CHRISTIAN FAITH IN THE NEWS — CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENT SCRIPT Week Ending August 28, 2026
Good morning Church, here is this week's Christian Faith in the News update, highlighting key stories impacting faith, freedom, and culture.
🌴 FLORIDA
1. OPERATION STATEWIDE SHIELD: FLORIDA RECOVERS 163 MISSING CHILDREN IN FIVE DAYS ACROSS FIVE CONTINENTS. LARGEST CHILD RECOVERY OPERATION IN STATE HISTORY.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday August 25 the successful completion of Operation Statewide Shield, Florida's first statewide child recovery initiative and the largest operation of its kind in state history. The five-day operation recovered 163 missing children ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years old across Florida, six other U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and 12 foreign countries including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan. Regional recoveries included 46 children in the Tampa Bay area, 41 in Miami, 32 in Jacksonville, 21 in Orlando, 12 in Fort Myers, 8 in Pensacola, and 3 in Tallahassee. Many had experienced abuse, neglect, exploitation, or human trafficking. Three felony arrests were made. Uthmeier stated: "Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable. Thanks to the outstanding work of FDLE and our partners, these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve."
Why It Matters: 163 children. Two months old to seventeen years old. Five continents. Five days. Florida built the framework, assembled the partners, and brought 163 kids home. This is what it looks like when a state decides that protecting children is its first priority. Pray for these children and for the professionals now walking alongside them toward recovery.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." — Proverbs 31:8
2. UTHMEIER WINS AGAIN: COURT DENIES WPATH, ENDOCRINE SOCIETY, AND AAP MOTION TO DISMISS FLORIDA'S LAWSUIT. CASE MOVES TO DISCOVERY.
Circuit Court Judge Michael D. Porter denied the motions for dismissal filed by WPATH, the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics under Florida's anti-SLAPP statute on August 21. Florida is suing the three organizations for allegedly misleading the public about the safety, reversibility, and efficacy of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria. The three organizations attempted to use Florida's anti-SLAPP statute to have the case dismissed. Judge Porter denied all three motions. Uthmeier stated: "The court has allowed Florida's case against WPATH, the Endocrine Society, and the AAP to proceed."
Why It Matters: The same three organizations named in the HHS Wolves in White Coats report two weeks ago attempted to have Florida's lawsuit thrown out. The judge said no. The case moves to discovery.
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." — Ephesians 5:11
3. FLORIDA STUDENTS NOW REQUIRED TO LEARN THE EVILS OF COMMUNISM STARTING IN 6TH GRADE. DESANTIS: "THE DSA MAY TRY TO MAKE CASTRO A HERO. FLORIDA STUDENTS KNOW BETTER."
A history of communism curriculum takes effect in Florida public schools this fall under Senate Bill 1264. Beginning in 6th grade, Florida students will study the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communist Revolution, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, including the autocratic rule and fall of Nicolas Maduro. The curriculum includes documented death tolls estimated at approximately 100 million and communist tactics including propaganda, censorship, surveillance, and religious suppression. DeSantis stated: "The DSA may try to make Castro out to be a hero, but Florida students know better."
Why It Matters: The same week a DSA member won the Florida Democratic Senate nomination, Florida's public school students will be required to learn why communism killed approximately 100 million people. Florida voters choose in November between a state that teaches the truth about communism and a Senate candidate whose organization celebrated Castro the same week.
4. FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL LADAPO PROPOSES REMOVING FOUR VACCINES FROM SCHOOL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS EXPANDED.
The Florida Department of Health published a proposed rule to remove four vaccines from required school immunizations: Hepatitis B, varicella, Hib, and pneumococcal conjugate. The rule also expands religious exemptions to include moral and ethical beliefs. Vaccines for measles, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, mumps, and tetanus remain required by statute. Ladapo stated: "Who am I to tell you what your CHILD should put in their body? I don't have that right. Your body is a gift from God."
