prayer

As Christians, we are commanded to pray. It says in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” While we are certainly acquainted with this verse, I still think we often underestimate the power of prayer. I know I am guilty of this.

There have been thousands of pages written over the centuries on how to pray, however, it really comes down to this: prayer is talking to God. There are obvious times that we do this, such as before meals, as part of a prayer group, asking for intercession in a particularly tough situation with a family member or friend, etc. Our family has even adopted the habit of praying when we pass a car accident, asking God to watch over the victims involved. Our family has experienced first-hand over the years that our Heavenly Father listens to us and acts on our prayers in amazing ways.

As you know, we at Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota are committed to letting you know about bills and issues affecting your values that need your prayer, and we will continue to undertake this important role as North Dakota Family Alliance. However, right now we ask for your prayers as we transition into being NDFA.

A pastor friend of mine stated recently that, “If North Dakota Family Alliance is built on a foundation of prayer, all else will follow”. He’s right. It’s still a time of much uncertainty during this startup phase and we covet your prayers as an organization. Thank you for your commitment to our organization and to protecting and advancing pro-life and pro-family values in North Dakota now and into the future!

Prayerfully,

Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director

Department of Defense Image*

Last week our great nation lost thirteen brave service members to a craven terrorist attack at the Kabul airport. Family Policy Alliance is calling for prayer not just for their families, but for the families of all service members who have fought and sacrificed during the war in Afghanistan. As an officer veteran of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), I have seen the toll this conflict has taken on the physical and behavioral health of our warfighters and their families. The blood of my friends and brothers in arms stains the Afghan earth, and the tears of their families continue to grace our own land. We must pray for the physical and emotional comfort, healing, and recovery for all our service members and their families these past two decades, particularly those who have tirelessly endured assisting in the recent chaotic evacuation.

This evacuation reveals much, but the Biden’s Administration’s disregard for families here and around the world is perhaps the most troubling. Because of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan that the Biden Administration deliberately enabled, families throughout Afghanistan will suffer at the hands of extreme Islam. Women and girls will be particularly oppressed, losing equality, freedom, opportunity, and security. We therefore also call for prayer on behalf of the nuclear family in Afghanistan: that families throughout the country will be protected, shielded, and allowed to flourish even under the pressure of a jihadist regime.

America has always been a beacon of hope for families; may we continue to be in our prayers and deeds in the wake of this calamity.

In prayer,

Joseph Kohm III
Public Policy Director

* The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? – Isaiah 14:27

As we continue to roll along in 2021, a lot is happening across the nation. There are bright spots among a number of other rather dark developments. Through it all, one thing is sure: we know who is in control of all that happens, and nothing that happens is unknown by our Creator.

Here is the latest prayer update in our ongoing prayer initiative Under God, One Nation.

The Hyde Amendment

As we have shared before, the Hyde amendment is a long-standing policy that has been included in Congressional spending bills for decades to prevent taxpayer money from funding abortion (in most cases). President Biden and many on the left want to eliminate the Hyde Amendment so that government can begin to use taxpayer funds for abortions in any instance.

We are now in the season when Congress is working on annual spending bills and there is an all-out war to rip the Hyde Amendment out of those bills. It is likely that Nancy Pelosi’s House of Representatives will remove this essential pro-life provision in the coming weeks. Fortunately, if that does happen, Republicans and even a few Democrats in the Senate have pledged to oppose any spending bill that does not have Hyde’s protections. That is good news because as we have noted before, there is a requirement for 60 votes to advance legislation in the Senate. God willing, and as long as conservatives and a few key Democrat senators stand strong, these spending bills will fail to advance in the Senate.

We continue to pray for pro-life protections in all Congressional and federal government activity and we pray against the political forces advancing the culture of abortion. We pray for the strength and resolve of those who will stand in the gap to protect life.

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation and The Equality Act

There has been a lot happening in this particular area over the past few weeks. Here is a quick rundown.

Equality Act –

The House passed the Equality Act in February. After a hearing or two, the bill has been sitting idle in the Senate for some time. While it was expected that the bill would receive action in June, that did not occur. We have heard that the outcry from voters against the bill as well as the multiple efforts to protect women’s and girls’ sports had a significant impact on stalling this bill in Congress. Much of that is thanks to your willingness to speak out! Moreover, to pass anything, the Senate would need 60 votes. It is unclear why the bill has not come up for a vote, but it could be that there are not yet 60 votes to pass it in the Senate at this time.

