Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp1994@gmail.com
The Daily Brief
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
"Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!" (Psalm 68:1)
To help sustain our work, please go here. Thank you!
How To Subscribe
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 CHPP1994@gmail.com requesting that your name be added to our list of subscribers.
WELCOME!
"Standing United Together . . . Under the Cross of Christ"
| Focus on Israel | |||
 | ||||
1. Netanyahu advisers said to warn elections won't give him time to secure immunity
PM now reportedly doing all he can to avoid snap polls, 24 hours before deadline; if deal reached, lack of time will likely force him to give Justice Ministry to URWP's Smotrich
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's associates have reportedly told the premier that snap elections would likely deny him the time needed to pass legislation shielding him from prosecution in three corruption cases.
That was just one of the issues said Tuesday evening to be concerning the prime minister amid a deadlock in coalition negotiations, some 24 hours before the Wednesday night deadline.
Read more
2. Israeli Airstrike Destroys Iranian Terror Cell in Syria
The official Syrian TV channel has reported a series of attacks across the country. Syrian regime officials and the Iranian military confirmed that among the targets was a base utilized by the Iranian forces in Syria. Sky News Arabia has reported that Syrian sources has claimed that 40 people were killed and 60 were injured. According to an Iranian news outlet, 18 Iranians were killed in the attack on the base.
The base, which is in the southern region housed Iranian and Hezbollah forces and held a large stockpile of weapons and ammunition, according to Israel's Yedidot Ahronot news agency.
The Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is affiliated with the Assad regime and Hezbollah, has reported that Syria is accusing Israel of carrying out the attack. "The explosions occurred in an underground storage unit," the paper claimed. "The missiles that were used were bunker-busters. The estimate is that the attack took place from Syrian airspace. The attack's nature and the targets indicate that Israel was responsible for the attack, even if it won't take official responsibility for it, as usual."
(Read more)
3. Every Jewish Institution in Germany Needs Police Protection, Merkel Says
'Unfortunately, there has always been a certain number of anti-Semites among us,' German chancellor says following a warning that Jews should refrain from wearing skullcaps in public
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concerns over the country's rise in anti-Semitism on Tuesday, saying there is no Jewish institution in the country that does not need police protection.
"Unfortunately there is to this day not a single synagogue, not a single day care center for Jewish children, not a single school for Jewish children that does not need to be guarded by German policemen," Merkel said in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
(Read more)
4. Kushner, Greenblatt to visit Israel, Jordan this week to discuss US peace plan - Times of Israel
A US administration delegation headed by US President Donald Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel this week to Jordan and then to Jerusalem, a White House official confirmed Tuesday, amid a political deadlock in Israel that could potentially set back US plans next month to unveil its Middle East peace plan and hold an economic workshop for Palestinians in Bahrain.
The White House official said Kushner, along with Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, will travel to Rabat, Amman, and Jerusalem.
The group landed Tuesday morning in Morocco, according to Israeli media reports. They are expected to meet King Mohammed VI to discuss next month's US-hosted economic workshop in Manama and the potential participation of senior Moroccan officials, Channel 13 reported.
(Read more)
5. Abbas says Trump's peace plan, Bahrain workshop will 'go to hell' - Times of Israel
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas personally commented Monday for the first time on the US-hosted economic conference planned to be held next month in Bahrain, saying that it will "go to hell."
The White House announced Sunday it would co-host the June 25-26 meeting in the capital city of Manama and is expected to unveil the economic aspects of its long-awaited Middle East peace plan, with the declared aim of achieving Palestinian prosperity.
"The Palestinian Authority does not recognize this conference," Abbas said at a Ramallah event.
(Read more)
| The Daily Brief | |||
| ||||
1. Ohio, Indiana tornadoes leave at least 1 dead, several hurt amid destruction that looks 'like a war zone' - FoxNews
Hours after battening down amid the onslaught of a powerful and deadly storm system -- including at least one tornado considered "large and dangerous" -- Ohio residents were faced Tuesday morning with widespread damage and 70,000 power outages, affecting tens of thousands of people and crippling Dayton's ability to pump water.
The situation was more serious in Celina, located roughly 60 miles northwest of Dayton, where the NWS said a tornado with "at least" EF-3 intensity and winds between 135 and 165 mph struck. Celina Mayor Jeffrey Hazel confirmed to Fox News that one person was killed and seven people were injured when a tornado struck the northwest side of town.
At least half a dozen communities ranging from eastern Indiana through central Ohio had suffered damage from the storm system, according to the NWS. A tally of storm reports posted online by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, show that 14 suspected tornadoes touched down in Indiana, 10 in Colorado and nine in Ohio. (Read more)
- Father, we lift up all the families who have lost a loved one and possessions in these storms. We ask You to heal, restore and comfort them and cover them with them Your Peace.
