Prayer Requests For Our Country

I received this email today from Family Research Council, an excellent organization run by Tony Perkins, our former Representative. Please take a few minutes to read what is going on in our country, and even more time to pray, email, make phone calls. (If you are local to me, contact info is on the right.)

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...Hebrews 12:1-2


Dear Praying Friends,

Every new year, pastors urge their flocks to rise above setbacks and discouragement to embrace the future with wholehearted Biblical faith. But Americans face extreme uncertainty. Few understood just how radical the new President and liberal Congress would be! Few believed the President could appoint the kinds of extremists he has chosen to impose his agenda of change upon the people. Never have our values been subjected to such a frontal assault by those in government. Please read "The Year America Lurched Left" (Investors Business Daily). 2010 will be pivotal. If God-fearing Americans arise to use every legal means to resist, there is still hope. Christians cannot be bystanders. We must find strength and grace to pray persistently and take obedient action to resist every decision that smacks of tyranny.

Health Care Takeover at a Crossroads - The House of Representatives will reconvene on January 12 and the Senate on January 19. Atop their agendas will be merging the health care bills, and passing a single bill to give the federal government control over the health care system and the health care options of every American. All citizens will be required to participate or be subject to fines and prosecution. Scholars say the bills are unconstitutional on their face. Thirteen state attorneys general are threatening to sue, saying the bill and process are "constitutionally flawed." The Senate bill, brokered in private meetings with the White House wildly violated Election Year promises of a more open government. Democrat leaders will forgo the Conference process, which would subject the reconciliation to scrutiny and debate, and will continue to hammer out their bill in private. The final bill will require 60 votes for Senate passage. The Senate plan still includes abortion coverage and insufficient conscience protections for health care workers. Pro-lifers are angry with Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) for compromising his stand on life and casting the 60th vote needed to pass the bill in exchange for his state's exemption from unfunded mandates. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) continues to insist that he and pro-life House Democrats will defeat the bill if it does not include his pro-life provisions (Get Insured or Else, Questions of Legality, Pro-lifers and Nelson, 13 State AG's, Dems to Bypass Conference, Bills Unconstitutional, Behind Closed Doors, Secrecy).

May God breathe upon God-fearing Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and all pro-life, pro-family and conservative activists and churches to create a massive coalition of Americans who will stand up and fight for their faith, their families, their homes and their historic American liberties! May this radical "lurch to the left" be met with effective resistance! May this unconstitutional health care takeover be soundly defeated! (Dt 30:19; 1 Sam 8:7-22; Pr 6:16-19; 28:4-5; Ps 94:15-18; Is 10:1-3; 33:22)

The Homosexual Agenda - On January 11, a non-jury federal trial will begin in San Francisco to decide Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson (under President George W. Bush) and trial lawyer David Boies (who represented Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 election dispute) believe they can overturn the California constitutional provision that passed as Proposition 8, and persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the will of the people in 31 states that have voted to keep marriage between a man and woman. Judge Vaughn Walker, whose previous rulings favored homosexual activists, hopes to televise the proceedings.

Meanwhile, John Berry, the homosexual activist appointed by President Obama to head the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has outlined the President's plan to pass the entire LGBT agenda before the "sun sets" on his administration: 1. Passage of Hate Crimes legislation (accomplished), 2. ENDA, 3. Don't Ask, Don't Tell (allow open homosexual behavior in the armed forces), 4. Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). President Obama has named his first "transgender" appointment. Amanda Simpson, who underwent sex change surgery a decade ago, is now Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department. Simpson said, "I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others" (see California, Circus, John Berry, Transgender).

Praise God for California and 30 other states who have taken a stand for traditional marriage. May God burden His people to contend, endure and prevail in prayer and citizen action in this sphere of public policy at the national, state and local levels. And may God help us to reach those caught up in this sad lifestyle so plainly condemned in Scripture (Gen 18:17-33; Lev 19:15; Ps 9:7-10; Mt 19:4-6; 2 Tim 4:2-5; 2 Pet 2:4-10; Jude 7, 21-23).

Finally, in this new year, most employed Americans stand to lose income compared with 2009. While the House passed a bill to extend Bush era tax rates, the Senate failed to do so. Most Americans have thus received a substantial tax increase and can expect even more. May God help us to repent from our willful blindness, stir us from our lethargy and grant us power to prevail in prayer for our families and fellow countrymen in 2010. Thank you for praying!

P.S. Late breaking: Tomorrow at 2 p.m. Eastern, the New Jersey Senate will vote on their same-sex marriage bill. Please pray that it is overwhelmingly defeated.

Sincerely,
Rev. Pierre Bynum
National Prayer Director
Email: pbynum@frc.org

Family Research Council
801 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-2100
Fax: 202-393-2134
Web: http://www.frc.org/