Archive for November, 2009
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Friday, November 20th, 2009
Afghanistan Decision After Thanksgiving
President Obama will not announce a decision on his war strategy in Afghanistan before Thanksgiving. The latest development on the fate of up to 40,000 U.S. troops came at the tail end of the president’s eight-day Asia trip. For several weeks, Obama has been weighing whether to send as many as 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan as his top commander there, Gen. Stanley McChrystal has requested, or to scale back the war effort and focus on pursuing Al Qaeda in Pakistan as his political advisers, including Vice President Biden, have urged. McChrystal has said that without the additional troops, the U.S. effort in Afghanistan would likely result in failure.
Pray for the president in his decision on supporting our armed forces in Afghanistan with more deployed troops. Pray for the safety of our troops.
Syria Hiding Nuclear Sites
The International Atomic Energy Agency and Syria appear to be headed toward a collision over two nuclear sites where undeclared uranium was recently found. The agency found traces of uranium at the Dair Alzour nuclear site that are not included in Syria’s declared inventory, according to a just released report. The Syrians said the uranium came from the Israeli missiles used to destroy the nearby Al-Kibar reactor in September 2007. The presence of uranium particles was detected at a second site near Damascus — the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor. Syria said it came from the accumulation of samples and reference materials used in neutron activation analysis. The IAEA is not buying either of the two explanations and is pressing Damascus for more answers and wants to know from where the uranium came. The agency has run its own tests and is certain the Syrian government is not telling the truth. The IAEA won’t comment on what clearly appears to be evasive behavior by the Syrian government because of concern about its tenuous relationship with Syria.
Pray for peace in the Middle East and Israel. Pray for the truth to be revealed regarding Syria’s nuclear ambitions.
President Supports Freedom of Worship in China
During a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai, President Obama assured the crowd that the United States does not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. “But we also don’t believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation,” he continued. “These freedoms of expression and worship, of access to information and political participation, we believe are universal rights.
Pray for the continued support of the president standing up for freedom of worship and religion in China. Pray for the protection and flourishing of the church in China.
Posted in prayerupdates |
Today's Devotional
Friday, November 20th, 2009
By Charles Spurgeon
“I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.”
Isaiah 44:3
When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle’s wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus’ bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this your prayer, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which he has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be-the thirsty land shall be springs of water.
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Matching Gifts Means Double the Support!
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
We are proud to announce that a number of our most loyal and generous Presidential Prayer Team supporters are offering a Matching Gift Opportunity for our ministry. This means that for both first-time supporters and previous donors, any new support to The Presidential Prayer Team between now and December 31 will double in value. $1 becomes $2, $25 is now $50, and $100 results in $200 in donations to the ministry. [ Give Now ]
This is important because our country is now at a critical juncture and needs prayer more than ever before; The Presidential Prayer Team helps give the tools you need to pray for specific issues for the issues facing our nation and its leadership. Your donation funds this work; your dollars result in the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people across the country. We will continue to show leadership in prayer during these difficult days in our country. Prayer for America is a growth industry!
Please help us take advantage of this opportunity to raise needed capital to increase and expand our reach for prayer. Because of you, we are making a difference in our nation and with you, we will continue. [Give Now!]
Posted in Uncategorized |
Prayer Updates
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
President Obama Returns to the United States
President will be making a stop in Anchorage, Alaska today on his way back from his Asia trip. The president also stopped in South Korea on his return back to Washington, D.C.
Pray for President Obama’s safety as he is flying back today over the Pacific Ocean to the United States.
American Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Attack
NATO says two U.S. service members have been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Todd Vician says the two were killed by a bomb explosion in Zabul province late Thursday morning. He did not have any further details. Jilani Farahe, deputy chief of police for the province, said a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near the gate of a NATO base. He said no civilians had been hurt in the blast.
Meanwhile, Afghan officials say a suicide bomber targeting an Afghan security forces convoy in the south of the country has killed 10 civilians and wounded another 13. The deputy police chief of Uruzgan province, Gulad Khan, says the suicide bomber was on foot and blew himself up in a busy market, before reaching the convoy.
Pray for the safety of our soldiers who are facing increasing violence and attacks in Afghanistan. Pray for comfort and courage for their families while they are deployed.
