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The Times Square bombing suspect was Pakistan-born Faisal Shahzad who received instructions from the Pakistan Taliban's suicide bomb trainer. If this is verified the suspected links between Pakistan Taliban and Shahzad would mark a stark shift in how it and related jihadist groups pursue their goals. So far Pakistan’s Talibans have focused on attacks within Pakistan and in India, not the US. Pakistani investigators are also probing Shahzad's possible connections with Jaish-e-Muhammad an outlawed Islamist militant group. US and British intelligence officials estimate that about 100 Westerners have in recent years taken advantage of lengthy trips to the region to complete training at jihadi camps in Pakistan and returned to their home countries. In the light of the new evidence the Pakistani army is likely to come under more pressure from its US allies to clamp down on Pakistan Taliban strongholds if strong links with Shahzad emerge.
Pray: that God’s presence in Pakistan would grow as Christians reach Taliban members with thw Gospel. (Ps.46:9)
Members of the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a 20-week late-term abortion ban during the wee hours of Monday morning authorising a Senate Bill which will now be sent to the Texas Senate for consideration later this week. Recently Texas Governor Rick Perry said, ‘The horrors of the national late-term abortion industry are continuing to come to light, one atrocity at a time. Sadly some of those same atrocities happen in our own state. In Texas we value all life and we’ve worked to cultivate a culture that supports the birth of every child. We have an obligation to protect unborn children and to hold those who peddle these abortions to standards that would minimize the death, disease and pain they cause. The 19-page bill would tighten restrictions on abortion procedures and ban abortions after 20 weeks. Hundreds of protesters crammed into the State Capitol on Sunday night and Monday morning protesting against the bill, while pro-life supporters are praising the legislation.
Pray: that this step will prompt peaceful further stages towards saving lives in Texas and across the United States of America. (Job.1:21 & Is.44:24)
Democrats and Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday advocated new restrictions on insider trading to help lift waning public trust in Congress. Previous efforts to pass restrictions on insider trading have not advanced in Congress. The issue re-emerged after a report by the CBS News program ‘60 Minutes’ highlighting members of Congress buying stock in companies during debates on legislation that might affect the businesses. See also ‘Corruption in Politics Prayer Alert 47-2011. ‘This is about restoring faith,’ said Representative Tim Walz, a Minnesota Democrat who is sponsoring legislation to explicitly ban insider trading. CBS reported, ‘during the 2008 financial crisis the ranking Republican on the Financial Services Committee bet stock prices would fall while being briefed privately that a global crisis might be imminent.’
Pray: for all that is hidden to be revealed and for financial corruption to end in all political arenas. (Ro.2:13)
More: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/business/congress-considers-new-limits-on-insider-trading.html
Oikos University's website describes students as being ‘given the opportunity to obtain a Christian education that is based on solid Christian doctrine and ideology. Our main goal is to foster spiritual Christian leaders who abide by God's intentions and to expand God's nation through them.’ At the beginning of Holy Week seven were killed at this Christian University with a medical school, a school of theology and which offers studies in music and nursing. One can assume that the most of the people who were killed were Christians, or at least friendly towards Christianity. Teased for his bad English, the Korean ex nursing student who shot dead seven in a gun rampage. The police believe he had a grudge after being expelled several months ago, had thousands of dollars of debt and two recent family deaths.
Pray: for the gunman’s family, the students, friends and relatives of the injured and bereaved to know Gods comfort and peace.(Ps.7:10)
In a New York ‘anti-bullying presentation to 13-14yr olds on gender identity and sexual orientation’ a girl was instructed to ask another girl for a kiss. Parents were annoyed that no notice was given about the class, which included the now mandatory sex education teaching, ‘it’s OK to have sex when you are ready’. Many believe that similar classes run by homosexuals, or designed to further the gay cause, are about desensitising and indoctrinating youth with State philosophy that homosexuality is both acceptable and to be promoted. The US National Organisation for Marriage said such lessons will become the norm in schools across the USA the moment ‘gay marriage’ is legalised, as it was in New York in July 2011. Meanwhile in Texas a high school track team was disqualified in state championships on Friday because the team's anchor runner made a ‘God gesture’ to thank God for their victory.
