tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80872461882056098572024-03-13T20:37:12.323-07:00prayerbeaconprayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-60245794661078881622009-09-24T17:31:00.000-07:002009-09-24T19:13:58.355-07:00New Wells in the Year of Ayin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3xLkRmF4Y8ae9do9dYTuD8TMr3Su3jVPWunAuEWtHv9Y5nsLkMC-IvNan33obx5GS6qF5DZ23jwGtk8aqWqNXlPIg4toZGKhm0tTC6-jLgBgTto0njjU2PJGjJbpex7nQpIbpJljOTiL/s1600-h/d6733d3fa13bc5c0%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385222470772530498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 83px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3xLkRmF4Y8ae9do9dYTuD8TMr3Su3jVPWunAuEWtHv9Y5nsLkMC-IvNan33obx5GS6qF5DZ23jwGtk8aqWqNXlPIg4toZGKhm0tTC6-jLgBgTto0njjU2PJGjJbpex7nQpIbpJljOTiL/s320/d6733d3fa13bc5c0%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>At sundown on September 18, 2009 we entered the New Year of 5770 on the Jewish calendar. During my times of prayer and study I have sensed there are about to be some dramatic changes in the coming year. As I continued to pray, further definition came. The purpose of this post is to share my impressions regarding this new season we are entering as the Body of Christ. I must emphasize here that we have entered not just a new season, but a new era. I will compare it to those life-changing times like graduating from school, being on your own for the first time, marriage, or the birth of your first child. Not just a change of season, but dramatic change that makes us realize we have never been this way before.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>During a time of prayer I received the following impression:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It is the time of the glory of the burning bush. Like Moses there is a turning to "see" the fire. When the wonder of the fire is seen, there will be a hearing of the voice of God. God is calling forth His deliverers from the wilderness. The law has sentenced them to die, but they shall hear the voice of their Redeemer and shall declare, "My Redeemer lives!" Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Your wilderness season has come to an end. You must walk out of the wilderness and into your destiny. Can you hear the cries?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It is time to deliver the church from the taskmasters. The people of God have been in bondage too long. Release the signs and wonders that will harden the hearts to bring a greater glory. Release the message of grace that will bring shock and awe. The message of grace will release shock waves through the church and transform the culture. It is time to set the captives free.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Moses understood the protocol of kings. His past prepared him to walk out his destiny, but the wilderness formed his character to release the miracles.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The symbol for the Year 5770 is the 16th letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet, AYIN. The letter AYIN has a numeric value of seventy.<br /><br />The word “ayin” means – eye; to see, and by extension, to understand and obey. It also means "Divine Providence".<br /><br /><br />Ayin represents the primeval light or the spiritual light of God.<br />Genesis 1:3<br />Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.<br /><br />I believe that as we pray during this new season, we will see an illumination. The hidden things that have been done in darkness will be brought to light.<br /><br />The ayin is described as having 2 eyes – the choice of using good or evil to perceive things – optimism or pessimism. It is vital during this new season that we pray concerning the media. The perceptions of people around the world are being molded daily by the media. We must pray for new media outlets to emerge that will speak the truth. We must pray for reporters to present us with facts and not just opinions on what is happening in the world. In the past we have seen a targeted effort to alter the way events are perceived – evil or good.<br />Must pray for an arising of alternative media who will perceive from the “good eye”.<br /><br />Ayin is a silent letter. (No translation of it in English) It sees, but does not speak; represents humility.<br /><br />The name ayin can also mean “eye” or “fountain”, a fountain of wisdom and the ability to perceive wisdom.<br /><br />The ayin is said to represent two eyes connecting to the optic nerve. The shape of this letter also is similar to a "spade" or a "shovel" used for digging. This brings me to the next part of what was revealed for this season. During a recent time of corporate prayer at our church a declaration was released that it is time for the "Sarah's and Elizabeth's" to give birth. Sarah and Elizabeth both conceived and gave birth in their old age. I believe during this season we will see a revitalizing of the "senior saints" to play a more active role. I am also praying for a coming together of the generations to unite the wisdom of the elders with the energy of the youth.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Isaac was the son of promise of Abraham and Sarah. The story of Isaac from Genesis 26 gives us great insight into the season we have just entered.</div><br /><div><br /><br /><em>1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham.<br /></em><br />A famine in the land - FAMINE - drastic food shortage; severe hunger and starvation.<br /><br />A famine in the land of Jehovah’s word.<br /><br />“Besides the first famine” - the famine touched each generation.<br /><br />Natural circumstances were put in place to disclose the hunger of the heart.<br /><br /><br /><em>And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.</em><br /><br />Abimelech was the common name for a Philistine king, like pharaoh was the common name for an Egyptian king.<br /><br /><em>2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”<br />I was during this time of famine that the Lord appears to Isaac. He gives him an instruction - “Dwell in THIS land” and I will be with you and bless you.<br /></em><br />Isaac could not look at the conditions in the natural. He had to choose to obey.<br /><br />The Lord reminds him of the generational promise.<br /><br /><em>“I will perform the oath which I SWORE to Abraham you father."<br /></em><br />The word SWORE is shaba (shavah) - to swear, to give one’s word, to bind oneself with an oath. The origin of this verb is the noun sheba, which means “seven”. To completely bind oneself to fulfilling an oath, or to “seven” oneself, to repeat some detail of the oath seven times or “complete”.<br /><br />God is giving Isaac an irrevocable oath or promise.<br /><br />It is really important that we understand the surety of this oath. In Genesis 21:29-30 during the life of Abraham, Abraham makes an oath with Abimelech with 7 ewe lambs to seal a covenant that Abraham had ownership of a well at Beersheba.<br /><br /><br /><em>6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” 10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”<br /></em><br />Immediately after the promise - Isaac has his faith challenged. He is confronted by generational sin. His daddy’s devils came after him. When is father Abraham was in this same region of Gerar - he allowed fear to cloud his judgement. Abraham lied about his wife being his sister (a half-truth) - it was deceptive, unnecessary, and faithless.<br /><br />Abraham made God small and relied upon himself. Isaac chose the same path. Isaac needed to learn about covenant.<br /><br />It was after this that Isaac stepped out in faith.<br /><br /><br /><em>12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.<br /></em><br />The blessing of wealth came with persecution.<br /><br />Mark 10:29"<em>I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.</em> </div><br /><div><br /><em>Genesis 26:</em><em>15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth.<br />I believe the wells represent “digging” for life, “digging” for revelation. The Philistines filled these wells with earth. Many times the wells that we have dug in prayer, or that others in previous generations have dug in prayer becomes filled with the world.<br /></em><br />Sometimes we need to “pick up the shovel and dig another well.”<br /><br /><br /><em>16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” 17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.<br /></em><br />Isaac “settled” in Gerar (lodging place) - a narrow place.<br /><br />Sometimes God has to move us into a narrow place to realize that we need to dig.<br /><br /><br /><em>18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. 19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.<br /><br /></em>Isaac had already dealt with his father’s fears and had come into a narrow place. He now began to search out (dig) what his father had searched out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><em>because they quarreled with him.<br /></em><br />Sometimes when you begin to search things out and dig a well you come to a place of “contention”. Esek means “contention”.<br /><br />The “herdsmen” of the Philistines were not happy about his revelation. Some would call them “shepherds”, but they were worldly, just herdsmen. Not everyone will be happy about your revelation - there may be some contention.<br /><br /><em>21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah.<br /></em><br />Sitnah - strife<br /><br />James 3:16 - <em>For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.<br /></em><br />Isaac was in a narrow place (a place of consecration) seeking a place without struggle or strife.<br /><br />He was digging in the valley - the torrent valley (wadi - dry except during periods of rain) - the place of the palm tree (symbol of victory; flourishing and upright)<br /><br />It says that Isaac’s servants dug. One of the definitions of that word servant is PROPHET.<br /><br />The prophets dug in the valley and encountered/found revival!<br />Even though they found what they had been digging for, there was contention and strife. Isaac called it what it was!<br /><br />Isaac did not camp there - he continued to move.<br /><br /><em></em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><em>22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth,</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><em> because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”</em><br /><br />He finally came into a wide place.<br /><br />I believe that we have finally come into a wide place! We have had glimpses of revival - tastes of the glory. It is still here, even though we don’t always perceive it.<br /><br />Pick up the shovel - we still have some more wells to dig!<br /><br /><em>23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.’” 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.<br /></em><br />Isaac found a place of peace.<br /><br /><em>32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it Shebah. </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><em>Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><em>to this day.<br /></em><br />They continued to dig - there was a continual consecration.<br /><br />Isaac proclaimed a “wide place”.<br /><br />At last Jehovah has made room for us! And we will bear fruit and be fruitful in this territory!<br /><br />God met with him and blessed him (fulfilled the oath).<br /><br />Beersheba - the place of the sevenfold oath. The well of seven.<br /><br />To establish ownership, Abraham paid 7 ewe lambs and swore and oath to Abimelech.<br /><br />It is my strong conviction that the Lord has made room for us in this new season.<br /><br />Many generations have dug in prayer what you have just unearthed. Take ownership! Own the revelation! Own the mantle you are called to wear!<br /><br />Own the place of victory! Stop striving and continue to dig until you come to the place of true nature change!<br /><br />Possess the gates of your enemies in prayer - it is part of the promise.<br /><br />This is the time of the “seven”. The complete fulfillment of the oath of promise.<br /><br />This is the year of completion. Cycles are being completed to bring about complete fulfillment.<br /><br />You possess a more excellent covenant - shall it not be fulfilled!<br /><br />It is time to unearth what is stopping up the wells.<br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-78948358818141883642008-11-13T10:56:00.000-08:002008-11-13T11:38:53.125-08:00Building Your Trust Fund<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1wb0qhdaYALRLLMJj_nsCuKNHZi9ekFxCjTW-ThraZFCcuXY7DsBOZ70iY_xNgtcaZFrAPzVruhb9LwBejzgUq_0ukBCPU3vJCT8GmN5_VIXmHNFKqS7KP2dfGHkYoS6EmMskhgvcFDf/s1600-h/thumbnail%5B5%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268228834916003746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1wb0qhdaYALRLLMJj_nsCuKNHZi9ekFxCjTW-ThraZFCcuXY7DsBOZ70iY_xNgtcaZFrAPzVruhb9LwBejzgUq_0ukBCPU3vJCT8GmN5_VIXmHNFKqS7KP2dfGHkYoS6EmMskhgvcFDf/s320/thumbnail%5B5%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>In light of the recent economic news many of us have been watching the fluctuating stock market. Our leaders in Washington are holding meetings today with business leaders and economic advisers searching for the elusive answers for our stalled economy. Many "change" voters are waiting for Barack Obama to step up to the plate and hit one out of the park.</div><br /><div>Our credit markets have stalled because there is so much "bad debt" out there that lending institutions are holding onto their money because they don't know who to trust.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So my friend, how is your trust fund doing? Where have you deposited your hope for your future? Is it in the government bailout? The stock market? Your 401k? Your career or business venture? In capitalism and the free enterprise system? Or is your trust in someone higher?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Recently I have been evaluating my own "trust fund". I realize that I cannot trust in man or the systems of man. There is only one who is worthy of my full trust and that is Jesus Christ. His Word is truth and it cannot fail. There are times, however, when there are certain challenges to this trust. Sometimes the challenges are in the areas of health, or relationships, or even finances. When these challenges hit hard against my "trust fund", I need to take immediate action to secure the trust. I have found that daily deposits of the Word of God insure my "trust fund" will remain strong. These deposits of the Word strengthen my faith and yield great dividends during challenging times. It is also important to state our trust in Him by verbally saying the promises of His word. Praise and worship are key to maintaining our relationship with our Lord and building the trust. Worship strengthens our relationship and builds trust as we come to know Him more intimately. Further, it is important to build relationships with other believers who will add to our trust fund by their testimonies. We also build our trust by giving and acts of faith. Faith pleases God. We must make our trust in Him.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. </em>Psalm 9:10</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.</em> Proverbs 3:5-6</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I urge you to build your trust fund today by seeking the Lord. He holds the answers you are looking for and will lead you in the way you should go.</div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-74608323905530805342008-11-11T11:18:00.000-08:002008-11-11T12:05:12.727-08:00A Tribute to Veterans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4AXNJ6Qaaedx7G5xSz4YsLJbuuQeTtImLenp9iJ8GSvHjdm9LJXohFmL3zJszDQYHkz2wGYUvgNYJO4J5hQQvRaSH-UCuq4_uw7qEeXeCT_fRdSK4Dru6w3WwXUKA0bGSvpxTt11I9ws/s1600-h/08poster%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267492880497742882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4AXNJ6Qaaedx7G5xSz4YsLJbuuQeTtImLenp9iJ8GSvHjdm9LJXohFmL3zJszDQYHkz2wGYUvgNYJO4J5hQQvRaSH-UCuq4_uw7qEeXeCT_fRdSK4Dru6w3WwXUKA0bGSvpxTt11I9ws/s320/08poster%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)<br />The holiday is commonly printed as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars and advertisements. While these spellings are grammatically acceptable, the United States government has declared that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling.</div><br /><div>U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 12, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies.</div><br /><div>In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas, shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954. Congress amended this act on November 8, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.</div><br /><div>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Today in America the citizens of this great nation choose to set aside our differing opinions of war and instead focus upon the valor of those who have served this nation in the military. Nearly every American family has its own military history. This history needs to be passed on to our children so future generations understand that freedom is not an entitlement, but it is bought with great price. I remember the stories my grandmother shared with me of her brothers and a sister enlisting and serving during World War II. My one great uncle served in the Pacific as an aviation navigator and returned home to his family. My great aunt was a Navy nurse caring for the wounded. My other great uncle served in the Army in Europe and gave his life in the Battle of the Bulge. I have other uncles who served in the Korean conflict, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the current war in Iraq.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As Americans we can never forget the sacrifice of those who serve. The family members of our military pay a great price. We have a responsibility to pray for our troops and their families each day. Please join me in praying that their mission is accomplished with excellence and honor and they return home safely. Pray for the cause of freedom to be expanded around the globe.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Thank a veteran today. Make an effort to let our military personnel know how much we value what they are doing. You can go to this website, <a href="http://reconnectamerica.com/giveback/">http://reconnectamerica.com/giveback/</a>, and connect with the different organizations that are committed to serving those who serve us. May God richly bless you as you reach out to our military personnel and their families. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As Americans, we must not be silent on issues concerning our national defense or the funding of our troops. We must let our newly elected President and the Congress know that we will not support any legislation that will adversely affect our military or infringe upon the freedoms that so many have given their lives to protect.</div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-21840956208452343272008-11-07T03:48:00.000-08:002008-11-07T04:10:39.768-08:00Prophecy of Victory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpAjgNufKZl4aWqrxwgb7TNm3wRdlFr9KB0M82m48Lw417yTq8TDQbyFLrzKo1mSG3dwhHxoQGLKWU6M69yn7APFBtoig3HgPcGp0e9JpkgokL9Q-Q4b6CnrqrwXCu5cSWFu6pnc-sASi/s1600-h/thumbnailCAKLNW03.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265886047114739698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpAjgNufKZl4aWqrxwgb7TNm3wRdlFr9KB0M82m48Lw417yTq8TDQbyFLrzKo1mSG3dwhHxoQGLKWU6M69yn7APFBtoig3HgPcGp0e9JpkgokL9Q-Q4b6CnrqrwXCu5cSWFu6pnc-sASi/s320/thumbnailCAKLNW03.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My husband was looking at the KCM website recently and found this encouraging prophetic word which he shared with me. It is so uplifting that I wanted to pass it on to others.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><em>“Pay Attention to Me…My system is stronger than ever.”<br />Don’t pay attention to or make any plans based on what the media says<br />or what the politicians say. Stand on My Word in John 16. Pay attention to Me.<br />I [the Holy Spirit] will obey verses 13-15. I will show you things to come. I will<br />lead you through troubled times. I already have THE plan for you, and it’s very<br />good. Follow it. It will not only get you through, it will place you in a very high<br />place—a rich place—a strong place of victory.<br />You will have to discipline yourself and be diligent to listen to Me. All the<br />other voices will have a plan, a word, an idea for your future and security.<br />Don’t listen to Babylon’s system. It has fallen apart. My system is stronger than<br />ever. My kingdom is flourishing, and THE BLESSING is the place to be.<br />Keep your eyes on My Word. Listen to it. It will guide you and I will<br />perform it. Love Me. Love My people as I have loved you. Walk in it. Love never<br />fails, and neither does My plan.<br />Be very cautious to stay completely clean from covetousness. First<br />Timothy 6:10 must live in the forefront of your thinking. If you will do these<br />things and continue therein, you will come into your wealthy place. A place<br />lifted up. A place in Me already planned and prepared for you now. Here. Not<br />heaven—not yet. But it will seem like heaven right in the midst of all the<br />trouble, and you’ll be able to reach out to untold numbers of suffering people<br />with the Good News of the gospel.