We continue to pray that those who oppose the Equality Act will stand strong and not cave to the intense pressure they are sure to feel in the coming months.

Title IX –

Since the Equality Act has not yet been approved, the Left has seized upon other means to accomplish their goals administratively—without having to go through the work of the legislative process. For example, the Biden administration effectively gutted Title IX protections for girls and women in recent weeks. This came as a major hat-tip to the LGBT community during their effusive PRIDE Month. The Biden Administration’s action completely redefined the word “sex” in the law – which means male and female – to instead include “gender identity,” the idea that you can be whichever sex you feel like. That undermines the very purpose of the law, which was originally enacted in the 1970’s to give girls and women more access to educational opportunities, including athletics. Now, the Department of Education is ironically using the law to put girls at risk of losing athletic opportunities, while at the same time permitting members of the opposite sex to invade private spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms in schools.

“Birthing People”–

In another bizarre move, some on the far Left in Congress, attempting to remove basic ideas of sex from even motherhood, began referring to mothers as “birthing people”.

Other Bills –

While the Equality Act has not advanced, there are at least 100 other bills in Congress that include similar proposals. Some opportunists in Congress see the advantage of including pieces of the Equality Act in many different proposals – hoping that no one will notice. They hope that once a few of them are passed the rest will follow along.

We continue to pray that these efforts will fail, and that no girl will be harmed or endangered by these ill-conceived changes. We also pray that administrative efforts to enact radical LGBT mandates will fail after meeting intense opposition. Similarly, we pray that subversive efforts in Congress will be exposed in every instance and thwarted. Because administrative changes like these do not have the permanency of enacted law, we also pray that the next administration will have the determination to root out all of these changes.

Filibuster –

As we have shared before, the filibuster is a procedural rule in the US Senate that requires 60 votes to advance any particular legislation to a final vote.

Right now, we know that there are at least two Democrat Senators (maybe more) who are standing strong against changing this rule. With the 50-50 split in congress, those now opposed would have to agree to a change in the rule for it to occur. The importance of this point cannot be overstated – as long as the filibuster remains, the bar to pass radical legislation like the Equality Act is high enough to preclude a lot of bad things from happening.

We continue to pray that the filibuster will remain in place and that the Senators who are receiving pressure to change it will stand strong no matter what. We are also praying that any efforts to get around the filibuster or weaken it would fail.

Supreme Court –

In recent weeks, the Supreme Court has issued a few positive rulings – here are the three most important.

The court ruled unanimously to preserve the religious freedom of Catholic Charities adoption services to only certify married man and woman couples for foster care or adoption, based on their faith.
The Court also ruled that state laws requiring non-profits to release donor lists was unconstitutional. This is a win for people of faith who want to privately support important causes!
Lastly, the Court has upheld the right of states to pass voter ID requirements and other important provisions that preserve the integrity and safety of elections.

These three rulings are particularly important because each one of them strikes a severe blow to certain pieces of legislation that many on the Left were seeking to rush through Congress this year. The recent attempt to federalize elections has been severely hampered by the 2nd and 3rd rulings noted above. (One vote on one of the election ‘reform’ bills failed in recent weeks.)

These three rulings are a relief, but they also raise the specter of those on the Left who wish to change the Supreme Court. For some, their goal is to expand the Court so that the Biden administration has an opportunity to add more left-leaning judges in order to restore what the Left calls ‘balance’ on the Court.

We are praying prayers of thanksgiving for these rulings and the direction that they represent from the Court. We are also praying against the forces that would manipulate the system in order to pack the court with ideological leftists. As noted above, we are praying that the filibuster holds as it is the stopgap preventing this proposal from advancing as well.

Save Girls Sports –

As a quick update, 8 states passed Save Girls’ Sports legislation this year—with possibly Texas joining in as the 9th. Those states chose to elevate the matter to state law and in so doing pushed back against the national movement to impose sexual orientation and gender identity policies. These states now have drawn a line in the sand and created an opportunity to challenge the Biden Administration’s concerning actions on Title IX (mentioned above).

