonel Dawn M. Dunlop, Commander, 412th Test Wing, United States Air Force Ask Colonel Dawn Dunlop about her background, and she ticks through her accomplishments in the simplest and most matter-of-fact way. “I was the first female Air Force fighter pilot in Europe. I was the first F-22 pilot. I was the first test wing commander. And God willing, I will be the first female fighter pilot general officer in the Air Force,” she said. But does she consider herself a trailblazer? Hardly. Justice Antonin Scalia, United States Supreme Court In a recent wide-ranging magazine interview, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia shared his insight into the influence of the devil in society, how he ended up watching an episode of the popular “Duck Dynasty” show, and how he’ll know when to retire from his life term on the high court.   President Obama said Tuesday he would pursue an immigration reform vote in the House “the day after” Congress reaches an agreement to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. New restrictions requiring businesses to get written permission before placing “robocalls” took effect Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission said. The law requiring the restrictions was passed a year ago. Pray for President Obama and his Cabinet as they shift gears away from the fiscal issues to other matters.   When the dust settles on the debt and government shutdown crisis, the House and Senate appear likely to embark on a new round of budget talks under the auspices of a now-rare bicameral conference committee. A bipartisan group of Senators, including Lindsay Graham (South Carolina), Robert Menendez (New Jersey), and John McCain (Arizona) are encouraging President Obama to explore diplomacy with Iran. Pray for our lawmakers to settle back into the business of legislating on foreign and domestic issues. After an hour of oral arguments, the Supreme Court’s majority appeared to look favorably on Michigan’s voter-approved law that bans use of racial criteria in college admissions. The Supreme Court has granted certiorari to review the EPA’s greenhouse gas rules, although it has limited its review to rules on stationary pollution-emitting sources across the nation. Pray for the members of the Supreme Court as they hear oral arguments and read briefs on cases before them. THE WARS The reclusive head of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mullah Mohammed Omar, warned that his fighters would continue their attacks if Kabul signed a “colonial” security agreement with the U.S., promising grave consequences. A bomb placed in an Afghan mosque during morning prayers killed the governor of eastern Logar province and wounded 15 others. No one immediately claimed responsibility, although the Taliban is a chief suspect. Pray about the levels of instability that will exist in Afghanistan after the 2014 U.S. and NATO pull-out. TERRORISM Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee unprecedented levels of violence in the Central African Republic, including the burning of total villages, and waves of attacks on women and children. Al Qaeda-linked rebels invited into Syria to help topple President Assad have turned their efforts to establishing Syria as a “building block” in building a radical Suni Islamic empire across the Middle East. Pray for the refugees in Central Africa and those who have fled Syria as violence continues unabated. THE ECONOMY According to a new Texas Tech University study, wind energy costs taxpayers $12 billion per year and wind energy costs $109 per megawatt hour, nearly double the government’s estimates and reports of alternative energy lobbyists. Finance chiefs in nations holding more than $1.3 trillion in U.S. Treasuries signaled no plans to sell even as the U.S. faced international condemnation for the fiscal plight facing the world’s largest economy. Pray about the long-term impact that America’s debt will have on the U.S. economy and that of the rest of the world. ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST Egypt’s foreign minister said that relations between his country and the U.S. are in “turmoil” following Washington’s decision to suspend delivery of tanks, helicopters and fighter jets to Egypt as part of its military aid package. Speaking at a 40th Anniversary commemoration of the Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a thinly veiled defense of a possible preemptive Israeli strike on Iran. Pray for God’s protection over the land and people of Israel as they watch the nations around them. HEALTH CARE A growing consensus of IT experts inside and outside the government suggest the problems in the ObamaCare rollout are related to the government’s not wanting potential registrants to know the real costs of enrolling. After the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic said it would cut jobs due to ObamaCare, others followed suit including Indiana University Health and Vanderbilt, both reducing their work forces by a combined total of 1,900. Pray about the many issues surrounding ObamaCare and the need for major reforms to the program. Legacy of Calvary Chapel’s Pastor Chuck Smith Shared by Countless Christian Leaders Pastor Chuck Smith is being remembered as a man who impacted an entire generation, including many prominent Christian leaders, with his straightforward preaching and a life that reflected the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Smith died early Thursday morning at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., after nearly a two-year battle with lung cancer at 86. “Physical death ushered him into God‘s presence for eternity on October 3, but his earthly ministry will be remembered as impacting generations since the 1960s," Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan‘s Purse, shared in a statement released later in the day. All prayer requests are made directly from our Presidential Prayer Leader.  We ask you all  to pray for our leaders as the scripture says.    1 Timothy 2:1-3   King James Version (KJV) 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;   Contact Evangelist Waters: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistries.com Follow my Bible Study Blog: www.PureGoldMinistries.blogspot.com Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com