- "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the Lord; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."
(Psalm 12:5)
2. 'Great Progress' Made in Trade Negotiations With Japan, Trump Says During State Visit - Epoch Times
Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spent the day together on May 26 placing their close personal relationship on display, as tensions flared with mutual adversaries around the world. The pair smiled and chatted as they played golf, attended a sumo wrestling match, and dined at a hibachi restaurant.
According to Trump, the two leaders discussed trade and military matters ahead of a day of formal meetings on May 27. Washington and Tokyo are negotiating a bilateral trade deal. Trump views the existing relationship as tilted in Japan's favor and has directed U.S. trade negotiators to secure a more fair deal.
"Great progress being made in our Trade Negotiations with Japan," Trump wrote on Twitter. Agriculture and beef heavily in play. Much will wait until after their July elections where I anticipate big numbers!" Japan lifted all restrictions on the import of U.S. beef just days before Trump's visit. At a dinner with business leaders in Japan on May 25, Trump thanked Japan for the concession and said more developments are coming soon. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for this successful mission to Japan and for President Trump's safe return. We pray our nations will continue being a blessing to each other.
- For thus says the Lord, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream (Isaiah 66:12a)
3. Justice Clarence Thomas Provides History Lesson on Abortion, Eugenics and Racism - Legal Insurrection
The Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law that required a burial or cremation of an aborted human being, but decided to provide an unsigned opinion on the portion of the law that bans abortion based on sex, race, and disability. Vice President Mike Pence signed the bill into law in 2016 when he served as governor of Indiana.
Justice Clarence Thomas issued a scathing 20-page opinion in support of the Indiana law on abortion restrictions due to abortion as a form of eugenics on minorities. "Although the Court declines to wade into these issues today, we cannot avoid them forever. Having created the constitutional right to an abortion, this Court is dutybound to address its scope."
Thomas pointed out that black groups viewed the phrase "'family planning' as a euphemism for race genocide." Thomas believes treating abortion as a constitutional right "based solely on the race, sex, or disability of an unborn child, as Planned Parenthood advocates, would constitutionalize the views of the 20th-century eugenics movement." (Read more)
- Father, we pray the Supreme Court will have the courage to take up the issue of abortion and reverse the tragedy of Roe v. Wade.
- Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:16-17)
4. Liberal groups sue over Trump administration's conscience objection rule - Washington Examiner
A collection of legal groups sued the Trump administration Tuesday over new rules that protect medical workers with religious objections from being forced to provide or refer to abortion, sterilization, or medically assisted suicide.
The Center for Reproductive Rights, Lambda Legal, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Santa Clara County are asking the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California to strike down the rule, which they are referring to as the "denial of care rule." The groups are representing medical facilities, community centers, and civil rights organizations across the U.S.
The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of violating patients' rights under the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment. It accuses the Trump administration of violating the Administrative Procedure Act that dictates how to conduct rulemaking, alleging that officials failed to consider the impact the rules would have on patients. In the complaint, the groups wrote that the rule "endangers patients' health in the name of advancing the religious beliefs of those who are entrusted with caring for them." (Read more)
- Father, we pray the courts will uphold the rights of those who are dedicated to life and prevent them from being coerced to do things against their will.
- Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 143:8)
5. Deep State Exposed: Investigation Finds Thousands of Regulations Issued By Career Bureaucrats In Violation of the Constitution - Issues & Insights
Pacific Legal Foundation investigated the rule-making process at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Looking at all rules issued by HHS from 2001 to 2017, we found that 71 percent of the 2,952 rules we reviewed were unconstitutional. The worst offender within HHS is FDA, where 98 percent of rules are unconstitutional.
Many of these are highly technical rules that govern scientific drug and food development; others are significant regulations that carry huge costs and have a substantive impact felt by businesses and consumers. But in virtually all cases, these rules were enacted by government employees who lacked the proper constitutional authority to do so.
What this practice represents is an erosion of government accountability, which paves the way to an erosion of liberty and, ultimately, government abuse. While those who are supposed to be in charge, according to the Constitution, abdicate responsibility, the people really running this country - the faceless and unaccountable bureaucrats who never have to answer to the voters or the political process - are crafting and implementing the regulations that rule our lives. (Read more)
- Father, we pray investigations, such as this one, will help the Trump administration roll back unconstitutional rules and regulations throughout our government.
- Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees
(Isaiah 10:1)
6. Trump Signs Order Cracking Down on Welfare-Dependent Legal Immigration - Breitbart
President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday cracking down on welfare-dependent legal immigration to the United States in an effort to protect American taxpayers. The order signed by Trump will enforce existing 1996 laws known as the "Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act" and "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act" which were signed by then-President Bill Clinton.
The order ensures that federal agencies will enforce the existing 1996 laws which seek to save American taxpayers by having their public welfare funding benefits reimbursed when they are used by a legal immigrant.
The first function of the order mandates that a family member or business sponsor of a legal immigrant looking to permanently resettle in the U.S. is responsible for paying back the welfare costs used by that immigrant. Federal officials said implementation of this order would begin in September. (Read more)
- Father, we pray this order to enforce current law will severely curtail immigration from those who seek to access our entitlement programs.
- Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house, lest he become weary of you and hate you. (Proverbs 25:7)
7. Sen. Hawley to Pastors: We Have To Fight Now 'To Change The Trajectory of This Country'- CNS news
To start moving America in a new, pro-family direction, in line with the Constitution and Christian morality, "we have to take a stand right now," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told a conference of pastors on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
"If we're willing to fight now, it really is going to change the trajectory of this country in the next 40 or 50 years," he told the Watchmen on the Wall conference gathered at the Family Research Council. "But this is the time and this is the hour. We cannot wait for a later time. We can't wait for a later date. This is it. We have to take a stand right now."
The attendees at the conference included pastors from around the country. On the panel, Senator Hawley was joined by FRC President Tony Perkins and Rep.Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) (Read more)
- Lord, help Your people to stand together and fight at this precipitous time. Teach our hands to war, show us Your truth and the plans of the enemy. Give us strategies to win for Your Kingdom.
- He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.
(Psalm 18:34)
8. Army's tweet asking soldiers how service has impacted them prompts heartbreaking responses - The Hill
A post on Twitter from the U.S. Army asking former soldiers how serving has impacted them drew harrowing and heartbreaking responses, showing the human impact service and deployment has on veterans. The U.S. Army asked Thursday night for responses to the seemingly benign question that has since elicited more than 10,000 responses as of Sunday.
While some answers from former service members were filled with fond memories and instances of growth and pride, an overwhelming amount discussed in detail struggles with mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide. Many of the responses detailed the difficult transition for service members when they returned home from combat or exited the military and returned to their lives as civilians.
The Army responded to its post late Saturday with a follow-up tweet thanking everyone who responded. "Thank you for sharing your story," the Army wrote. "Your stories are real, they matter, and they may help others in similar situations. The Army is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our Soldiers." At least one response thanked the Army for asking the question and starting the thread, saying it raises much-needed awareness of the sacrifice service members make. (Read more)
- Father God, our hearts go out to these men and women who have physical and emotional scars from serving our nation. We pray for Your healing and salvation to be received by each one.
- Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)
9. Trump Admin Sidesteps Congress to Sell Arms to Middle East Allies - Epoch Times
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the United States has pending 22 arms sales to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. The United States is planning to sell $8.1 billion worth of arms to counter aggression by Iran. The sales include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); aircraft support maintenance; munitions; and other supplies.
"Today's action will quickly augment our partners' capacity to provide for their own self-defense and reinforce recent changes to U.S. posture in the region to deter Iran," Pompeo said. "Delaying this shipment could cause degraded systems and a lack of necessary parts and maintenance that could create severe airworthiness and interoperability concerns for our key partners, during a time of increasing regional volatility."
The State Department is doing this without the blessing of Congress, which, under normal circumstances, would have 30 days to vote on whether the sales could proceed. Instead, the State Department is using section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act which allows the administration to waive the 30-day period if the president determines that emergency circumstances threaten the "national security interests of the United States." (Read more)
- Father, we pray these arms will truly help our allies develop a strong defense and keep our nation from deploying troops to solve their military problems.
- Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
(Ecclesiastes 7:19)
10. US-China Confrontation Will Define Global Order - Hoover Institution
The United States is at a crossroads with an increasingly aggressive China, which could define America's security and the international order for decades to come. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's State Department is the first to openly question the idea that China will eventually rule the world and has offered a strategic plan to check its trade and political agendas.
China's Asian neighbors and our own European Union allies quietly are hoping Trump can check and roll back Chinese mercantilism, while publicly and pro forma chiding or even condemning Trump's brinksmanship and his resort to fossilized strategies such as tariffs and loud jawboning.
Trump believes that economic power is the key to global influence and clout. A country with GDP growth at a 3 percent annual clip, energy independence, full employment, and increasing labor productivity and trade symmetry can renegotiate Chinese mercantilism and reassure China's Asian neighbors that they need not appease its aggression.
