DAY 8 | States: ID & IL
DAILY TOPIC: The Common Defense
Prayer for Israel
Prayer for National Government Officials
State Focus: Idaho and Illinois
PRAYER FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE
We ask for Your protection against all enemies foreign and domestic, seen and unseen, praying for Your abundant protection and provision for those in overt or covert service and their families. Receive our profound thanks, Lord, for those who have given their lives in service to America, and for their families. We pray for your deepest blessings upon the families of those who have paid the highest price for the welfare and freedom of others. We ask You to give new life and vision to those who have lost limb or function in service to our country. We ask for hope, courage, strength and faith for each and every one. We pray for those who voluntarily put on the uniform of America’s Armed Forces and serve both at home and abroad. Lord we ask you to bless their families and keep them brave, strong and loyal to their members in uniform.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalm 18:2).
PRAYER FOR ISRAEL
Lord, thank you that the President recognized Jerusalem as the Biblical capital of Israel and moved our Embassy. We pray for peace and prosperity in Israel, and ask for an end to the violence and suffering. We pray for justice, and Your sovereign righteousness over Israel. We pray for mercy and Your Kingdom to rule over the land. Please protect the soldiers and civilians from bloodshed. Give wisdom to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the Knesset (The legislature of Israel). May Israel remain strong, not dividing the land You gave as an inheritance to Your chosen people. May the United States continue to fully support Israel, the nation that gave us salvation through Jesus Christ.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper that love thee (Psalm 122:6).
PRAYER FOR LEADERS
Lord God, we ask for Your blessing and wisdom on the lives of these leaders in our nation.
EXECUTIVE
President Joe Biden
Vice-President Kamala Harris
THE PRESIDENT’S CABINET
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Merrick Garland
SUPREME COURT
Chief Justice John Roberts
JUSTICES
Amy Coney Barrett
Samuel Alito
Brett Kavanaugh
Clarence Thomas
Neil Gorsuch
Elena Kagan
Stephen Breyer
Sonia Sotomayor
Lord, we ask for their courage to do what is right in your sight and to overturn the following decisions ...
1947: EVERSON V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
"Wall of Separation" Between church and state
(RULING: Ruled as Constitutional allocating taxpayer funds (to bus children) to religious schools because it did not breach the "wall of separation”: between church and state. Decision held that the establishment clause of the First Amendment applied to state, local and federal government. Bottom Line: Distributing public funds to parents to cover the cost of busing their children to religious schools did not breach the wall. And, finally, it was this ruling that established the vernacular ‘wall of separation’ which set the precedent for the next two Supreme Court decisions removing prayer and bible reading from our schools.)
Where did the term Wall of Separation come from?
Establishment Clause Definition
1962: ENGEL V. VITALE
Removed prayer from public education
(RULING: Unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools. PLAINTIFF: Steven Engel, New York parent / DEFENDANT: William Vitale, the school board president)
1963: ABINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT V. SCHEMPP
Removed the Bible from public education
(RULING: Declared school-sponsored Bible reading in public schools in the United States to be unconstitutional. PLAINTIFF: Edward Lewis Schempp and family / DEFENDANT: Abington School District)
1968: EPPERSON V. ARKANSAS
Opened the door for evolution to be taught as fact in public schools
(RULING: Creation and Intelligent Design were ruled as religious studies in government schools. Government schools are to remain neutral https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/393/97/)
1973: ROE V WADE:
Allowed Unrestricted Access to Abortion
(RULING: Unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. PLAINTIFF: Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe / DEFENDANT: Henry Wade, district attorney of Dallas County, TX, where Roe resided)
2003: LAWRENCE V. TEXAS:
Struck down the sodomy law, thus legalizing same-sex sexual activity in every U.S. state and territory
(RULING: The “Homosexual Conduct” law [prohibiting sodomy] was unconstitutional and violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause that protects a substantive right to personal liberty in intimate decisions)
2015: OBERGEFELL V. HODGES:
Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide
(RULING: The Constitution guarantees a nationwide right to same-sex marriage. State bans on same-sex marriage and on recognizing same-sex marriages duly performed in other jurisdictions are unconstitutional under the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. PLAINTIFF: Jim Obergefell, a same-sex widower / DEFENDANT: Richard Hodges, Ohio’s health director)
TODAY’S STATE FOCUS
We direct our prayers to the states of Idaho and Illinois and their leaders.
WE DECLARE THE 1889 PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION ON IDAHO:
“We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.” (43rd State admitted to the Union on July 3rd, 1890)
IDAHO GOVERNOR
Brad Little [R]
IDAHO ATTORNEY GENERAL
Lawrence Wasden [R]
IDAHO SENATORS
Mike Crapo [R]
Jim Risch [R]
IDAHO REPRESENTATIVES
Russ Fulcher [R]
Mike Simpson [R]
WE DECLARE THE 1870 PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS:
“We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors…” (21st State admitted to the Union on December 3rd, 1818)
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR
JB Pritzker [D]
ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
Kwame Raoul [D]
ILLINOIS SENATORS
Dick Durbin [D]
Tammy Duckworth [D]
ILLINOIS REPRESENTATIVES
DEMOCRATS
Bobby Rush
Robin Kelly
Marie Newman
Jesus Garcia
Mike Quigley
Sean Casten
Danny Davis
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Jan Schakowsky
Bradley Schneider
Bill Foster
Lauren Underwood
Cheri Bustos
REPUBLICANS
Mike Bost
Rodney Davis
Mary Miller
Adam Kinzinger
Darin LaHood
We ask that You turn their hearts towards You, Lord. We ask that You soften their hearts, Lord, to recognize and receive truth. Lord, we ask that You grant them the understanding and knowledge that come from the fear of You. We ask that You grant them wisdom and discernment, Lord, and that You make them bold to do what is right in Your sight. Lord, we ask that You direct their hearts to do Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