<br />I’m coming very soon. Sooner than you think. Keep your eyes on Me and<br />you’ll get the job done.<br /></em>—Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland<br />Oct. 19, 2008</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.kcm.org/pdf/Kenneth_Copeland_Prophecy_pay_attention.pdf">http://www.kcm.org/pdf/Kenneth_Copeland_Prophecy_pay_attention.pdf</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Now more than ever we must turn off the voice of the world and tune into the voice of God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and his ways are higher than our ways. Friend, let's take the high road.</div><div> </div><div><em>But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. </em></div><div>1 Corinthians 15:57</div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-13604105859360503802008-11-06T03:33:00.000-08:002008-11-06T10:01:57.205-08:00Fear Not!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg42nGGgvX2CdPF5RW7oUNj0ZvTDtEuSEWG2QeDJA1hplc5h4vhy89uy3Tc-PxDuPuNklY3duGdzizCD63FA-N9Ed9akBPrSzvkyK7u3onNZRYO8j6_FJ_ZxlF-lbKYFEkVMCqOf78hyphenhyphenR/s1600-h/thumbnailCAGU7Y6T.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265517226504181618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg42nGGgvX2CdPF5RW7oUNj0ZvTDtEuSEWG2QeDJA1hplc5h4vhy89uy3Tc-PxDuPuNklY3duGdzizCD63FA-N9Ed9akBPrSzvkyK7u3onNZRYO8j6_FJ_ZxlF-lbKYFEkVMCqOf78hyphenhyphenR/s320/thumbnailCAGU7Y6T.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>In the past few days I have noticed a great divide in our nation that I have not heard reported upon in the news. This great divide centers around two words, <em>fear</em> and <em>hope</em>. Countless times on talk radio, television interviews, and even my personal encounters with people who come to our business I have heard statements like the following: </div><br /><div>"I am so afraid." </div><br /><div>"I'm scared to death about what might happen."</div><br /><div>"I fear for our nation."</div><br /><div>What troubles me the most when I hear these words is that they are coming from people who made a vote of conscience on moral issues and claim a belief in God.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Hundreds of times in scripture we read the words "fear not." We also know according to the Bible that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." What ever happened to the "home of the free and the <em>brave</em>?" Where is our courage? In whom have we placed our confidence and trust? It is even inscribed upon our currency, "In God We Trust."</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>In Hebrews 11:1 it reads, <em>Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. </em>God is moved by our faith. In order for us to operate in faith as a nation, we must move away from fear and into hope. Many who voted for Barack Obama have great hope in what he will do for them when he is President. We cannot place our hope in a man, because men will always fail. It is time for us to hope in God.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The problems facing our nation in this critical hour need the remedy of heaven. Collectively as a nation we must seek God as never before. In the words of President Franklin Roosevelt, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." Fear is the cancer of the soul. Once it enters, it wants to take over every thought. The spread of fear must be stopped and it begins within our own heart. It is time for us to stop speaking words of fear, doubt, and unbelief. Proclaim a fast of negative words. We must be like King David and encourage ourselves. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>America has faced many challenges in our brief history, yet she has prevailed because the hand of God has been upon us. Pray for America. Believe that the foundation of our Constitution will remain strong. Fight injustice at every level and allow your voice to be heard in Washington. Stir up the embers of hope and believe that America will continue to be a beacon of hope and freedom to the world.</div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-82936975957217622912008-11-05T03:49:00.000-08:002008-11-05T06:24:38.891-08:00The People Have Chosen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcRpFvq4ZTA_iYRya5hsARseY0o4PHObPZdBAzyRKlmD9OKT-9gf5Zwnf7Fbdxdiqu_bZlOEjCNTaaKA1wab5BERTwgW7mfKzG0h3Cl52VlrLjTE6akZjeU2otIhkkgklX6ZaaWVas_zA/s1600-h/thumbnail%5B6%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265144746632595746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 67px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcRpFvq4ZTA_iYRya5hsARseY0o4PHObPZdBAzyRKlmD9OKT-9gf5Zwnf7Fbdxdiqu_bZlOEjCNTaaKA1wab5BERTwgW7mfKzG0h3Cl52VlrLjTE6akZjeU2otIhkkgklX6ZaaWVas_zA/s320/thumbnail%5B6%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The people of the United States have spoken by casting their ballots. Barack Obama is now our President-elect. As I have been considering this possibility over the last few days, I am reminded of the following passage in 1 Samuel 8:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”</em> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The children of Israel were so dissastisfied with the possibility of Samuel's sons leading them, that they rejected the current plan of government. They so desperately wanted change and wanted to be like other nations that they even rejected God and His plan for them. God loves us so much that we created us with free will. He gave us the opportunity to choose to love Him. Loving Him includes loving His ways which are defined in scripture.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The collective cry of the people of America has been for change. Now we shall have it. This nation is about to change, to what extent remains to be seen. The church in America can no longer remain silent. We must allow our voices to be heard like never before. We the people must actively participate in every piece of legislation that is presented. We must hold our elected officials accountable for every vote. This is not a time to cower, but a time to arise! We must defend the cause of liberty with a renewed zeal.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It is time to pray for our leaders like never before. The next administration has many challenges that will require heaven's strategies. It is our responsibility to pray. It does us no good to curse the darkness. We must allow the light of the Gospel (Good News) to shine more brightly than every before.</div><div></div><div>*Pray for the protection of the United States.</div><div>*Pray that the Constitution is upheld.</div><div>*Pray for the Supreme Court to strictly adhere to the Constitution.</div><div>*Pray for our leaders to walk in humility, wisdom, and the fear of the Lord.</div><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-6006599300535337992008-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:002008-11-04T00:01:01.098-08:00Election Day Prayer Focus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDZ-rmtLbDt6QRI7UIux03-gfzr0rDkQSdZRzlrENRvTq8jaHjukG3m7vmx82A5Mzn-x_cP4Kky8gDqVCoWVOgIR1vfRR0sKzOjHPXlWBNwn-Na2iYV73lCp7UdDG3-gl-A098dyNWjo8/s1600-h/thumbnail%5B3%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264636461105466674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDZ-rmtLbDt6QRI7UIux03-gfzr0rDkQSdZRzlrENRvTq8jaHjukG3m7vmx82A5Mzn-x_cP4Kky8gDqVCoWVOgIR1vfRR0sKzOjHPXlWBNwn-Na2iYV73lCp7UdDG3-gl-A098dyNWjo8/s320/thumbnail%5B3%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">How would Jesus vote?</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div>Today the citizens of the United States have the opportunity to choose the leader of the free world. This awesome responsibility is afforded to us by the Constitution and paid for by the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price in the service of our nation. In the words of Bill Gates, "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, thank a veteran."</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As we cast our vote today, my prayer is that each of us will ask this question, how would Jesus vote if He were standing here? Many may call this presumptious to know the mind of God, however, if we read the scriptures and follow the principles that Jesus taught, we can vote in a way that is pleasing to Him.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We must also consider that we will be held accountable for the actions of the person we vote to put in office. We also will be held accountable for the party platform which we ratify by our vote. If we give power to a party platform that advocates abortion, we are responsible for the lives that are lost. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Please pray for America during this crucial time. It is not only the selection of our next President and Vice-President, but our Senators, Representatives, and local leaders as well. Our vote is a seed and we will reap the harvest in our government. Will we sow to the spirit or to the flesh? Will we reap righteousness or corruption? <em>We the People</em> will declare our future today. I pray that America remains the <em>Shining City on the Hill</em> so eloquently described in President Ronald Reagan's farewell address:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>And that's about all I have to say tonight. Except for one thng. The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the "shining city upon a hill." The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.<br />I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still.<br />And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that; after 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.<br />We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.<br />And so, good-bye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. </em></div><br /><div>(<a href="http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/farewell.asp">http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/farewell.asp</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My fellow Americans, may we do our part today and vote to keep America the beacon of freedom, the land of opportunity, and one nation under God. Today, let us once again consider the lessons of 9/11. On that day we were not Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans. We were united in a cause greater than oursevles. We turned to God because we knew that we didn't have the answers. We proudly displayed our flag as a symbol of freedom and honor and a united people. The naysayers said our financial systems would never recover, but we proved them wrong. America - wake up! Cast your vote for the cause of liberty and justice for all. God grant us the wisdom to choose wisely.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-19902164929396720002008-11-03T00:01:00.000-08:002008-11-03T00:01:00.488-08:00Day 50: Election Prayer Focus Alaska<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNN1A_LeQQIDOD97YmZ92ONSquLkIOxKfEC1K6kclSN-kvVNMbgqk3_ZFaeZB_QTApSWLqe_yUWT2oBfZZCF3dCDsC3Q-B_UZ9f1IRCHQ1BMJDQLLgQ9V0c1ZdgM0HhhH68bkA_EiiQIK/s1600-h/thumbnailCA7U59W2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263744023731511810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 99px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNN1A_LeQQIDOD97YmZ92ONSquLkIOxKfEC1K6kclSN-kvVNMbgqk3_ZFaeZB_QTApSWLqe_yUWT2oBfZZCF3dCDsC3Q-B_UZ9f1IRCHQ1BMJDQLLgQ9V0c1ZdgM0HhhH68bkA_EiiQIK/s320/thumbnailCA7U59W2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Alaska - The Last Frontier; Land of the Midnight Sun</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: North to the future</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Juneau</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Anchorage</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Sarah Palin (R) 2008 Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate</div><br /><div>Senator Lisa Murkowski (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Ted Stevens (R)</div><br /><div>Rep. Don Young (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Alaska.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Alaska.<br />*Declare the people of Alaska are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Alaska walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Alaska.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Alaska.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Alaska.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Alaska.<br />*Declare Christians in Alaska get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Alaska.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Vitus Bering, a Dane working for the Russians, and Alexei Chirikov discovered the Alaskan mainland and the Aleutian Islands in 1741. The tremendous land mass of Alaska—equal to one-fifth of the continental U.S.—was unexplored in 1867 when Secretary of State William Seward arranged for its purchase from the Russians for $7,200,000. The transfer of the territory took place on Oct. 18, 1867. Despite a price of about two cents an acre, the purchase was widely ridiculed as “Seward's Folly.” The first official census (1880) reported a total of 33,426 Alaskans, all but 430 being of aboriginal stock. The Gold Rush of 1898 resulted in a mass influx of more than 30,000 people. Since then, Alaska has contributed billions of dollars' worth of products to the U.S. economy.<br />In 1968, a large oil and gas reservoir near Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Coast was found. The Prudhoe Bay reservoir, with an estimated recoverable 10 billion barrels of oil and 27 trillion cubic feet of gas, is twice as large as any other oil field in North America. The Trans-Alaska pipeline was completed in 1977 at a cost of $7.7 billion. Oil flows through the 800-mile-long pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez.<br />Other important industries are fisheries, wood and wood products, furs, and tourism.<br />Denali National Park and Mendenhall Glacier in North Tongass National Forest are of interest, as is the large totem pole collection at Sitka National Historical Park. The Katmai National Park includes the “Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes,” an area of active volcanoes.<br />The Alaska Native population includes Eskimos, Indians, and Aleuts. About half of all Alaska Natives are Eskimos. (Eskimo is used for Alaska Natives; Inuit is used for Eskimos living in Canada.) The two main Eskimo groups, Inupiat and Yupik, are distinguished by their language and geography. The former live in the north and northwest parts of Alaska and speak Inupiaq, while the latter live in the south and southwest and speak Yupik.<br />About a third of Alaska Natives are American Indians. The major tribes are the Alaskan Athabaskan in the central part of the state, and the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida in the southeast.<br />The Aleuts, native to the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak Island, the lower Alaska and Kenai Peninsulas, and Prince William Sound, are physically and culturally related to the Eskimos. About 15% of Alaska Natives are Aleuts. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108178.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108178.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The International Date Line jogs west of 180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire continental United States, within the same legal day.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>Alaska has been identified, along with Pacific Northwest states Washington and Oregon, as being the least religious in the U.S. According to statistics collected by the Association of Religion Data Archives, only about 39% of Alaska residents were members of religious congregations. Evangelical Protestants had 78,070 members, Roman Catholics had 54,359, and mainline Protestants had 37,156. After Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, the largest single denominations are Mormons with 28,956, Southern Baptists with 22,959, and Orthodox with 20,000. The large Eastern Orthodox (with 49 parishes and up to 50,000 followers, population is a result of early Russian colonization and missionary work among Alaska Natives. In 1795, the First Russian Orthodox Church was established in Kodiak. Intermarriage with Alaskan Natives helped the Russian immigrants integrate into society. As a result, more and more Russian Orthodox churches gradually became established within Alaska. Alaska also has the largest Quaker population (by percentage) of any state. In 2003 there were 3,000 Jews in Alaska. Estimates for the number of Alaskan Muslims range from 2,000 to 5,000. Hindus are also represented through a number of temples and associations (such as the Sri Ganesha Mandir, Anchorage), and adherents number over one thousand. Alaskan Hindus often share venues and celebrations with members of other religious communities including Sikhs and Jains. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>The 2005 gross state product was $39.9 billion. Its per-capita GSP for 2006 was $43,748, 7th in the nation. The oil and gas industry dominates the Alaskan economy, with more than 80% of the state's revenues derived from petroleum extraction. Alaska's main export product (excluding oil and natural gas) is seafood, primarily salmon, cod, Pollock and crab. Agriculture represents only a fraction of the Alaskan economy. Agricultural production is primarily for consumption within the state and includes nursery stock, dairy products, vegetables, and livestock. Manufacturing is limited, with most foodstuffs and general goods imported from elsewhere. Employment is primarily in government and industries such as natural resource extraction, shipping, and transportation. Military bases are a significant component of the economy in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. Federal subsidies are also an important part of the economy, allowing the state to keep taxes low. Its industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber and wood products. There is also a growing service and tourism sector. Tourists have contributed to the economy by supporting local lodging. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Permanent Fund</span></strong></div><br /><div>The Alaska Permanent Fund is a legislatively controlled appropriation established in 1976 to manage a surplus in state petroleum revenues from the recently constructed Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. From its initial principal of $734,000, the fund has grown to $38 billion as a result of oil royalties and capital investment programs. Starting in 1982, dividends from the fund's annual growth have been paid out each year to eligible Alaskans, ranging from $331.29 in 1984 to $1963.86 in 2000. Every year, the state legislature takes out 8 percent from the earnings, puts 3 percent back into the principal for inflation proofing, and the remaining 5 percent is distributed to all qualifying Alaskans. To qualify for the Alaska State Permanent Fund one must have lived in the state for a minimum of 11 months, and maintain constant residency.</div>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska</a>)<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Cost of living<br /></span></strong>The cost of goods in Alaska has long been higher than in the contiguous 48 states. This has changed for the most part in Anchorage and to a lesser extent in Fairbanks, where the cost of living has dropped somewhat in the past five years. Federal government employees, particularly United States Postal Service (USPS) workers and active-duty military members, receive a Cost of Living Allowance usually set at 25% of base pay because, while the cost of living has gone down, it is still one of the highest in the country.<br />The introduction of big-box stores in Anchorage, Fairbanks (Wal-Mart in March 2004), and Juneau also did much to lower prices. However, rural Alaska suffers from extremely high prices for food and consumer goods, compared to the rest of the country due to the relatively limited transportation infrastructure. Many rural residents come into these cities and purchase food and goods in bulk from warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. Some have embraced the free shipping offers of some online retailers to purchase items much more cheaply than they could in their own communities, if they are available at all. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>In presidential elections, the state's electoral college votes have been almost always won by a Republican nominee. No state has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate fewer times. Alaska supported Democratic nominee Lyndon B. Johnson in the landslide year of 1964, although the 1960 and 1968 elections were close. President George W. Bush won the state's electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 25 percentage points with 61.1% of the vote.</div><br /><div>In 2006 Frank Murkowski was defeated in the Republican primary by Sarah Palin, who in 2008 became the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States. Palin was the first woman to govern Alaska and the first Alaskan to receive the Vice Presidential nomination of a major party. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-19894228396824477792008-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:002008-11-02T00:01:00.533-07:00Day 49: Election Prayer Focus Hawaii<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUjtsS1mtrAOWDPQQDUGxTZCcB2p-SmISMGtZKsU4CS4sbftAJAQzC97ee0EciazeqpV5zG-5we4ATtVXciJDTIPq3BhBz2FeI7tONmH85rgwCDFmOSJE5tEF_G6IF7Y1OLtoKb-11utC/s1600-h/thumbnail%5B10%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263734252664900370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUjtsS1mtrAOWDPQQDUGxTZCcB2p-SmISMGtZKsU4CS4sbftAJAQzC97ee0EciazeqpV5zG-5we4ATtVXciJDTIPq3BhBz2FeI7tONmH85rgwCDFmOSJE5tEF_G6IF7Y1OLtoKb-11utC/s320/thumbnail%5B10%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Hawaii - Aloha State</strong></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Honolulu</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Linda Lingle (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D)</div><br /><div>1. Neil Abercrombie (D)<br />2. Mazie Hirono (D) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Hawaii.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Hawaii.<br />*Declare the people of Hawaii are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Hawaii walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Hawaii.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Hawaii.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Hawaii.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Hawaii.<br />*Declare Christians in Hawaii get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Hawaii.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First settled by Polynesians sailing from other Pacific islands between A.D. 300 and 600, Hawaii was visited in 1778 by British captain James Cook, who called the group the Sandwich Islands.<br />Hawaii was a native kingdom throughout most of the 19th century, when the expansion of the sugar industry (pineapple came after 1898) meant increasing U.S. business and political involvement. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was deposed, and a year later the Republic of Hawaii was established with Sanford B. Dole as president. Following annexation (1898), Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900.<br />The Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, was directly responsible for U.S. entry into World War II.<br />Hawaii, 2,397 mi west-southwest of San Francisco, is a 1,523-mile chain of islets and eight main islands—Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, other than Midway, are administratively part of Hawaii.<br />The temperature is mild, and cane sugar, pineapple, and flowers and nursery products are the chief products. Hawaii also grows coffee beans, bananas, and macadamia nuts. The tourist business is Hawaii's largest source of outside income.<br />Hawaii's highest peak is Mauna Kea (13,796 ft). Mauna Loa (13,679 ft) is the largest volcanic mountain in the world by volume. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108204.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108204.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Hawaii is the only state of the United States that<br />*is not geographically located in North America<br />*is completely surrounded by water<br />*has a royal palace<br />*does not have a straight line in its state boundary </div><br /><div>*has two official languages recognized in its constitution adopted at the 1978 constitutional convention: English and Hawaiian.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>Christian/351,000 (28.9%)</div><br /><div>Buddhist/110,000 (9%)</div><br /><div>Jewish/10,000 (0.8%)</div><br /><div>Other*/750,000 (61.1%)<br />Other includes: agnostic or atheist, unaffiliated, Bahá'í, Confucian, Daoist, Druid, Hawaiian religion, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Shinto, Scientologist, Unitarian Universalist, Wiccan, Zoroastrian, etc. Hawaii has the lowest perentage of Christians of any state.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Health</span></strong></div><br /><div>Hawaii's health care system insures over 95% of residents. Under the state's plan, all businesses are required to provide employees who work more than twenty hours per week with health care. Heavy regulation of insurance companies helps keep the cost to employers down. In addition, due in part to the system's emphasis on preventive care, Hawaiians require hospital treatment less frequently than their counterparts in the rest of the United States, while total health care expenses (measured as a percentage of state GDP) are substantially lower. Given these achievements, proponents of universal health care elsewhere in the U.S. have sometimes used Hawaii as a model for proposed federal and state health care plans. Critics, however, claim that Hawaii's success is due at least in part to its mild climate and to its status as a chain of islands whose economy is heavily based on tourism: features that make it more difficult for businesses unhappy with paying the plan's premiums to relocate elsewhere.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Hawaii has supported Democrats in 10 of the 12 presidential elections in which it has participated with the exception of 1972 and 1984. In 2004, John Kerry won the state’s 4 electoral votes by a margin of 9 percentage points with 54% of the vote. Every county in the state supported the Democratic candidate.</div><br /><div>In the 2008 election, Honolulu native Barack Obama, serving as United States Senator from Illinois has received enough delegates to clinch the nomination of the Democratic Party. Obama won the Hawaiian Democratic Caucus on February 19, 2008 with 76% of the vote. Obama is the third Hawaiian-born candidate to seek the nomination of a major party and the first presidential nominee to be from Hawaii.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>The history of Hawaii can be traced through a succession of dominating industries: sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Since statehood was achieved in 1959, tourism has been the largest industry in Hawaii. Industrial exports from Hawaii include food processing and apparel. These industries play a small role in the Hawaii economy, however, due to the considerable shipping distance to the ports and population of the West Coast of the United States. Food exports include coffee, macadamia nuts, pineapple, livestock, and sugarcane.</div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-84507351236493882022008-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-31T17:14:45.751-07:00Day 48: Election Prayer Focus California<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">California - Golden State</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: <em>Eurika</em> (I have found it!)</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Sacramento</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Los Angeles</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong><br />Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)<br />Senator Barbara Boxer (D)<br />Senator Diane Feinstein (D)<br />1. Mike Thompson (D)<br />2. Wally Herger (R)<br />3. Dan Lungren (R)<br />4. John T. Doolittle (R)<br />5. Doris Matsui (D)<br />6. Lynn C. Woolsey (D)<br />7. George Miller (D)<br />8. Nancy Pelosi (D) Current Speaker of the House<br />9. Barbara Lee (D)<br />10. Ellen O. Tauscher (D)<br />11. Jerry McNerney (D)<br />12. Jackie Speier (D)<br />13. Fortney Pete Stark (D)<br />14. Anna G. Eshoo (D)<br />15. Michael M. Honda (D)<br />16. Zoe Lofgren (D)<br />17. Sam Farr (D)<br />18. Dennis Cardoza (D)<br />19. George P. Radanovich (R)<br />20. Jim Costa (D)<br />21. Devin Nunes (R)<br />22. Kevin McCarthy (R)<br />23. Lois Capps (D)<br />24. Elton Gallegly (R)<br />25. Howard P. McKeon (R)<br />26. David Dreier (R)<br />27. Brad Sherman (D)<br />28. Howard L. Berman (D)<br />29. Adam B. Schiff (D)<br />30. Henry A. Waxman (D)<br />31. Xavier Becerra (D)<br />32. Hilda L. Solis (D)<br />33. Diane Watson (D)<br />34. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D)<br />35. Maxine Waters (D)<br />36. Jane Harman (D)<br />37. Laura Richardson (D)<br />38. Grace F. Napolitano (D)<br />39. Linda T. Sanchez (D)<br />40. Ed Royce (R)<br />41. Jerry Lewis (R)<br />42. Gary G. Miller (R)<br />43. Joe Baca (D)<br />44. Ken Calvert (R)<br />45. Mary Bono (R)<br />46. Dana Rohrabacher (R)<br />47. Loretta Sanchez (D)<br />48. John Campbell (R)<br />49. Darrell Issa (R)<br />50. Brian Bilbray (R)<br />51. Bob Filner (D)<br />52. Duncan Hunter (R)<br />53. Susan Davis (D)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong><br /><br />The State of California has the following initiatives on the ballot that could impact this state and potentially the rest of the nation. Please target these initiatives in prayer.<br /><br />PROPOSITION 4 - WAITING PERIOD AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE TERMINATION OF MINOR’S PREGNANCY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.<br />Changes California Constitution to prohibit abortion for unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician notifies minor’s parent or legal guardian.<br />Permits notification to certain adult relatives if doctor reports parent to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.<br />Provides notification exceptions for medical emergency or parental waiver.<br />Permits courts to waive notice based on clear and convincing evidence of minor’s maturity or best interests.<br />Mandates reporting requirements, including reports from physicians regarding abortions on minors.<br />Authorizes damages against physicians for violation.<br />Requires minor’s consent to abortion, with exceptions.<br /><br />PROPOSITION 8 - ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.<br />Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.<br />(<a href="http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2008General">http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2008General</a>)<br /><br />*Declare revival comes to the state of California.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in California.<br />*Declare the people of California are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of California walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of California and the state repays its enormous debt.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of California.<br />*Declare protection over the state of California.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in California.<br />*Declare Christians in California get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in California.<br /><br />Although California was sighted by Spanish navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542, its first Spanish mission (at San Diego) was not established until 1769. California became a U.S. territory in 1847 when Mexico surrendered it to John C. Frémont. On Jan. 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill, starting the California Gold Rush and bringing settlers to the state in large numbers. By 1964, California had surpassed New York to become the most populous state. One reason for this may be that more immigrants settle in California than any other state—more than one-third of the nation's total in 1994. Asians and Pacific Islanders led the influx.<br />Leading industries include agriculture, manufacturing (transportation equipment, machinery, and electronic equipment), biotechnology, aerospace-defense, and tourism. Principal natural resources include timber, petroleum, cement, and natural gas.<br />Death Valley, in the southeast, is 282 ft below sea level, the lowest point in the nation. Mt. Whitney (14,491 ft) is the highest point in the contiguous 48 states. Lassen Peak is one of two active U.S. volcanoes outside of Alaska and Hawaii; its last eruptions were recorded in 1917.<br />(<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108187.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108187.html</a>)<br /><br />The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) dramatically changed California with a large influx of people and an economic boom. The early 20th century was marked by Los Angeles becoming the center of the entertainment industry, in addition to the growth of a large tourism sector in the state. Along with California's prosperous agricultural industry, other industries include aerospace, petroleum, and computer and information technology. California ranks amongst the ten largest economies in the world, and were it a separate country, it would be 35th among the most populous countries.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>The largest christian denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 10,079,310; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 529,575; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 471,119. Jewish congregations had 994,000 adherents.<br />The state has the most Roman Catholics of any state and a large Protestant population, a large American Jewish community, and an American Muslim population.<br />With a Jewish population estimated at more than 550,000, Los Angeles has the second-largest Jewish community in North America.<br />California also has the largest Muslim community population in the United States, an estimated 3.4 percent of the population, mostly residing in Southern California. According to figures, approximately 100,000 Muslims reside in San Diego.<br />As the twentieth century came to a close, forty percent of all Buddhists in America resided in Southern California. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Area has become unique in the Buddhist world as the only place where representative organizations of every major school of Buddhism can be found in a single urban center. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Northern California and Hsi Lai Temple in Southern California are two of the largest Buddhist temples in the Western Hemisphere. It also has a growing Hindu population.<br />California has more members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Temples than any state except Utah. Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have played important roles in the settlement of California throughout the state's history. For example, a group of a few hundred Mormon converts from the Northeastern United States and Europe arrived at what would become San Francisco in the 1840s aboard the ship Brooklyn, more than doubling the population of the small town. Before being called back to Utah by Brigham Young these settlers helped build up the city of Yerba Buena. A group of Mormons also established the city of San Bernardino in Southern California in 1851. According to the LDS Church 2007 statistics, just over 750,000 Mormons reside in the state of California, attending almost 1400 congregations statewide.<br />However, a Pew Research Center survey revealed that California is somewhat less religious than the rest of the US: 62 percent of Californians say they are "absolutely certain" of the belief in God, while in the nation 71 percent say so. The survey also revealed 48 percent of Californians say religion is "very important", while the figure for the United States is 56 percent. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California</a>)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong><br />As of 2007, the gross state product (GSP) is about $1.812 trillion, the largest in the United States. California is responsible for 13 percent of the United States gross domestic product (GDP). As of 2006, California's GDP is larger than all but eight countries in the world. California is facing a $16 billion budget deficit for the 2008-09 budget year.<br />California is also the home of several significant economic regions, such as Hollywood (entertainment), Southern California (aerospace), the California Central Valley (agriculture), the Silicon Valley and Tech Coast (computers and high tech), and wine producing regions, such as the Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and Southern California's Santa Barbara and Paso Robles areas. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California</a>)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong><br />California is known for having a progressive political culture. In 2008, it was the second state in the country to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. In contrast, California had previously been the first state, via Proposition 22 in 2000, to pass a law declaring that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized. Yet, domestic partnerships were made available to citizens through a law created by the state legislature. Other contemporary values include California's leadership in renewable energy and climate change, as well as enacting statute to protect abortion rights.<br />Since 1990, California has generally elected Democratic candidates; however, the state has had little hesitance in electing Republican Governors, though many of its Republican Governors, such as Governor Schwarzenegger, tend to be considered "Moderate Republicans" and tend to be more liberal than the party itself.<br />Democratic strength is centered in coastal regions of Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Democrats also hold a majority in Sacramento. The Republican strength is greatest in the San Joaquin Valley, which includes the growing cities of Stockton and Modesto. Orange County remains mostly Republican.<br />Overall, the trend in California politics has been towards the Democratic Party and away from the Republican Party. The trend is most obvious in presidential elections. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California</a>)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Silly Laws</span></strong><br />In 1930, the City Council of Ontario passed an ordinance forbidding roosters to crow within the city limits.<br />In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time.<br />It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.<br />In California, animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship.<br />In Los Angeles, a man is legally entitled to beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can't be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife's consent to beat her with a wider strap.<br />(<a href="http://www.main.com/~anns/other/humor/sillylaws.html">http://www.main.com/~anns/other/humor/sillylaws.html</a>)prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-71797434669627018492008-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-31T00:01:00.585-07:00Day 47: Election Prayer Focus Oregon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2Ta36EVjiV9nfasT_B918dPbEbprwlq7lyYtPlQve1-8KjsbK_29llZ8TV0LYZUF5M03Re_RlPL3QfwVzG2TIj-sfIO-GwG71qvY953BJY_IzunWfbif9sAtP2TlooFUbYmG0ej2tc57/s1600-h/thumbnailCADL8WKP.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263102083798098466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2Ta36EVjiV9nfasT_B918dPbEbprwlq7lyYtPlQve1-8KjsbK_29llZ8TV0LYZUF5M03Re_RlPL3QfwVzG2TIj-sfIO-GwG71qvY953BJY_IzunWfbif9sAtP2TlooFUbYmG0ej2tc57/s320/thumbnailCADL8WKP.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Oregon - Beaver State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: She flies with her own wings</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Salem</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Portland</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Ted Kulongoski (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Gordan Smith (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Ron Wyden (D)</div><br /><div>1. David Wu (D)<br />2. Greg Walden (R)<br />3. Earl Blumenauer (D)<br />4. Peter A. DeFazio (D)<br />5. Darlene Hooley (D) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Oregon.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Oregon.<br />*Declare the people of Oregon are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Oregon walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Oregon.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Oregon.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Oregon.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Oregon.<br />*Declare Christians in Oregon get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Oregon.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Spanish and English sailors are believed to have sighted the Oregon coast in the 1500s and 1600s. Capt. James Cook, seeking the Northwest Passage, charted some of the coastline in 1778. In 1792, Capt. Robert Gray, in the Columbia, discovered the river named after his ship and claimed the area for the U.S.<br />In 1805 the Lewis and Clark expedition explored the area. John Jacob Astor's fur depot, Astoria, was founded in 1811. Disputes for control of Oregon between American settlers and the Hudson Bay Company were finally resolved in the 1846 Oregon Treaty, in which Great Britain gave up claims to the region.<br />Oregon has a $3.3 billion lumber and wood products industry, and an $859 million paper and allied manufacturing industry. Its salmon-fishing industry is one of the world's largest.