This week's Prayer Focus is:
THE MEDIA
The Daily Brief:
Legislative Snapshot
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Legislative Snapshot
Saturday, August 18, 2018
"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold."
(Psalm 46: 1, 11)
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"Standing United Together . . . Under the Cross of Christ"
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Our NIGHTWATCH Continues
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Our NIGHTWATCH Continues:
Tonight will mark Night #14 of our 21-Day Prayer Vigil
> > > We continue to be richly blessed by the many new saints who are joining our conference line every night, and then returning, too!
Every night, as we gather together on our phone line, the presence of our Lord is TANGIBLE, and His anointing is ELECTRIC!
You are welcome to join us anytime this next week, beginning at midnight EST:
TIME: 12:01 a.m. EDT
Conference number: 641-715-0862
Access Code: 418253#
WELCOME!
"In a dream, a vision of the night,
When sound sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction . . ." (Job 33:15,16)
For additional details about the mission and the vision of THE NIGHTWATCH,
please go here.
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Election Issues: MEDIA (I)
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Election Issues: WEEK TWO
The Media (Part 1): FAKE NEWS
The CHALLENGE:
We do want to thank our President, Donald Trump, for inventing the term "fake news" while he was on the campaign trail in 2016. President Trump alerted all of us to carefully weigh the facts of any news being broadcast by the mainstream media, and to "dig deeper" to be sure we had a clear understanding of the issues of our day.
More recently, we also want to thank Dinesh D'Souza for producing his movie, "Death of a Nation" -- one which has dug deeply into the historic roots of our country to discern the danger we are in now of losing our republic. Through historical re-creations and a searching examination of fascism and white supremacy, filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza exposes hidden history and truths, helping to clear up the "fog of war" we are in at this time as a country.
In summary, a free people can only function correctly in a free society, if they are able to base their actions and their thinking on solid facts. Our first media challenge then, in today's Snapshot, is the problem of the vast empire of FAKE NEWS networks that now rule the airways in America.
While reporters were once schooled to let the story speak, and not to "be" the story, few of us today question where most notable "journalists" stand politically or on the issues. It's obvious. Very few mainstream reporters haven't opined in a newscast, launched into a monologue at a press briefing, or tweeted personal leanings on social media. How has the media become the arbiter of truth, the curator of virtue, and the suppressor of opposition? One reason is that the media in many cases no longer just reports the news, they "frame" the news. And frequently, the story takes a back seat to their own perspective.
"So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter." (Isaiah 59:14)
> > > A Prayer of REPENTANCE
"Father, we repent that as Christians, we have put men before You, fearing to speak Your truth when confronted with their lies. Forgive us for our cowardice, O Lord. We have allowed "foreign" voices, secular voices, to replace our voices , our testimonies, of God's blessings.
Help us to return to our first love, Christ, in all our communications, giving You all honor. Nothing can satisfy our thirsty souls, but You, O Lord. Amen."
> > > A Prayer of FORGIVENESS
Pray for the people who manage the news at the major networks. [To view the names of many of these media leaders, please go here.] Pray they would be moved to operate a truthful and honorable media enterprise. Some of these leaders have deep ties to political operatives, such as David Rhodes of CBS, who is brother to former Obama Administration Senior Advisor Ben Rhodes. Pray for those who are decision makers in each organization, that they would seek to accurately represent the facts and deal fairly with employees. Where stiff-necked leadership does not pursue truth, may they be removed and replaced. Pray for each of these leaders by name. Pray they would speak the truth even if they do not intend to do so. God has used Balaam's donkey to speak, He can use unwilling media titans.
> > > A Prayer of THANKSGIVING
Lord God, as we pray for and release our enemies, we thank You, too, for the promise of Your Word, because it is written:
"These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates." (Zechariah 8:16)
> > > A Prayer of HEALING FOR OUR LAND
We claim this verse that the division between those who stand in TRUTH and those who walk in ERROR might be reconciled.
Ephesians 2:14-17
"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father."
[Intercessors for America has been a contributing editor for this week's focus on the media. To learn more about the details of how the media works in our nation, please refer to their prayer guide by going here.]
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Election Issues: MEDIA (2)
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Election Issues: WEEK TWO
The Media (Part 2): THE GAG ORDER
Conservative Voices Silenced on Social Media and on Mainstream Networks
THE CHALLENGE:
Just this morning, President Trump cited this problem on a Tweet. We quote from NBC News:
Trump echoes conservative claims that social media companies censor conservatives
Conservatives on the internet have spent years claiming social media companies discriminate against them. On Saturday, those accusations reached the White House.
President Donald Trump on Saturday tweeted a series of comments accusing social media companies of "totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices" but stopped short of calling for government intervention on the matter.
Trump did not name any companies specifically, but did claim that CNN and MSNBC spread "Fake News." MSNBC is part of NBC News.