Why It Matters: Florida is removing the government's authority to require four specific vaccines as a condition of school entry. Notably, chickenpox and Hepatitis B are among the abortion-derived cell line vaccines at the center of the ongoing Uthmeier vs. Catholic bishops dispute. Florida's Surgeon General and AG are simultaneously drawing the same line on parental rights and conscience.
"Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own." — 1 Corinthians 6:19
5. FLORIDA FIRST IN THE NATION: DESANTIS BANS TAXPAYER ASSISTANCE FUNDS FROM BEING SPENT ON PORNOGRAPHY, TATTOOS, AND PSYCHIC READINGS.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida has become the first state in the nation to amend its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families State Plan to prohibit benefits from being used on non-essential items including tobacco, alcohol, adult pornographic material, video games, tattoos, tanning beds, and psychic reading services. DeSantis stated: "Taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children and overcome barriers on the path toward independence."
Why It Matters: Taxpayer dollars designated to help families in need were legally being spent on psychic readings and pornography. Florida said no. Compassion and accountability are not opposites.
"The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." — 2 Thessalonians 3:10
6. TRUMP PUTS EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL IN AMERICA ON NOTICE: "IF THEY TELL A CHILD THEY ARE TRAPPED IN THE WRONG BODY, THEY ARE COMMITTING CHILD ABUSE."
President Trump declared at a White House Rose Garden back-to-school event: "Every public school in America is now on notice: That if they tell a child that they are trapped in the wrong body, they are committing child abuse." Secretary McMahon added: "Children belong to their parents, not the federal government." The Education Freedom Tax Credit established a federal tax credit worth up to $1,700 per donor for educational scholarships now available in over 30 states. Trump stated: "We're proving that the golden age of American education is just beginning."
Why It Matters: The President of the United States used the words child abuse to describe what public schools are doing to confused children at a White House event. Parents who have been told to sit down and be quiet heard the most powerful man in the country say what they have been saying. Loudly. On the record.
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." — Proverbs 22:6
7. PEER-REVIEWED STUDY: 84% OF CANCER PATIENTS ON IVERMECTIN AND MEBENDAZOLE REPORTED CLINICAL BENEFIT. NCI NOW STUDYING IT. FLORIDA ALREADY FUNDING IT. BIG PHARMA WON'T BECAUSE THERE IS NO PROFIT IN A $1 PILL.
A June 2026 peer-reviewed study in Anticancer Research by researchers including Dr. Peter McCullough and Yale epidemiologist Dr. Harvey Risch reported that 84.4% of 122 evaluable cancer patients taking compounded ivermectin plus mebendazole showed clinical benefit. The journal added an Expression of Concern noting the study lacked a control group and relied on self-reported outcomes. The paper has not been retracted. The National Cancer Institute launched its own preclinical study on ivermectin in early 2026. The University of Florida is running the ICONIC clinical trial studying ivermectin combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors. Florida has committed $140 million through its Cancer Innovation Fund to research repurposed generic drugs including ivermectin. First Lady Casey DeSantis stated: "We're not in it for an ROI from a corporate standpoint. We're in it for an ROI on behalf of you, the taxpayer, and you who has a family member who's suffering from cancer." Ivermectin costs less than $1 per pill and is off-patent.
Why It Matters: A cheap, safe, Nobel Prize-winning drug may have cancer-fighting properties. Because it is off-patent, no pharmaceutical company has financial incentive to fund research. Florida is doing what Big Pharma will not. The NCI is studying it. The science is not yet settled and CFN reports that honestly. What is settled: the research is happening, the early signals are promising, and the financial model of the pharmaceutical industry is the primary reason most Americans have never heard about it.
"A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength." — Proverbs 24:5
8. GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZES "GIRL SCOUT OF THE ISLAMIC FAITH" MEDALS. NON-MUSLIM GIRLS INVITED TO MOSQUES, HIJAB BOOTHS, AND SHAHADA LESSONS.
