In This Issue · The Daily Brief
· The Middle East in Focus
· The White House in Transition
· Marching as to War
· Gay Violence Hits Churches
· Correction
· Cindy Jacobs' Call to Prayer - URGENT!
· Shariah Finance: Update
· A Letter from a Reader
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
Thursday, November 13, 2008
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." (Psalm 33:12)
The Daily Brief
1. Obama to Quit Senate - AP
President-elect Barack Obama will resign from the Senate effective Sunday, he announced in a statement Thursday. A Sunday resignation means Obama will not be a senator when and if the chamber convenes next week for a lame-duck session.
The decision to appoint Obama's replacement rests with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Those rumored to be under consideration are Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.; Rep. Luis Gutierrez; Rep. Jan Schakowsky; Tammy Duckworth, head of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; Emil Jones, retiring president of the Illinois state Senate. Blagojevich can also name himself, but has said he's ruled out that option. Blagojevich's appointee would serve until the next national election in 2010.
· Begin to pray now, asking for God's perfect will to be done in the seating of the next Senator from the State of Illinois. May this man or woman be one who is after God's own heart, amen.
· " . . . if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matt. 18:19)
2. Palin Urges Republican Governors to Stick to GOP's Bedrock Values - Fox News
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Thursday the Republican Governors Association is committed to returning to the bedrock values of the party after a battering in the Nov. 4 election left Republicans in a weakened state across the nation.
"Let us resolve not to become the negative party, too eager to find fault or unwilling to help in this time of crisis and war," she told the gathering Thursday. "Losing an election does not have to mean losing our way, and for governors, the way forward leads through our own state capitals in reforms we will carry on or begin anew."
· We praise the Lord for the strong spirit He has placed within this wonderful woman of God! May Governor Palin's voice continue to echo across our nation, calling us to the values and the standards upon which we have stood since our beginning. Agree with God for the destiny He has designed for Governor Palin to be fulfilled. Amen.
· "He who has begun a good work in you shall continue it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6)
3. MSNBC Retracts False Palin Story; Others Duped - Fox News
Network runs correction on air after reporting an adviser to John McCain had identified himself as the source of an embarrassing story about Sarah Palin, information stemming from a hoax.
· Lord we cry out to You for justice. So many stories about all the candidates were found to be hoaxes, yet only a very small percentage of the media carried the retractions for the Conservative side. Father we ask in Jesus' mighty name that You would bring truth and justice to our political system, and media, and shake out the false witness and lies that permeate the whole structure.
· "A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that speaketh lies shall perish." (Proverbs 19:9)
4. Dow Storms Back - Fox News
Stocks surge -- Dow up more than 550 points -- in Wall Street's first winning session of the week
- Thank You, Lord for this rally on the market today. We ask that You continue to uphold our economy from collapse, and grant our leaders the wisdom to stabilize the entire system.
· "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein." (Hosea 14:9)
5. Jobless Claims Surge to 516,000; Average Trends Higher - AP
The labor market showed signs of further softening Thursday, with jobless claims surging above 500,000 and remaining well above historic recessionary levels.
· Pray for those who seek jobs in order to feed their families. Unemployment can create other difficult situations, such as increased crime rates and domestic problems. May the Lord have mercy on those who have been hurt by the economic crisis, and may He be their provider and strength.
· "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7)
6. Treasury may Bail Out Credit Card, Other Loan Industries, Paulson Says - CNSnews.com
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Wednesday announced that the federal government no longer plans to buy troubled mortgage-related assets from private banks but will expand the scope of its Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to include non-bank financial and credit institutions.
· Lord, as the Treasury Department seems to have difficulty deciding how to spend their $700 billion, we pray for wisdom directly from You to invade their leadership. We bind confusion and greed; we loose Your Holy Spirit to blow through this situation to bring solid solutions.