<br />In agriculture, the state leads in growing peppermint, cover seed crops, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, black raspberries, and hazelnuts. It is second in raising hops, red raspberries, prunes, snap beans, and onions.<br />With the low-cost electric power provided by dams, Oregon has developed steadily as a manufacturing state. Leading manufactured items are lumber and plywood, metalwork, machinery, aluminum, chemicals, paper, food packing, and electronic equipment. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108262.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108262.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Oregon's largest private employer is Intel, located in the Silicon Forest area in Portland's west side. Nike and Precision Castparts are the only Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Oregonians have voted for the Democratic Presidential candidate in every election since 1988. The base of Democratic support is largely concentrated in the urban centers of the Willamette Valley. In both 2000 and 2004, the Democratic Presidential candidate won Oregon, but did so with majorities in only eight of Oregon's 36 counties. The eastern two-thirds of the state beyond the Cascade Mountains often votes Republican; in 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush carried every county east of the Cascades. However, the region's sparse population means that the more populous counties in the Willamette Valley usually carry the day in statewide elections. Oregon's politics are largely similar to those of neighboring Washington, for instance in the contrast between urban and rural issues.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Oregon has the nation's only doctor assisted suicide law, called the "Death with Dignity Law".</div><br /><div>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 348,239; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 104,312; and the Assemblies of God with 49,357.<br />Of the U.S. states, Oregon has the fourth largest percentage of people identifying themselves as "non-religious", at 21 percent, after Colorado, Washington, and Vermont. However, 75-79% of Oregonians identify themselves as being Christian, and some hold deeply conservative convictions. During much of the 1990s a group of conservative Christians formed the Oregon Citizens Alliance, and unsuccessfully tried to pass legislation to prevent "gay sensitivity training" in public schools and legal benefits for homosexual couples.<br />Oregon also contains the largest community of Russian Old Believers to be found in the United States. Additionally, Oregon, particularly the Portland metropolitan area, has become known as a center of non-mainstream spirituality. The Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association, reported to be the largest such institution of its kind, is headquartered in Portland, and the popular New Age film What the Bleep Do We Know? was filmed and had its premiere in Portland. There are an estimated 6 to 10 thousand Muslims of various ethnic backgrounds in Oregon. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>Oregon is also one of four major world hazelnut growing regions, and produces 95% of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States. While the history of the wine production in Oregon can be traced to before Prohibition, it became a significant industry beginning in the 1970s. In 2005, Oregon ranked third among U.S. states with 303 wineries. Due to regional similarities in climate and soil, the grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the French regions of Alsace and Burgundy. In the northeastern region of the state, particularly around Pendleton, both irrigated and dryland wheat is grown. Oregon farmers and ranchers also produce cattle, sheep, dairy products, eggs and poultry.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Vast forests have historically made Oregon one of the nation's major timber production and logging states, but forest fires (such as the Tillamook Burn), over-harvesting, and lawsuits over the proper management of the extensive federal forest holdings have reduced the amount of timber produced.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>High technology industries and services have been a major employer since the 1970s.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Oregon is also the home of large corporations in other industries. The world headquarters of Nike, Inc. are located near Beaverton. Medford is home to two of the largest mail order companies in the country: Harry and David Operations Corp. which sells gift items under several brands, and Musician's Friend, an international catalog and Internet retailer of musical instruments and related products.Medford is also home to the national headquarters of the Fortune 1000 company, Lithia Motors. Portland is home to one of the West's largest trade book publishing houses, Graphic Arts Center Publishing.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Oregon has one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world, although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent years.</div><br /><div>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Loony Laws</span></strong></div><br /><div>Wait until Starbucks hears about this one! In Corvallis a woman isn't allowed to drink coffee after 6pm. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>In Klamath Falls, Oregon it is still illegal to kick the heads off of rattlesnakes. This law was used when years ago, main street sidewalks were wooden. Rattlesnakes would pop their heads up through knot holes and people would kick at them, creating nasty smells from under those wooden sidewalks.</div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-42283845297600971792008-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-30T00:01:00.642-07:00Day 46: Election Prayer Focus Washington<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85hOeeh0wtQBPbVgiqnScgJZPWsqV226Ui3N9zQFvSe8pTIv5l6FHFMqezwntH546sKORtvW6Uf_FNGMGVTrhlJm_ESOWL8GIxD0x4byPD0l1eoTPxA88cYoKRkQbdWZ2aWlMjxonm2yx/s1600-h/thumbnailCAUUGZTO.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262738395251304706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85hOeeh0wtQBPbVgiqnScgJZPWsqV226Ui3N9zQFvSe8pTIv5l6FHFMqezwntH546sKORtvW6Uf_FNGMGVTrhlJm_ESOWL8GIxD0x4byPD0l1eoTPxA88cYoKRkQbdWZ2aWlMjxonm2yx/s320/thumbnailCAUUGZTO.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Washington - The Evergreen State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: "by and by"</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Olympia</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Seattle</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Christine Gregoire (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Patty Murray (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Maria Cantwell (D)</div><br /><div>1. Jay Inslee (D)<br />2. Rick Larsen (D)<br />3. Brian Baird (D)<br />4. Doc Hastings (R)<br />5. Cathy McMorris (R)<br />6. Norman D. Dicks (D)<br />7. Jim McDermott (D)<br />8. Dave Reichert (R)<br />9. Adam Smith (D) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Washington.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Washington.<br />*Declare the people of Washington are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Washington walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Washington.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Washington.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Washington.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Washington.<br />*Declare Christians in Washington get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Washington.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As part of the vast Oregon Country, Washington territory was visited by Spanish, American, and British explorers—Bruno Heceta for Spain in 1775, the American Capt. Robert Gray in 1792, and Capt. George Vancouver for Britain in 1792–1794. Lewis and Clark explored the Columbia River region and coastal areas for the U.S. in 1805–1806.<br />Rival American and British settlers and conflicting territorial claims threatened war in the early 1840s. However, in 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the boundary at the 49th parallel and war was averted.<br />Washington is a leading lumber producer. Its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa and white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar. The state holds first place in apples, lentils, dry edible peas, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries, and ranks high in apricots, asparagus, grapes, peppermint oil, and potatoes. Livestock and livestock products make important contributions to total farm revenue and the commercial fishing catch of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish makes a significant contribution to the state's economy.<br />Manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft and missiles, shipbuilding and other transportation equipment, lumber, food processing, metals and metal products, chemicals, and machinery.<br />Washington has over 1,000 dams, including the Grand Coulee, built for a variety of purposes including irrigation, power, flood control, and water storage.<br />Among the major points of interest: Mt. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks. Mount St. Helens, a peak in the Cascade Range, erupted in May 1980. Also of interest are Whitman Mission and Fort Vancouver National Historic Sites; and the Pacific Science Center and the Space Needle, in Seattle. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108286.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108286.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The state is named after George Washington, the first President of the United States. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone). Washington is often called Washington state or the State of Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia (which is usually called Washington, D.C.).</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>The religious affiliations of Washington's population are:<br />Christian – 63%<br />Protestant – 29%<br />Lutheran – 6%<br />Baptist – 6%<br />Methodist – 4%<br />Presbyterian – 3%<br />Other Protestant or general Protestant – 10%<br />Catholic – 20%<br />Other Christian – 11%<br />Latter-day Saint – 3%<br />Other Religions – 5%<br />Refused – 6%<br />No religion – 25%<br />The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 716,133; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 178,000; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 127,854.<br />As with many other Western states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is higher than the national average. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>The state has been thought of as politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with Western Washington being liberal (particularly the I-5 Corridor) and Eastern Washington being conservative. Lately however, Washington has voted for the Democratic Presidential candidate in every election since 1988. Spokane, the state's second largest city located in Eastern Washington, has been leaning more liberal, with one example being Democrat Maria Cantwell winning by a wide margin in the 2006 senate race against Republican Mike McGavick. Since the population is larger in the west, the Democrats usually fare better statewide. More specifically, the Seattle metro area (especially King County) generally delivers strong Democratic margins, while the outlying areas of Western Washington were nearly tied in both 2000 and 2004.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Washington is the first and only state in the country to have elected women to all three major statewide offices (Governor Chris Gregoire and U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell) at the same time.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-79678282222704645752008-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-29T00:01:00.883-07:00Day 45: Election Prayer Focus Idaho<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK46oHnkJJqmQn2IGwbknMNoROP0Dput5v7KG-MQeW9Z0jGAjuN29VcAR9bs0yMehADtsT-z7f8Kjx0Y0Z1r09XwfW6GIjxBMSOrn3uaq-b3DjWr1iDQFZFEanh8RMy0LHZyln2pUrRg_e/s1600-h/thumbnailCAN2DIQ0.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262364905453000834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK46oHnkJJqmQn2IGwbknMNoROP0Dput5v7KG-MQeW9Z0jGAjuN29VcAR9bs0yMehADtsT-z7f8Kjx0Y0Z1r09XwfW6GIjxBMSOrn3uaq-b3DjWr1iDQFZFEanh8RMy0LHZyln2pUrRg_e/s320/thumbnailCAN2DIQ0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Idaho - The Gem State</strong></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: It is forever</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Boise</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor C. L. Butch Otter (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Larry E. Craig (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Mike Crapo (R)</div><br /><div>1. Bill Sali (R)<br />2. Mike Simpson (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Idaho.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Idaho.<br />*Declare the people of Idaho are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Idaho walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Idaho.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Idaho.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Idaho.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Idaho.<br />*Declare Christians in Idaho get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Idaho.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The region was explored by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805–1806. It was then a part of the Oregon country, held jointly by the United States and Great Britain. Boundary disputes with Great Britain were settled by the Oregon Treaty in 1846, and the first permanent U.S. settlement in Idaho was established by the Mormons at Franklin in 1860.<br />After gold was discovered at Orofino Creek in 1860, prospectors swarmed into the territory, but they left little more than a number of ghost towns.<br />In the 1870s, growing white occupation of Indian lands led to a series of battles between U.S. forces and the Nez Percé, Bannock, and Sheepeater tribes.<br />Mining and lumbering have been important for years. Idaho ranks high among the states in silver, antimony, lead, cobalt, garnet, phosphate rock, vanadium, zinc, and mercury.<br />Agriculture is a major industry: The state produces about one fourth of the nation's potato crop, as well as wheat, apples, corn, barley, sugar beets, and hops.<br />The 1990s saw a remarkable growth in the high technology industries, concentrated in the metropolitan Boise area.<br />With the growth of winter sports, tourism now outranks other industries in revenue. Idaho's many streams and lakes provide fishing, camping, and boating sites. The nation's largest elk herds draw hunters from all over the world, and the famed Sun Valley resort attracts thousands of visitors to its swimming, golfing, and skiing facilities. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108207.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108207.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The Idaho landscape is rugged with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. It is a Rocky Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, vast lakes and steep canyons. The waters of Snake River rush through Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in the United States. Shoshone Falls plunges down rugged cliffs from a height greater than that of Niagara Falls. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion</span></strong></div><br /><div>According to the 15th annual Idaho Public Policy study by the Social Science Research Center at BSU, the ambiguous religious affiliations of Idahoans break down roughly as follows.<br />Protestant – 29.3%<br />LDS (Mormon) – 22.8%<br />Catholic – 14.3%<br />Christian – 13.6%<br />None – 12.7%<br />Other – 7.2%<br />The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 311,425; the Roman Catholic Church with 130,847; the Assemblies of God with 18,745; and the United Methodist Church with 17,683. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one third of the potatoes grown in the United States.<br />Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The world's largest factory for barrel cheese, the raw product for processed cheese is located in Gooding, Idaho. It has a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the Glanbia group. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a government lab for nuclear energy research, is also an important part of the eastern Idaho economy. Idaho also is home to three facilities of Anheuser-Busch which provide a large part of the malt for breweries located across the nation.<br />Today, the largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sector. It accounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Since the late 1970s, Boise has emerged as a center for semiconductor manufacturing. Boise is the home of Micron Technology Inc., the only U.S. manufacturer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Hewlett-Packard, has operated a large plant in Boise, in southwestern Idaho, since the 1970s, which is devoted primarily to LaserJet printers production. Dell, Inc. operates a major customer support call center in Twin Falls. AMI Semiconductor, whose worldwide headquarter locates in Pocatello, is a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal foundry services and structured digital products. Coldwater Creek, a women's clothing retailer, is headquartered in Sandpoint. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics<br /></span></strong>After the Civil War, many Southern Democrats moved to Idaho Territory. As a result, the early territorial legislatures were solidly Democrat-controlled. In contrast, most of the territorial governors were appointed by Republican Presidents and were Republicans themselves. This led to sometimes bitter clashes between the two parties. In the 1880s, Republicans became more prominent in local politics.<br />Since statehood, the Republican Party has usually been the dominant party in Idaho, as there was a polar shift in social and political stance between the two parties, when the Democrats became more liberal and the Republicans more conservative. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the Populist Party enjoyed prominence while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Since World War II, most statewide elected officials have been Republicans. In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics as well. It has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-59563119454411490182008-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-28T00:01:00.394-07:00Day 44: Election Prayer Focus Nevada<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jv2hOkqRdD5860muRouQ3dyWkwvvfUxtdy-QAeGAMWHv58ElNupH8TMzuYZuI3zcoNWbRAvArXGY7HPF5_j6jp_0miJCzsZnpLPGwaIB20NM_ImQ8sTjUJIzrDEgs9NENe-vZF-GvK5c/s1600-h/thumbnailCA8VDJIU.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262009720695839746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jv2hOkqRdD5860muRouQ3dyWkwvvfUxtdy-QAeGAMWHv58ElNupH8TMzuYZuI3zcoNWbRAvArXGY7HPF5_j6jp_0miJCzsZnpLPGwaIB20NM_ImQ8sTjUJIzrDEgs9NENe-vZF-GvK5c/s320/thumbnailCA8VDJIU.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Nevada - Sagebrush State; Silver State; Battleborn State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: All for Our Country</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Carson City</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Las Vegas</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Jim Gibbons (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Harry Reid (D)</div><br /><div>Senator John Ensign (R)</div><br /><div>1. Shelley Berkley (D)<br />2. Dean Heller (R)<br />3. Jon C. Porter (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Nevada.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Nevada.<br />*Declare the people of Nevada are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Nevada walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Nevada.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Nevada.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Nevada.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Nevada.<br />*Declare Christians in Nevada get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Nevada.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Trappers and traders, including Jedediah Smith and Peter Skene Ogden, entered the Nevada area in the 1820s. In 1843–1845, John C. Frémont and Kit Carson explored the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada. The U.S. obtained the region in 1848 following the Mexican War, and the first permanent settlement was a Mormon trading post near present-day Genoa.<br />The driest state in the nation, with an average annual rainfall of only about 7 in., much of Nevada is uninhabited, sagebrush-covered desert. The wettest part of the state receives about 40 in. of precipitation per year, while the driest spot has less than 4 in. per year.