An investigation by Natalie Winters documents that the Girl Scouts of the USA officially recognizes a four-award Islamic religious recognition program whose medals read "Girl Scout of the Islamic Faith." The program requires girls to complete all Five Pillars of Islam beginning with the Shahada. Mosque-based troops in Sacramento, Naperville, Long Island, Virginia, Maryland, Brooklyn, and San Diego have embedded Islamic instruction, prayer, and hijab requirements into Girl Scout programming. Non-Muslim girls are invited to observe Islamic prayer, attend iftar meals, and participate in Ramadan events. Some troop rules require white hijabs at meetings. GSUSA offers similar programs for Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and other faith traditions.
Why It Matters: An organization marketing itself as building confidence in American girls is officially recognizing a religious pathway that requires non-Muslim children to learn the Shahada, tour mosques, and wear hijabs. Parents deserve to know what is in official programming before their daughters participate.
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." — Ephesians 6:4
9. DISNEY'S NEW ANIMATED FILM "HEXED" PRESENTS WITCHCRAFT AS BEAUTIFUL. FORMER PSYCHIC TURNED CHRISTIAN: "REALLY DISTURBING."
Walt Disney Animation Studios released the first trailer for an upcoming animated film titled "Hexed," featuring a young girl who discovers she has magical powers connected to witchcraft. Jenn Nizza, a former psychic who came to faith in Jesus Christ and now ministers to those leaving the occult, described the film as "really disturbing," stating Disney is presenting witchcraft "in a really beautiful way." She stated: "When you present something dark and dangerous in a really beautiful way, it's very, very hard for a child to discern."
Why It Matters: A woman who spent years in the occult and came to Christ is warning parents that the world's most powerful entertainment brand is packaging witchcraft as a beautiful adventure for children. Watch the trailer with your children. Use it as an opportunity to explain what Scripture says about occult practices.
"When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there." — Deuteronomy 18:9
10. BRIEF: CALIFORNIA HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES PETITION SUPREME COURT AFTER STATE BANS GRAMMAR SENTENCE CONTAINING THE WORD GOD.
Three California families have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Woolard v. Thurmond, challenging a California policy barring religious materials from charter school independent study programs even when parents are educating their children at home. Charter school administrators rejected a grammar exercise containing the sentence "God sends the rain to help plants grow." The Ninth Circuit upheld the ban. The Supreme Court will consider the case at its September 28 conference.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105
11. BRIEF: YAF SUES UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOR THREATENING STUDENTS WITH EXPULSION FOR USING BIOLOGICALLY ACCURATE PRONOUNS.
Young America's Foundation filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Minnesota challenging policies requiring all university members to use gender pronouns specified by others, with violations resulting in expulsions and revocation of degrees. The policies apply to guest speakers as well. The same University of Minnesota whose MyGender transgender dolls program CFN reported in July is now being sued for compelled speech. First hearing December.
12. NORTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT CLEARS CHARLOTTE LATIN SCHOOL LAWSUIT. CHRISTIAN PARENTS EXPELLED AFTER CHALLENGING CURRICULUM SHIFT. IMAGE OF JESUS WITH SLIT THROAT DOCUMENTED IN LEGAL COMPLAINT.
The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled 5-2 allowing Doug and Nicole Turpin to proceed with their lawsuit against Charlotte Latin School after the school expelled their children when Doug Turpin raised concerns about curriculum changes. Content that alarmed the Turpins included artwork depicting Jesus with his throat cut and black blood flowing bearing the words "God is Dead," a library book described as a how-to manual for gay sex in the children's section, and a story containing graphic depictions of child sexual abuse. These items are documented in Turpin's 2023 op-ed and cited in the legal complaint. Charlotte Latin has not publicly responded to the specific content allegations.
Why It Matters: A private school expelled Christian parents' children for organizing to question a curriculum shift. The NC Supreme Court said the Turpins' claims are valid. This is happening in private schools too.