· "Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13a)
7. U.S. Begins Moves to Start Offshore Drilling - Reuters
The U.S. Minerals Management Service said on Wednesday it has started the process to consider selling leases to drill for oil and natural gas off the coast of Virginia. The agency planned to issue a notice today requesting public comments and evaluating the possible environmental impacts of drilling offshore Virginia. Although the service has started gathering information, it said no official decision has been made to actually hold a lease sale. If the agency decides to allow drilling, the first lease sale for the area is proposed for 2011.
· Lord we are keenly aware that the new administration has made it clear that drilling is not in their agenda. We pray that this failure to become self sufficient in energy will be overturned, and that our energy supplies will grow and become prosperous without the need for foreign oil. Pray for wisdom for the new administration.
· "Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)
8. Iran, Qatar, and Russia Take Cartel Plan to Second Stage - World Tribune
Iran, Qatar, and Russia have reconvened their talks on the formation of a natural gas cartel. The three countries, the top gas producers in the world, began an energy summit on Nov. 12 in the Qatari capital of Doha. Officials said the key issue was an examination of the technical details required for the formation of a gas cartel modeled on OPEC.
· While Qatar has been relatively friendly by Arabic State standards, an alliance of any kind with both Iran and Russia would pressure them to work against the interests of the US. Pray that the Lord will intervene in any plan that would further squeeze American oil flow from the region.
· "No weapon formed against you shall prosper . . ." (Isaiah 54:17a)
9. Bin Laden Plans New Attacks Bigger Than 9/11- Newsmax
Fugitive terrorist Osama bin Laden is planning new attacks against the U.S. that will "outdo by far" the attacks of 9/11, according to a report in a London- based Arabic newspaper.
The paper, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, quotes a former senior Yemeni Al-Qaida official saying the terror group is now in a "positive phase," of staffing and rebuilding training camps around the globe. The action will lead to the next "wave of action" against the U.S., the paper reported.
"This will be shown by the fact that we now control a major part of the south of Somalia," the Yemeni source told the paper. According to the report, bin Laden is personally involved in the preparations and is looking to "change the face of world politics and economics."
· In an hour when the attention of many intercessors is riveted on the changing political landscape at home, our enemy never sleeps. Decree that every hidden scheme be exposed among these al-Qaeda terrorists; that every plot be unveiled; and that every wicked plan be destroyed. PRAY FOR THE SALVATION OF THEIR SOULS.
· "He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success."
(Job 5:12)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
When LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come [lit: the last generation]: and the people which shall be created shall praise LORD." (Psalm 102:16-18)
1. Truce falters as rocket barrage on western Negev continues - Jerusalem Post
The cease-fire with Hamas appeared to falter once again as the rocket barrage on the western Negev continued Thursday morning. Five mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip landed open areas in the Eshkol region.
2. Iran test-fires new missile, Israel within reach - Reuters
Iran said it test-fired a new generation of surface-to- surface missile on Wednesday and that the Islamic Republic was ready to defend itself against any attacker.
3. Peres lauds Arab peace plan - Ynet News
President Shimon Peres praised the Saudi-led Arab peace initiative in his speech at the United Nations Wednesday, delivered in the framework of the interfaith dialogue summit in New York. Both Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni are attending the conference, which was opened with an address by Saudi King Abdullah.
4. Syria blames Israeli bombs for uranium traces - Jerusalem Post
Syria's foreign minister suggested on Wednesday that Israeli bombs may be the source of uranium traces that diplomats at the UN nuclear agency said were found at a suspected nuclear site.
5. Rights group: Egypt must stop shooting migrants - Jerusalem Post
Egypt should stop shooting unarmed migrants as they try to sneak across the barbed wire border to Israel in a desperate journey that has gone from dangerous to deadly, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday in a new report.
The White House in Transition
1. Biden to Meet Cheney After Calling Him 'Most Dangerous' VP in U.S. History - FoxNews.com
Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday will meet with Vice President Dick Cheney, the man that Biden described only a month ago as "the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history."
In what could be an awkward moment for all parties involved, Biden and his wife, Jill, will sit down with Cheney and his wife, Lynne, at the vice president's home on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.