Trump's tweets come after Facebook, Google and Apple have each taken steps to remove conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars media outlet from its platforms. Twitter also suspended Jones for a week. Jones is best known for spreading the unfounded theory that the elementary school massacre at Sandy Hook was a hoax, a claim that has made him the target of civil lawsuits. (Read more)
Evidence of this GAG ORDER can also be seen here:
1. The Coordinated Purge of Right-Wing Sites Has Begun - American Greatness
Go here.
2. Almost 350 news outlets to publish editorials denouncing Trump's 'dirty war' on press - The Guardian UK
Go here
3. Democratic Socialist Ocasio-Cortez Bans Media From Town Hall Events - CNSNews.com
(Read here)
> > > A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE:
Abba Father God, we repent that we have allowed this evil trend to go on for so long, without confronting those who are speaking lies. We ask You, O Lord, to grant us Your wisdom, Your courage, and Your strength as we now confront this issue of media censorship "head on," before it can do any more damage to our nation. We ask this in Your Name, amen.
> > > A Prayer to release FORGIVENESS to our enemies in the media
Lord God, we join You at the Cross of Calvary, to bless those who curse us, and to bless and curse not. (Matthew 5:44) We ask You to forgive them, for they know not what they do, dear Lord, for they are the blind leading the blind. We ask for divine intervention into each of the lives of those who oppose truth, bringing light into the darkness of their souls, amen.
> > > A Prayer of THANKSGIVING
Lord God, as we repent of our own sin and as we pray for and release our enemies, we thank You, too, for the promise of Your Word, because it is written:
" . . . if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
> > > A DECREE of PROMISE for our nation:
[To heal the divide between TRUTH and LIES in the media]
Ephesians 2:14-17
"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father."
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Prayer Alert
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Iranian-Backed 'Sleeper Cell' Militants Hibernating in U.S., Positioned for Attack
Iranian-backed militants are operating across the United States mostly unfettered, raising concerns in Congress and among regional experts that these "sleeper cell" agents are poised to launch a large-scale attack on the American homeland, according to testimony before lawmakers.
Iranian agents tied to the terror group Hezbollah have already been discovered in the United States plotting attacks, giving rise to fears that Tehran could order a strike inside America should tensions between the Trump administration and Islamic Republic reach a boiling point.
Intelligence officials and former White House officials confirmed to Congress on Tuesday that such an attack is not only plausible, but relatively easy for Iran to carry out at a time when the Trump administration is considering abandoning the landmark nuclear deal and reapplying sanctions on Tehran.
A chief concern is "Iranian support for Hezbollah, which is active in the Middle East, Latin America, and here in the U.S., where Hezbollah operatives have been arrested for activities conducted in our own country," King said, referring the recent arrest of two individuals plotting terror attacks in New York City and Michigan.
"Both individuals received significant weapons training from Hezbollah," King said. "It is clear Hezbollah has the will and capability."
After more than a decade of receiving intelligence briefs, King said he has concluded that "Hezbollah is probably the most experienced and professional terrorist organization in the world," even more so than ISIS and Al Qaeda.
Asked if Iran could use Hezbollah to conduct strikes on the United States, a panel of experts including intelligence officials and former White House insiders responded in the affirmative.
"They are as good or better at explosive devices than ISIS, they are better at assassinations and developing assassination cells," said Michael Pregent, a former intelligence officer who worked to counter Iranian influence in the region. "They're better at targeting, better at looking at things," and they can outsource attacks to Hezbollah.
"Hezbollah is smart," Pregent said. "They're very good at keeping their communications secure, keeping their operational security secure, and, again, from a high profile attack perspective, they'd be good at improvised explosive devices." (Washington Free Beacon) Read more.
- We cry out to You, O Lord, because although we may not know where these dangerous men and women are hiding . . . You do. Thank You, Lord, that as we ask, You do answer; and that You will reveal their whereabouts before any harm can come to our people. In Your Name, amen.
- "Though his hatred covers itself with guile and deceit, His malevolence will be revealed openly before the assembly." (Proverbs 26:26 AMP)
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Recent Floor Activity
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Weekly Digest of the Congressional Record
Related Headlines
US Senate Adopts Resolution Backing Free Press After Trump Attacks
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Congress Last Week
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Tax Reform
Senate Republicans seek to clarify tax policy for harassment victims
Federal Spending
California Wildfires Headed to Capitol Hill
White House frowns on funding for medical research, teen pregnancy prevention in Senate 'minibus'
Artificial Intelligence May Help Match Veterans with Civilian Jobs
Justice
The Senate should take a leap of faith on justice reform
Congress
Summer Reading, Lawmaker-Style
Former Sen. Norm Coleman Says Cancer Has Returned
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Pending Activity
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Committee Activity
U.S. senators pledge to fight Trump push to cut foreign aid
GOP Absences Push Back Judicial Nominees
Floor Outlook
Senate hopes to end years of spending gridlock
The Senate next week embarks on an unusual strategy that could result in the passage of most of the 2019 federal government spending in one bill, and before fiscal year-end deadline.
