National Prayer Connection
Prayer Targets
Prayer Leader: Floyd LeBlanc
August 5, 2020
Prayer Notes
Prayer Targets: Spiritual Warfare to Dismantle Racism, Oppression and Jim Crow Laws and Mindsets;
Body of Christ pursues God’s Justice and Righteousness through prayer, faith and actions
Abbreviated Prayer Notes
As we prepare to pray tonight, I want to start by sharing some of the research findings on Racial Injustice by Dr. Brian T. Marks of Morehouse University. Dr. Marks is a Social Psychologist. A great deal of his work involves going into large organizations and conducting Implicit Bias training. Dr. Marks has conducted more than 700 seminars with diverse audiences and during these seminars he has documented that when audiences are asked what terms come to mind when they think of Young Black Males – he repeatedly gets a large cluster of the same terms (across audiences). These terms include: Thug, criminal, dangerous, athlete, poor, fear, trouble and violent.
In his research, Dr. Marks also gathers information on what African American males think of Police. The most frequently occurring terms are: racist, harassment, unfair, trouble, prejudice and arrest. With these pre-set internal images meeting and the influence of demonic forces, we have a recipe for recurring disaster.
On the bright side, citizens around the world, especially young people, are raising their voices and demanding change. The Body of Christ must also raise our collective voices and agree with God, that we are all made in His Image.
Referenced – Findings on Racial Injustice by Dr. Brian T. Marks of Morehouse University
Scripture references:
John 10:10
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
1 John 3:8
But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
John 14:12
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
1 John 5:4-5
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Be strong in the Lord and in Your mighty power. To Put on all of Your armor, God, so that we (the Body of Christ) will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
2 Corinthians 10:3-8
(Although) we are human, we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing, You, God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. We confess that those who say they belong to You, Lord must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. We don’t intend to boast too much about the authority given to us by You, Lord. But our authority builds people up; it doesn’t tear them down. So, we will not be ashamed of using our authority.
Luke 10:19-20
“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
James 2:20- 22
Faith without good deeds is useless, or dead. Help us have faith and actions that work together. Actions that make our faith complete.
Prayer Targets: Earthly Riches used to Usher in god’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven;
Governments will use resources to meet the people’s needs
Wealthy will be taxed in accordance with scripture, and as requested
Body of Christ will play a big role in God providing for His people today, Like Spellman/Morehouse/Rockefeller example
Next, I want to share an interesting story of how the Lord moved within one family and how their stand for God’s Justice and Righteousness continues to produce amazing harvests. At a MLK Jr. Day Breakfast celebration in Houston about five years ago. Rev. William A. Lawson (who recently celebrated his 92nd birthday) shared a story from the post-Civil War era, of a group that traveled from Atlanta to the Northeast and visited several churches seeking to raise money to build a college for young Negro women. John D. Rockefeller, co-founder of Standard Oil, predecessor of what is today, Exxon Mobil, (maybe the wealthiest person in U.S. history gave $250 … Rockefeller’s wife, Laura urged him to do more, so he sent one of his business managers to Atlanta to help and donated a generous amount of money. John and Laura Rockefeller visited Atlanta the next year and were pleased with the new school.
Fast forward – In 1884 the name of the Women’s school was changed to the Spelman Seminary in honor of Laura Spelman, John D. Rockefeller’s wife, and her parents – who worked with Harriet Tubman on the Underground Railroad. Her parent’s work – on the Underground Railroad – for God’s Justice and Righteousness made a big impression on Laura Spellman and she used her influence to encourage her husband to invest in the futures of a people who had suffered oppression.
Additionally, Rockefeller donated land near Spelman for the men’s college in the 1880s. In 1913, while under the leadership of the Negro men’s college’s first African American president, John Hope, the school’s name changed to Morehouse College. The new designation honored Rockefeller’s business manager, Dr. Henry Lyman Morehouse, the white, northern-born minister and prominent member of the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York who also donated funds to the college. You can find more information on this story at Rockefellerfoundation.org.
Let me shift quickly to today. As we face staggering costs relating to the Coronavirus pandemic, on July 13, 2020, I saw this headline in Forbes.com – ‘Please Tax Us’: Dozens of Millionaires Urge governments to Tax the Rich to Pay for Coranavirus Impact. Dozens of millionaires from the U.S. and six other countries have a message for their governments: “Tax us. Tax us. Tax us.” Calling themselves the Millionaires for Humanity, more than 80 wealthy individuals — including Walt Disney Co. heiress Abigail Disney, former BlackRock Inc. managing director Morris Pearl, and Danish-Iranian entrepreneur Djaffar Shalchi — are petitioning for higher taxes on the rich to help pay for the billions in new government programs made necessary by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Today, we, the undersigned millionaires and billionaires, ask our governments to raise taxes on people like us. Immediately. Substantially. Permanently,” according to the open letter. “We are not restocking grocery store shelves or delivering food door to door. But we do have money, lots of it. Money that is desperately needed now.” Even before the pandemic upended public finances, a group of 200 or so wealthy people calling themselves the Patriotic Millionaires — a group that includes Disney and Pearl — were pressing for a more progressive tax system. Now, if you follow the news, some leaders in government really oppose asking the wealthy to pay more taxes.
Scripture references:
Luke 12:48, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
1 Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is the root of all kind of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Matthew 22:36-40, The most important commandment is that we love the Lord, our God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. A second commandment is equally important: that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
Proverbs 21:1, The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by You, Lord; You guide it wherever you please.
Psalm 50:10, all the animals in the forest are Yours, Lord, and You own the cattle on a thousand hills.
Philippians 4:19, God, will supply all of our needs from Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Also referenced:
Forbes.com – Millionaires for Humanity
Prayer Targets:
People will follow the CDC guidelines and practice social distancing.
Virus Testing will be available to all communities;
That the Lord will give the researchers the breakthrough to get effective vaccines to prevent new COVID-19 infections and that cures are found for people already sick.
Now, a few news briefs on the Pandemic
Beygood Foundation, Beyonce Knowles Carter and her mother Tina Knowles Lawson funding free COVID-19 tests in conjunction with African American Congregations in inner city areas
San Francisco Chronicle July 26, 2020
Early July – One hundred people attended a wedding at a beautiful church in San Francisco. City officials shut the ceremony down, after having warned church officials previously. In the days following, the newlywed couple and at least eight attendees tested positive for the coronavirus, two guests told The Chronicle.
The potentially exposed guests flew back to Nashville, Arizona and San Diego, hot spots of the pandemic, potentially spreading the virus and providing a textbook example of health officials’ biggest fears about such large gatherings
NPR July 27 – President Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House announced on Monday.
Wall Street Journal – July 27
Tests showed that a dozen or more players and staff members from the team have contracted Covid-19, prompting MLB to postpone two games previously scheduled for Monday, several people familiar with the matter said.
Scriptures:
Psalm 107:20
You sent out Your Word and healed them, You rescued them from the grave.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) we declare that He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.