Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief Wednesday, April 17, 2013
"The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul." (Psalm 121:7)
Guidelines for today's American Prayer Initiative can be found by going here.
Today's Daily Jot can be found by going to: www.dailyjot.com or by using
this link.
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The Daily Brief
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1. Background check plan defeated in Senate, Obama rips gun bill opponents - Fox News
The Senate on Wednesday defeated a vital background check amendment seen as the linchpin to Democrats' gun control bill, dealing a major setback to President Obama -- who lashed out at opponents in unusually blunt terms during remarks from the Rose Garden.
"All in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington," Obama said, accusing the gun lobby of lying about the bill.
The vote was 54-46, with supporters falling six votes short of the required 60-vote threshold. (Read more)
- Father, thank you for this vote today on the gun control bill. We pray for a sensible solution to this critical legislation. May the Senate and the House work together without bitter envying and strife. We pray for the president to lead with wisdom and discernment without anger. In Jesus Name, we pray.
- For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)
2. Letter to Miss. senator tests for ricin - AP
An envelope addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi twice tested positive Tuesday for ricin, a potentially fatal poison, congressional officials said, heightening concerns about terrorism a day after a bombing killed three and left more than 170 injured at the Boston Marathon.
Update: As of today, envelopes with suspicious substances have been proliferating in Washington, intended to go to the offices of senators, Congressmen, and the White House. All mail instead is kept safely in a postal facility off-site, where every letter is first screened for contaminants. Hence, all are safe in Washington as of this hour. Please see next headline for more details.
- Lord God, You are allowing a shaking to take place for the purpose of shaking us out of our lives of comfort and complacency toward God. It is God's will that souls be saved from their life of sin and that all people everywhere turn to the Lord, calling out to Him for help. It was the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the Cross for the remission of sin, for without the shedding of the blood, there is no remission. Draw those who need to be saved to Jesus, Who will forgive sin and give them a new life in Christ. In Jesus' Name we pray.
"But now once in the end of the world has Christ appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:26-28)
3. "Suspicious letters" also Found in District Offices - MyFoxPhoenix
As authorities scurried to investigate three questionable packages discovered in Senate office buildings, reports of suspicious items also came in from at least three senators' offices in their home states.
Sen. Carl Levin said a staff member at his Saginaw, Mich., office would spend the night in a hospital as a precaution after discovering a suspicious letter. The staff member had no symptoms, Levin said in a statement. He expected to learn preliminary results of tests on the letter by Thursday.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said suspicious letters at his Phoenix office had been cleared with nothing dangerous found. A package at Sen. John Cornyn's Dallas-area office also was declared harmless, a fire department spokesman said. (Read more)
- Offer praise that, so far, envelopes being sent to members' district offices in their home states have been to be found safe. Continue to lift up your own member of Congress, your two senators, and your governor, praying Psalm 91 over them daily. The Word of God remains our best and our strongest weapon of defense in this hour of need.
- "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." (2 Corin. 10:4)
4. FBI, Boston police say range of suspects, motives remains 'wide open' - Fox News
The FBI and state and local police are intensifying their probe into Monday's bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, vowing a "worldwide investigation" and appealing to the public for tips and cellphone pictures that might yield clues about who was behind the horrific attack.
- Lord God, we trust that You will enable the FBI and state and local police to receive tips from those in the crowd watching the Boston Marathon or anyone else with knowledge of who was behind this devastating attack. Reveal his identity quickly so that justice can be served. In Jesus' Name.
"Hear the Word of the Lord: for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying; and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood." (Hosea 4:1-2)
5. Boston bombs said to be made from pressure cookers - AP
The bombs that ripped through the crowd at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounding more than 170, were fashioned out of pressure cookers and packed with shards of metal, nails and ball bearings to inflict maximum carnage, a person briefed on the investigation said Tuesday.
- Father God, this mindset of terrorism has an insatiable thirst to shed innocent blood and kill unwary people participating in this marathon. Terrorism committed by immigrants from abroad have invaded the good life of competitive sports here in America. Oh God, we call out for Your mighty power to bind and break this evil from our land. Cover all of Boston proper with the protective Blood of Jesus and bring retribution to the terrorists who killed three people and wounded many. We ask in the Name of Jesus.
- "But your eyes and your heart are not but for your covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it." (Jer. 22:17)
6. Protests flare as Maduro officially declared president - France24
Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in the Venezuelan capital on Monday as they took to the streets to demand a vote recount after Nicolas Maduro -- Hugo Chavez's political heir -- was declared president by the country's election authority.