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Senate Floor
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Program for Monday: Senate resumes consideration of H.R. 6157, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and votes on or in relation to McConnell (for Menendez/Murkowski) Amendment No. 3705 (to Amendment No. 3695), and McConnell (for Fischer) Amendment No. 3706 (to Amendment No. 3695), at 5:30 p.m.
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Senate Committees
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Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Armed Services
Hearings to examine the nominations of
Alan Ray Shaffer, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment,
Veronica Daigle, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary, and
Casey Wardynski, of Alabama, and Alex A. Beehler, of Maryland, both to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, all of the Department of Defense.
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Hearings to examine Russia sanctions, focusing on current effectiveness and potential for next steps.
Energy and Natural Resources
Hearings to examine the energy efficiency of blockchain and similar technologies and the cybersecurity possibilities of such technologies for energy industry applications.
Foreign Relations
Hearings to examine United States-Russia relations.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Hearings to examine Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services efforts to fight Medicaid fraud and overpayments.
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
Hearings to examine financial literacy, focusing on the starting point for a secure retirement.
Judiciary
Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
Hearings to examine cyber threats to our nation's critical infrastructure.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
Hearings to examine
• S. 483, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers,
• S. 1572, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that extraction of helium from gas produced under a Federal mineral lease shall maintain the lease as if the helium were oil and gas,
• S. 1787, to reauthorize the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992,
• S. 1959, to designate certain Federal land in the State of California as wilderness,
• S. 2078, to maximize land management efficiencies, promote land conservation, generate education funding,
• S. 2160, to establish a pilot program under the Chief of the Forest Service may use alternative dispute resolution in lieu of judicial review of certain projects,
• S. 2297, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest System land to Custer County, South Dakota,
• S. 2721, to designate certain land in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan Counties, Colorado, as wilderness, to designate certain special management areas in the State of Colorado,
• S. 2809, to establish the San Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic Mining National Conservation Area in the State of Utah, to designate wilderness areas in the State, to provide for certain land conveyances,
• S. 2907, to provide for the withdrawal and protection of certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico,
• S. 3245, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest System land in the State of Texas,
• S. 3297, to provide for the expansion of the Desert Tortoise Habitat Conservation Plan, Washington County, Utah,
• S. 3325, to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to provide for the eligibility of national grasslands for grazing leases and permits, and
• H.R. 2075, to adjust the eastern boundary of the Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls and Deschutes Canyon Wilderness Study Areas in the State of Oregon to facilitate fire prevention and response activities to protect private property.
Finance
Hearings to examine the nominations of
Michael Faulkender, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and
Elizabeth Darling, of Texas, to be Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families, Department of Health and Human Services.
Foreign Relations
Business meeting to consider the nominations of
Michael A. Hammer, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
John Cotton Richmond, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, with the rank of Ambassador at Large,
Stephanie Sanders Sullivan, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana, and
Donald R. Tapia, of Arizona, to be Ambassador to Jamaica, all of the Department of State, and a routine list in the Foreign Service;
to be immediately followed by a hearing to examine the nominations of
Kevin K. Sullivan, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua,
Francisco Luis Palmieri, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras, and
Karen L. Williams, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname, all of the Department of State.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Hearings to examine the nominations of
William Bryan, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Science and Technology, and
Peter Gaynor, of Rhode Island, to be Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the Department of Homeland Security.
Judiciary
Hearings to examine pending nominations.
Rules and Administration
Business meeting to consider an original bill entitled, "Secure Elections Act".
Indian Affairs
An oversight hearing to examine cultural sovereignty, focusing on efforts to maintain and revitalize Native languages for future generations.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearings to examine prioritizing cures, focusing on science and stewardship at the National Institutes of Health.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Hearings to examine pending nominations.
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House Floor
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The House meets in pro forma sessions next week.
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House Committees
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No House committee meetings are scheduled for next week.
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The Supreme Court Nominee
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Kavanaugh Makes Strategic Stops on His Senate Tour as Chamber Returns
Senate Democrats threaten to sue for info on Supreme Court nominee
Americans increasingly want Brett Kavanaugh confirmed
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Reference Links
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Prayer Guide
- Legislative Branch — @PrayforCongress
- Executive Branch — @PrayforPOTUS, @PrayforMedicine
- Judicial Branch — @PrayforSCOTUS
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Prayers and Presidents
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Prayers and Presidents:
Our 28th President: Woodrow Wilson
(1913-1921)
[Each week, we will publish one prayer that was spoken by each of our presidents, in chronological order. Today's prayer was written by our 28th president, Woodrow Wilson.]
"I pray God I may be given the wisdom and prudence to do my duty in the true spirit of this great people."
-- 2nd Inaugural Address; March 5, 1917
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About Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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About Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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Capitol Hill Prayer Partners welcomes all who wish to pray for our leaders to join us in prayer for our nation. You may sign up to receive our alerts by sending an email to us at:
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