<br />Nevada was made famous by the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the richest known U.S. silver deposit, in 1859, and its mines have produced large quantities of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, barite, and tungsten. Oil was discovered in 1954. Gold now far exceeds all other minerals in value of production.<br />In 1931, the state created two industries, divorce and gambling. For many years, Reno and Las Vegas were the “divorce capitals of the nation.” More liberal divorce laws in many states have ended this distinction, but Nevada is still the gambling capital of the U.S. and a leading entertainment center. State gambling taxes account for 34.1% of general fund tax revenues. Although Nevada leads the nation in per capita gambling revenue, it ranks only tenth in total gambling revenue.<br />The state's leading agricultural industry is cattle and calves. Agricultural crops consist mainly of hay, alfalfa seed, barley, wheat, and potatoes.<br />Nevada manufactures gaming equipment; lawn and garden irrigation devices; titanium products; seismic and machinery monitoring devices; and specialty printing. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108242.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108242.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The state's nickname is "The Silver State" due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there. In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state to enter the union, and the phrase "Battle Born" on the state flag reflects the state's entry on the Union side during the American Civil War. Its first settlement was called Mormon Station.<br />Nevada is the seventh-largest state in area, and geographically covers the Mojave Desert in the south to the Great Basin in the north. About 86% of the state's land is owned by the U.S federal government under various jurisdictions both civilian and military. As of 2006, there were about 2.6 million residents, with over 85% of the population residing in the metropolitan areas around Las Vegas and Reno. The state is well known for its easy marriage and divorce proceedings, legalization of gambling and, in a few counties, legalized brothels.<br />In 2005, the state issued a specialty license plate via the Nevada Commission on Tourism that lists the name of the state as Nevăda to help with the pronunciation problem. The local pronunciation of the state's name is not /nəˈvæ.də/ (as in the "a" in "father"), but /nəˈvɑ.də/ (as in the "a" in "glad"). Local residents - particularly natives of the state - resent hearing Nevada's name pronounced differently in the national media, a problem that has crystallized with increased coverage of the state following the 2008 Presidential Primary Elections.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Gaming and Labor</span></strong><br /><a class="internal" title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LasVegasSign06212005.jpg"></a>Gambling erupted once more following a recession in the early 20th century, helping to build the city of Las Vegas.<br />Unregulated gambling was common place in the early Nevada mining towns but outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gaming crusade. Due to subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great Depression, Nevada re-legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. At the time, the leading proponents of gambling expected that it would be a short term fix until the state's economic base widened to include less cyclical industries. However, re-outlawing gambling has never been seriously considered since, and the industry has become Nevada's primary source of revenue today.<br />The Hoover Dam, located outside Las Vegas near Boulder City, was constructed in the years 1932–1935. Thousands of workers from across the country came to build the dam, and providing for their needs in turn required many more workers. The boom in population is likely to have fueled the re-legalization of gambling, alike present-day industry. Both Hoover Dam and later war industries such as the Basic Magnesium Plant first started the growth of the southern area of the state near Las Vegas. Over the last 75 years, Clark County has grown in relation to the Reno area, and today encompasses most of the state's population.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Nuclear Testing</span></strong><br />The Nevada Test Site, 65 miles (105 km) Northwest of the City of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951 for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site is composed of approximately 1,350 square miles (3,500 km2) of desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a one-kiloton of TNT (4 terajoule) bomb dropped on Frenchman Flats on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962 and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for the highest amount of concentrated nuclear detonated weapons in the U.S. It is also the home of Area 51.<br />Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. The primary reason for this is that homesteads were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of ranching still prevails). The deficiencies in the Homestead Act as applied to Nevada were probably due to a lack of understanding of the Nevada environment, although some firebrands (so-called "Sagebrush Rebels") maintain that it was due to pressure from mining interests to keep land out of the hands of common folk.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are:<br />Roman Catholic – 27%<br />Protestant<br />Mainline – 11%<br />Evangelical – 13%<br />Other Protestant – 2%<br />Latter-day Saint/ Mormon – 11%<br />Muslim – 2%<br />Jewish – 1%<br />Other Religions – 1%<br />Unaffiliated – 20% </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Registration is nearly evenly split between the two major parties. According to official statistics, 38.1% of voters are registered Republicans, 41.7% are Democrats and the remaining 20.1% are considered Independents. As a result, Nevada remains a swing state in both state and federal politics.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Nevada Laws</span></strong></div><br /><div>In 1900, Nevada's population was the smallest of all states and was shrinking, as the difficulties of living in a "barren desert" began to outweigh the lure of silver for many early settlers. Historian Lawrence Friedman has explained what happened next:<br />Nevada, in a burst of ingenuity, built an economy by exploiting its sovereignty. Its strategy was to legalize all sorts of things that were illegal in California ... after easy divorce came easy marriage and casino gambling.<br />Even prostitution is legal in Nevada (under the form of licensed brothels) in most rural counties (it is however illegal in Clark County, which contains Las Vegas, in Washoe County, which contains Reno, in Carson City, and in two other counties).<br /><br />Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that, prior to the no-fault divorce revolution in the 1970s, divorces were quite difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gambling and prostitution, Nevada continued the trend of boosting its profile by adopting one of the most liberal divorce statutes in the nation.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-80467029903929633402008-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-27T00:01:00.746-07:00Day 43: Election Prayer Focus Utah<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2MIGob2eeixlvEorWR0X-Jlg7pqUCJ_bib8M7Dest6PuYie-m6NOou0XJjQjBDFb4nLsD9Nohomsure0ksHKE1MmJWRx-Gge-M-Q4_4zTfgys99lusx2sioXONVmTn3fJjuWUZ1shdjD/s1600-h/246477715%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261650936328258754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 108px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2MIGob2eeixlvEorWR0X-Jlg7pqUCJ_bib8M7Dest6PuYie-m6NOou0XJjQjBDFb4nLsD9Nohomsure0ksHKE1MmJWRx-Gge-M-Q4_4zTfgys99lusx2sioXONVmTn3fJjuWUZ1shdjD/s320/246477715%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Utah - Beehive State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Industry</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Salt Lake City</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor John Huntsman, Jr. (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Robert F. Bennett (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R)</div><br /><div>1. Rob Bishop (R)<br />2. Jim Matheson (D)<br />3. Chris Cannon (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare the people of Utah are open to the truth of the Gospel.</div><br /><div>*Declare divine strategies come to Christian leaders to effectively evangelize the people of Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare the leaders of Utah walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.</div><br /><div>*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare protection over the state of Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare Christians in Utah get out and vote for the party platfom that lines up with the Word of God.</div><br /><div>*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Utah.</div><br /><div>*Declare an expansion of Christian media in Utah.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The region was first explored for Spain by Franciscan friars Escalante and Dominguez in 1776. In 1824 the famous American frontiersman Jim Bridger discovered the Great Salt Lake.<br />Fleeing religious persecution in the East and Midwest, the Mormons arrived in 1847 and began to build Salt Lake City. The U.S. acquired the Utah region in the treaty ending the Mexican War in 1848, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed with the driving of a golden spike at Promontory Summit in 1869.<br />Mormon difficulties with the federal government about polygamy did not end until the Mormon Church renounced the practice in 1890, six years before Utah became a state.<br />Rich in natural resources, Utah has long been a leading producer of copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc, and molybdenum. Oil has also become a major product. Utah shares rich oil shale deposits with Colorado and Wyoming. Utah also has large deposits of low sulphur coal.<br />The state's top agricultural commodities include cattle and calves, dairy products, hay, greenhouse and nursery products, and hogs.<br />Utah's traditional industries of agriculture and mining are complemented by increased tourism and growing aerospace, biomedical, and computer-related businesses. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108279.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108279.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Utah is known for being one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union, with approximately 58 percent of its adult inhabitants claiming membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church or the LDS Church), which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life. It is also known for geological diversity ranging from snowcapped mountains to well-watered river valleys to rugged, stony deserts and open plains.<br />The state is a center of transportation, information technology and research, government services and mining as well as a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. St. Georg, Utah was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000–2005 with Utah being the sixth fastest growing state overall in 2006.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Morman Settlement</span></strong></div><br /><div>Following the assassination of Joseph Smith, Jr., in Carthage, Illinois, in 1844, the more than 11,000 Latter-Day Saints remaining in Nauvoo, IL struggled in conflict with neighbors until Brigham Young, the President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, emerged as the leader of the largest portion.<br />Brigham Young and the first band of Mormon pioneers came to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah. For the first few years, Brigham Young and the thousands of early settlers of Salt Lake City struggled to survive. The barren desert land was deemed by the Mormons as desirable as a place they could practice their religion without interference.<br />It is not widely known that Utah was the source of many pioneer settlements located elsewhere in the West. From the beginning, Salt Lake City was seen as only the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth" of Mormon settlements. Fed by a constant supply of church converts coming from the East and around the world, Church leaders often assigned groups of church members to establish settlements throughout the West. Beginning with settlements along Utah's Wasatch front (Salt Lake City, then Bountiful and Weber Valley, then Provo and Utah Valley), irrigation enabled the establishment of fairly large pioneer populations in an area that Jim Bridger had advised Young would be inhospitable for the cultivation of crops because of frost. Throughout the remainder of the 1800s, Mormon pioneers called by Brigham Young would leave Salt Lake City and establish hundreds of other settlements in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, California, Canada, and Mexico. At the time, Young had an expansionist's view of the territory he and the Mormon pioneers were settling, calling it Deseret - which church founder Smith had taught meant "honeybee" - hence the beehive which can still be found on the Utah flag, and the state's motto, "Industry."</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>A majority of the state's residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormons or the LDS Church. As of 2007, the percentage of Utahns that are counted as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is 60.7 percent of the state's population. The Salt Lake Tribune has projected that Latter-day Saints may no longer be a majority in the state, not just the case in Salt Lake City, as early as 2030, though the LDS Church refuted the Tribune's findings by publicly reporting its end-of-year 2007 statistics in January 2008 that 1.8 million (or 72 percent of total Utahns) are recorded on its rolls.<br />The LDS Church's doctrine's has historically had a strong regional influence and as historically law makers have been church members, the effect has contributed to the state's restrictiveness towards alcohol and gambling. Another doctrine effect can be seen in its high birth rate (25 percent higher than the national average; the highest for a state in the U.S.). The Mormons in Utah tend to have conservative views when it comes to most political issues and the majority of voter-age Utahns are unaffiliated voters (60%) who vote overwhelmingly Republican.<br />The self identified religious affiliations of adults (note that numbers below do not include children, a possible cause of the disparity with the percentage identified above, though it does include non-lds mormons) living in Utah are:<br />Latter day saints/Mormon 58%<br />Unaffiliated 16%<br />Catholic 10%<br />Evangelicals 7%<br />Mainline Protestants 6%<br />Black Protestant Churches 1%<br />Don't know or Refused to specify 1%<br />Totals are rounded. Jehovah's Witness, Orthodox, Other Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and other world religions each make up less than .5%. Other faiths total 1%.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Early suffrage<br /></span></strong>Utah granted full voting rights to women in 1870, 26 years before becoming a state. Among all U.S. states, only Wyoming granted suffrage to women earlier. However, in 1887 the Edmunds-Tucker Act was passed by Congress in an effort to curtail excessive Mormon influence in the territorial government. One of the provisions of the Act was the repeal of suffrage; full suffrage was not returned until Utah was admitted to the Union in 1896. To this day, Utah is one of the 15 states that has not ratified the U.S. Equal Rights Amendment.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Utah votes predominately Republican. Self-identified Latter-day Saints are more likely to vote for Republican ticket than non-Mormons, and Utah is one of the most Republican states in the nation. Utah is much more conservative than the United States as a whole, particularly on social issues. Compared to other Republican-dominated states in the Mountain West such as <a title="Wyoming" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming">Wyoming</a>, Utah politics have a more moralistic and less libertarian character.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Miscellaneous</span></strong></div><br /><div>Due to its high total birth rate (highest of any state in the U.S.), Utah has the youngest population of any state.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Utah ranks 47th in teenage pregnancy, last in percentage of births out of wedlock, last in number of abortions per capita, and last in percentage of teen pregnancies terminated in abortion. Statistics relating to pregnancies and abortions may be artificially low from teenagers going out of state for abortions because of parental notification requirements. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Utah has the lowest child povertyrate in the country, despite its young demographics.</div><br /><div><br />According to Internal Revenue Service tax returns, Utahns rank first among all U.S. states in the proportion of income given to charity by the wealthy.</div><br /><div><br />According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Utah has the highest rate of volunteerism. </div><br /><div><br />Jell-O is the official snack food of Utah, giving rise to the term the Jell-O Belt</div><br /><div>.<br />According to the National Restaurant Association, Utah has the lowest rate of restaurants per capita, with 4,691 restaurants at a rate of 1.90 restaurants per person.</div><br /><div><br />According to Walmart, Utah has the fewest number of Walmart stores per capita at .081 per 100,000 people.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>High School Musical 3</em> was filmed in Salt Lake City at East High School.</div><div> </div><div>Home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-79006664677663666912008-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-26T00:01:01.026-07:00Day 42: Election Prayer Focus Arizona<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9kLExIlnIuisghsPem2WGhWOU2vb3S9Hb6JZt8bnoCWyP5409-uoCfRWIXvzqu1IUxeyeuVmeyRZRpy4e3Yh5HMN1wK1dBEr3-J85mCfuOa49MqOd1uNEspFpzppAS7oy4CaY_TVg1wx/s1600-h/thumbnailCAHI26WM.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261223734384916402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9kLExIlnIuisghsPem2WGhWOU2vb3S9Hb6JZt8bnoCWyP5409-uoCfRWIXvzqu1IUxeyeuVmeyRZRpy4e3Yh5HMN1wK1dBEr3-J85mCfuOa49MqOd1uNEspFpzppAS7oy4CaY_TVg1wx/s320/thumbnailCAHI26WM.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Arizona - Grand Canyon State</strong></span></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: God enriches</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Phoenix</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Home of Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div>Governor Janet Napolitano (D)</div><br /><br /><div>Senator John McCain (R)</div><br /><br /><div>Senator Jon Kyl (R)</div><br /><br /><div>1. Rick Renzi (R)<br />2. Trent Franks (R)<br />3. John Shadegg (R)<br />4. Ed Pastor (D)<br />5. Harry Mitchell (D)<br />6. Jeff Flake (R)<br />7. Raul Grijalva (D)<br />8. Gabrielle Giffords (D) </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Prayer Points</strong></span></div><br /><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Arizona.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Arizona.<br />*Declare the people of Arizona are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.</div><br /><div>*Declare the many "seekers" who come to Arizona to find spiritual enlightment have a divine encounter with Jesus Christ.<br />*Declare expansion to Christian media in Arizona.<br />*Declare the leaders of Arizona walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Arizona.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Arizona.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Arizona. </div><br /><div>*Declare the extensive Arizona border is secure.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Arizona.<br />*Declare Christians in Arizona get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Arizona.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan friar, was the first European to explore Arizona. He entered the area in 1539 in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. Although he was followed a year later by another gold seeker, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, most of the early settlement was for missionary purposes. In 1775 the Spanish established Fort Tucson. In 1848, after the Mexican War, most of the Arizona territory became part of the U.S., and the southern portion of the territory was added by the Gadsden Purchase in 1853.<br />Arizona history is rich in legends of America's Old West. It was here that the great Indian chiefs Geronimo and Cochise led their people against the frontiersmen. Tombstone, Ariz., was the site of the West's most famous shoot-out—the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Today, Arizona has one of the largest U.S. Indian populations; more than 14 tribes are represented on 20 reservations.