(Read more)
- Father God, we pray for a peaceful realignment with China. Give President Trump and Secretary Pompeo wisdom as they move forward.
- that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Ephesians 1:17)
| The Daily Jot | |||
| ||||
Finding friendship in hostile environments
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
A few weeks ago, we found out that our neighbors were going to sell their house. They don't live there, both of them work in the Washington, DC area, but on weekends they would come and mow the yard and work in their garden. They are good neighbors. One time last year they were gone for an extended period of time. When the husband returned, he was trying to mow the overgrown yard with a small push mower. I went over to help and found out his mother-in-law had been ill and he and his wife had to go to China to be with her. We got to know each other a little better. Now that they are selling their house, I helped out yesterday by removing a couple of trees from their yard. Why is all this important?
First and foremost, it is a witness of Christ to others--showing kindness and a willingness to help and be good neighbors. Moreover, how many of us know our neighbors these days? With all the nasty headlines and the ideological bigotry permeating our society, it makes it difficult to reach out to someone you don't know. It's a barrier to making new friends because you just don't know how you will be received. So it is safer to not try at all to be neighborly or friendly. To me, this is more of a reason to just stick to yourself rather than venturing out beyond your tight circle of friends to make more friends. How many friends do you really need? But then again, are you not called to be witnesses? There's that.
A recent story in the NY Post reported on a study of 2,000 Americans conducted by OnePoll and Evite indicating that the average American hasn't made a friend in five years. Some 45% said they find it difficult to make new friends. The poll listed several options to choose from as to why people are not making new friends. Of these options, 42% said they are shy or introverted; 33% don't want to go to bars; 33% felt that everyone had their friendship groups already formed; 29% cited family as taking up most of their time; and 28% said that they do not have any hobbies that allow them to meet new people. There wasn't a category about feeling uncertain of approaching prospective friends because of the current hostile social environment.
Bottom line is that friendships are hard to find. They are even harder to build once you find them. We in America have become so walled up because of so many things-work, family time, self-indulgence, the social environment, and more-that it is easier to just stay home and keep to ourselves rather than engage with others. Christ said in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Every time you engage with others, you are showing the measure of Christ in you. A kind word, a smile, a helping hand, a laugh are all ways to witness the light of Christ within. Yes, we live in a hostile environment because people seem to want to find offense rather than agreement. This is no reason to pull back.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
| About CHPP | |||
| ||||
About Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
Our Mission Statement
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners (CHPP) is a ministry which is positioned on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., helping members of the Body of Christ to "pray for those in authority over us" in our federal government. Our primary purpose is to offer intercession on site for the members of Congress and their staffs each day that the Senate and the House of Representatives are in session; and our chief prayer focus is that "God's will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." [Matthew 6:10].
Because Jesus Christ has shed His blood for all, we, too, pray for ALL, in a nonpartisan manner. Also, because the scriptures indicate that "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 4:17), we are confident that fervent prayer, offered in the halls of the highest chambers of government in our land, can avail much for America. Capitol Hill Prayer Partners welcomes those who feel called to join us, engaging in this strategic work of intercession for our nation: "For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God." [Romans 13:1]
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
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 CHPP1994@gmail.com requesting that your name be added to our list of subscribers.
Note: You may also learn more about CHPP by going here to visit our blog. Thank you!
| We Welcome Your Gifts | |||
| ||||
We Welcome Your Gifts
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners (CHPP) is a 501(c)(3), tax- exempt, faith-based, ministry, dedicated to praying for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-4). CHPP relies solely on the gifts of our readers to continue this work; thus we greatly appreciate your help in supporting this publication. Offerings may be sent to: Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, P.O. Box 5152, Herndon, VA 20172-1970. Please make checks payable to: CHPP. THANK YOU!
DONATE ONLINE!
Now you can also donate online by going here. Or . . . if you prefer, simply paste this link into your browser to access our secure online donor system:
https://www.egsnetwork.com/
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philippians 4:23)
| Join Our Bible Readathon! | |||
| ||||
Our Bible Readathon Continues
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)
We are now reading the Word of God every night (except on Sunday mornings) from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EDT. We are reading through the whole Word, from Genesis to Revelation, and beginning again in Genesis when finished.
Our numbers of readers continues to grow over time. All are welcome to join!
Our conference number is: 712-432-0075.
The access code is: 206425#. Please call at any time from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EST. WELCOME!
[Note: we are reading from these versions of the Scripture: King James, New King James, New American Standard, and NIV.]
| God bless you! | |||
| ||||