We are thankful for the men and women who stood strong during their state legislative sessions to get these laws enacted. We especially pray for Texas to show its strength in joining as the ninth state to protect their daughters’ sports and hope more states will take the necessary steps to enact these laws in 2022.

Prayers for LGBT Individuals –

Finally, as noted above, June has been deemed by many as LGBT PRIDE month. While many see it as a month of promoting a lifestyle and exploiting corporate and national sympathies to advance an agenda, we see it as an opportunity to pray for those trapped in LGBT lifestyles. At the beginning of June, Meridian Baldacci, our Policy and Communications Strategist, launched a new video series called Ask Meridian. Her first video was a heartfelt message about how to address these issues with LGBT individuals and perhaps more importantly, how we can be praying for those individuals. It was an excellent video, especially helpful to those of us who know LGBT individuals but are unsure whether we should approach the issue with them and if so, how to do it. You can read more and watch the video HERE.

We appreciate you partnering with us in prayer. Please share this list with your church, your small group, your pastor, and your Sunday School class in the coming days. Please encourage them to join you in signing up for a prayer time so that we can continue to lift the nation and these issues in the coming weeks and months.

Prayerfully,

Robert Noland
Communications Manger

Join us and the statewide pro-life coalition of organizations for our next day of action on Friday, July 16 from 11AM-1PM in Seaside Heights! We will be coming together for a peaceful prayer walk to stop S3030 (the radical so-called Reproductive Freedom Act). This is a great opportunity to bring your kids and baby strollers for a beautiful stroll along the boardwalk while simultaneously educating the public about this dangerous bill. This is not a protest or loud rally. We will be praying as we walk using the signs and handouts our coalition provides to communicate a strong prolife message. You can walk for 20 minutes or two hours – it’s up to you!

The New Jersey Legislature will not meet again until after the November general election, except for any unseen emergencies. This is good news! Because of your constant and tireless efforts over the past eight months to protest outside of legislative offices, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Speaker of the Assembly Craig Coughlin never scheduled this bill to be heard in committee! Now we must begin educating the public about this bill since the mainstream state media refuses to report fair and balanced objections in their limited coverage.

Details of the event:

Friday, July 16 from 11AM-1PM
Meet at the boardwalk entrance at the intersection of Heiring Avenue and Ocean Terrance Avenue. Use 1515 Ocean Terrace Avenue for GPS location.
Limited parking is available on the street for $2 per hour. An abundance of parking is available in nearby private lots that range from $10-$15 for the day.

Please Register for future details and specific event related information leading up to the walk.

Let’s act like lives depend on it – because they do!

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

June is Pride Month, a time when many who identify as LGBT will spend this month celebrating that identity. As Christians, we are saddened by the celebrations of this month, because not only do we know that Pride Month is a celebration of sin, but we also know that we will never be free until we find our identity, salvation, and hope in Jesus Christ.

Yet, that very realization makes Pride Month an incredible opportunity for prayer and for the Gospel to go forth.

So today, at the beginning of June, I want to share two things with you: an answer to your questions on this topic, and a prayer for our LGBT neighbors.

Answering Your Questions

First off, an exciting announcement: we are pleased to announce that we’re launching a new video series! Ask Meridian is an opportunity for you to send us your questions – and get answers! Last month, we kicked off this initiative by asking you to send us the family policy questions you’ve always wanted someone to answer. Among the many submissions were questions asking how you could express your views on sexuality in a loving way.

We know this can be a challenging conversation to approach.

So, today, we are pleased to release to you the first video in the series: How to Love Your LGBT Neighbor. In this video, I share when and how to talk about our views on sexuality with friends and family who identify as LGBT. We hope you find this helpful!

Click here to watch:

Have a question for a future Ask Meridian episode? Send us an email at mail@familypolicyalliance.com!

A Prayer for Our LGBT Neighbors

This month, will you join me in this prayer?

Lord, in this month our hearts are heavy for those who identify as LGBT. Your Word is clear about both sin and salvation – and our own consciences testify to this truth – yet so many live with the hope that they will find their “true self” or even their worldly salvation in a broken identity.

So this month, we lift up this challenging issue before you.

For those within the walls of the church who may claim the identity of LGBT, we pray for the work of your Holy Spirit and of the Church to call those in sin to repentance.

