In This Issue• Praying for All in Authority
• Praying for the Senate Leadership
• Praying for the House Leadership
• Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XVIII, Number 3a
January 17 - 21, 2011
January 17 - 21, 2011
SPECIAL EDITION: PRAYING FOR ALL IN AUTHORITY
HONORING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
"Give honor to whom honor is due." (Romans 13:7)
THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION OF "ON CAPITOL HILL THIS WEEK" TO HONOR THE RETURNING CONGRESS. Our regular alert will be published on Monday, January 17th.
Praying for All in Authority
Praying for "All in Authority" on Capitol Hill: A Guide to Prayer
As Congress prepares to reconvene this week, let's pause and take time to begin to lift up specific leaders in both chambers and from both parties to our Lord.
Below please find the names of the leaders in the United States Senate for the 112th Congress, both Democrat and Republican. In the next section, you wil find the names of the leaders, too, in the House of Representatives.
How might we pray for these individuals? Here are 30 things based on Scripture that we can pray for people in authority, written by Gary Bergel, President Emeritus of Intercessors for America.
Ask the LORD to quicken the name or names from these lists below of persons He would have you hold in prayer, and "enter in" on their behalf accordingly.
In addition, Scripture tells us that it is written that "The government shall rest upon His shoulder." (Isaiah 9:6 KJV) This is the same Shoulder upon which the Dove of the Holy Spirit rested when our
Lord was baptized in the river Jordan . . . a sign that Jesus IS our Messiah, our Lord and our King. . . and a sign that His Government is led by the Spirit of the LORD.
Today, please join us in thanking the Lord that His Government is directed by the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23)
- love
- joy
- peace
- patience
- kindness
- goodness
- faithfulness
- gentleness
- self-control
When praying for our leaders, let's begin by praying for ourselves. Ask our Lord to help each one of us to grow more into His likeness by allowing this fruit to be evident in our own lives.
Then ask our Lord to grace each leader with the knowledge of His ways of governing. Amen.
Praying for the Senate Leadership
Praying for Leadership in the Senate
Senate Republican Leadership:
-- Senator Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Senate Republican Leader
-- Senator Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Senate Republican Whip
-- Senator Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Senate Republican Conference Chairman
-- Senator John Thune (S.D.), Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman
-- Senator John Barrasso (Wyo.), Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairman
-- Senator John Cornyn (Texas), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman
Senate Democratic Leadership:
-- Senator Harry Reid (NV): Majority Leader
-- Senator Daniel Inouye (HW), President Pro Tempore
-- Senator Dick Durbin (IL), Assistant Majority Leader
-- Senator Charles E. Schumer (PA), Vice Chair of the Conference and Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee
-- Senator Patty Murray (WA), Secretary of the Conference
Praying for the House Leadership
House Republican Leadership:
-- Speaker of the House: Rep. John Boehner (OH)
-- Majority Leader: Eric Cantor (VA)
-- Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy (CA)
-- House Republican Conference: Jeb Hensarling (TX)
-- House Republican Policy Committee: Tom Price (GA)
House Democratic Leadership:
-- Minority Leader: Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California
-- Minority Whip, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland
-- Assistant Minority Leader, Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina
-- Democratic Caucus Chairman, Rep. John B. Larson of Connecticut
-- Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman, Rep. Xavier Becerra of California
-- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair, Rep. Steve Israel of New York
-- Senior Chief Deputy Minority Whip, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The American Minute: January 15th
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born JANUARY 15, 1929.
A minister like his father and grandfather, he pastored Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
He formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
On April 16, 1963, King wrote:
"As the Apostle Paul carried the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . so am I compelled to carry the gospel...
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers . . .
I stand in the middle of two opposing forces . . .
One is a force of complacency . . .
The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups...the largest being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement.
Nourished by frustration over racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity and who have concluded that the white man is the incorrigible devil.
I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love."
Martin Luther King concluded:
"I say this as a minister of the Gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen . . .
One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage."
Special Notice:
You are invited to join a nationwide conference call, all day today through Monday, January 17, 2011, to honor the life and the legacy of Dr. King.
On this Federal Holiday, through a series of prayer, praise and inspirational tributes led by national organizations including the National Day of Prayer Task Force, Two by Two Prayer of Memphis, Tennessee, Prayer Surge NOW and others the nation will see a representation "John 17" in action.