- We have received unconfirmed reports in our office that Maduro's people have destroyed the ballots that were cast on Sunday's election, leaving no record of the true count. Venezuela now needs divine intervention. That nation is graced with many true believers, who are led by the Spirit of the Lord. As they seek Him for guidance, ask our Lord to grace each one with the courage and the wisdom to know what to do next. May our Lord protect His Bride now in the nation of Venezuela.
- "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)
7. Iranian president Ahmadinejad visits uranium-rich Niger on tour of Africa - Washington Post
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the uranium-rich West African nation of Niger on Tuesday, although officials discounted that the mineral was the reason for his visit.
- Father God, You know the thoughts and intents in the heart of Ahmadinejad and what his visit to Niger was all about. We, therefore, ask that You will reveal the hidden intents of his visit. Prevent his having any ability to remain secretive about what his plans are. Frustrate his purpose in doing evil deeds. Cut the line between him and those carrying on adversarial activities. Turn him around without having gained any progress. In Jesus' Name we pray.
- "Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows it now: yea gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knows it not. And his pride testifies to his face: and he does not return to the Lord God, nor seek Him for all this." (Hosea 7:9-10)
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The Middle East in Focus
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The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel." (Psalm 147:2)
1. Ya'alon: Israel may have to defend itself from nuclear Iran - Ynet News
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday that "The world must lead the battle against Iran, but Israel must take into account the possibility that it may be forced to defend itself, by itself."
2. Germany 'may buy weaponised drones from Israel' - AFP
Germany is in talks with Israel to buy weaponised drones for its military that are seen as more technologically advanced than US ones, the weekly Der Spiegel reported.
3. Gantz: IDF can attack Iranian nuclear sites on its own - Jerusalem Post
The IDF has the ability to attack the Iranian nuclear sites without help from other nations, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz told Israel Radio in a lengthy interview aired Tuesday.
4. Hamas bulldozes UNESCO site for military training - Jerusalem Post
The Hamas-run government in Gaza bulldozed part of a UNESCO heritage site to expand a military training zone.
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The Persecuted Church
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Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church
"Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me."
(Psalm 31:2) (Acts 4:29)
1. Christian Convert Captured and Tortured in Somalia - Christian Today
Muslim militants still controlling part of the Lower Shebelle Region of Somalia have jailed and tortured a Christian for converting from Islam, sources said.
According to a story by Morning Star News, Al Shabaab rebels seized Hassan Gulled, 25, on March 23 in Bulo Marer near Qoryoley District, they said.
Gulled, who had fled to Kenya in 2007 in search of safety and a better life, had left Kenya on February 27 to visit family in Somalia, sources said.
Gulled is one of dozens of Somali refugees in Kenya facing dangers from Al Shabaab extremists as they return to Somalia following the establishment of a new government in Mogadishu and the weakening of Al Shabaab, which once held large portions of territory.
2. Egypt's Coptic Christians live in fear of Islamic extremists - Los Angeles Times
The Mass was celebrated as if from centuries past: A bearded priest veiled in incense chanted for grace in a church along the Nile, near the spot where Christians believe Jesus and his mother sought refuge in an earlier age of bloodshed and uncertainty.
Marianne Samir knelt and prayed for the Coptic Christians killed in a spasm of sectarian violence that has further shaken a nation engulfed in economic and political anxieties.
3. USCIRF Expresses Concern Over Christian Persecution in Nigeria - allAfrica
United States Commission on international Religious Freedom, USCIRF, has expressed concern over ongoing attacks and retaliations by Muslims and Christians in Plateau State, which have left more than 100 persons dead and dozens of property destroyed since March this year.
The commission's chair, Dr. Katrina Swett, said: "The recent Muslim-Christian violence in Plateau State exposes the Nigerian government's failure to effectively deal with a history of religiously-related violence that threatens the country's stability.
Religiously-related violence has led to more deaths in Northern Nigeria than have Boko Haram attacks. The Nigerian government needs to end this entrenched violence and the culture of impunity,"
USCIRF had recommended, since 2009, that Nigeria be named a "country of particular concern" (CPC) due to the government's failure to hold accountable, perpetrators of religiously-related violence. The statement added that, "while since 1999, more than 14,000 persons, both Muslims and Christians, have been killed, USCIRF has been able to document that only one per cent of the perpetrators have been prosecuted."
For more news about the Persecuted Church, and how you can be more involved in intercession for these precious saints, go here.