For those Christians who continue to struggle in this area, and yet who choose faithfulness to your Word, we pray for great faith and encouragement.

For those who are uncertain about their fearfully and wonderfully made bodies, we pray for peace and confidence that you did not make a mistake – that they were not born in the wrong body.

For children who are hearing messages that make them question their own sexuality, we pray for protection over their minds and hearts.

For all those who identify as LGBT, or who are struggling with their sexual identity in another way, we pray that they would find the joy and freedom that only comes from following you as Lord. We pray that their hearts would be opened to see sin for what it is – and to see the joy of your salvation as greater.

For those in ministry to our LGBT neighbors, we pray for the strength to speak the truth in love – and more than anything, to make your Gospel known in the words they say and in the way they live.

For those of us with LGBT friends and family, we pray for great love and great discernment.

For each of us, we pray the hard prayer for conviction of our own sin and for freedom in repentance. We pray that our first priority – in our own hearts and in our conversations – would always be the magnification of Christ. We pray that our identities would not be rooted first in our work, our sexuality, or even our families, but that we could say as Paul that for us, to live is Christ. May our identity, our security, our salvation be ever fixed to you – and may that be first in our hearts and in our words.

Lord, this month we pray that as we speak the truth, the manner in which we speak it would be such that we are known by our love.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

I hope you’ll join me in that prayer this month, and that the Lord will give you wisdom if you have opportunities to speak into the lives of LGBT neighbors.

Sincerely,

Meridian Baldacci
Policy and Communications Strategist

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-3

On this National Day of Prayer, New Jerseyeans from across the theological spectrum and political aisle will dedicate a time of prayer. Democrats and Republicans will bow their heads – and some will even humble their hearts – to pray for the common good.

As we reflect and earnestly pray today for those in authority, let us remember what the Apostle Paul said was the end result of those specific prayers – a peaceful and quiet life. Is that even attainable in our current climate?

Our nation is inflamed with intentional polarization thereby making civility a rare commodity. Big tech profits from political antagonism, creating the preferred echo chamber that keeps people unchallenged in their ideology. Some politicians desperately, and at times, hypocritically, engage in un-statesman like public rhetoric to increase small donors and heighten their national profile. Big media cloaks reality in their conceived narrative to persuade the consumer and control their actions, rather than simply informing and educating them on the facts.

Those in authority have been given a unique platform by which to lead. Despite the best of intentions or the worst of objectives – their decisions, conduct, and priorities can make life challenging. In other words, whether you agree or disagree with their policies and positions on certain issues, you are urged to pray for them, because the failure to do so will impact your family. And above all, we pray because it pleases God.

Let me reassure you that we pray weekly for Governor Murphy and the state legislators in both political parties. I want to encourage you to do the same. Please do not forget that in the middle of policy disagreements, grassroots mobilization, and election activity, we have no enemies, only opportunities.

Hopefully, you can join other believers on this National Day of Prayer. We are also praying for you and all our ministry partners. If you ever have any prayer requests, please email newjersey@familypolicyalliance.com so we can lift you up before the Lord!

Protecting your family,

Shawn Hyland
Executive Director

Last night, Senator Tim Scott asked a question that many of us can’t help but wonder as we look at 2021 America, “what is going on here?”

Indeed, allow any previous generation of Americans to listen to Joe Biden’s speech to Congress, and they’d ask the same question. The “vision” the president has for America is nonsensical. It’s un-inspiring, it’s twisted, it’s un-American, and, in many ways, it’s evil.

But, I don’t want to focus on that. It was what we expected. Instead, I want to point you to the hopeful response from Senator Scott. In case you missed it, please take the 15 minutes to watch it (beginning at roughly the 2 and a half minute mark) here.

Senator Scott’s speech is certainly worth a watch. It is, fundamentally, what “being a conservative” is all about.

His remarks also underscore the role of faith in such a conservative worldview. Throughout the speech, his faith showed through. I thought this section, toward the end, was particularly remarkable:

“Original sin is never the end of the story. Not in our souls and not for our nation. The real story is always redemption… I’m standing here because my mom prayed me through some really tough times.”

Can believers, in turn, pray this nation through tough times? Can we be used as part of the American redemption story?