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper." — Isaiah 54:17
13. VIRGINIA DIOCESE LAUNCHES "CATHOLICS VOTE NO" CAMPAIGN AGAINST ABORTION AND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AMENDMENTS. BISHOP: "MEASURES FROM THE EVIL ONE." FLORIDA ALREADY FOUGHT THIS BATTLE AND WON.
The Catholic Diocese of Arlington launched a formal "Catholics Vote No" campaign urging Virginia Catholics to vote no on two proposed constitutional amendments on the November 3 ballot. Amendment 1 would enshrine abortion rights in Virginia's state constitution. Amendment 2 would codify same-sex marriage. Bishop Burbidge described both as "from the evil one." Florida voters defeated a nearly identical abortion amendment in November 2024 after a sustained campaign by faith communities across the state.
Why It Matters: Florida's faith community fought this exact battle two years ago and won. Virginia's faith community is fighting it now. If you know Virginia believers, share this story. The same playbook that failed in Florida is on Virginia's ballot November 3.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." — Proverbs 14:34
14. TEXAS DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE JAMES TALARICO: "GOD IS NOT A CHRISTIAN." "ALL RELIGIONS ARE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS TO THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH." "I HATE CHRISTIANITY." HE IS RUNNING AGAINST EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN KEN PAXTON.
James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas running against Ken Paxton, is a seminarian training to become a Presbyterian Church USA pastor. He has stated: "All the world's faith traditions are different pathways to the same fundamental truth, whether it's God or Yahweh or Allah or Nirvana or Great Spirit." He has stated: "God is not a Christian. God is not a noun at all. God is a verb." And in 2021: "I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity." Paxton is an evangelical Christian who has championed prayer in schools and the prosecution of Planned Parenthood.
Why It Matters: Texas voters who identify as Christians will choose in November between two men who both claim the name of Christ. One believes Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The other believes all religions are different pathways to the same fundamental truth. Texas Christians deserve to know both men's theology before they vote.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" — John 14:6
15. MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED: $290,000 IN CAIR-CONNECTED FUNDING. CAIR LEADER "HAPPY" ABOUT OCTOBER 7. EL-SAYED COMPARES GENDER SURGERY TO CIRCUMCISION. LEADING ROGERS BY 0.7 POINTS.
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has received approximately $290,000 in CAIR-connected money. CAIR's Unity and Justice Fund donated $175,000 to the largest outside group backing El-Sayed. A Fox News review found El-Sayed's campaign directly received more than $115,000 from at least 41 CAIR-affiliated individuals. Among them is CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, who said he was "happy" to see Hamas break out of Gaza on October 7. CAIR was named an unindicted coconspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case. In a Fox News interview this week, El-Sayed compared gender transition surgeries on children to circumcision. On a progressive Christian podcast, he compared himself to Jesus. El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers by 0.7 points in a race that could determine Senate control.
Why It Matters: The organization under terrorism investigation in three states is the largest outside financial backer of a Michigan Senate nominee. El-Sayed built his campaign on getting money out of politics. The FEC records tell a different story. Michigan voters deserve to know this before November.
"Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." — Matthew 10:16
16. DOCUMENTS REVEAL PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S 14-POINT POST-DOBBS STRATEGY DIRECTING STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL TO TARGET PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTERS. NEW JERSEY FOLLOWED IT. S2260 IS THE RESULT.
Public records reveal a July 12, 2022 memo issued by Planned Parenthood one month after Dobbs, directing state attorneys general to take 14 specific actions to target pro-life crisis pregnancy centers. New Jersey AG Matthew Platkin issued a consumer alert eight days after the memo, later subpoenaed a pregnancy center for its donors' personal information, and New Jersey Governor Sherrill signed S2260 last week creating criminal penalties for interference with abortion and gender transition facilities.
Why It Matters: S2260 is the culmination of a four-year coordinated legal strategy. The plan called for exactly this kind of state-level legal infrastructure. The plan worked.
