DAY 1 | States AL & AR
DAILY TOPIC: Thanksgiving
Prayer for Israel
Prayer for National Government Officials
State Focus: Alabama and Alaska
PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING
Thank You for all the bountiful blessings You have poured out on America.We praise You, knowing that all good things come from Your hand. Thank You for Your Creation, Your Word, Your Son, Your Spirit and Your Truth. Thank You that You make Your true character known to those who truly seek You. Thank You for providing the way for forgiveness and for healing in our lives and in our nation. Thank You for Your patience, Your mercy, Your pardon, and Your provision. Thank You for the faith of our founders, and for giving them Your wisdom. Thank You for those who have gone before us who pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to establish this country and provide for our freedom. Thank You for all those who have put their lives on the line for the freedom and welfare of others. Thank You for the religious freedoms we enjoy – to gather, to worship, and to pray. In Your precious son’s name, Amen.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34).
PRAYER FOR ISRAEL
Lord, we pray for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, the Biblical capital of 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 Benjamin Netanyahu 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 NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Lord God, we ask for Your blessing and wisdom on the lives of these leaders in our nation.
EXECUTIVE
President Donald Trump
Vice President Mike Pence
THE PRESIDENT’S CABINET
Secretary of State: Mike Pompeo
Secretary of the Treasury: Steven Mnuchin
Secretary of Defense: Mark Esper
Secretary of the Interior: David Bernhardt
ATTORNEY GENERAL
William Barr
SUPREME COURT
Chief Justice John Roberts
JUSTICES
Clarence Thomas
Brett Kavanaugh
Samuel Alito
Neil Gorsuch
Elena Kagan
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen Breyer
Sonia Sotomayor
Lord, we pray for three conservative, constitutional Christians on the Supreme Court that would assure a majority; to see the following decisions overturned…
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)
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 Alabama and Alaska and their leaders.
WE DECLARE THE 1901 PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF ALABAMA:
“We, the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God , do ordain and establish the following Constitution.”(22nd State admitted to the Union on December 14th, 1819)
ALABAMA GOVERNOR
Kay Ivey [R]
ALABAMA ATTORNEY GENERAL
Steve Marshall [R]
ALABAMA SENATORS
Richard Shelby [R]
Doug Jones [D]
ALABAMA REPRESENTATIVES
DEMOCRATS
Terri Sewell
REPUBLICANS
Bradley Bryne
Martha Roby
Mike Rogers
Robert Aderholt
Mo Brooks
Gary Palmer
WE DECLARE THE 1956 PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF ALASKA:
“We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.” (49th State admitted to the Union on January 3rd, 1959)
ALASKA GOVERNOR
Mike Dunleavy [R]
ALASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL
Jahna Lindemugh [I]
ALASKA SENATORS
Lisa Murkowski [R]
Dan Sullivan [R]
ALASKA REPRESENTATIVES
Don Young [R]
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.