Conference Line: 1 - 712-432-0232
Access Code: 955964#
On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XVIII, No. 3b
• This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .1. CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS CONTINUES TO MAKE RAPID PROGRESS
2. CONGRESS HOSTS BIPARTISAN PRAYER SERVICE
3. NATIVE AMERICAN PROFESSOR OPENS TUCSON MEMORIAL SERVICE
4. HOUSE CLEARS WAY FOR FLOOR VOTE ON HEALTH CARE REPEAL
5. THREE BILLS TO WATCH IN THE NEW CONGRESS
6. HILL PROBES DEFLECTED BY CLAUSE IN CONSTITUTION
7. OBAMA EYES INTERNET ID FOR ALL AMERICANS
8. CHINESE PRESIDENT TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY
9. SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY / MARCH FOR LIFE NEXT MONDAY
10. LEBANON'S GOVERNMENT COLLAPSES
1. CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS CONTINUES TO MAKE RAPID PROGRESS
Doctors Impressed With Giffords' Recovery as She Continues to Make Strides
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whose condition has improved from critical to serious, is able to move around so well she gave her husband a neck rub from her hospital bed, Mark Kelly told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an interview that will air Tuesday. "(It is) so typical of her. She's in the ICU. You know, gone through this traumatic injury. And she spent 10 minutes giving me a neck massage," Kelly explained. "I keep tellin' her. I'm like, 'Gabby, you're in the ICU. You know, you don't need -- you know, you don't need to be doin' this.' But it's so typical of her that no matter how bad the situation might be for her, you know, she's lookin' out for other people." (Fox News)
- Offer praise for the continuing, miraculous recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Even her doctors, and the media, are now calling her recovery a miracle!
Offer continued prayer, too, for the complete and full recovery of the congresswoman from the wounds she has suffered. May she emerge from this traumatic experience healed in mind, body and soul. Amen!
- "She will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done." (Psalm 118:17)
2. CONGRESS HOSTS BIPARTISAN PRAYER SERVICE
Honors Lives of Victims of Tucson Tragedy
On Wednesday, January 12, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) welcomed Members of Congress to a bipartisan prayer service to honor the memory of those who were taken from us in Arizona and to pray for the recovery of those wounded in this heinous act of unspeakable violence. Following are excerpts of Speaker Boehner's remarks:
"On the morning of January 8, 2011, an act of unspeakable violence rocked the morning air in Tucson, Arizona, where our colleague, Gabby Giffords, was busy with her staff conducting the business of the people. "The senseless assault claimed the lives of six of our fellow citizens - including that of Gabe Zimmerman, a congressional staffer who took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and died while well and faithfully discharging his duties. It left several more citizens, including Gabby, and two of her staff - Ron Barber and Pam Simon - fighting for their lives. "Our Nation mourns for the victims. It yearns for peace. And it thirsts for answers.
. . . "Joining together in prayer can be a source of solace. It can also be a source of healing, strength, and resolve. "As our National Motto indicates, our great and humble Nation places its trust in God. And having placed its trust in the Almighty, our Nation has secured the blessings of liberty against the agents of chaos, madness, and evil. "No assailant's bullet - no twisted act of violence or cruelty - can silence the sacred dialogue of democracy.
"Let us now join together in prayer for the souls of the fallen, the recovery of the wounded, and the healing of a nation." (Office of the House Speaker)
- Offer thanks that the House Speaker chose to suspend the regular business of Congress last week, in order to allow members to consider weightier matters: the deaths of the victims, the healing of a fellow member of Congress (and others), and the healing of a nation. In the end, the first week of the 112th Session of Congress was unique, for hearts were turned toward eternity. Amen.
- "He has set eternity in their hearts." (Eccl.3:11)
3. NATIVE AMERICAN PROFESSOR OPENS TUCSON MEMORIAL SERVICE
Catholic Doctor Explains Native American Prayer He Delivered at Arizona Memorial
Wednesday night's memorial service for the shooting victims in Tucson did not open with a prayer from a Jewish rabbi, a Protestant minister or a Catholic priest--it began with a Native American "blessing" that left many puzzled about what it meant and why it was performed. The blessing was presented by Dr. Carlos Gonzales, an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
The prayer, which did not use the word "God" and did not make the traditional request for God's comfort for the bereaved that many might have expected, did mention the Creator and called for "honoring" the Seven Directions, including "Father Sky" and "Mother Earth"--and remembering our "fellow creatures" who "crawl on the earth" and "slither on the earth."
"I was asked by the university to give a traditional Native American blessing," Gonzales told CNSNews.com late Thursday. "This is the type of blessing that we give at memorial services to open up a ceremony. A medicine man will do a variation of it to open up a pow-wow. It's basically a recognition of the powers of the seven directions and how they influence human beings--and how each direction has a certain characteristic; that when you pray to that direction, you ask for the inspiration that comes from that direction." (CNSNews.com)
- Ask the Lord to cancel any words or phrases that were uttered during this lengthy address which were not according to His will. Pray for Dr. Gonzalez as he seeks to know the true identity of our Creator -- Yeshua, Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Pray!
