DAY 12 | States: MD & MA
DAILY TOPIC: Unborn Life
Prayer for Israel
Prayer for National Government Officials
State Focus: Maryland and Massachusetts
PRAYER FOR UNBORN LIFE
Thank You for founders who established this country on the fact that You created all of us equal. We plead for You to lead all Americans to respect and protect the sacred right to life at every stage. We pray that our leaders and our people will learn to respect the sanctity of life for all humans, including the aged, the ill, the handicapped, the disadvantaged, and the unborn from the moment of conception until natural death. We pray that Americans will nurture and protect all human life. We plead for an end to the plague of abortion in our nation. We ask You to move in the hearts of judges and legislators to uphold the sanctity and precious gift of every human life. We ask You, Lord, to bring deep healing to those who have chosen abortion. We pray that each woman will come to know that You have plans for her welfare and not her destruction. We pray for the deep healing of men who have been involved in abortion. We ask, O God, for your mercy on a nation that is condoning the murder of its own children. Forgive us, convict us, and transform us. Father, we pray for all who would speak on behalf of life. Give us creative, discerning, persuasive and effective thoughts to share with those who disagree and those who have the power to make decisions that mean life or death for others.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed (Psalm 139:13-16).
HERE IS A PARTIAL LIST OF THOSE WHO ARE PRESERVING OUR CULTURE AS SALT AND LIGHT IN THE AREA OF PROTECTING THE UNBORN (Disclaimer: Although we cannot mention everyone, this is a representative group for our prayers today):
National Right to Life
The Call – Lou Engle
40 Days for Life
Focus on the Family
The Liberty Council, The Justice Foundation, and all of the Christian legal societies working to end abortion
Operation Outcry
All of the Pregnancy Care Centers
Priests for Life – Fr. Frank Pavone
Issues 4 Life Foundation – Walter Hoye
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 Transportation: Elaine Chao
Secretary of Energy: Rick Perry
Secretary of Education: Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Robert Wilkie (Interim)
Secretary of Homeland Security: Kirstjen Nielsen
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:
Invalidated state sodomy laws making same-sex sexual activity legal in every U.S. state and territory.
(RULING: The Homosexual Conduct law was unconstitutional and violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause)
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 Maryland and Massachusetts and their leaders.
WE DECLARE THE 1776 PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF MARYLAND:
“We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty …” (7th State admitted to the Union on April 28th, 1788)
MARYLAND GOVERNOR
Larry Hogan [R]
MARYLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL
Brian Frosh [D]
MARYLAND SENATORS
Chris Van Hollen [D]
Ben Cardin [D]
MARYLAND REPRESENTATIVES
DEMOCRATS
Dutch Ruppersberger
John Sarbanes
Anthony Brown
Steny Hoyer
David Trone
Elijah Cummings
Jamie Raskin
REPUBLICANS
Andy Harris
WE DECLARE THE 1780 PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF MASSACHUSETTS:
“We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe…In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction …” (6th State admitted to the Union on February 6th, 1788)
MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR
Charlie Baker [R]
MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL
Maura Healey [D]
MASSACHUSETTS SENATORS
Edward Markey [D]
Elizabeth Warren [D]
MASSACHUSETTS REPRESENTATIVES
DEMOCRATS
Richard Neal
Jim McGovern
Lori Trahan
Joe Kennedy
Katherine Clark
Seth Moulton
Ayanna Pressley
Stephen Lynch
William Keating
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.
