Daily Prayer FOCUS
Issue # 32
August 8 – 14, 2013
PRAY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HIS ADMINISTRATION In a rare public rebuke, President Obama cancelled his Moscow summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reflecting both U.S. anger over the Snowden asylum and Russia’s stubbornness on key issues like missile defense. The White House would not say whether it believes the U.S. homeland is a potential target of the suspected Al-Qaeda plot that led to the closure of American embassies in much of the Muslim world this week. Pray for wisdom for President Obama as he deals with urgent foreign affairs and domestic policies.
PRAY FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS Congressman Darrell Issa (California), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has urged President Obama to act quickly on sealed criminal charges against Benghazi attack suspects. Senator Mark Udall (Colorado), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is placing a hold on the man nominated to become the Defense Department’s top lawyer because of unanswered questions on CIA practices. Pray for members of Congress - whether they are traveling or working at home - during the August recess.
PRAY FOR OUR JUDICIARY A federal circuit court has given its okay to a plan of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to restore certain legal rights to America’s veterans removed by a 2011 rule eliminating appellate rights before the agency’s Board of Appeals. A federal appeals court rejected a legal challenge by Texas and Wyoming to the EPA’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, saying the states and various industry groups, had no standing because they could not show direct harm. Pray for wisdom for the judges on the circuit and appeals courts as they rule on individuals’ and states’ rights.
PRAY FOR THESE NATIONAL LEADERS IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK: Thomas E. Perez, Secretary of Labor. Charles Schumer, United States Senator from New York. Judge Reed O’Connor, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. General Vincent K. Brooks, United States Army Commander, Pacific. For more information on these prayer requests and Daily Member Updates please visit presidentialprayerteam.org.
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OTHER PRAYER CONCERNS: WARS AND TERRORISM Yemen says it foiled an Al-Qaeda plot to blow up pipelines and seize some of the country’s main ports while suspected U.S. drone strikes killed seven alleged Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen – the fifth strike in under two weeks. The U.S. Army is refusing to suspend contracts with dozens of companies tied to Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in Afghanistan out of concern for “due process rights,” despite urgings from the U.S. chief Afghan contract watchdog. Pray for the safety of America’s military in Afghanistan and for the safety of America’s embassy personnel.
FOREIGN INERESTS AND CONFLICTS International efforts, including those by the U.S., to resolve the political crisis in Egypt following the ousting of Mohammed Morsi have failed, as strong divisions between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood increase. Iran’s new President Rouhani has called for “serious and substantive” negotiations with the international community about its nuclear program, but he stressed that Iran’s rights must be preserved and economic sanctions lifted. Pray for wisdom for Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. diplomats as they engage with Egypt and Iran.
THE ECONOMY Of the 162,000 jobs created in July, most were in low-paying retail and restaurant work. The job market is not as dynamic as before the recession, with the aging workforce clinging to their jobs and fewer start-ups are created. More than 40 percent of employers have eliminated their traditional group health coverage for retirees over age 65 in favor of a defined amount of money for them to purchase their own coverage. Pray about the issues that impact the American workforce, including the lack of new well-paying jobs.
ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST Alarmed by the prospect of new U.S.-Iran negotiations, and labeling Iran’s new president “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Prime Minister Netanyahu is ramping up Israel’s threat of unilateral military action against Iran’s nuclear program. An Israeli cabinet decision adding a number of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank has drawn condemnation from the Palestinian leadership highlighting the fragility of the current Washington-brokered peace effort. Pray about the peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians and the 1967 borders diplomatic chasm.
HEALTH CARE Former President George W. Bush’s blocked artery is a reminder that even people who are fit can be at risk. Between 700,000 and 1 million stents occur each year, but the high-profile Bush incident is a warning for regular cardiac exams. The obesity rate of low-income preschool-age children declined between 2008 and 2011 in 43 states, a new study shows, a clear sign of the effective health-directed focus of First Lady Michelle Obama. Pray for the health of America’s population, from the aging to the youngest. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19
For more information on these prayer requests and Daily Member Updates please visit presidentialprayerteam.org.