Look, I don’t know what damage a Biden Administration will inflict. I don’t know whether the 2022 congressional elections will provide a check and balance on its radical liberalism, and I don’t know whether the 2024 election will provide our nation with relief in the form of a new, God-honoring administration. What I do know, though, is that we are called to be faithful and that we are called to pray.

So, in keeping with the theme offered by Senator Scott, I’d like to offer some ways to pray for our nation. Here are 10 ways to pray for our nation:

Lord, in the midst of the greatest era of persecution the American Church has known, may the Body of Christ in our nation embrace its contrast with the world, be different from the sinful culture around us, and call our nation to repentance.
As we endure the most pro-abortion administration our nation has seen, please use the judges that have been appointed and the new wave of pro-life leaders around the country (Idaho recently followed Georgia’s lead and passed a Heartbeat Bill) continue to lead the charge so that abortion will be dealt a crushing blow under the watch of this destructive regime.
With the family under attack, Lord we ask that you strengthen marriages and encourage parents. May the world see Christians joyously devoted to this divinely created institution, and may Christian families be emboldened and blessed to raise up faithful offspring who can impact this world in the name of Jesus.
And, in that Holy name of Jesus, Lord we ask that those values taught in the home would cease to be undermined in schools. We ask that schools would be places of opportunity, that there would be choice and freedom in education, and that the teaching of truth – your truth – would be what is taught in classrooms.
In those classrooms and everywhere in our culture, we pray that science, which you have created, would be upheld. We pray that your inspired creation of biological sex would, once again, be self-evident and fully embraced truth. We pray for those struggling with gender identity issues – that you would bring healing to them and contentment in the bodies you have given them. We pray for those struggling with sexual sins, that you would show them the joy that comes from the marriage covenant – as you have designed it – and that you would bring an end to the wickedness and abuse of what you have made.
Father, in recognition of these amazing freedoms you have given us, we ask that every Christian will exercise, fully, their right to free speech so that they may speak truth, share the Gospel, and impact their neighbor. We ask also that you move every believer to exercise their right to assemble with other believers in churches and in public places to proclaim what is right and to fellowship, and that we will exercise our freedom to express our religion in every way imaginable.
We also pray, as the freedom of the press has been used for ill and the right to abuse one’s platform and resources for evil has become the popular trend, that you would raise up Christians to be CEOs of major corporations, heads of media empires, athletes and entertainers, and professors and university presidents. May this wave of Christians use their influence for the cause of Christ and may we reclaim these platforms for your glory.
Acknowledging your power to save and the grace that you have shown us, we pray that you will do the miraculous and reach the hearts of the evildoers who currently sit in places of power in this country.
Understanding that – even as we pray that prayer – there is no evidence of anything but hostility toward you in the hearts of our nation’s leaders, we pray that you will raise up the right leaders to take their places, that you will unite the Body of Christ around them, and that your anointing hand will be upon them.
And, Lord, as was a theme in the words of Senator Tim Scott, we do ask for healing of this racial division that is a plague on our land. We acknowledge the sins of racism that are a part of our history. We acknowledge that there is still racism in our country and in the hearts of some. We also praise you for the progress we have made, and we thank you for those who have brought our nation closer to the stated founding principle that you made all men equal. May your Church be a place where every human being is valued, and, as we advocate for the right to life and the cherishing of every person, may the world see a stark contrast between how we love your craftsmanship and how the left makes a mockery of it. Rid our nation, our classrooms, and our churches, of the wickedness of Critical Race Theory and other tools invented by the enemy that seek to divide us, destroy us, and cause us to see our neighbor as “the other” rather than a fellow image bearer. Lord we humbly ask that you work in our hearts so that we may cherish the diversity that you have made and that your Church will be the world’s greatest uniter – bringing all of us under one banner, united by the Gospel.

Whether these prayer requests help you in your prayers or not, I hope you commit to prayer. Our nation is in a place of unrecognizability. Yet, I have hope. And, I am committed to praying before the God who can achieve all things.

In Prayer,

Cole Muzio
President and Executive Director

PS. I had the privilege of meeting Senator Tim Scott when he and I both toured with Senator Kelly Loeffler. I found him to be incredibly genuine and a real joy to interact with. Yet, the radical left HATES him for what he stands for, and they seek to destroy this voice of hope that, I believe, our nation truly needs right now. Please pray for him as he weathers the absurd attacks that have come his way and surely will intensify in response to his outstanding speech last night.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:5-7

Here is the latest update from Under God, One Nation.