American Homeowners Still in Peril
More than 14 percent of American homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on their payments or in foreclosure at the end of September, a record-high for the ninth straight quarter and a problem that could threaten the economic recovery. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s report Thursday adds to fears that the housing market and broader recovery could be thwarted by the continuing surge in home loan defaults, especially as the unemployment rate keeps rising. Lost jobs, rather than the shady loans made during the housing boom, are now the main reason homeowners fall behind on their mortgages. About 4 million homeowners were either in foreclosure or at least three months behind on their mortgage payments as of September, according to the mortgage bankers group. Even if a quarter of those borrowers are able to stay in their homes, “there’s a lot of potential inventory coming into the market next year,” said Jay Brinkmann, chief economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association. Those foreclosures will push home prices downward, especially in the hardest-hit California and Florida cities, places that are also coping with soaring unemployment, he said.
Pray for those unemployed families struggling to stay in their homes. Pray for the recovery of our economy to bring our nation and our families back to economic health.
Posted in prayerupdates |
President's Schedule
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
President Obama is in Korea where his Thursday will begin on Wednesday night in the U.S. On Thursday morning in Seoul, he will begin his day by visiting United States Embassy staff and their families.
He then participates in an arrival ceremony at the Blue House, the presidential compound in Northern Seoul. Following the ceremony, the president will (more…)
Posted in schedule |
Today's Devotional
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
By Charles Spurgeon
“Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Psalms 100:4
Our Lord would have all his people rich in high and happy thoughts concerning his blessed person. Jesus is not content that his brethren should think meanly of him; it is his pleasure that his espoused ones should be delighted with his beauty. We are not to regard him as a bare necessary, like to bread and water, but as a luxurious delicacy, as a rare and ravishing delight. To this end he has revealed himself as the “pearl of great price” in its peerless beauty, as the “bundle of myrrh” in its refreshing fragrance, as the “rose of Sharon” in its lasting perfume, as the “lily” in its spotless purity.
As a help to high thoughts of Christ, remember the estimation that Christ is had in beyond the skies, where things are measured by the right standard. Think how God esteems the Only Begotten, his unspeakable gift to us. Consider what the angels think of him, as they count it their highest honour to veil their faces at his feet. Consider what the blood-washed think of him, as day without night they sing his well deserved praises. High thoughts of Christ will enable us to act consistently with our relations towards him. The more loftily we see Christ enthroned, and the more lowly we are when bowing before the foot of the throne, the more truly shall we be prepared to act our part towards him. Our Lord Jesus desires us to think well of him, that we may submit cheerfully to his authority. High thoughts of him increase our love. Love and esteem go together. Therefore, believer, think much of your Master’s excellencies. Study him in his primeval glory, before he took upon himself your nature! Think of the mighty love which drew him from his throne to die upon the cross! Admire him as he conquers all the powers of hell! See him risen, crowned, glorified! Bow before him as the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the mighty God, for only thus will your love to him be what it should.
Posted in devotional |
Featured Member of the Judicial Branch for Prayer
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Arthur J. Gajarsa, Circuit Judge – United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Arthur Gajarsa was appointed by President William J. Clinton in 1997.
Prior to his appointment, Judge Gajarsa was a partner in the Washington, DC law firm of Joseph, Gajarsa, McDermott and Reiner, P.C. from 1987 to 1997. Since 2003, Judge Gajarsa has been an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. From 1980 to 1987, he was a Partner in the law firm of Wender, Murase and White. From 1978 to 1980 he was a Partner in the law firm of Gajarsa, Liss, and Conroy and from 1971 to 1972 he was an Associate with Duncan and Brown. Judge Gajarsa served as Special Counsel and Assistant to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Interior from 1969 to 1971.
He was an attorney with the Office of General Counsel, Aetna Life and Casualty Co. from 1968 to 1969. Judge Gajarsa served as Law Clerk to Honorable Joseph McGarraghy, United States District Court for the District of Columbia from 1967 to 1968. Judge Gajarsa received a B.S.E.E. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1962, an M.A. from Catholic University of America in 1968, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1967
Posted in judicial prayer focus |
Featured Member of the Executive Branch for Prayer
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Dr. Jill Biden, Wife of the Vice President of the United States
Jill Biden has been an educator for the past 29 years and continues to teach English classes at a DC-area community college. She is the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
Jill has a long history of activism in her community and she continues to work to raise awareness on education, military families, and women’s health issues. Given her professional experience and passion, President Obama has asked Dr. Biden to help highlight the importance of America’s community colleges, and Dr. Biden frequently visits community colleges and speaks with students, parents, and teachers around the country as part of this outreach.