"For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." — Ecclesiastes 12:14
17. UPDATE FROM LAST WEEK: GOVERNOR ABBOTT FORMALLY REFERS DFW AND HOUSTON AIRPORTS TO DOJ FOR INVESTIGATION. COMPARES ISLAMIC RITUAL WASHING STATIONS TO "WHITE-ONLY BATHROOMS."
Last week CFN reported that Citizens Defending Freedom discovered a state construction filing showing DFW Airport had registered a $300,000 project to install Islamic ritual washing stations inside Terminal D restrooms. CDF's inquiry letter triggered a national story and DFW canceled the project by Friday. This week Abbott escalated, formally referring both DFW and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport to the DOJ for investigation of existing facilities. In a letter to AG Blanche and Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon, Abbott compared the facilities to "white-only bathrooms" and requested immediate federal review.
Why It Matters: Citizens Defending Freedom asked the right questions on August 12 and triggered a national story that produced a governor's DOJ referral within ten days. The equal treatment standard is now formally before the Department of Justice. Watch for the DOJ's response.
"The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed." — Psalm 103:6
18. OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR LAUNCHES TERRORISM INVESTIGATION INTO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND CAIR. FOLLOWS TEXAS AND FLORIDA.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order launching a formal terrorism-related investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR, following similar designations by Texas and Florida. The order cites the Holy Land Foundation case in which CAIR was named an unindicted coconspirator. FBI agent Lara Burns testified CAIR was created as "a front group for Hamas." The Fifth Circuit cited "ample evidence" of CAIR's Hamas associations in 2011. CAIR has denied all terrorism connections.
Why It Matters: Oklahoma is the third state to take formal action this year. The same organization providing $290,000 to a Michigan Senate candidate is simultaneously under terrorism investigation in three states.
"When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan." — Proverbs 29:2
19. BRIEF: ACLJ SUES CHICAGO FOR PATTERN OF ARRESTING STREET PREACHERS. COURT REJECTS CITY'S MOTION TO DISMISS. DISCOVERY UNDERWAY. SAME PATTERN IN FOUR OTHER CITIES.
The ACLJ is fighting federal civil rights lawsuits on behalf of Christian street preachers arrested for sharing the Gospel in public spaces across America. Three preachers were handcuffed near Millennium Park in Chicago for peacefully preaching. A federal judge rejected Chicago's motion to dismiss. The city is stonewalling discovery. ACLJ is simultaneously engaged in street preacher cases in New York, Denver, Houston, and Atlanta.
20. WNBA REFUSES TO DEFINE WHAT A WOMAN IS. BLOCKS "JESUS CHRIST" FROM JERSEYS WHILE ALLOWING "MUHAMMAD." KANTER FREEDOM EJECTED. ADF PUTS LEAGUE ON LEGAL NOTICE.
The WNBA's task force met on transgender athlete eligibility and produced no rules. The league's official online store blocks "Jesus Christ" from custom jerseys while allowing "Muhammad" and "Allahu Akbar" through the same filter. Yahoo Sports confirmed the story. Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from a game for wearing a shirt defining "woman" as "adult human female." Sky guard Natasha Cloud walked from the court to confront him. Alliance Defending Freedom sent a formal legal warning to Commissioner Engelbert that censoring fans may expose the league to legal liability. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and AG Ken Paxton attended a Sophie Night rally outside the Dallas Wings game.
Why It Matters: The same week the league produced no rules on what a woman is, it unveiled a she/they mascot, blocked Jesus Christ from merchandise, and ejected a fan for wearing a dictionary definition. The league is telling Christians exactly where it stands.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." — Genesis 1:27
21. 20 AFRICAN NATIONS SIGN CHARTER DEFINING MARRIAGE AS MAN AND WOMAN, REJECTING ABORTION AS AN INTERNATIONAL RIGHT, AND OPPOSING TRANS IDEOLOGY. CARDINAL SARAH: THE WEST IS BEING "NEOCOLONIAL."