Our last update was in February and we continue to be in prayer about many of the same things. A few new developments have occurred about which you need to know – see updates in the sections below.

Here are some of the most prominent issues we see continuing to develop and which we have been praying about in recent weeks:

The Hyde Amendment – The Hyde Amendment is an important legal protection that keeps federal tax dollars from paying for abortions in most cases. Since 2016, the Democratic Party has included the repeal of the Hyde Amendment in its national platform. Their goal is to implement taxpayer funding of abortion nationwide. While Joe Biden had historically been a longtime supporter of the Hyde Amendment, he flip-flopped in 2020 and now supports its repeal – essentially advocating for publicly funded abortion.

In recent months, the Hyde amendment has been attacked as a racist policy. The truth is that the Hyde amendment has restrained Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses from targeting poor and minority communities with taxpayer funds. The Hyde amendment has stood in the gap against racism over the years and for the Left to claim otherwise is a political attempt to rewrite history and help abortion businesses target minority women.

We continue to pray that such evil intentions would be thwarted and that pro-life policies would overcome these efforts.

Biden Gender Policy and the Equality Act – As expected, Joe Biden began signing executive orders hours after he was inaugurated. Some of his recent orders have dealt with gender issues. We all know how dangerous this is for our nation’s social structure and the wellbeing of its people. Family Policy Alliance held an Equality Act Exposed Rally to highlight many issues with this dangerous legislation. Tens of thousands of Americans saw this rally appear in their social media feeds.

UPDATE: As expected, on February 25^th the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act. It has since been sent to the Senate for consideration. The Senate Judiciary committee recently held a hearing on the bill. Congress is currently on a break until after Easter but given the desire of the Biden Administration and Democrat leadership to push this through, we suspect it will be considered very soon in the Senate. The Biden administration also continued on this dangerous path implementing even more executive orders in March which further seek to erase gender in federal law.

The Equality Act would erase sex-based distinctions throughout our nation’s laws and open the door to persecution of any who adhere to biblical views of gender and marriage.

The pressure on many members of the Senate will be intense as this effort unfolds. Pray for the steadfast strength of many to oppose this effort.

Filibuster – Currently, Senate rules require 60 votes to end debate and move most legislation to a final vote. That 60-vote requirement (the filibuster) has been around for generations. This rule is still the centerpiece of a lot of discussion. As we noted last month, there is good reason for the current focus on it – with the Senate split 50-50 Republicans to Democrats, Kamala Harris is placed in the very powerful position of breaking any tied votes in the Senate.

The filibuster rule is key to preventing that from happening. Abortion and LGBT advocates (and other progressive forces) across the nation know this and they will continue to pressure the Senate intensely to make it easier to advance their agendas.

All previous efforts to remove the rule have failed in the past, whether the Senate was controlled by Republicans or Democrats. With the current 50-50 split, Democrats have once again considered attempting to scrap the rule in order to push through their agenda, regularly using Harris as the deciding vote.

Thankfully, not everyone in the Democrat party agrees with simply changing the rules for political gain.

UPDATE: While the intensity of this discussion has subsided in recent weeks, it is important to keep this in prayer. Two senators, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) (and a few others) have now stated that they are not interested in changing the rules of the Senate. Pray for them and their positions on this rule. While we do not know what to expect from Democrat leadership in the Senate in the coming weeks, this procedural rule has stopped them from advancing the Equality Act (and other dangerous measures) so far this year.

Biden Cabinet Nominations – Joe Biden has nominated a number of progressive, radical individuals to lead federal agencies. Each has been chosen for a reason – whether it is a rabidly pro-abortion and anti-religious freedom record or a progressive stance on gender, each one promises to bring drastic change to national policy in federal agencies.

UPDATE: Earlier this month, the Senate did confirm Xavier Becerra, a radically pro-abortion and anti – religious freedom nominee, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The Senate also confirmed Rachel Levine, a biological man living as a woman, to be Assistant Secretary of the same department. The Department of Health and Human Services oversees a massive budget with policies touching millions of lives every day. In light of that, please pray for these leaders, especially that they would know the Lord and the truth of His Word would be apparent in all aspects of their work.