Pray: that school programmes and philosophy will not be used as a springboard for breaking Christian traditions. (Lev.18:5)
More: http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/index.php/2013may03ny/
The San Antonio City Council is setting the stage for an unprecedented attack on religious liberty, particularly for Christians. The City Council is considering an ordinance to add ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to the discrimination ordinances in the city code. The proposal would ban anyone that has ever opposed (demonstrated bias, by word or deed) homosexuality from being involved in city government and/or performing a city contract/subcontract. The proposed ordinance provides no exemptions for religious beliefs on homosexuality, even beliefs expressed in Church. Christianity has been clear on its teaching that homosexuality is a sin, a deviation from God’s unique design of men and women, for over two thousand years. Both the Old and New Testaments attest to this viewpoint. This makes the likely consequences of this proposed ordinance clear to see - a complete ban of Bible-believing Christians and faith-based businesses from participating in the city government. See also: http://txvalues.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SA-Ordinance.pdf
Pray: for religious freedom to be upheld in San Antonio and across the United States of America.
The Coalition of African-American Pastors demanded on Monday that President Obama meet with the group to address his stance on same-sex marriage. So far the White House has refused to acknowledge the group's request but leaders say they plan to ‘turn up the heat’ by asking black Christians to sit on the political side-lines for the time being. ‘We have requested a meeting with President Obama and until he meets with us, we are going to ask black Christians to withhold their support until he personally hears our concerns,’ said the Rev Bill Owens. ‘More than anything, this is an issue of biblical principles and President Obama is carrying our nation down a dangerous road. Many African-Americans were once proud of our president but now many are ashamed of his actions. We can't compete with the Hollywood folks who are raising the big bucks for the president. But it was black folks who rallied around him in 2008’
Pray: that President Obama will hear God's voice spoken through the tens of thousands of black American Christians of many denominations. (Heb.13:7)
A recently published paper by researchers at McLean Hospital presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Washington urged mental health professionals to integrate patients' spiritual beliefs into their treatment regimens; especially patients who are religious. Researchers found that those who believe in a benevolent God tend to worry less and be more tolerant of life's uncertainties than those who believe in an indifferent or punishing God. ‘These findings suggest that certain spiritual beliefs are tied to intolerance of uncertainty and worry for some individuals,’ and ‘existing evidence indicates that many areas of spirituality and religion are salient predictors of psychological functioning.’
Pray: for this and similar studies to initiate Christian-based counselling programmes for mental health service providers. (1Cor.2:11)
More: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/mh-mhs080411.php
Universities in the US are experiencing a heated and polarised debate about the Israel / Palestine conflict. On campuses across the country, pro-Palestinian students are holding ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ in which they claim that Israel is acting illegally. Students are setting up mock checkpoints to share with their fellow students the daily reality for Palestinians of living under Israeli occupation. In response this year, pro-Israel students have raised their voices with a counter message, and have begun a pro-Israel voice to the conversation on their campuses concerning the state of Israel - by confronting these views in their classrooms, writing articles in their campus newspapers, and holding hundreds of pro-Israel events to present their viewpoint to fellow students..
Pray: for students in US universities to seek the peace of Jerusalem and not to perpetuate this polarised debate. (Gen.12:3)
George Zimmerman, a white man was aquitted in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin and civil rights demonstrators have been attending rallies across America to condemn racial profiling. Activists are pressing for civil rights charges in Federal Court, saying ‘Zimmerman wrongly suspected 17-year-old Martin of being a criminal because he was black.’ The US Justice Department was evaluating whether it has enough evidence to support prosecuting Zimmerman in Federal Court after his acquittal in Florida. President Obama called for a peaceful response to a case that polarized the US public from the beginning, raising issues of racial profiling and gun control. In Sanford at the largely black Allen Chapel AME Church, pastor Valarie Houston dedicated a Sunday morning prayer service to Martin. Initially Police declined to arrest Zimmerman for shooting Martin. In Boston and New York, several hundred demonstrators expressed a sense of frustration. ‘I feel we don't get justice when it's needed,’ said one demonstrator.
Pray: for peaceful demonstrations, for any further investigations to be exhaustive and justice to be done and seen to be done. (Ecc.3:15-17)
More: http://www.reuters.com/video/2099/01/01/reuters-tv-video?videoId=244220974