Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
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chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief Wednesday, July 31, 2013
"And He said, 'My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.'" (Exodus 33:14)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Obama celebrates Ramadan: 'Islam has contributed to the character' of US - The Hill
Obama late Thursday celebrated Ramadan with a traditional dinner in the State Dining Room, saying that throughout the nation's history, "Islam has contributed to the character of our country." In remarks before the Iftar dinner, eaten by Muslims after sunset to end the day of fasting, Obama quoted from the Koran, according to a White House pool report. "As the Koran teaches, whoever does an atom's weight of good will see its results." (Read more) http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/313665-obama-celebrates-ramadan-with-white-house-dinner
- Oh, Lord Our God, we are grieved before You as we see this man dishonor our country's founding principles by hosting this event that celebrates a pagan god. Lord, forgive us for having a man like this in high office who does not honor You. In the name of Jesus our Savior and King, we decree and declare that we hold to the principles of freedoms that our forefathers declared to be derived from God and that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is Lord over our country. We come against all evil words spoken to the contrary during this or any other such event.
- "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." (Proverbs 10:25)
2. Pope Francis reaches out to gays - The Telegraph
In a significant shift of stance, the Pope struck a much more conciliatory tone than traditional Vatican doctrine, which has called homosexuality "a deviation" and "an irregularity" that should preclude gay men from becoming priests. The comments did not fundamentally change the policy of the Catholic Church, which holds that while homosexual orientation is not sinful, homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered". But they signaled that Francis accepts that some priests are gay, and that it is acceptable as long as they adhere to their vow of celibacy, marking a more compassionate, inclusive stance on the issue. (Read more) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/10208802/Pope-Francis-reaches-out-to-gays.html
- Father God, we intercede for this man who heads up the largest denomination in the world to be able to sharply discern and clearly express to a confused world the difference between compassion for people who are under the influence of wicked spirits and yet to not approving of what God has called sin. Bless this man in this very serious position he holds in our world.
- "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:20)
3. Portman: No Funds for Obamacare Individual Mandate -- 'I Would Support That' - CNSNews.com
Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said that if there is a vote on an appropriations bill that would prohibit funding for the individual mandate in Obamacare, he would support it. "If there's a vote, if we can get a vote on an appropriations bill saying no funds shall be used for the individual mandate, I would support that," Portman told CNSNews.com on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Read more) http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/portman-no-funds-obamacare-individual-mandate-i-would-support
- Dear Lord, we seek You as the source of all our blessings and ask that You would miraculously turn around this individual mandate requirement of this overreaching law. Thank You for this Senator who is standing for what is right for our country and we pray for enough to stand with him for this to pass the Senate, go the House, and then become law. Lord, deliver us from those whose seek safety instead of freedom in our legislative bodies.
- "Trust him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before him; God is refuge for us. Selah" (Psalm 62:8)
4. REINS Act on the floor this week
To restore Congressional accountability for the regulatory process, Congressman Geoff Davis [KY-04] introduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The REINS Act would require Congress to take an up-or-down, stand-alone vote, and for the President to sign-off on all new major rules before they can be enforced on the American people, job-creating small businesses, or State and local governments.
- Offer praise that the REINS Act will soon be before Congress for a vote. Ask that the Spirit of the Most High God would move upon the hearts of all 435 members of the House of Representatives to do the right thing and to pass this bill. It IS time to rein in the power of the executive branch which exceeds that which is defined in our Constitution. Amen.
- [Regarding the unconstitutional overstepping of authority by the executive branch] - "I placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop'" (Job 38:110,11)
5. Senators, Representatives Moving Closer to Reigning in Unconstitutional NSA - Politico
Sen. Mark Udall said on Sunday the NSA program that monitors Americans' phone calls is close to being "unconstitutional." Udall said a new bill he recently introduced with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) protects not just Americans, but the "biggest, baddest weapon we have," the Bill of Rights.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/2013/07/udall-nsa-close-to-unconstitutional-169353.html?hp=r10
- As above, this is another bill for which we offer PRAISE. And as above, please pray for its swift passage. In Jesus' Name we ask this prayer, amen.
- "The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous." (Proverbs 15:29)
6. Lew Denies IRS Targeted Conservatives - The Hill
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said Sunday the Internal Revenue Service exhibited "equal opportunity bad judgment" in the improper targeting of political groups, and there was no evidence of political pressure. Just days after President Obama accused Washington of focusing attention on "phony scandals," Lew said on "Fox News Sunday" mistakes were made in the IRS, but there is no evidence the White House or political officials drove the improper targeting.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/313909-irs-showed-equal-opportunity-bad-judgment-says-lew
- After all the first-hand evidence that has been presented to committees on both sides of the Hill, attesting to the outrageous oppression of conservative groups by the IRS, this statement is unbelievable. Lift up the members of committees on both sides of the Hill who will continue to investigate this matter until justice can be rendered, and the offended parties receive the restitution that will be required. Pray!