Election Integrity – Some in Congress are seeking to protect the integrity of our elections and how they are conducted. We support their stance and continue to pray their ideas would gain traction and that their efforts would prove successful.

Girls’ and Women’s Sports – All across the nation, courageous state legislators are using their positions to push back against the radical, progressive attack on girls and women’s sports.

UPDATE: We now know that 30 states that have introduced legislation to save girls’ sports and send a powerful message back to the Biden Administration’s radical gender agenda. There have been 3 states that have enacted the most robust version of Save Girls’ Sports provisions so far: Idaho (in 2020) Arkansas (2021), and Mississippi (2021). We are hopeful for more to come! It is exciting to see states enact these laws! We pray for boldness in their work and for the success of their efforts.

Abortion in New Mexico – In New Mexico, a radical abortion bill was passed and signed into law.

UPDATE: Led by a pro-abortion governor, who has been bent on eliminating the very few abortion restrictions in the state for several years, the new law removes all restrictions on abortion in New Mexico while also eliminating conscience protections for pro-life doctors and the very basic requirement of consent from a woman before having an abortion. Please keep the state of New Mexico in your prayers.

LGBT Curriculum in New Jersey – New Jersey has been no stranger to the gender identity discussion. Just a year ago, the state enacted an LGBT curriculum requirement for junior high and high school students. Many parents were unhappy with this radical requirement and have been fighting back since that time. This year, and despite assurances to the contrary, the legislature went one step further – enacting the curriculum all the way down to Kindergarten. New Jersey voters are extremely upset about this and are fighting back. Our ally on the ground, Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey, continues to lead the way. We pray for their continued advancement and engagement on this issue.

We appreciate you partnering with us in prayer. Please share this list with your church, your small group, your pastor, and your Sunday School class in the coming days. Please encourage them to join you in signing up for a prayer time so that we can continue to lift the nation and these issues in the coming weeks and months.

Prayerfully,

Robert Noland
Communications Manager

Friends,

Shortly before Inauguration Day, Family Policy Alliance® launched a national prayer initiative, Under God, One Nation. You (along with over 1400 others!) signed up to join us in prayer for our nation. We are still praying, and we know you are too!

Since then, a lot has happened and there remains a multitude of things that we can pray for both nationally and in the states. Here are some of the most prominent issues we see currently and which we have been praying about in recent weeks:

The Hyde Amendment – Since 2016, the Democratic Party has included the repeal of the Hyde Amendment in its national platform. Their goal is to implement taxpayer funding of abortion nationwide. While Joe Biden had historically been a longtime supporter of the Hyde Amendment, he flip-flopped in 2020 and now supports its repeal – essentially advocating for publicly funded abortion.

In recent months, the Hyde amendment has been attacked as a racist policy. The truth is that the Hyde amendment has restrained Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses from targeting poor and minority communities with taxpayer funds. The Hyde amendment has stood in the gap against racism over the years and for the Left to claim otherwise is a political move to rewrite history in efforts to further proliferate the ability of abortion businesses to target minority women.

We continue to pray that such evil intentions would be thwarted and that pro-life policies would overcome these efforts.

Biden Gender Policy and the Equality Act – As expected, Joe Biden began signing executive orders hours after he was inaugurated. Some of those orders dealt with gender issues. We all know how dangerous this is for our nation’s social structure and especially for our military.

We need to continue to be in prayer as we have heard that Equality Act will be considered in Congress very soon (possibly next week) with the full support of Democratic leadership and President Biden. The Equality Act would erase virtually every sex-based distinction in our nation’s laws and open the door to persecution of any who adhere to biblical views of gender and marriage.

The pressure on many members of Congress will be intense as this effort unfolds. Pray for the steadfast strength of many to oppose this effort.

Filibuster – A well-known Senate debate rule has become the centerpiece of a lot of discussion in recent weeks. There is good reason – with the Senate split 50-50 Republicans to Democrats, Kamala Harris is placed in the very powerful position of breaking any tied votes in the Senate. The filibuster rule is key to preventing that from happening.