As a Blue Star Mom, Jill has made military families one of her top priorities. She has traveled to many bases in both the United States and in Germany to speak with soldiers and their families and try to raise awareness and show appreciation for the special sacrifices that these Americans make. In Delaware, she was active with a nonprofit organization called Delaware Boots on the Ground, which is dedicated to helping families during times of military deployment by organizing community events to raise awareness and support. An advocate of literacy and reading programs, she also helped found Book Buddies in 2007, a program that encourages reading among children from low-income families. In 1993, after four of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer, she started the Biden Breast Health Initiative, which in the past 16 years has educated more than 10,000 ninth-through-twelfth-grade girls in Delaware about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.
Prior to moving to Washington, Dr. Biden taught English for 15 years at Delaware Technical & Community College. Before that, she taught for 13 years in public schools as a reading specialist and English teacher, as well as working part-time with the Rockford Psychiatric Hospital Adolescent Program. In January 2007, Dr. Biden earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware. Her dissertation focused on maximizing student retention in community colleges. She also has a Master’s Degree in English from Villanova University (1987) and a Master’s Degree in reading from West Chester University (1981) — both of which she earned while working full-time and raising a family.
The oldest of five sisters, Jill Jacobs was raised in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, by her mother, Bonny and Donald Jacobs, both of whom are now deceased. Jill was a student at the University of Delaware in 1975 when Joe Biden’s brother arranged an introduction between her and then-Senator Biden. On June 17, 1977, they were married at the United Nations chapel in New York City. The Bidens have three children: Ashley, a social worker; Beau, Attorney General of the State of Delaware and a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard; and Hunter, a lawyer. She is the proud grandmother (“Nana”) of Naomi, Finnegan, Roberta Mabel (“Maisy”), Natalie, and Robert Hunter.
To send your prayer directly to Dr. Biden, click here.
Posted in executive prayer focus |
Featured Member of the Legislative Branch for Prayer
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
United States Congressman Mary Bono Mack (California)
In 1998, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack was first elected to serve the people of California’s 45th District through a special election held to fill the seat left vacant by her late husband, The Honorable Sonny Bono. Since then, Bono Mack has established herself as a leader on such issues as clean, alternative energy, protecting the environment, improving health care, and protecting consumers.
Bono Mack has been recognized for her leadership and efforts to improve our nation’s health care, preserve the environment, strengthen the economy, protect consumers, and expand alternative energy. Based of her consistent voting record on these and other issues, Bono Mack has received numerous awards from major organizations such as: Americans for Tax Reform, National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers, and also from Sunline Transit Agency for her support of alternative fuel technologies.
Bono Mack has been the subject of numerous profiles for a wide array of publications and television shows, including: CNN’s Larry King Live, NBC’s The Today Show, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, PEOPLE, Capital Style, ELLE Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Esquire, GEORGE Magazine, Good Housekeeping, HELLO Magazine, Ladies’ Home Journal, and PBS. In 1998 Bono Mack was named one of the Most Fascinating Women of 1998 by Ladies’ Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS Television. She was also selected by the former GEORGE Magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics. Bono Mack was named by Golf Digest in 2008 as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women” golfers.
Bono Mack is a 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California. Mary later wed Sonny Bono, and together they had two children, Chesare Elan and Chianna Marie.
Mary is the daughter of the late Clay Whitaker, a physician, and the late Karen Whitaker, a chemist, and was raised in South Pasadena, California. As a youth Mary pursued her first love, gymnastics. With her family’s support, Mary became an accomplished gymnast, and her dedication to physical fitness continues to this day.
Mary Bono Mack is married to U.S. Congressman Connie Mack. She is the proud mother of Chianna and Chesare, and her two stepchildren, Addison and Connie. In addition to spending time with her family, Mary enjoys a wide range of interests including music and outdoor activities such as hiking and camping.
To send your prayer directly to Congressman Mack here, click here.
Posted in legislative prayer focus |