- "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." (Exodus 20:16)
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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:
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King."
(Proverbs 15:29)
1. U.S. peace initiative's fate hinges on Israeli, Palestinian leaders - LA Times
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas weren't in the room Monday when preliminary peace talks resumed in Washington.
2. As peace talks begin, Abbas rules out any Israeli presence in Palestinian state - Israel Hayom
After three years of stalemate, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process resumed in Washington on Monday and it remains to be seen whether this round of negotiations will yield a different result than past efforts.
3. Peace talks arrive in the Knesset - Times of Israel
As peace talks get underway in Washington, back in Jerusalem the Knesset will play host on Wednesday to a delegation of Palestinian Authority officials for a discussion on advancing support for the talks.
4. Obama joins talks as first substantive meeting kicks off - Times of Israel
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians got a boost Tuesday morning, with US President Barack Obama holding a joint meeting with both sides as the first negotiations in three years kicked off.
5. Kerry: Talks aim to reach final-status agreement in 9 months - Jerusalem Post
Israelis and Palestinians will aim to reach a final-status agreement to end their conflict over the next nine months, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Washington on Tuesday.
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The Persecuted Church
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Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church
"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)
1. Congressman Questions Whether Dialogue with China "Will Improve a Single Life"- Congressman Frank Wolf
Washington, D.C. (July 30, 2013) - Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and longtime leader on the issue of international human rights and religious freedom, today criticized the Obama Administration's approach toward China, saying that too often, high-level bilateral discussions - and even the annual human rights dialogue - are "cloaked in secrecy" and fail to produce discernible improvements in the deplorable human rights situation in China.
In a statement, which was submitted to the Congressional Record today, Wolf urged the administration to publicly prioritize human rights and religious freedom as part of its wider foreign policy agenda.
The dialogue, which is being held today and tomorrow in China, began after the brutal Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, where Chinese government officials employed martial law during peaceful student-led protests in Beijing.
Wolf said that according to Human Rights Watch, past human rights dialogues with China "have been largely a rhetorical shell, lacking in accountability, transparency, and clear benchmarks for progress."
In his statement, Wolf talked at length about the persecution of people of faith, the repression of political dissent and the brutal labor camps employed by the government.
He also described the "Great Firewall" in China, which censors so-called "offensive" speech on the Internet.
2. Christian Colony Attacked and Shot Up by Angry Mob in Pakistan - Pakistan Christian Post
Lahore: July 30, 2013. (PCP) Muslim mob equipped with lethal arms attacked Christian Colony Shad Bagh in metropolitan area of Lahore on July 28, 2013, vandalizing a Catholic Church and homes of Christian injuring one Christian with bullet wound in broad day light, reports CLAAS, a non-governmental organization.
According to CLAAS report issued here today, says "On Sunday July 28, 2013 at about 4:00 pm, a local resident Martian Javed Michel (Social Activists) informed CLAAS about the overwrought situation of Christians and Muslims in Shad Bagh Amir Road near Joseph Colony Lahore. It was also informed that infuriated mob of Muslims attacked on the houses of the local Christians and one Catholic Church with deadly weapons. CLAAS team including Mr. Sohail Habel (Finance Manager) Mr. Asher Sarfraz (Field Officer) and Saleem Gabriel, Samuel Paraya rushed to the occurrence place to help the Christians and find out the real facts"
The Christian residents told CLAAS team that a Muslim Television Cable Operator named Faisal Butt who has a criminal background and has a worse attitude towards Christians. He used to take some extra fee charges of TV cable connection from Christians. About a month ago Faisal Butt and his companions had a dispute with a Christian woman/widow and beat up the woman and her children on the demand of extra fee of cable. Faisal Butt was using the place of Babu Younis (a Christian) for railing the boasters of cable connection in this area for last many years and he has about 3 helpers in his work.
3. Christians Detained for Distributing the New Testament in Greece - ANS
Some 57 people from various countries were detained by local police in Greece last Saturday, July 27, 2013. The reason? They were distributing New Testament scriptures to the local population.
This may seem bizarre, but a group of priests of the Orthodox Church in Greece have mounted a concerted effort to prevent the distribution of copies of God's Word in modern Greek to homes throughout northern Greece.
For the past week nearly 400 volunteers from 25 countries have gathered in a town near ancient Philippi. They are participating in a mass Bible distribution project called Operation Joshua 6.