Twenty African countries formally endorsed "The African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values" at a conference in Accra, Ghana, defining marriage as "the union between a man and a woman," rejecting the establishment of an international right to abortion, and opposing laws legalizing prostitution. Guinean Catholic Cardinal Robert Sarah accused the European Union of adopting a neocolonial approach by seeking to advance Western social values on the continent. South Africa and Mozambique did not endorse.
Why It Matters: Twenty nations signed a document saying what CFN has reported for years: no international right to abortion, marriage is between a man and a woman, trans ideology is not a human right. The Geneva Consensus Declaration now has 40 nations. This African charter adds 20 more. Twenty nations said no.
"Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." — Psalm 127:3
22. CHINESE CHRISTIAN BROTHER AK DETAINED 15 DAYS FOR LISTENING TO THE BIBLE IN HIS CAR. BABY SEPARATED FROM FATHER AT CHECKPOINT.
A Christian man in northwestern China was detained at a police checkpoint after officers spotted a USB device playing the Bible. He told officers: "Because I believe in Jesus, I was listening to the Bible through the USB." Police instructed his wife to take their children, including a baby under one year old, away from the checkpoint. Open Doors reported he will be detained 15 days with no specific charge. Open Doors stated: "Incidents like these are becoming more common in China as authorities tighten their grip on any religious activity deemed a threat to the regime's ideological control."
Why It Matters: A man was separated from his baby for listening to the Bible in his own car. Pray for Brother AK, his wife, and children.
"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them." — Hebrews 13:3
23. FINLAND'S ELECTED CHRISTIAN LAWMAKER BANNED FROM ENTERING BRITAIN AFTER CONVICTION FOR QUOTING THE BIBLE. BISHOP ALSO BARRED.
Finnish parliamentarian and former interior minister Päivi Räsänen, a doctor and grandmother of 12, was barred from entering the United Kingdom after Britain canceled her Electronic Travel Authorization following her March 2026 conviction for "hate speech" over a 2004 church booklet on marriage and sexuality. Two lower Finnish courts had unanimously cleared her. She was due to speak on free speech at a conference in Northern Ireland. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola faces the same ban. Pohjola called it "an Orwellian reality." Both have taken their case to the European Court of Human Rights. The U.S. State Department previously called the case baseless.
Why It Matters: Britain is banning elected Christian politicians from allied democracies for expressing biblical views on marriage. A Finnish grandmother who wrote a church pamphlet in 2004 cannot enter the United Kingdom in 2026.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." — 2 Timothy 1:7
Heavenly Father, we come before You this week with a report that stretches from Tampa Bay to Taipei, from Ottawa to Accra, from a police checkpoint in northwestern China to a court in Helsinki.
We thank You for the 163 children who are home tonight because Florida decided that finding them was worth five days of coordinated effort across five continents. Walk with each one of them toward healing. Give the professionals caring for them wisdom, patience, and endurance.
We pray for the parents standing between their children and a culture that has declared war on childhood. For the families in California who cannot use a grammar sentence with the word God in it. For the parents at Charlotte Latin whose children were expelled for their faithfulness. For the Girl Scout mothers who are reading tonight about what their daughters' uniforms may now represent.
We pray for the voters of Texas, Michigan, and Virginia who will walk into a ballot booth in November and make decisions that will shape the future of their states. Give them clarity. Give them courage. Give them the wisdom to vote for those who stand for truth.
We pray for Brother AK in China, whose baby was taken from his arms at a police checkpoint because officers heard the Bible playing in his car. We do not know his full name. You do. Sustain him through his fifteen days of detention. Comfort his wife and children. And give his Open Doors partners the protection they need to care for his family.
We pray for Päivi Räsänen, who cannot enter Britain for writing a church pamphlet about what Scripture says about marriage. Give her the European Court of Human Rights. Give her the world's attention. And give Britain the conscience to reverse what it has done.
We thank You for the twenty African nations who looked at the pressure being applied by the West and signed a charter anyway declaring that marriage is between a man and a woman and there is no international right to abortion. Give them the strength to hold that position.
The battle belongs to You. We are just the watchmen.