Biden launched withering attacks on Republican presidential candidate John McCain during the campaign by linking his Iraq war position to that of President Bush and Cheney -- an attempt to convince voters that the Arizona senator was a continuation of the Bush administration's foreign policies that Cheney is widely credited and blamed with forming. [Posted earlier today]
· Lord may You find a way to remove bitterness and anger from the transition between the Bush Administration and the new one. Let the outgoing administration bring Your peace to the situation.
· "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)
2. Congresswoman Confident that Obama will Fund UNPFS - CNS News.com
Supports China's Coercive Abortion Program
Rep. Carolyn Maloney said she is confident that President-elect Barack Obama will reverse the Bush administration's decision six years ago to stop funding the United Nations Population Fund because of its support of China's one-child policy - a policy that includes forcing women who are carrying females to have an abortion.
· Pray that our President Elect will not honor any agreement to fund this organization, that in the next four years he will not be inclined to remove President Bush's decision.
· "Preserve justice and do what is right, for My salvation is coming soon, and My righteousness will be revealed." (Isaiah 56:1)
3. Obama Consulted Three Times With Bishop Gene Robinson - Times Online
During his campaign for the White House, president- elect Barack Obama had three conversations with openly gay Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson about what it's like to be a "breakthrough" figure. The discussions occurred in May and June 2007, The Times of London reports.
""The first words out of his mouth were: 'Well, you're certainly causing a lot of trouble,'" Robinson, who became the Anglican Communion's first out bishop in 2003, told The Times. "My response to him was: 'Well, that makes two of us.'"
· Continue in earnest prayer, asking our Lord to raise up only Godly men and women to surround Barack Obama as he assembles his leadership team for the days ahead. May the wicked be removed far from his throne!
· "Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness." (Prov. 25:5)
4. Change Has Familiar Faces - AP
Obama taps a number of Clinton-era officials to help guide the transition process -- but will they stay after Inauguration Day?
Obama's 'Change' Administration Leans on Clinton Officials for Transition Barack Obama has tapped a number of Clinton-era officials to help guide the transition process -- but come Inauguration Day, it's unclear whether the old hands will hand off power, or stick around.
John Podesta, chief of staff under former President Bill Clinton, is co-chairing Obama's transition team. And the president-elect on Wednesday named a team of six people, all of whom served in some capacity under Clinton, to head the agency review in the State, Defense and Treasury departments.
Obama has authorized former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to join former Republican Rep. Jim Leach in representing him among the gathering of delegations from 20 countries this weekend at the global economic summit. (Read more)
· "Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness." (Prov. 25:5)
Marching As to War
Facing the most pro-abortion administration in U.S. history, the Catholic Church is mobilizing to respond. In a meeting yesterday (Tuesday), 220 Catholic bishops drafted an official statement, warning Capitol Hill and President-elect Obama that passing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would be viewed as a direct attack on religion. Back in July of 2007, Barack Obama announced at a Planned Parenthood banquet that signing FOCA was his first priority: "Well, the first thing I'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. ...On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Planned Parenthood will not yield." With almost full control of Congress, Obama will be expected to live up to his promise as payback for the abortion community's support. If successful, the newly expanded majority would abolish over 300 pro-life laws and restrictions -- even reinstating partial-birth abortion.
Although the Catholic bishops have offered to work with the administration on a number of issues, the defense of life is non-negotiable. "This is not a matter of political compromise," said Bishop Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio. "It's a matter of absolutes." For some leaders, the church's forceful opposition to FOCA could be the excuse Catholic Democrats need to vote the legislation down.
If not for their conscience, members should be wary of the Bishops' warning for the mere fact that Catholics are a powerful player in the U.S. health care system. As Ed Morrissey points out, Catholics run more than 550 hospitals and 415 clinics in America, spending billions out of pocket to help the disadvantaged get the care they need. Under FOCA, religious providers would have two options: either comply with the abortion mandate or end their services completely. Is Congress so intent on appeasing Planned Parenthood that it would jeopardize the health care of 90 million Americans? We'll see.