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August 8 – 14, 2013
PRAY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HIS ADMINISTRATION In a rare public rebuke, President Obama cancelled his Moscow summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reflecting both U.S. anger over the Snowden asylum and Russia’s stubbornness on key issues like missile defense. The White House would not say whether it believes the U.S. homeland is a potential target of the suspected Al-Qaeda plot that led to the closure of American embassies in much of the Muslim world this week. Pray for wisdom for President Obama as he deals with urgent foreign affairs and domestic policies.
PRAY FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS Congressman Darrell Issa (California), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has urged President Obama to act quickly on sealed criminal charges against Benghazi attack suspects. Senator Mark Udall (Colorado), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is placing a hold on the man nominated to become the Defense Department’s top lawyer because of unanswered questions on CIA practices. Pray for members of Congress - whether they are traveling or working at home - during the August recess.
PRAY FOR OUR JUDICIARY A federal circuit court has given its okay to a plan of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to restore certain legal rights to America’s veterans removed by a 2011 rule eliminating appellate rights before the agency’s Board of Appeals. A federal appeals court rejected a legal challenge by Texas and Wyoming to the EPA’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, saying the states and various industry groups, had no standing because they could not show direct harm. Pray for wisdom for the judges on the circuit and appeals courts as they rule on individuals’ and states’ rights.
PRAY FOR THESE NATIONAL LEADERS IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK: Thomas E. Perez, Secretary of Labor. Charles Schumer, United States Senator from New York. Judge Reed O’Connor, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. General Vincent K. Brooks, United States Army Commander, Pacific. For more information on these prayer requests and Daily Member Updates please visit presidentialprayerteam.org.
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OTHER PRAYER CONCERNS: WARS AND TERRORISM Yemen says it foiled an Al-Qaeda plot to blow up pipelines and seize some of the country’s main ports while suspected U.S. drone strikes killed seven alleged Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen – the fifth strike in under two weeks. The U.S. Army is refusing to suspend contracts with dozens of companies tied to Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in Afghanistan out of concern for “due process rights,” despite urgings from the U.S. chief Afghan contract watchdog. Pray for the safety of America’s military in Afghanistan and for the safety of America’s embassy personnel.
FOREIGN INERESTS AND CONFLICTS International efforts, including those by the U.S., to resolve the political crisis in Egypt following the ousting of Mohammed Morsi have failed, as strong divisions between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood increase. Iran’s new President Rouhani has called for “serious and substantive” negotiations with the international community about its nuclear program, but he stressed that Iran’s rights must be preserved and economic sanctions lifted. Pray for wisdom for Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. diplomats as they engage with Egypt and Iran.
THE ECONOMY Of the 162,000 jobs created in July, most were in low-paying retail and restaurant work. The job market is not as dynamic as before the recession, with the aging workforce clinging to their jobs and fewer start-ups are created. More than 40 percent of employers have eliminated their traditional group health coverage for retirees over age 65 in favor of a defined amount of money for them to purchase their own coverage. Pray about the issues that impact the American workforce, including the lack of new well-paying jobs.
ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST Alarmed by the prospect of new U.S.-Iran negotiations, and labeling Iran’s new president “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Prime Minister Netanyahu is ramping up Israel’s threat of unilateral military action against Iran’s nuclear program. An Israeli cabinet decision adding a number of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank has drawn condemnation from the Palestinian leadership highlighting the fragility of the current Washington-brokered peace effort. Pray about the peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians and the 1967 borders diplomatic chasm.
HEALTH CARE Former President George W. Bush’s blocked artery is a reminder that even people who are fit can be at risk. Between 700,000 and 1 million stents occur each year, but the high-profile Bush incident is a warning for regular cardiac exams. The obesity rate of low-income preschool-age children declined between 2008 and 2011 in 43 states, a new study shows, a clear sign of the effective health-directed focus of First Lady Michelle Obama. Pray for the health of America’s population, from the aging to the youngest. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19
For more information on these prayer requests and Daily Member Updates please visit presidentialprayerteam.org.
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