- "Father forgive him, for he knows not what he does." (Luke 23:34)
4. HOUSE CLEARS WAY FOR FLOOR VOTE ON HEALTH CARE REPEAL
The House of Representatives has cleared the way to hold a vote this week on repealing the health care overhaul. . . In a test vote the day before the Tucson shootings, the House formally approved the rules for debate on the health law repeal. The procedural measure passed largely along party lines on a 236-181 vote. "Today we are taking the first step in fulfilling a key promise to the American people," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., who led the GOP side in the debate. "We are setting in motion a process to repeal President Obama's job-killing health care bill and replace it with real solutions." (Fox News)
From Family Research Council: . . . the House of Representatives plans to vote very soon on Majority Leader Eric Cantor's H.R. 2, "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." The final health care bill passed into law last March contains provisions to fund abortion and to ration health care. Additionally, the law creates a huge unfunded mandate on both businesses and states, guaranteeing closed businesses, lost jobs and pushes states closer to fiscal disaster that will inevitably lead to more bailouts from the federal government -- all to pay for the monstrosity that is Obamacare.
Passage of H.R. 2 is the first step in protecting taxpayers from being forced to fund abortions and being under the thumb of a federal bureaucracy for their health care needs. Please contact your Member of Congress today and tell him or her to vote for H.R. 2 and to repeal Obamacare!
Thank you for taking action today and God bless you. Take action by going here:
- Pray that the Lord will bring the votes necessary to repeal Obamacare in both the House and Senate, with enough votes to override any Obama veto. Though the media and the world tell us it is impossible, nothing is impossible with God. Also pray that Congress will come up with real healthcare solutions that actually help the citizens of America without drastic socialization.
- ". . . If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Remove yourself;' and it shall be removed: and nothing shall be impossible to you." (Matthew 17:20)
5. THREE BILLS TO WATCH IN THE NEW CONGRESS
House Republicans are wasting no time in pushing back against Obama's socialism. Next week, they will hold a vote on repealing ObamaCare. In addition, legislation has been introduced to rollback other major Obama initiatives. For example:
a) Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has introduced a bill to delay the EPA's carbon regulations for two years. The purpose of this delay is to allow additional time for lawsuits challenging the EPA to work their way through the court system.
b) Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) has filed a bill that would cut off funding for enforcement of the EPA's carbon regulation scheme.
c) Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TX) has proposed legislation amending the Clean Air Act to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate so-called "greenhouse gases." Her bill has already attracted 46 co-sponsors.
Combined, these three measures represent a broad offensive covering every major avenue to rein in the "Employment Prevention Agency" and prevent Obama from imposing by regulatory fiat a cap and trade scheme that the previous Democrat-dominated Congress would not even pass. (Gary Bauer)
- Praise the Lord for these bills that will prevent the president and his colleagues' imposition on the American people! Congress heard the cry of Americans loud and clear. Pray now that these new bills will pass both houses of Congress without rancor or partisanship. Email your senators and representatives to tell them that you approve of these new bills. Ask the Holy Spirit to move on more Democrats to support the bills.
- "Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." (1 Timothy 2:1 -2)
6. HILL PROBES DEFLECTED BY CLAUSE IN CONSTITUTION
A constitutional clash over whether lawmakers are immune from many forms of Justice Department scrutiny has helped derail or slow several recent corruption investigations of House members, according to court documents and sources.
At issue is a provision in the Constitution known as the "speech or debate" clause, which shields legislative work from executive branch interference. House members have increasingly asserted the privilege in corruption probes, often citing a 2007 court ruling that said FBI agents violated the Constitution when they searched the office of then-Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.).
The speech-or-debate clause derives from 17th-century English law and says that "for any speech or debate in either House, [members of Congress] shall not be questioned in any other place." Until recently, courts had interpreted the passage narrowly.
In all, the government has abandoned without filing charges at least seven investigations of current or former members of Congress since Obama took office, many in recent months. They include the inquiries involving Feeney and Doolittle and others that ended for reasons apparently unrelated to speech or debate. (The Washington Post).
- The American people have spoken: we want corruption to cease in the corridors of power in Capitol Hill. Lift up the leaders of Congress and their attorneys as they review this policy in light of the Constitution. May they be granted "wisdom from above" as they weigh this important issue.
