Prayer Targets: Pro-Life Ballots, Bush Israel Visit, NJ Hate Crimes
Dear Praying Friends,
The elections will rightly be at the forefront of the news for the next 11 months. In November, the American people will decide who will lead our cities, towns, counties, states and nation, in the critical years immediately ahead. The power, size and costs of civil government have grown far, far beyond anything our Founding Fathers envisioned. While the socialistic experiments of other nations (some driven by atheism) have been sweeping failures, many of the leading candidates for high office shamelessly market visions of vastly expanded civil government, with the power and reach to manage our children's lives, literally from cradle to grave. This year is a
must pray year for God's people - a year for extraordinary prayer and crying out to God across our land for the election of God-fearing people to public office (Neh 4:14). And we must also continue to pray against unwise, sometimes ungodly legislative initiatives that seem to pour out of Congress and state legislatures. Proposals that will advance righteousness in the states need our prayer support. Every righteous initiative that succeeds lifts America and has a positive effect on us all. Righteousness exalts a nation... (Pr 14:34).
Pro-Life Ballots in Georgia, Colorado & Elsewhere - A feature in the current
U.S. News and World Report entitled, "New Abortion Wars," focuses upon initiatives in various states to advance legal recognition that life begins at conception. In November, Colorado and Georgia voters are likely to be voting on a personhood amendment. NARAL and Planned Parenthood operatives will be planning massive counter campaigns. One NARAL leader is quoted as saying "The fight is coming to the states." Yet support for similar "personhood initiatives" is swelling in
Georgia,
Mississippi,
Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Montana, and
Oregon. And 11 outright bans on abortion-similar to South Dakota's headline-grabbing measure in 2006-were introduced in state legislatures last year. Pro-abortion activists say that of all the states that Georgia is the most likely to pass a personhood measure, but how the Supreme Court will respond is uncertain. Some Christian leaders question whether such state initiatives are the best strategy for defeating
Roe v. Wade, but all are agreed that such initiatives will draw pro-life conservatives to the polls and potentially impact the national elections, just as marriage amendments on the ballots did in 2004 (see
wars).
- Pray for the above mentioned states. May pro-lifers aim high, and may God give us unimagined results in the year ahead. May the pro-life movement explode with new enthusiasm and effectiveness and may every pro-life measure prevail and pro-life candidates be elected to state and national office across the nation (Dt 21:9; 30:15; 2 Kg 24:4; Pr 24;10-12; Jn 10:10) .
Oregon's Domestic Partnership Law - A federal judge approved the Alliance Defense Fund's (ADF) request for a temporary injunction against Oregon's new pro-homosexual domestic partnership law that was to have taken effect January 1. The state willfully ignored duly submitted citizens' petitions in a referendum to give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the law back in November. The law gives same-sex couples all the rights now enjoyed by married couples. ADF attorneys argued that the Oregon Secretary of State and several country clerks invalidated voters' signatures, causing the referendum to fall just
five names short of the number needed to gain a spot on the ballot. In some instances, officials "falsely determined that signatures did not match their corresponding voter registration cards." Other signatures were invalidated because the individuals were not registered to vote, even though they were. Oregon's regulations mandate that if a person's signature has been invalidated, the citizen must be notified. In this instance, few were. Activists had gathered 6,000 more signatures than required by law, and it appears that a deliberate effort was made to sabotage the democratic process (see
Injunction).
- Pray that pro-family Oregonians will get their opportunity to say "NO!" to marriage-like homosexual partnerships. May those found guilty of subterfuge be held accountable and may those who would tamper with the constitutional process in other states be warned (Pr 17:15; 28:4; Luke 8:17; 1 Pt 5:8-10; Heb 13:4).
President Bush's Visit to Israel - Security in Jerusalem is at an all time high amid preparation for President Bush's visit to Jerusalem this week. Some 10,500 Israeli police and border police are being brought to Jerusalem for his three day stay. American Al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn has called upon terrorists to greet the President with "bombs and booby-trapped vehicles." President Bush will get an inside Jerusalem view of the issues at stake in the Annapolis Summit, including Palestinian insistence that Jerusalem be divided, and that the Temple Mount and eastern Jerusalem be ceded to the Arabs to become the capital of the new Palestinian state. (see
State).
- May God protect our president and may He give strength, wisdom and supernatural alertness to each member of the security force tasked with his protection. May He also give the president revelation and conviction while he is in Jerusalem! May neither he nor the U.S. be found guilty of pressuring Israel to succumb to terrorist demands or self destructive compromises! As we sow support to the region's only free democracy and America's strongest ally, may God cause us to reap freedom and loyalty from our allies (Dt 6:24; Ps 16:1; 41:2; 64:1; 140:1; Joel 3:2-3a).
New Jersey Hate Crimes - Last week we prayed for the Lord to intervene in New Jersey where the Senate hastily passed the nation's toughest pro-homosexual hate crimes bill - one that includes "gender identity." Monday night the NJ Assembly similarly pushed the bill through for passage. Governor Corzine is expected to sign it speedily. The law will give special legal protection to homosexuals and those who practice 30 subsets of sexual practice that Scripture declares "abominable." Moreover, at stake are not only the morals of the state and its influence in our nation, but fundamental religious liberty and free speech. Only a citizen referendum or court action can overturn the law now, and the liberal state supreme court is unlikely to do so (see
NJ Assembly).
- Pray that God will intervene to enable New Jerseyans to challenge this unconstitutional law in the courts and to prevail. May He use this law, together with other outrageous acts against the churches in New Jersey to stir believers to cultural engagement! Pray particularly for Len Deo, the New Jersey Family Policy Council and the pastors across New Jersey (Ps 89:14; Pr 8:15; Ec 5:8; Is 9:7; Rom 1:32; Col 4:1).
Prayer and Fasting in the Church - Friends of FRC, Rich and Traci Alexander, have launched a ministry to promote prayer and fasting in churches across America, especially during 2008. This Thursday several hundred pastors from Northern Virginia and environs surrounding Washington, DC, will be gathering in Fredericksburg, VA, to consider plans for a concerted 40 day fast to begin in February. Churches, individuals, pastors' groups and parachurch ministries are promoting such fasts and other extraordinary prayer initiatives during the months immediately ahead. The success of such initiatives gives hope to the revival and cultural reformation America needs now (see
Trumpetandtorch.org).
- May God bless the Alexanders and their mission and believers with a like vision across America! May He move upon our nation's pastors to "weep between the porch and altar" (Joel 2:17) in 2008 and to lead their churches to become "Houses of Prayer" as Jesus said they would be. May churches across America rise to a new level of prayer and intercession that engages the culture and that brings both revival and reformation to the land! (2 Chr 7:14; Est 4:3; Joel 2:12-18; Mt 6:16-18; Lk 5:35)
Finally, America and her future are in the hands of God
and those who truly pray. "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession" (Ps 2:8). God intends for us to partner with Jesus in prayer, to win the nations, beginning with our own (Acts 1:8). Thank you for praying!
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