The Iraqi government is 'anxious' to get execution done, possibly within the next 24 hours, U.S. military officials say.
• Offer up a chorus of intercession over this alert, and come against the forces of darkness that would unleash a backlash of violence in the wake of this execution, using the authority of the Name and the Blood of Jesus. May the Iraqi people be spared more torment as justice is served. Pray for the soul of Saddam Hussein. • "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne." (Psalm 89:14)
2. Ford To Lie In State In Capitol Rotunda - CNSNews, AP and ABC News
In a state funeral for the president who only wanted to be speaker of the House, Gerald Ford's casket will return to the Congress he served on his historic journey to an unelected presidency. The Nation's Capitol began preparing for the state funeral by closing for tours at noon today. On Saturday, Ford's body will be flown to Washington in the late afternoon, where another special stop is planned. The hearse will pause at the World War II memorial in joint tribute to the wartime Navy reserve veteran and America's armed forces. The state funeral will be conducted in the Capitol Rotunda Saturday evening. The public will be admitted to pay respects sometime after a 6:30 p.m. EST arrival ceremony, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Sunday and Monday. Ford will lie in state until Tuesday morning, in a closed casket. Then, his casket will be moved to the National Cathedral for a funeral service. Interment will follow the next day in Michigan.
• Dear Lord, we pray for our nation's safety and for the recognition of our own mortality, with the hope of Salvation, during the funeral services for former president Ford. May many be saved because of his passing into Your presence. • "And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God." (Isaiah 61:4)
• Father God, we ask for Your hand of protection to be over our city throughout these proceedings. We ask You to send forth Your angels to dismantle any terrorist plot planned against us, and we thank You that nothing is too difficult for you! • "He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success." (Job 5:12)
3. Glimmer Of Hope For Massachusetts Residents Opposed To Homosexual Marriage - CNSNews.com
The same court that ruled two years ago that homosexual marriage was legal in Massachusetts, Wednesday gave homosexual marriage opponents some good news. The State's Supreme Judicial Court determined that it had no right to order the state Legislature to vote on whether to place a ballot initiative banning homosexual marriage before voters. However, the justices also blamed state lawmakers for abandoning "their lawful obligations" on the issue. Homosexual marriage opponents in Massachusetts need the Legislature to approve the ballot referendum process, in order for the controversy to go before voters in the 2008 election. The ballot initiative amendment is scheduled for a vote by state lawmakers on January 2.
• May God's institution of marriage be restored to its sanctity and rightful place of honor as God's cornerstone for civilization and societal foundations. May those in this fight not become weary and lose heart; may they remember that God is their only hope and it is written that He wins in the end! The Apostle Paul exhorted early believers that to win over others, we must behave like Christians. In this battle, may we do the same! • "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12: 14,17,18,19 & 21 NKJV)
4. Colorado Braces for Second Major Blizzard - AP
An estimated 900 snow plows were preparing for 18 inches of snow as Airlines canceled flights Thursday as another major storm blew toward Denver and Colorado Springs where 2 feet of snow still lingered from last week's paralyzing blizzard. The storm virtually shut down life along the Front Range, the 170-mile corridor along the foot of the Rockies that's home to 3.8 million people in Denver, Colorado Springs and other cities. Highways, schools and businesses closed, and even the mail couldn't get through.
• Please pray for help with our nation's continuing natural disasters. Thanks be to God for His help in this storm and in the aftermath of the violent storms in California and Florida! • "Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil." (Psalm 90:15 NKJV)
5. Taiwan Quake Disrupts Communications - AP
Telephone lines and Internet service went dead across much of Asia on Wednesday after two powerful earthquakes estimated at a 7.1 magnitude, damaged undersea cables used by several countries to route calls and online traffic. Almost all of Taiwan's communications capacity with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong was disrupted. Also hard hit was telephone service to the U.S., where 60 percent of capacity was lost, the company said. Repairing the cables could take weeks because crews have to pull them up and transfer them to a ship for repair, said a spokesman for Taiwan's largest phone company.
• Please pray for the people of Asia to turn to the Lord and be saved. Praise God that there were no tsunamis spawned in the aftermath! May they see His Providence for them. • " 'For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,' says the Lord; 'I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.' " (Psalm 12: 5 NKJV)
6. Muslims Begin Hajj Pilgrimage - CNSNews.com and BBC
An estimated three million Muslims have begun leaving the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca to begin the annual Hajj pilgrimage amid enhanced security. The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is due to end on Monday. It is an obligation for all Muslims to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime, if they are physically and financially able. Saudi authorities say they have implemented new safety measures to prevent stampedes that have killed hundreds of people previously. In January, almost 400 people were killed and some 300 injured in a stampede during one of the rituals. They also are imposing a strict quota system to try to keep the number of foreign visitors to a manageable level.
• Dear Lord, our prayer is for the Moslems who are lost to be found, for their demonic bondage to be destroyed, and for this violence-laden event not to incite worldwide calamity! Father God, thank You for Your protection and Salvation! • "Thus says the Lord: 'Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. Now you shall say to this people: 'Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.' " (Jeremiah 22:3 and 21:8 NKJV) {Note: Please see also the prayer alert, posted by Chuck Pierce, below.}