- "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)
7. OBAMA EYES INTERNET ID FOR ALL AMERICANS
Government monitoring of what Americans are doing in cyberspace has moved a bit closer to reality, as Obama announces plans to hand over authority to create an Internet ID for all Americans to the U.S. Commerce Department, a White House official tells CBS News. The plan, touted as the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, is raising eyebrows about privacy issues over concerns that creating a centralized database is an infringement on Americans' rights. It is expected to be released in the next several months.
Calling it an "absolute perfect spot in the U.S. government" to create an "identity ecosystem" for the Internet, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt said Friday during a business and academics forum at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research that issuing digital identities for web usage to all Americans will reduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities and improve online privacy protections. Schmidt added that his office will work with the Department of Homeland Security and the General Services Administration to implement the Internet ID strategy. (CBS News)
- This invasion of privacy is not one Americans are used to. While there may be no evil intent to this proposal, why allow the "camel to get its nose inside the tent"? Please pray that this proposal is aborted before it is born and that all similar plans will never see the light of day. All plans that would control Americans' behavior start with a "good" idea that sounds reasonable to the undiscerning,mind. Pray that Americans will reject any proposals for controlling the internet - because of the inherent dangers to our freedom of speech.
- "Put them [the nations] in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men." (Psalm 9:20)
8. CHINESE PRESIDENT TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY
Says Currency system is 'product of past'
Chinese President Hu Jintao has said the international currency system dominated by the US dollar is a "product of the past". Mr Hu also said China was taking steps to replace it with the yuan, its own currency, but acknowledged that would be a "fairly long process". The remarks to two US newspapers come ahead of a state visit by the Chinese leader to Washington this week. They reflect continuing tensions over currency issues between the two powers.
- The talks between these two heads of state on Wednesday are critical for the future of our two nations, and possibly for the entire world. Pray in the spirit over all of the very delicate issues that will be addressed. The debt that America owes China is huge; ask for mercy and for grace to be in place this week in Washington.
- " Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[b] with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26,27)
9. SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY / MARCH FOR LIFE NEXT MONDAY
Care Net www.care-net.org , Focus on the Family www.family.org , Lutherans for Life www.lutheransforlife.org and other groups are calling on churches to observe Jan. 23 as Sanctity of Life Sunday.
The 38th annual March for Life www.marchforlife.org will rally at noon on Monday, Jan. 24, at the Mall in Washington, DC.
• Please lift up the March for Life this Monday, January 24, in prayer. IT IS TIME TO END THE HOLOCAUST OF THE UNBORN IN OUR NATION! Pray for journeying mercies for all who will attend; for great weather; for the safety and protection of all marchers; and for the voice of RIGHTEOUSNESS and LIFE to be heard loudly throughout our nation that day, and on Sanctity of LIfe Sunday in our churches. Pray!
• "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live . . ." (Dt. 30:19)
10. LEBANON'S GOVERNMENT COLLAPSES
Hizballah Races to Form an anti-West Government to beat Special Lebanese Tribunal (STL) Indictments
Last week, the national unity government of Lebanon collapsed after all ten opposition ministers and one presidential appointee resigned due to tensions stemming from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which was expected to indict Hezbollah members in the assassination of former prime minister Rafic Hariri.The collapse plunges Lebanon into its worst political crisis since the 2008 fighting, and indicates further political gains for the Hezbollah-led opposition March 8 Alliance.
Saad Hariri - now Lebanon's caretaker prime minister
Lebanon's ex-prime minister Saad Hariri arrived home in the middle of a hectic race by Hizballah's leader Hassan Nasrallah to install an alternative pro-Iranian-Syrian government in order to fend off indictments against his top officials for the murder of Saad Hariri's father, Rafic Hariri, six years ago. Hizballah believes a bloodless coup through parliament will enable him to invalidate the Special Lebanese Tribunal, whose prosecutor is expected to hand his findings to the pre-trial judge momentarily.
- Please pray this week, as God leads you for Israel, the Apple of God's Eye, and her many neighbors, including Lebanon. "Lord, we ask that You will protect all of Israel as they face the fallout from the expected takeover of one of their neighboring countries, and former ally, Lebanon through parliamentary elections. May Iranian infiltration of this country and the Arab world cease, and may this clear and present danger be stopped in its developing stages. We ask that You give clear guidance to Lebanon's former prime minister and now caretaker, Saad Hariri. May he quickly come to his senses and lead Lebanon out of terrorists' hands. We ask this in Jesus' Name, amen."
- "Pray for . . . all in authority . . ." (I Tim. 2:1)
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
LORD YOUR GOD (Ahdoni Ehlohehkha)
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." (Exodus 20:2)
How glorious is Your hand of deliverance. I have much inner assurance just knowing that You see me, You know me, and You will perfect that which concerns me. Thank You for being sovereign over all of Your children. Amen.
(Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)