Currently, Senate rules require 60 votes to end debate and move most legislation to a final vote. That 60-vote requirement (the filibuster) has been around for generations. Despite efforts to outright repeal it, all have failed in the past whether the Senate was controlled by Republicans or Democrats. With the current 50-50 split, Democrats have considered scrapping the rule in order to push through their agenda, regularly using Harris as the deciding vote. Thankfully, not everyone in the Democrat party agrees with simply changing the rules for political gain.

Right now, two senators, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have stated that they are not interested in changing the rules of the Senate. Pray for them and their positions on this rule.

Clearly, requiring 60 votes to advance legislation is the key to stopping a lot of bad legislation in the current environment. Abortion and LGBT advocates, as well as other progressive forces all across the nation, know this and they will continue to pressure these two senators intensely in order to make it easier to advance their agendas.

We continue to pray about those confirmation hearings and that those nominated individuals would know the Lord and the truth of His Word on these issues.

Girls’ and Women’s Sports – All across the nation, courageous state legislators are using their positions to push back against the radical, progressive attack on girls and women’s sports. We know of more than 10 states that have introduced legislation to save girls’ sports and send a powerful message back to the Biden Administration’s radical gender agenda. We pray for boldness in their work and for the success of their efforts in every instance.

Abortion in New Mexico – In New Mexico, a radical abortion bill is advancing in the legislature. Led by a pro-abortion governor, who has been bent on eliminating the very few abortion restrictions in the state for several years, the legislature seems poised to approve this bill. Conscience protections for doctors and the very basic requirement of consent from a woman before having an abortion are on the chopping block. Please keep the state of New Mexico in your prayers.

LGBT Curriculum in New Jersey – New Jersey has been no stranger to the gender identity discussion. Just a year ago, the state enacted an LGBT curriculum requirement for junior high and high school students. Many parents were unhappy and have been fighting back since that time. This year, and despite assurances to the contrary, the legislature went one step further – enacting the curriculum all the way down to Kindergarten. New Jersey voters are extremely upset about this and are fighting back. Our ally on the ground, Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey, is leading the way and we pray for their continued advancement and engagement on this issue.

We appreciate you partnering with us in prayer. Please share this list with your church, your small group, your pastor and your Sunday School class in the coming days. Please encourage them to join you in signing up for a prayer time so that we can continue to lift the nation and these issues in the coming weeks and months.

Prayerfully,

Robert Noland
Communications Manager

Today is Presidents’ Day – a national holiday which historically calls us to remember George Washington, our nation’s first president whose birthday is on the 22nd. The day has been interpreted to also include Abraham Lincoln as well, whose birthday is on the 12th. More recent iterations claim the day honors all past U.S. presidents.

Regardless of which president we are remembering today, the fact that our democratic republic has stood the test of time for nearly 250 years is astounding when you look across the globe at how many other nations have come and gone in that time.

Our system of governance was inspired and crafted by godly men (including Washington) who sought to craft a better nation, one which was not under the influence of a king. They especially hoped to create a nation where religious freedom could flourish, unencumbered by civil government.

The President is the leader of this system and as we pause today to remember Presidents Washington and Lincoln specifically, but also all Presidents in general, we feel a call to prayer.

First, a prayer of thanksgiving that we live in a nation where we are endowed with the privilege to choose our leaders and judge their fitness for leadership on many different fronts. “We the People” are the power behind the process of selecting our leaders, good or bad, and that is a freedom known in far too few places the world over.

Second, a prayer of remembrance for those who have served in the highest office of the nation, a role often described as the “Leader of the Free World” – a description that recognizes the founding of our nation as one of freedom and liberty. Whoever serves in this role has an enormous burden and gives much to their nation while sacrificing time with family. Those are sacrifices that we should honor, regardless of whether we voted for any particular president.

Third, a prayer for the current president (a prayer not unfamiliar to many of us, no matter who holds the office) – that he would be given great wisdom and that he would seek first the Lord and His kingdom and His righteousness. And may the Lord place people in his midst who would provide a lasting godly influence in all his interactions.

We ask you to join us in these and many other prayers for our nation and its leadership as we work toward a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.

Prayerfully,

Robert Noland
Communication Manager

Under God, One Nation

It is a pivotal time in our nation’s history for Christian values, religious freedom and the
public debate over the direction of our nation.

Please join us in regular prayer for God’s direction for our leaders regarding the issues
and spiritual matters facing our nation.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)

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