(Source: Family Reseech Council)
Gay Violence Hits Churches
Intolerance: Coming Soon to a Church near You?
Barack Obama said, "I am absolutely convinced that culture wars are so nineties; their days are growing dark." One year later, the culture wars are not only here -- they're raging. In their blind fury over Proposition 8, homosexual activists are doing more to hurt their cause than help. Groups like BashBack are storming churches, stomping on crosses, vandalizing buildings, and assailing Christians. On Sunday, the protests, which are spilling into every corner of America, arrived unexpectedly on the steps of Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan. About two dozen homosexuals set off fire alarms during services, rushed the pulpit, and accosted worshippers. The police didn't make any arrests, but this was far from an isolated incident. Other marches are being planned near churches as we speak.
Make no mistake; this violence is calculated. These extremists are doing everything they can to invite a new "Stonewall," hoping that a response by law enforcement will go too far and create a backlash of sympathy for the gay movement. The slightest provocation by police or Christians would be disastrous. As difficult as it is, refuse to be intimidated. As Matthew 5 reminds us, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven."
(Source: Family Reseech Council)
Correction
To our readers:
Several of you have written today to let us know that the wonderful prayer for our nation, printed last night, was incorrectly attributed to Billy Graham.
This prayer was actually spoken by Rev. Joe Wright at the opening of the Kansas House's Legislative Session in 1996.
We praise the Lord that we have such careful readers, and that you care enough to take the time to write us. Thank you!!
Cindy Jacobs' Call to Prayer - URGENT!
Urgent Prayer: G20 Meeting on November 14-15 , 2008
On Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15, 2008, there will be a G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy in Washington D.C. The emergency summit was called two months ago by President George Bush to discuss the international financial crisis. Most of the discussions will take place behind closed doors, with much of the focus on the United States.
It is important that we intercede about this meeting and ask the Holy Spirit to intervene on behalf of the United States. I am in Thailand currently and preparing to speak, but felt such an urgency to pray and protect our nation at this time. I know that this meeting is one of those "hinges" of history concerning our nation.
To prepare for this time of intercession, study about the Bretton Woods conference. This weekend's G-20 meeting is being referred to as "Bretton Woods II". Martha Lucia had pulled together a report for us on the Bretton Woods System several months ago. Click here to access that report.
Please send any information or revelation that you receive on this matter to us right away to rpn@generals.org.
God bless you,
Cindy
Shariah Finance: Update
U.S. Interest in Shariah Finance Opens Dangerous Doors
Shariah-compliant banking, sometimes called Islamic banking, is growing in popularity in the Western and Islamic worlds. But critics say American interest in the system at a time of economic crisis is opening the door to increased Islamic influence in the American banking system. Worse yet, some fear the banks may be helping to finance international terrorism.
Just two days after the election, the Bush Administration's Treasury Department is treated members of Congress, the staff of U.S. banking regulatory agencies, the Department of Treasury, and others in the White House to a high-profile forum on Islamic or Shariah Finance. The purpose of the meeting is, according to Treasury, "to help inform the policy community about Islamic financial services, which are an increasingly important part of the global financial industry. The Department of the Treasury, working with Harvard University's Islamic Finance Project, will host speakers from academia and industry to share information on the development of Islamic finance, both in the United States and globally."
Please continue to intercede for the U.S. and global economic systems.
(Source: Cindy Jacobs, Generals of Intercession)
A Letter from a Reader
Denise from New York writes;
I don't know about all of you, but I have a strong sense that we are truly living in the final moments of human history as I've been watching the events of the last week unfold. Between the outcome of the elections, these world leaders gathering to meet together, discussion of adopting a Shariah-law compliant banking system and Iran testing a missle to strike Israel, it is evident that this is a time for us to be sober, watchful and vigilant.
May God grace each of us with the ability to be bright lights in the midst of the thick darkness that is quickly covering the earth as we continue to rest our hope and trust completely in Him.
We agree with you, Denise! Let's all keep watching, working, and praying while it is yet day . . . the night cometh, when no man can work. Amen.