<br />Manufacturing has become Arizona's most important industry. Principal products include electrical, communications, and aeronautical items. The state produces over half of the country's copper. Agriculture is also important to the state's economy. Top commodities are cattle and calves, dairy products, and cotton. In 1973 one of the world's most massive dams, the New Cornelia Tailings, was completed near Ajo.<br />State attractions include the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Fort Apache, and the reconstructed London Bridge at Lake Havasu City. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108181.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108181.html</a>)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Arizona was the 48th and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with cooler weather than the lower deserts. New population figures for the year ending July 1, 2006 indicate that Arizona was at that time the fastest growing state in the United States, exceeding the growth of the previous leader, Nevada.<br />Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, touches Colorado, and has a 389-mile (626 km) international border with the states of Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. In addition to the Grand Canyon, many other national forests, parks, monuments, and Indian reservations are located in the state.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The Grand Canyon is a colorful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona. The canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park—one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of designating the Grand Canyon area, visiting on numerous occasions to hunt mountain lion and enjoy the scenery.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Arizona is home to one of the largest and most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. The Barringer Meteorite Crater (better known simply as "Meteor Crater") is a gigantic hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Winslow. A rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises 150 feet (46 m) above the level of the surrounding plain. The crater itself is nearly a mile wide, and 570 feet (174 m) deep.<br />Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, except in the Navajo Nation, located in the northeastern region of the state.</div>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona</a>)<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>According to a 2008 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the most common self-reported religious affiliation of Arizona residents are:<br />Roman Catholic - 25%<br />Evangelical Christian - 23%<br />Non-Religious / Unaffiliated - 22%<br />Mainline Protestant - 15%<br />Latter-Day Saint / Mormon - 4%<br />Judaism - 1%<br />Others - 11%<br />L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, lived in Phoenix during Scientology's formative years. Arizona has been labeled the "Birthplace of Scientology." (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona</a>)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div>From statehood through the late 1940s, Arizona was primarily dominated by the Democratic party. During this time period, the Democratic candidate for the presidency carried the state each election, with the only exceptions being the elections of 1920, 1924 and 1928.<br />Since the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, however, the state has voted consistently Republican in national politics, with the Republican candidate carrying the state every time with the sole exception of Bill Clinton in United States presidential election, 1996. In recent years, the Republican Party has also dominated Arizona politics in general. The fast-growing Phoenix and Tucson suburbs became increasingly friendly to Republicans from the 1950s onward. During this time, many "Pinto Democrats," or conservative Democrats from rural areas, became increasingly willing to support Republicans at the state and national level. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>The state's per capita income is $27,232, 39th in the U.S. Arizona had a median household income of $46,693 making it 27th in the country and just shy of the US national median. Early in its history, Arizona's economy relied on the "Five C's": copper (see Copper mining in Arizona), cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate (tourism). At one point Arizona was the largest producer of cotton in the country. Copper is still extensively mined from many expansive open-pit and underground mines, accounting for two-thirds of the nation's output. The state government is Arizona's largest employer, while Wal-Mart is the state's largest private employer, with 17,343 employees (2008). (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-69957072989647468222008-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-25T00:01:00.436-07:00Day 41: Election Prayer Focus New Mexico<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuUjEG2bE3b3oo-bh_ecbP33w_VbIYNJ1XWjDw6ZErQoNtCyq3ii-qkpbCAtYoeF36RkwE_FKpsCRLiM_jzKgqVvH5rikbSax9EDGpr0oBrjW50wZoCw4jpCkLNcqOpKkQJmqW95YZ1BU/s1600-h/thumbnailCAKYC9RR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260514412704284754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 149px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuUjEG2bE3b3oo-bh_ecbP33w_VbIYNJ1XWjDw6ZErQoNtCyq3ii-qkpbCAtYoeF36RkwE_FKpsCRLiM_jzKgqVvH5rikbSax9EDGpr0oBrjW50wZoCw4jpCkLNcqOpKkQJmqW95YZ1BU/s320/thumbnailCAKYC9RR.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>New Mexico - Land of Enchantment</strong></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: It grows as it goes</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Santa Fe</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Albuquerque</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Bill Richardson (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Jeff Bingaman (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Pete V. Domenici (R)</div><br /><div>1. Heather Wilson (R)<br />2. Steve Pearce (R)<br />3. Tom Udall (D) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of New Mexico.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in New Mexico.<br />*Declare the people of New Mexico are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of New Mexico walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of New Mexico.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of New Mexico.<br />*Declare protection over the state of New Mexico.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in New Mexico.<br />*Declare Christians in New Mexico get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in New Mexico.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish explorer searching for gold, traveled the region that became New Mexico in 1540–1542. In 1598 the first Spanish settlement was established on the Rio Grande River by Juan de Onate; in 1610 Santa Fe was founded and made the capital of New Mexico.<br />The U.S. acquired most of New Mexico in 1848, as a result of the Mexican War, and the remainder in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. Union troops captured the territory from the Confederates during the Civil War. With the surrender of Geronimo in 1886, the Apache Wars and most of the Indian conflicts in the area were ended.<br />Since 1945, New Mexico has been a leader in energy research and development with extensive experiments conducted at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Sandia Laboratories in the nuclear, solar, and geothermal areas.<br />Minerals are the state's richest natural resource, and New Mexico is one of the U.S. leaders in output of uranium and potassium salts. Petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and molybdenum also contribute heavily to the state's income.<br />The principal manufacturing industries include food products, chemicals, transportation equipment, lumber, electrical machinery, and stone-clay-glass products. More than two-thirds of New Mexico's farm income comes from livestock products, especially sheep. Cotton, pecans, and sorghum are the most important field crops. Corn, peanuts, beans, onions, chilies, and lettuce are also grown. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108250.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108250.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Religion</strong></span></div><br /><div>According to a report compiled by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, the largest denominations in 2000 were the Catholic Church with 670,511; the Southern Baptist Convention with 132,675; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 42,261; and the United Methodist Church with 41,597 adherents. According to a 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center, the most common self-reported religious affiliation of New Mexico residents are:<br />Roman Catholic – 26%<br />Evangelical Christian denominations – 25%<br />Unaffiliated – 21%<br />Mainline Protestant – 15%<br />Other affiliations – 12%<br />No answer – 1% </div><br /><div>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics<br /></span></strong>In the past, New Mexico has given its electoral votes to all but two Presidential election winners since statehood. In these exceptions, New Mexicans supported Republican President Gerald Ford over Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Democratic Vice President Al Gore over Texas Governor George W. Bush in 2000.<br />Recently, New Mexico supported Democrats in 1992, 1996, and 2000. In 2004, George W. Bush narrowly won the state's electoral votes by a margin of 0.8 percentage points with 49.8% of the vote. Democrats hold majorities in 21 of the 33 counties of New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Las Cruces, two northwestern counties, and, by large margins, in six counties of Northern New Mexico (Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Taos, Mora, San Miguel, and Guadalupe).<br />The Democratic Party generally dominates state politics, and as of 2008, 50% of voters were registered Democrats, 33% were registered Republicans, and 15% did not affiliate with either of the two major parties. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Culture</span></strong></div><br /><div>With a Native American population of 134,000 in 1990, New Mexico still ranks as an important center of American Indian culture. Both the Navajo and Apache share Athabaskan origin. The Apache and some Ute live on federal reservations within the state. With 16 million acres, mostly in neighboring Arizona, the reservation of the Navajo Nation ranks as the largest in the United States. The prehistorically agricultural Pueblo Indians live in pueblos scattered throughout the state, many older than any European settlement.<br />More than one-third of New Mexicans claim Hispanic origin, the vast majority of whom descend from the original Spanish colonists in the northern portion of the state. Most of the considerably fewer recent Mexican immigrants reside in the southern part of the state.<br />There are many New Mexicans who also speak a unique dialect of Spanish. New Mexican Spanish has vocabulary often unknown to other Spanish speakers. Because of the historical isolation of New Mexico from other speakers of the Spanish language, the local dialect preserves some late medieval Castilian vocabulary considered archaic elsewhere, adopts numerous Native American words for local features, and contains much Anglicized vocabulary for American concepts and modern inventions. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico</a>)</div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-10581519605305843382008-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-24T00:01:00.291-07:00Day 40: Election Prayer Focus Colorado<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VJ5iPQgs-xMDUR7GsjGje6MG-CZa_P5qVoFZVZh8XsIvzMGtAGRZ9pjcSUEdGWO5N7eeP-h9W_gIp8rRu6XCDBBz7OWKydODIBFipslBvIJOehMJuJ6rtE5IW2qIea_5Jz3-sHxooM91/s1600-h/thumbnailCAZCJ0WP.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260506025983265570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 109px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VJ5iPQgs-xMDUR7GsjGje6MG-CZa_P5qVoFZVZh8XsIvzMGtAGRZ9pjcSUEdGWO5N7eeP-h9W_gIp8rRu6XCDBBz7OWKydODIBFipslBvIJOehMJuJ6rtE5IW2qIea_5Jz3-sHxooM91/s320/thumbnailCAZCJ0WP.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Colorado - Centennial State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Nothing without Providence</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Denver</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Bill Ritter (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Wayne A. Allard (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Ken Salazar (D)</div><br /><div>1. Diana DeGette (D)<br />2. Mark Udall (D)<br />3. John T. Salazar (D)<br />4. Marilyn Musgrave (R)<br />5. Doug Lamborn (R)<br />6. Thomas G. Tancredo (R)<br />7. Ed Perlmutter (D) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Colorado is a key swing state in the 2008 Presidential Election.</strong></span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Colorado.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Colorado.</div><br /><div>*Declare Christian media expands in the state of Colorado.</div><br /><div>*Declare a larger platform for Focus on the Family and its affiliate ministries to inform the nation on policy matters regarding the family and moral issues.<br />*Declare the people of Colorado are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Colorado walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Colorado.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Colorado.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Colorado.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, Air Force Academy, and military bases in Colorado.<br />*Declare Christians in Colorado get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Colorado.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First visited by Spanish explorers in the 1500s, the territory was claimed for Spain by Juan de Ulibarri in 1706. The U.S. obtained eastern Colorado as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the central portion in 1845 with the admission of Texas as a state, and the western part in 1848 as a result of the Mexican War.<br />Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any state, with more than 1,000 Rocky Mountain peaks over 10,000 ft high and 54 towering above 14,000 ft. Pikes Peak, the most famous of these mountains, was discovered by U.S. Army lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike in 1806.<br />Once primarily a mining and agricultural state, Colorado's economy is now driven by the service industries, including medical providers and other business and professional services. Colorado's economy also has a strong manufacturing base. The primary manufactures are food products, printing and publishing, machinery, and electrical instruments. The state is also a communications and transportation hub for the Rocky Mountain region.<br />The farm industry, which is primarily concentrated in livestock, is also an important element of the state's economy. The primary crops in Colorado are corn, hay, and wheat.<br />Breathtaking scenery and world-class skiing make Colorado a prime tourist destination. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108189.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108189.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Colorado is also one of only four states in the United States to share a common border (Four Corners), along with Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. At this intersection, it is possible to stand in four states at once.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>Colorado is predominately Christian, although it has a high percentage of religiously unaffiliated residents like most other Western states. Colorado, and specifically the City of Colorado Springs, serves as the headquarters of numerous Christian groups, many of them Evangelical. Focus on the Family is a major conservative Christian organization headquartered in Colorado Springs. Catholicism is popular in Colorado, and is becoming more so with the influx of Latino immigrants.<br />Major religious affiliations of the people of Colorado are:<br />Christian – 65%<br />Protestant – 44%<br />Evangelical – 23%<br />Mainline – 19%<br />Other Protestant – 2%<br />Roman Catholic – 19%<br />Latter Day Saint – 2%<br />Jewish – 2%<br />Muslim – 1%<br />Other Religions – 1%<br />Unaffiliated – 31%<br />The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 752,505; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 92,326; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 85,083. ( <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Health</span></strong><br />Colorado also has a reputation for being a state of very active and athletic people. According to several studies, Coloradoans have the lowest rates of obesity of any state in the US. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Energy<br /></span></strong>Colorado has significant energy resources. According to the Energy Information Administration, Colorado hosts seven of the Nation’s 100 largest natural gas fields and two of its 100 largest oil fields. Conventional and unconventional natural gas output from several Colorado basins typically accounts for more than 5 percent of annual U.S. natural gas production. Substantial deposits of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal are also found in the State. Colorado's high Rocky Mountain ridges offer wind power potential, and geologic activity in the mountain areas provides potential for geothermal power development. Major rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains offer hydroelectric power resources. Corn grown in the flat eastern part of the State offers potential resources for ethanol production. Notably, Colorado’s oil shale deposits hold an estimated 1 trillion barrels (160 km3) of oil – nearly as much oil as the entire world’s proven oil reserves. Oil production from those deposits, however, remains speculative. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Colorado is considered a swing state in both state and federal elections. Coloradans elected 17 Democrats and 12 Republicans to the governorship in the last 100 years. In presidential politics, Colorado supported Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992, and supported Republican presidential nominee Robert J. Dole in 1996 and George W. Bush in 2000, and 2004.<br />Colorado politics has the contrast of conservative cities such as Colorado Springs and liberal cities such as Boulder. Democrats are strongest in metropolitan Denver, the college towns of Fort Collins and Boulder, southern Colorado (including Pueblo), and a few western ski resort counties. The Republicans are strongest in the Eastern Plains, Colorado Springs, Greeley, some Denver suburbs, and the western half of State (including Grand Junction). The fastest growing parts of the state particularly Douglas, Elbert, and Weld Counties, in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area, are somewhat Republican. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado</a>)</div><div> </div><div> </div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-33482301295690492972008-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-23T00:01:00.902-07:00Day 39: Election Prayer Focus Wyoming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqVH0e70SgzZ383jGbf8eKG2zK55IvV14ARXuLKb8Wx6eWbbbkfmwTo4rNGDdOwKjYJoMM4oGtMn3ecAj500O69Mf9Sjq0RirevL9zPVLX9DXPJG6rsfeV9Fqa2Z-9Ci-gNeI1-Tk5ta_/s1600-h/180px-Wyoming%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260132878147318930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqVH0e70SgzZ383jGbf8eKG2zK55IvV14ARXuLKb8Wx6eWbbbkfmwTo4rNGDdOwKjYJoMM4oGtMn3ecAj500O69Mf9Sjq0RirevL9zPVLX9DXPJG6rsfeV9Fqa2Z-9Ci-gNeI1-Tk5ta_/s320/180px-Wyoming%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Wyoming - Equality State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Equal rights</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Cheyenne</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Dave Freudenthal (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Michael B. Enzi (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Craig Thomas (R)</div><br /><div>Rep. Barbara Cubin (R)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Wyoming.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Wyoming.<br />*Declare the people of Wyoming are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Wyoming walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Wyoming.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Wyoming.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Wyoming.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Wyoming.<br />*Declare Christians in Wyoming get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Wyoming.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The U.S. acquired the land comprising Wyoming from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. John Colter, a fur-trapper, is the first white man known to have entered the region. In 1807 he explored the Yellowstone area and brought back news of its geysers and hot springs.