Although the New Testament was written in Greek, very few Greeks own a copy of the New Testament, and even fewer have ever read it. If they do have a copy, it is likely to be in a form of older Greek that most contemporary Greeks would not understand. The Bible is viewed as a book which can only be understood and interpreted by the local priest, theologians or academics.
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 GOP's Civil War
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Immigration: The GOP's Civil War
The Republican Party appears to be the middle of a civil war over immigration reform. The Washington Times reported yesterday that top party donors, former officials and traditional allies in the business community are mounting a full-court press to pressure Republican House members into supporting the Senate's quasi-amnesty bill.
That bill only survived because Republicans were promised a "surge" of new agents to help secure the border. Most Senate Republicans refused to fall for that ruse, but enough did. And it really was a ruse.
According to Politico, Senator John McCain suggested yesterday before a Big Labor forum that the so-called "border surge" amendment would likely be gutted during final negotiations after the House passes its own immigration legislation. McCain said, "We don't need 20,000 additional border patrol agents. I voted for it so friends of mine would be comfortable that we are securing the border."
The good news is that Senator Jeff Sessions is still fighting to defeat the Senate's amnesty bill by reframing the entire debate. In Sessions' view, the focus shouldn't be on illegal immigrants, but the impact on hard-working Americans.
In a memo to his Senate GOP colleagues, Sessions wrote that the elite view on immigration reform is "nonsense," adding that Republicans should instead, "speak directly to the real and legitimate concerns of millions of hurting Americans whose wages have declined and whose job prospects have grown only bleaker." I couldn't agree more! (Gary Bauer)
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Obamanomics & The Middle Class
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Obamanomics Failing Middle Class Americans
Continuing his campaign stump speeches to boost his own sagging poll numbers, President Obama spoke at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, yesterday. During his remarks Obama pitched his latest plan for a "grand bargain" on the economy -- corporate tax cuts, more infrastructure spending and the elimination of federal government spending cuts forced by sequestration.
Let's think about that for a moment. Barack Obama is running around the country giving speeches about helping middle and working class Americans. But as Rep. Paul Ryan noted, Obama is really pitching a "grand bargain for big business."
Obama is proposing to cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 28%. Don't get me wrong -- I think tax cuts are good economic policy. But on January 3rd of this year, Obama signed the fiscal cliff deal that raised the top tax rate on individuals and small businesses owners to 39.6%. That "deal" is expected to take $60 billion a year out of the hides of families and small business owners.
Don't forget that the president recently suspended Obamacare's employer mandate for companies with more than 50 employees, but he is refusing to suspend the individual mandate. So Obama is giving Big Business tax cuts and breaks from Obamacare that small businesses and families can't get.
As for infrastructure spending, there's an argument to be made for more roads and bridges. But this president mocks the Keystone pipeline and wages a war on coal while he sinks your hard-earned tax dollars into green-energy boondoggles like Solyndra.
Now get this: While Obama chose the Amazon facility to highlight the importance of the private sector, he launched into yet another defense of Big Government, bemoaning the sequestration spending cuts as well as the recent downsizing of government workers at all levels. Obama said:
"If those [government] layoffs had not happened, if public sector employees grew like they did in the past two recessions, the unemployment rate would be 6.5 instead of 7.5. Our economy would be much better off, and the deficit would still be going down because we would be getting more tax revenue."
Really, Mr. Obama, that's your big idea -- grow the government? By the way, sequestration, which Obama rails against, was his idea!
Obamanomics isn't working, and today's GDP figures speak for themselves. The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish pace of 1.7% in the second quarter of 2013, and first quarter growth was revised downward to 1.1%. (Gary Bauer)
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Capital Prayer Alert
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Capital Prayer Alert
A monthly commentary by Carol Bauer (wife of Gary Bauer)
Some of Israel's leaders trusted and obeyed the Lord's commands, and the people of Israel were blessed by their decisions. At other times the leaders of God's people chose to walk with the Lord but the people did not and dire consequences followed. There were also times when both the leaders and the people turned their backs on God.
Across the ages empires and dictators rose and fell, and God's people suffered a Holocaust, banishment, anti-Semitism, mockery and humiliation. And yet they have prevailed as a people with accomplishments far surpassing their numbers. And they now call home a tiny sliver of democracy in the roiling vastness of the Middle East. For 65 years it has stood as a beacon of freedom in a world of dictators, thugs and tyrants.