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The Daily Jot
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Nobody knows nothing, but everything
In the aftermath of the latest terrorist attack on American soil, the occupant of the Oval Office knows nothing. He told Americans, "What we don't yet know, however, is who carried out this attack, or why; whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or was the act of a malevolent individual." From the Attorney General to the FBI Director to the Secretary of Homeland Security and on and on, all these Washington big wigs that comprise the new American socialism, were hardly able to say the word "terrorism." With all their big government programs, video surveillance, drones, gun bans, see something, say something campaigns and slogans, they know nothing.
With all the Islamists that this president has appointed to high office, there is one thing that these socialists should know: That their investigation is hindered by their political correctness. Being unable to use the word "Islam" in the same phrase as "terrorist" is a sure indication. But they sure do not have any hesitation to use the words "right wing extremist" in the same phrase as "act of terrorism." There is no shortage of comparisons of the date of this terrorist attack with the Davidian compound raid by the Feds, the Oklahoma City bombing, school shootings and so on. The administration, for what it is worth, should put aside its political correctness and political jockeying on its pet issues long enough to figure this out.
Instead, they are all sticking to their mantra. They want Americans to turn in anybody they think is suspicious. Cast the net far and wide, and even if you don't catch the fish you want, you will catch more than you need. Go to the White House Web Site, www.whitehouse.gov, and you will see the priorities of this White House in the wake of the terrorist attack. There is not one headline expressing condolences to the families. There is plenty of them about reducing gun violence, Sandy Hook moms calling for a gun ban, the great things the White House spends our money on (not mentioning million dollar trips to play golf with Tiger Woods), and propaganda on immigration reform. They know everything, have an answer for everything.
But they know nothing. Let's face it. The reason that this nation is in such decline is that its leadership, and those who elected it, are void of the fear of God. Isn't it funny that how when someone thinks they know everything, it takes just one event to expose that they know nothing. Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things does the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren." They know nothing because they don't know God, and that's why they think they know everything.
Have A Blessed And Powerful Day,
Bill Wilson
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Washington On Alert
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Washington On Alert
The nation's capital is on edge today with reports of ricin-laced letters sent to Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and President Obama. All mail delivery to the Capitol Building has been suspended. Just before noon, two Senate office buildings were partially evacuated and locked down due to suspicious packages.
The day's events have brought back eerie memories of 9/11. Just one week after the attacks on New York and the Pentagon, letters containing anthrax were sent to Senate offices in Washington and to media outlets in New York City. One year later the metro Washington area was terrorized by the D.C. sniper, John Allen Muhammad, a radicalized Muslim convert.
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
In Connecticut:
SB 374, Mandate Attacking Parental Rights, Defeated!
Many FIC Action members rose up against SB 374, the outrageous attack on parental rights that would have mandated psychological assessments of public school and homeschooled children with or without their parents' consent. Many of you contacted your legislators, submitted electronic testimony or even braved a big winter storm to testify in person at a public hearing against SB 374.
Your voices were heard. FIC Action is happy to report that SB 374 died in committee on April 5th, the deadline for the Public Health Committee to give its approval. Defeating this bill was one of our biggest priorities for 2013, involving op-eds, media interviews and social communications campaigns with "memes" like the photo above. [not shown here - the editor]
This victory should be celebrated, but with the same cautions as our victory over assisted suicide: 1) It is possible, though unlikely, that these bills could reappear in a different form before the end of this legislative session on June 5th; 2) There are lesser bills that seek to accomplish similar ends that we are also monitoring; and 3) On assisted suicide, our opponents are vowing to return next year.
Nevertheless, FIC Action and our allies can and should celebrate our big wins this year.
(Source: Family Institute of Connecticut)
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Pray for the Harvest!
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Pray for the Harvest!
"Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35)
Every day, in every nation on earth, tens of thousands of men and women are making decisions for Christ. Now, you can monitor this amazing fact online by literally "watching" as these souls are born again into the Kingdom.
Of course, the identities of those who are coming to the Lord are never revealed, but our God knows who they are!
Join us as we monitor these "names" daily, praying over each one to be mentored and to grow in his or her faith . . . even in these perilous times. You may visit either or both of the sites below, to pray for fields that are ripe for harvest.
> > > OPTION ONE: AboutJesus.net
Go here!
> > > OPTION TWO: The Great Commission Map!
Go here!
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
Psalm 94
from the Parish Psalter
Lord, you God to whom vengeance belongs,
you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth.
Rise up, you judge of the earth.
Pay back the proud what they deserve.