<br />Robert Stuart pioneered the Oregon Trail across Wyoming in 1812–1813 and, in 1834, Fort Laramie, the first permanent trading post in Wyoming, was built. Western Wyoming was obtained by the U.S. in the 1846 Oregon Treaty with Great Britain and as a result of the treaty ending the Mexican War in 1848.<br />When the Wyoming Territory was organized in 1869, Wyoming women became the first in the nation to obtain the right to vote. In 1925 Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman governor in the United States.<br />Wyoming's towering mountains and vast plains provide spectacular scenery, grazing lands for sheep and cattle, and rich mineral deposits.<br />Mining, particularly oil and natural gas, is the most important industry. Wyoming has the world's largest sodium carbonate (natrona) deposits and has the nation's second largest uranium deposits.<br />In 2004 Wyoming ranked second among the states in wool production (exceeded only by Texas) and third in sheep and lambs (exceeded only by Texas and California); it also had 1,400,000 cattle. Principal crops include wheat, oats, sugar beets, corn, barley, and alfalfa.<br />Second in mean elevation to Colorado, Wyoming has many attractions for the tourist trade, notably Yellowstone National Park. Hikers, campers and skiers are attracted to Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole National Monument in the Teton Range of the Rockies. Cheyenne is famous for its annual “Frontier Days” celebration. Flaming Gorge, the Fort Laramie National Historic Site, and Devils Tower and Fossil Butte National Monuments are other points of interest. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108293.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108293.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>While the tenth largest U.S. state by size, Wyoming is the least populous (including the District of Columbia), with a U.S. Census estimated population of 522,830 in 2007. It has the second lowest population density, following Alaska.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Public lands<br /></span></strong>Over 48% of the land in Wyoming is owned by the U.S. Government, which ranks fifth in the US in both total acres owned by the Federal Government and by percentage of a state's land owned by the Federal government. This amounts to about 30,099,430 acres (121,808.1 km2) owned and managed by the U.S. Government. The state government owns an additional 6% of all Wyoming lands, or another 3,864,800 acres (15,640 km2).<br />The vast majority of this government land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in numerous National Forests, a National Grassland, and a number of vast swaths of public land.<br />In addition, Wyoming contains a number of specific areas that are under the management of the National Park Service and other agencies. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming</a>)<br /></div><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>The religious affiliations of the people of Wyoming are shown in the table below:<br />Christian – 78%<br />Protestant – 53%<br />Lutheran – 8%<br />Baptist – 8%<br />Methodist – 6%<br />Presbyterian – 4%<br />Episcopal – 4%<br />Other Protestant or general Protestant – 21%<br />Roman Catholic – 16%<br />LDS (Mormon) – 11%<br />Other Religions – 1%<br />Jewish – 0.1%<br />Non-Religious – 20.9%<br />The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 80,421; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 47,129; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 17,101. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>According to the 2005 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Wyoming’s gross state product was $27.4 billion. Wyoming’s unemployment rate for 2006 was approximately 3.3%, which was lower than the national average of 4.6%. Components of Wyoming's economy differ significantly from those of other states. The mineral extraction industry and the travel and tourism sector are the main drivers behind Wyoming’s economy. The Federal government owns about 50% of its landmass, while 6% is controlled by the state. Total taxable values of mining production in Wyoming for 2001 was over $6.7 billion. The tourism industry accounts for over $2 billion in revenue for the state.<br />In 2002, over six million people visited Wyoming’s national parks and monuments. The key tourist attractions in Wyoming include Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Devils Tower National Monument and Fossil Butte National Monument. Each year Yellowstone National Park receives three million visitors.<br />Historically, agriculture has been an important component of Wyoming’s economic identity. Its overall importance to the performance of Wyoming’s economy has waned. However, it is still an essential part of Wyoming’s culture and lifestyle. The main agricultural commodities produced in Wyoming include livestock (beef), hay, sugar beets, grain (wheat and barley), and wool. Over 91% of land in Wyoming is classified as rural.<br /><br />Wyoming’s mineral commodities include coal, natural gas, coalbed methane, crude oil, uranium, and trona. Wyoming ranks highest in mining employment in the U.S. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics<br /></span></strong>Wyoming is predominantly conservative and politically Republican. The state has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964, and there are only two reliably Democratic counties. Wyoming has the lowest unemployment rate, extremely low tax rates (no income or inheritance taxes), and has the single most "business friendly" tax climate of all 50 states.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Wyoming was chosen as the official state for the Free State Wyoming project; a splinter of the Free State Project. The purpose of the project is to relocate Libertarians to a single state, making it possible to live a free life. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-76125543634580181242008-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-22T00:01:03.932-07:00Day 38: Election Prayer Focus Montana<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uWnyBUDkO_oiQFZlAyvqxW4GHiMw0h9UmMpM2k_zaANFTYspP1g3rFxnGXJWhfO2heZQFvb8Jy07Mg6ev41VxjDAf5_yqhMEybFGbNY4xHYNPmRm3H5mKRE7h4f6v8xfM_c4NeV2ltej/s1600-h/100px-Montanastateseal%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259797124833142978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uWnyBUDkO_oiQFZlAyvqxW4GHiMw0h9UmMpM2k_zaANFTYspP1g3rFxnGXJWhfO2heZQFvb8Jy07Mg6ev41VxjDAf5_yqhMEybFGbNY4xHYNPmRm3H5mKRE7h4f6v8xfM_c4NeV2ltej/s320/100px-Montanastateseal%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Montana - The Treasure State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Gold and silver</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Helena</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Billings</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Brian Schweitzer (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Max Baucus (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Jon Tester (D)</div><br /><div>Rep. Denny Rehberg (R)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Montana.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Montana.<br />*Declare the people of Montana are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Montana walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Montana.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Montana.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Montana.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Montana.<br />*Declare Christians in Montana get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Montana.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First explored for France by François and Louis-Joseph Verendrye in the early 1740s, much of the region was acquired by the U.S. from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Before western Montana was obtained from Great Britain in the Oregon Treaty of 1846, American trading posts and forts had been established in the territory.<br />The major Indian Wars (1867–1877) included the famous 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn, better known as “Custer's Last Stand,” in which Cheyenne and Sioux defeated George A. Custer and more than 200 of his men in southeast Montana.<br />Much of Montana's early history was concerned with mining, with copper, lead, zinc, silver, coal, and oil as principal products. Butte is the center of the area that once supplied half of the U.S. copper.<br />Fields of grain cover much of Montana's plains. It ranks high among the states in wheat and barley, with rye, oats, flaxseed, sugar beets, and potatoes as other important crops. Sheep and cattle raising make significant contributions to the economy. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108237.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108237.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The state nickname is the "Treasure State." Other nicknames include "Land of Shining Mountains," "Big Sky Country," and the slogan "The Last Best Place." The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in population, and therefore has the third lowest population density in the United States. The economy is primarily based on ranching and wheat farming in the east, lumber and tourism in the west, oil and coal in the east, and hard rock mining in the west. Millions of tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, the Battle of Little Bighorn site, and three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The coldest temperature on record for Montana is the coldest temperature for the entire continental U.S. On January 20, 1954 -70 °F was recorded at a gold mining camp near Rogers Pass. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion</span></strong></div><br /><div>Approximately 82% of the population is Christian. The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 169,250; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 50,287; and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 32,726. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>The state was the first to elect a female member of Congress (Jeannette Rankin) and was one of the first states to give women voting rights.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Historically, Montana is a Swing state of cross-ticket voters with a tradition of sending "conservatives to Helena (the state capital) and liberals to Washington." However, there have also been long-term shifts of party control. During the 1970s, the state was dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election, when Montana elected a Republican governor and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since the 1940s. This shift continued with the reapportionment of the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both houses of the state legislature, consolidating a party dominance that lasted until 2004. The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992, when Bill Clinton won a plurality victory.<br />In recent years, Montana has been classified as a Republican-leaning state, and the state supported President George W. Bush by a wide margin in 2000 and 2004. However, since the 2000 reapportionment plan went into effect in 2004 the state currently has a Democratic governor (Brian Schweitzer), elected in 2004. In the 2006 midterm elections, Democratic candidate Jon Tester narrowly defeated (by only 3000 votes) incumbent Republican Senator Conrad Burns, one of several crucial races that allowed the Democratic Party to win the majority in the U.S. Senate. Montana's lone US Representative, Republican Denny Rehberg, easily won reelection. The state Senate is (as of 2007) controlled by the Democrats and the State House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Interesting Facts</strong></span></div><br /><div>Montana's triple divide allows water to flow into three oceans: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Mexico), and the Arctic Ocean (Hudson Bay). This phenomenon occurs at Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park. </div><br /><div><br />In 1888, Helena (the current state capital) had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana</a>)</div><br /><p> </p><p> </p>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-19786974797450339872008-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-21T00:01:00.945-07:00Day 37: Election Prayer Focus North Dakota<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWfqE3sFDyc8wdlwI9GB6gZttTKkbkYTuty9xN6P1GxWZGPUTAm3MrsedR2QJKke2DDdEqqUgjcQ2GyzfMgYazGxourIjJJdk6kyAflCZsBYyuAY21-7o3QhmlrTPZwSq3MM8nqG7eZp3/s1600-h/thumbnailCADJKI33.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259058738893308082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWfqE3sFDyc8wdlwI9GB6gZttTKkbkYTuty9xN6P1GxWZGPUTAm3MrsedR2QJKke2DDdEqqUgjcQ2GyzfMgYazGxourIjJJdk6kyAflCZsBYyuAY21-7o3QhmlrTPZwSq3MM8nqG7eZp3/s320/thumbnailCADJKI33.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">North Dakota - Sioux State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Liberty and union, now and forever: one and inseparable</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Bismarck</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Fargo</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor John Hoeven (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Kent Conrad (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D)</div><br /><div>Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of North Dakota.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in North Dakota.<br />*Declare the people of North Dakota are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of North Dakota walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of North Dakota.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of North Dakota.<br />*Declare protection over the state of North Dakota.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in North Dakota.<br />*Declare Christians in North Dakota get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in North Dakota.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>North Dakota is the most rural of all the states, with farms covering more than 90% of the land. North Dakota ranks first in the nation's production of spring and durum wheat; other agricultural products include barley, rye, sunflowers, dry edible beans, honey, oats, flaxseed, sugar beets, hay, beef cattle, sheep, and hogs.<br />Recently, manufacturing industries have grown, especially food processing and farm equipment. The state's coal and oil reserves are plentiful, and it also produces natural gas, lignite, clay, sand, and gravel. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108256.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108256.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>North Dakota has the lowest percentage of non-religious people of any state, and it also has the most churches per capita of any state.<br />A 2001 survey indicated that 35% of North Dakota's population was Lutheran, and 30% was Roman Catholic. Other religious groups represented were Methodists (7%), Baptists (6%), the Assembly of God (3%), and Jehovah's Witness (1%). Christians with unstated or other denominational affiliations, including other Protestants, totaled 3%, bringing the total Christian population to 86%. Non-Christian religions, such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, together represented 4% of the population. Three percent of respondents answered "no religion" on the survey, and 6% refused to answer.<br />The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 179,349; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 174,554; and the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod with 23,720.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Culture</strong></span></div><br /><div>North Dakota cuisine includes Knoephla soup: a thick, stew-like chicken soup with dumplings, lutefisk: lye-treated fish, Kuchen: a pie-like pastry, lefse: a flat bread made from mashed potatoes that is eaten with butter and sugar, Fleischkuekle, a deep fried entree of ground beef covered in dough, and served with chips and a pickle in most restaurants; strudel: a dough-and-filling item that can either be made as a pastry, or a savory dish with onions or meat; and other traditional German and Norwegian dishes. North Dakota also shares concepts such as hot dishes along with other Midwestern states.<br />Along with having the most churches per capita of any state, North Dakota has the highest percentage of church-going population of any state. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Economy</span></strong></div><br /><div>Agriculture is the largest industry in North Dakota, although petroleum and food processing are also major industries. North Dakota is also the only state with a state owned bank, the Bank of North Dakota in Bismarck, and a state owned flour mill, the North Dakota Mill and Elevator in Grand Forks. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Energy<br /></span></strong>Coal mines generate 93% of the North Dakota electricity. Oil was discovered near Tioga, North Dakota in 1951, generating 53 million barrels (8,400,000 m3) of oil a year by 1984. Western North Dakota is currently in an oil boom, the Tioga, Stanley and Minot-Burlington communities are experiencing rapid growth. The oil reserves may hold up to 400 billion barrels (6.4×1010 m3) of oil, 25 times larger than the reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, a report issued in April 2008 by the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the oil recoverable by current technology in the Bakken formation is two orders of magnitude less, in the range of 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels, with a mean of 3.65 billion.<br />Long called the "Saudi Arabia" of wind energy, North Dakota has the capability of producing 1.2 billion kilowatt hours of energy. That is enough to power 25% of the entire country's energy needs. Wind energy in North Dakota is also very cost effective because the state has large rural expanses and wind speeds seldom go below 10 mph. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>The Republican Party presidential candidate usually carries the state; in 2004, George W. Bush won with 62.9% of the vote. Of all the Democratic presidential candidates since 1892, only Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson received Electoral College votes from North Dakota.<br />On the other hand, Dem-NPL candidates for North Dakota's federal Senate and Congressional seats have won every election since 1982, and the state's federal delegation has been entirely Democratic since 1986. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-81610383367132200322008-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-20T00:01:00.301-07:00Day 36: Election Prayer Focus South Dakota<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89U9Hx_JZaMgn-SmqiXgmPEO_cU7ls7lvOodpqAW2NCQQJ0NxXsNK51IeibKipPfudiWN4BXevKK6MnjB73LfQXWs0nddley-bT-IqkkLesWA8tsIG0gdtdQU2NC8mS9BTC21XqVmGr4F/s1600-h/thumbnail%5B8%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259051203874651698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89U9Hx_JZaMgn-SmqiXgmPEO_cU7ls7lvOodpqAW2NCQQJ0NxXsNK51IeibKipPfudiWN4BXevKK6MnjB73LfQXWs0nddley-bT-IqkkLesWA8tsIG0gdtdQU2NC8mS9BTC21XqVmGr4F/s320/thumbnail%5B8%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">South Dakota - Mt. Rushmore State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Under God the people rule</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Pierre</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Sioux Falls</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Mike Rounds (R)</div><br /><div>Senator John R. Thune (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Tim Johnson (D)</div><br /><div>Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of South Dakota.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in South Dakota.<br />*Declare the people of South Dakota are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of South Dakota walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of South Dakota.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of South Dakota.<br />*Declare protection over the state of South Dakota.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in South Dakota.<br />*Declare Christians in South Dakota get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in South Dakota.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The U.S. acquired the region as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and it was explored by Lewis and Clark in 1804–1806. Fort Pierre, the first permanent settlement, was established in 1817.<br />Settlement of South Dakota did not begin in earnest until the arrival of the railroad in 1873 and the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874.<br />Agriculture is a cultural and economic mainstay, but it no longer leads the state in employment or share of gross state product. Durable-goods manufacturing and private services have evolved as the drivers of the economy. Tourism is also a booming industry in the state, generating over a billion dollars' worth of economic activity each year.