Once again, Israel finds itself at the center of the geopolitical universe. Yesterday at the State Department, Israeli and Palestinian officials began new talks aimed at finding a peace that has eluded previous administrations. Meanwhile, Iran boldly marches toward its goal of acquiring nuclear capability, and its ruling mullahs publicly promise to kill all Jews and to annihilate Israel. Nuclear capability is thought to be just months away.
Our gaze is averted from this looming, and for Israel existential, threat by mobs in the streets in Egypt, a civil war in Syria and by our own president, who seldom seems engaged in foreign policy. An emboldened Russian President Putin, an untested and unpredictable new leader of North Korea and a rising China add more uncertainty to the mix. Each is jockeying for geopolitical advantage, looking for opportunities to increase his political power and influence on the world stage at the expense of a hesitant United States. Our president seems content to "lead from behind" with a foreign policy marked by drift and incoherence.
In the midst of all these hot spots there is the tiny nation of Israel, a vibrant democracy with a thriving economy whose continued existence as a nation and people is an open question. At some point, very soon, Israel may decide to act out of self-preservation, with or without the United States. Join me in prayer for our closest ally in the Middle East as storm clouds gather.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Please pray for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he carries an unimaginable burden on his shoulders. He has been called to lead Israel at a critical crossroads where few good options remain. Ask God to pour out on him wisdom, clarity, strength of purpose and the ability to articulate a vision and lead a country whose existence is being challenged.
- Pray that God's hand would protect the Israeli people from the madmen bent on their destruction. Ask God to prompt church leaders around the world to a new focus on the plight of the Jewish people both in Israel and in other nations in the Middle East and Europe where anti-Semitism is on the rise. May our church leaders call us to pray for the people out of whom our own faith has grown.
- Remind believers of the clear promise of Genesis 12:3 -- "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed though you." (NIV) Finally, ask God to use this crisis point in world history to His glory by opening the eyes of the millions across the world who have sold out to secular humanism or false religions and walked or run away from God's commands.
Thank you for your love of Israel and for your support for Gary's work here in Washington. The challenges here have never been greater, but a peace comes in knowing that so many of you are praying for his work and our country. -- Carol Bauer
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Prayers During Ramadan
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What is Sharia law? A modern application
For Thursday August 1, Ramadan 2013 - Day 24.
"Loving Muslims Through Prayer"
Sharia is a legal, political, theological, military code and system developed over a millennium (after Muhammad). It is "the path" for millions of Muslims. Strict Sharia law is implemented in some 35 countries and to a lesser extent in most other Muslim countries. It is being introduced as a "dual" system into the courts in several Western countries, especially regarding Muslim family matters.
Most practicing Muslims don't know much about Sharia beyond the basic religious rules (prayer, fasting, giving of tithes and so forth).
PRAYER IDEAS
Don't react just to media reports. Sometimes we allow false perceptions and lack of understanding to result in wrong attitudes and a lack of compassion for Muslim peoples. We need to repent of wrong attitudes, of apathy and hostility toward Muslims. We should recognise that the Holy Spirit is moving in the hearts of Muslims and giving them a hunger for an understanding of true Christianity. The Lord is working among Muslim peoples through Christian witness and direct revelation. So let us earnestly pray on a committed basis for the acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ by all Muslim peoples.
Complete article, video, audio, comments is here.
> > > This link features a video of Ravi Zacharias, teaching about the Koran.
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
Washington Congresswoman Gives Birth to 'Miracle Baby'
She was told her preborn baby suffered from a condition "incompatible with life." Doctors said her options were abortion or "expectant management," which is code for "waiting for your baby to die after she's born."
But Abigail Rose Beutler, who was born on July 15, defied the odds. Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, and her husband, Daniel Beutler, call her their miracle baby.
Abigail has Potter's Sequence. In her case, the condition caused absence of amniotic fluid, which is critical for lung development in the womb.
"Through the outreach of a parent who had faced a similar situation, we found a group of courageous and hopeful doctors at Johns Hopkins who were willing to try a simple, but unproven treatment by amnioinfusion," Jaime and Daniel said in a statement.
"Every week for five weeks, doctors injected saline into the womb to give Abigail's lungs a chance to develop," they explain. "With each infusion we watched via ultrasound as Abigail responded to the fluid by moving, swallowing and 'practice breathing.'"
Jaime went into pre-term labor and gave birth at 28 weeks gestation. And although Abigail will need ongoing care, she is expected to lead a full and healthy life.
"As far as every doctor we've spoken with knows, Abigail is the first baby with bilateral renal agenesis to breathe sustainably on her own. We are grateful to the thousands who joined us in praying for a miracle. But most of all, we are grateful to God for answering those prayers." (CitizenLink) Read more.
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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!
Songs of Zion
Great Is The LORD
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King."
(Proverbs 15:29)