<br />South Dakota is the second-largest producer of flaxseed and sunflower seed in the nation. It is the third-largest producer of hay and rye.<br />The Black Hills are the highest mountains east of the Rockies. Mt. Rushmore, in this group, is famous for the likenesses of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, which were carved in granite by Gutzon Borglum. A memorial to Crazy Horse is also being carved in granite near Custer.<br />Other tourist attractions include the Badlands; the World's Only Corn Palace, in Mitchell; and the city of Deadwood, where Wild Bill Hickok was killed in 1876 and where gambling was recently legalized. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108270.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108270.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Historically dominated by an agricultural economy and a rural lifestyle, South Dakota has recently sought to diversify its economy in an effort to attract and retain residents. The state is still largely rural, though, with one of the lowest population densities in the United States. While several notable Democratic senators have represented South Dakota at the federal level, the state's government is largely dominated by the Republican Party, and Republicans have carried South Dakota in the last ten presidential elections. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 181,434 members; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 121,871 members; and the United Methodist Church (UMC) with 37,280 members. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Education<br /></span></strong>As of 2006, South Dakota has a total primary and secondary school enrollment of 136,872, with 120,278 of these students being educated in the public school system. There are 703 public schools in 168 school districts, giving South Dakota the highest number of schools per capita in the United States. The current high school graduation rate is 89.9%, and the average ACT score is 21.8, slightly above the national average of 21.1. 84.6% of the adult population has earned at least a high school diploma, and 21.5% has earned a bachelor's degree or higher. South Dakota's average public school teacher salary of $34,040, compared to a national average of $47,674, is the lowest in the nation. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Interesting Facts</span></strong></div><br /><div>South Dakota is home to the largest naturally heated indoor swimming pool in the world. Evans Plunge, heated from natural mineral springs, is in Hot Springs.<br />The Black Hills of South Dakota was one of the sites considered for the permanent home of the United Nations.<br />South Dakota has the largest U.S. population of Hutterites, who originally emigrated from Ukraine in 1874, left en masse for Canada in 1918 following persecution over their pacifist religious beliefs, and partially returned in the 1930s.<br />The largest and most complete fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex ever found was uncovered near Faith in 1990. Named "Sue" the remains are over 90% complete and are currently on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.<br />The 1990 movie Dances with Wolves directed by and starring Kevin Costner as Lieutenant John Dunbar was filmed almost entirely in South Dakota.<br />Pierre is the second-smallest (in terms of population) state capital; only Montpelier, Vermont, has fewer people. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-45681671314494440322008-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-19T00:01:00.641-07:00Day 35: Election Prayer Focus Nebraska<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrldaAIucjYvZaIu2yaspNsUmEIGRkH-8DzuujJ5HLA3ugPO5PHMfi4aZU7487qfvZhcEMLZ7X2gD1MxkHvuDUSBihq2pQuPI6P1aZiMmvne_V4-xhquPkx3Woa_FP0PPKLfgehmJZAT3/s1600-h/100px-Seal_of_Nebraska.svg%5B1%5D.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257969506039781810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrldaAIucjYvZaIu2yaspNsUmEIGRkH-8DzuujJ5HLA3ugPO5PHMfi4aZU7487qfvZhcEMLZ7X2gD1MxkHvuDUSBihq2pQuPI6P1aZiMmvne_V4-xhquPkx3Woa_FP0PPKLfgehmJZAT3/s320/100px-Seal_of_Nebraska.svg%5B1%5D.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Nebraska - Cornhusker State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Equality before the law</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Lincoln</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Omaha</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor David Heineman (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Charles Hagel (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Ben Nelson (D)</div><br /><div><br />1. Jeff Fortenberry (R)<br />2. Lee Terry (R)<br />3. Adrian Smith (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Nebraska.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Nebraska.<br />*Declare the people of Nebraska are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Nebraska walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Nebraska.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Nebraska.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Nebraska.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Nebraska.<br />*Declare Christians in Nebraska get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Nebraska.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>French fur traders first visited Nebraska in the late 1600s. Part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, eastern Nebraska was explored by Lewis and Clark in 1804–1806. A few years later, Robert Stuart pioneered the Oregon Trail across Nebraska in 1812–1813, and the first permanent white settlement was established at Bellevue in 1823.<br />Western Nebraska was acquired by treaty following the Mexican War in 1848. The Union Pacific began its transcontinental railroad at Omaha in 1865. In 1937, Nebraska became the only state in the Union to have a unicameral (one-house) legislature. Members are elected to it without party designation.<br />Nebraska is a leading grain-producer with bumper crops of sorghum, corn, and wheat. More varieties of grass, valuable for forage, grow in this state than in any other in the nation. The state's sizable cattle and hog industries make Dakota City and Lexington among the nation's largest meat-packing centers.<br />Manufacturing has become diversified: Firms making electronic components, auto accessories, pharmaceuticals, and mobile homes have joined such older industries as clothing, farm machinery, chemicals, and transportation equipment. Oil was discovered in 1939 and natural gas in 1949. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108240.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108240.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Rural flight</span></strong><br />Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwest states (Kansas, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, and Iowa). Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1,000. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion</span></strong></div><br /><div>The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Catholic Church 372,791, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 128,570, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 117,419 and the United Methodist Church 117,277. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>For most of its history, Nebraska has been a solidly Republican state. Republicans have carried the state in all but one presidential election since 1940—the 1964 landslide election of Lyndon B. Johnson. In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won the state's five electoral votes by a 33% margin (the fourth-most Republican vote among states) with 65.9% of the overall vote; only Thurston County, which includes two American Indian reservations, voted for John Kerry. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-81476977317296794122008-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-18T00:01:00.872-07:00Day 34: Election Prayer Focus Kansas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7H1QiCWxkdr1T_5X9p1s6reNAzwPwQ7VW8FdpeozkCKdRTDU5veWoeYvotmV3mcPibRWgNUEUdzuyuw_k781_mX3kQrMX4OAZd1EhxcAH26XZkT7nN5-_Y6D27VRBvDc5jajBiLnrjhH/s1600-h/100px-Great_Seal_of_the_State_of_Kansas.svg%5B1%5D.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257964559177172370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7H1QiCWxkdr1T_5X9p1s6reNAzwPwQ7VW8FdpeozkCKdRTDU5veWoeYvotmV3mcPibRWgNUEUdzuyuw_k781_mX3kQrMX4OAZd1EhxcAH26XZkT7nN5-_Y6D27VRBvDc5jajBiLnrjhH/s320/100px-Great_Seal_of_the_State_of_Kansas.svg%5B1%5D.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Kansas - Sunflower State; Jayhawk State</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: To the stars through difficulties</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital City: Topeka</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Largest City: Wichita</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Sam Brownback (R)</div><br /><div>Senator Pat Roberts (R)</div><br /><div>1. Jerry Moran (R)<br />2. Nancy Boyda (D)<br />3. Dennis Moore (D)<br />4. Todd Tiahrt (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Kansas.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Kansas.<br />*Declare the people of Kansas are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Kansas walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Kansas.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Kansas.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Kansas, especially from tornadoes.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Kansas.<br />*Declare Christians in Kansas get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Kansas.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Lewis and Clark, Zebulon Pike, and Stephen H. Long explored the region between 1803 and 1819. The first permanent white settlements in Kansas were outposts—Fort Leavenworth (1827), Fort Scott (1842), and Fort Riley (1853)—established to protect travelers along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.<br />Just before the Civil War, the conflict between the pro- and anti-slavery forces earned the region the grim title of Bleeding Kansas.<br />Today, wheat fields, oil-well derricks, herds of cattle, and grain-storage elevators are chief features of the Kansas landscape. A leading wheat-growing state, Kansas also raises corn, sorghum, oats, barley, soybeans, and potatoes. Kansas stands high in petroleum production and mines zinc, coal, salt, and lead. It is also the nation's leading producer of helium.<br />Wichita is one of the nation's leading aircraft-manufacturing centers, ranking first in production of private aircraft. Kansas City is an important transportation, milling, and meat-packing center.</div><br /><div>(<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108215.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108215.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Re</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">ligion<br /></span></strong>The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 405,844; the United Methodist Church with 206,187; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 101,696. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Historically, Kansas has been strongly Republican. In fact, the only non-Republicans Kansas has given its electoral vote to are Populist James Weaver and Democrats Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. In 2004, George W. Bush won the state's 6 electoral votes by an overwhelming margin of 25 percentage points with 62% of the vote. The only two counties to support Democrat John Kerry in that election were Wyandotte, which contains Kansas City, and Douglas, home to the University of Kansas, located at Lawrence. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Rural flight<br /></span></strong>Kansas is one of the slowest-growing states in the nation. Known as a rural exodus, the last few decades have been marked by a migratory pattern out of the countryside into cities.<br />Out of all the cities in these Midwestern states, 89% have fewer than 3000 people, and hundreds of those have fewer than 1000. In Kansas alone, there are more than 6,000 ghost towns, according to one Kansas historian.<br />At the same time, some of the communities in Johnson County (metropolitan Kansas City) are among the fastest growing in the country. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas</a>)</div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087246188205609857.post-2141996449766828532008-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-17T00:01:00.769-07:00Day 33: Election Prayer Focus Oklahoma<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfsZlGfseXkpyJocf49Kyvf2wXFNon9M3hKu7FTqGNk8AqYH5ywZmMdZ0G8EmUUMWTIgH3chi2Xo5fVBYcAfc1VP_OV2vcmqpsKNS4QJFyey9o8qY54vIl8wtPQJJiqTkBE7NyHSi6_fG/s1600-h/100px-Oklahomastateseal%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257954578355820434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfsZlGfseXkpyJocf49Kyvf2wXFNon9M3hKu7FTqGNk8AqYH5ywZmMdZ0G8EmUUMWTIgH3chi2Xo5fVBYcAfc1VP_OV2vcmqpsKNS4QJFyey9o8qY54vIl8wtPQJJiqTkBE7NyHSi6_fG/s320/100px-Oklahomastateseal%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Oklahoma - The Sooner State</strong></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Motto: Labor conquers all things</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Capital/Largest City: Oklahoma City</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Leaders</span></strong></div><br /><div>Governor Brad Henry (D)</div><br /><div>Senator Tom Coburn (R)</div><br /><div>Senator James Inhofe (R)</div><br /><div>1. John Sullivan (R)<br />2. Dan Boren (D)<br />3. Frank D. Lucas (R)<br />4. Tom Cole (R)<br />5. Mary Fallin (R) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Prayer Points</span></strong></div><br /><div>*Declare revival comes to the state of Oklahoma.<br />*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Oklahoma.<br />*Declare the people of Oklahoma are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.<br />*Declare the leaders of Oklahoma walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.<br />*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Oklahoma.<br />*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Oklahoma.<br />*Declare protection over the state of Oklahoma.<br />*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Oklahoma.<br />*Declare Christians in Oklahoma get out and vote according to Biblical principles.<br />*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Oklahoma.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Set aside as Indian Territory in 1834, the region was divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory on May 2, 1890. The two were combined to make a new state, Oklahoma, on Nov. 16, 1907.<br />On April 22, 1889, the first day homesteading was permitted, 50,000 people swarmed into the area. Those who tried to beat the noon starting gun were called “Sooners,” hence the state's nickname.<br />Oil made Oklahoma a rich state, but natural-gas production has now surpassed it. Oil refining, meat packing, food processing, and machinery manufacturing (especially construction and oil equipment) are important industries. Minerals produced in Oklahoma include helium, gypsum, zinc, cement, coal, copper, and silver.<br />Oklahoma's rich plains produce bumper yields of wheat, as well as large crops of sorghum, hay, cotton, and peanuts. More than half of Oklahoma's annual farm receipts are contributed by livestock products, including cattle, dairy products, swine, and broilers. (<a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108260.html">http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108260.html</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Major land runs, including the Land Run of 1889, were held for settlers on the hour that certain territories were opened to settlement. Usually, land was allocated to settlers on a first come, first served basis. Those who broke the rules by crossing the border into the territory before it was allowed were said to have been crossing the border sooner, leading to the term sooners, which eventually became the state's official nickname.<br />Delegations to make the territory into a state began near the turn of the 20th century, when the Curius Act abolished all tribal jurisdiction in Indian Territory. Attempts to create an all-Indian state named Oklahoma, and a later attempt to create an all-Indian state named Sequoyah failed, but the Sequoyah Statehood Convention of 1905 eventually laid the groundwork for the Oklahoma Statehood Convention, which took place two years later. On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma was established as the 46th state in the Union.<br /><br />The new state became a focal point for the emerging oil industry, as discoveries of oil pools prompted towns to grow rapidly in population and wealth. Tulsa eventually became known as the "Oil Capital of the World" for most of the 20th century, and oil investments fueled much of the state's early economy. In 1927, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66", began a campaign to create U.S. Route 66. Using an existing stretch of highway from Amarillo, Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma to form the original portion of Highway 66, Avery spearheaded the creation of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to oversee the planning of Route 66, based in his hometown of Tulsa.<br />In the early 20th century, despite Jim Crow Laws and a statewide presence of the Ku Klux Klan, Tulsa was home to one of the most prosperous African American communities in the United States, but was the site of the Tulsa Race Riot in 1921. One of the costliest acts of racial violence in American history, sixteen hours of rioting resulted in 35 city blocks destroyed, $1.8 million in property damage, and a death toll estimated to be as high as 300 people. By the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Clan was reduced to negligible influence within the state.<br />During the 1930s, parts of the state began feeling the consequences of poor farming practices, drought, and high winds. Known as the Dust Bowl, areas of Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and northwestern Oklahoma were hampered by long periods of little rainfall and abnormally high temperatures, sending thousands of farmers into poverty and forcing them to relocate to more fertile areas of the western United States. Over a twenty-year period ending in 1950, the state saw its only historical decline in population, dropping 6.9 percent. In response, dramatic efforts in soil and water conservation led to massive flood control systems and dams, creating hundreds of reservoirs and man-made lakes. By the 1960s, more than 200 man-made lakes had been created, the most in the nation.<br />In 1995, Oklahoma City became the scene of one of the worst acts of terrorism ever committed in American history. The Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995, in which Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonated an explosive outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killed 168 people, including 19 children. Timothy McVeigh was later sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection, while his partner, Terry Nichols, was convicted of 161 counts of first degree murder and received life in prison without the possibility of parole. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Politics</span></strong></div><br /><div>Oklahoma has a voter demographic weighted towards the Democratic Party as of 2007. Though there are 11.6 percent more registered Democrats in Oklahoma than registered Republicans, the state has voted for a Republican in every presidential election from 1968 forward, and in 2004, George W. Bush carried every county in the state and 65.6 percent of the statewide vote. Three third parties have substantial influence in state politics: Oklahoma Libertarian Party, Green Party of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Constitution Party. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Religion<br /></span></strong>Oklahoma is part of a geographical region characterized by widespread beliefs in Biblical Christianity and Evangelical Protestantism known as the "Bible Belt". Spanning the Southeastern United States, the area is known for politically and socially conservative views. Tulsa, the state's second largest city, home to Oral Roberts University, is considered an apex of the region and is known as one of the "buckles of the Bible Belt". According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of Oklahoma's religious adherents — 85 percent — are Christian, accounting for about 80 percent of the population. The percentage of Oklahomans affiliated with Catholicism is half of the national average, while the percentage affiliated with Evangelical Protestantism is more than twice the national average — tied with Arkansas for the largest percentage of any state. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma</a>)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>prayerbeaconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160013507588325499noreply@blogger.com0