• Get to know Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrate his birthday next week.
• A four-star general tells how YOU can change America!
• Have you thought about all the ways you can show love?

These fortunate girls from McLean, VA were treated to a special visit with President Bush in the Oval Office of the White House earlier this week because they won the 2005 Little League Softball World Series. Photo courtesy of the White House.

1. These are busy days for President and Mrs. Bush as their schedules are full with opportunities for speaking and travel. It’s a great time to pray for President Bush as he meets on January 13 with German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel to discuss things important to the both our countries. Later that day, he will meet in the Oval Office with business leaders on Central American relief and reconstruction efforts following last fall’s hurricanes. On January 17 he will meet with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt to talk about the ways our two countries can strengthen democracy and prosperity in Europe and beyond. So pray for God’s guidance and help with each of these important encounters.
2. We also want to pray for First Lady Laura Bush because on January 16 she will be leading the U.S. delegation to the inauguration of newly-elected President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, the first female president elected in Africa. Dr. Condoleezza Rice will be a part of that delegation too. After the inauguration, Mrs. Bush will visit Ghana with six university presidents from the United States to unveil the Textbooks and Learning Materials Program. Pray for safety and protection for everyone going on this trip and for the strengthening of America’s relationship with Liberia and Ghana.
3. Maybe you’ve heard about all the problems Vice President Cheney has been having with his left foot! So it’s a great time to pray for Vice President Cheney’s foot and for all his health concerns asking God to heal him with His power and love.
4. As America gets ready to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, pray that the biblical truth that all persons are created equal in God’s eyes will continue to be spread to all Americans. Pray that the love and justice that Dr. King taught others will be spread across our nation.
5. As our troops continue to serve faithfully in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world, be sure to pray for them—especially those in harm’s way, remembering how your prayers bring God’s powerful protection for them! Pray for all the kids who are living without their mom or dad during this tough time as well.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff—Gen. Peter Pace
General Peter Pace became our nation’s 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on September 30, 2005. As CJS, he is the top advisor on military matters for President Bush, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and members of the National Security Council. Gen. Pace is very effective in this position—he was Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs for four years before stepping into this new position. Gen. Pace is also the first Marine to be the Chairman.

General Pace was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Teaneck, NJ. A 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program.

Gen. Pace has had a long and exciting career with the Marines, having served in Vietnam, Washington, D.C., Thailand, Korea, Japan and Somalia.

General Pace's personal decorations include: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, with two oak leaf clusters; Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat V; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with gold star; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"; Navy Achievement Medal with gold star; and the Combat Action Ribbon.

A former runner, Gen. Pace now stays fit by walking and doing 30-40-mile bike rides. He met his wife Lynne when he was at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and they have been happily married for 34 years. They have two adult children, Peter and Tiffany Marie.

Secretary of Interior—Gale Norton
In her job as the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton must manage and care for some of the most beautiful parts of America! The national parks and national forests are under her care, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Fish and Wildlife Department! Her job is really great because she gets to be outside in God’s wonderful creation a lot of the time—but then, she has a great deal of responsibility too!

Gale Norton loves the outdoors and has always been interested in conservation and the environment. She is the first woman to head this department, which is one of the oldest of our government, founded in 1849! DOI oversees one of every five acres of U.S. land! It also provides water to 31 million people via 824 dams and reservoirs. As the manager of America’s vast national park system, it welcomes more than 450 million visitors to 338 parks, monuments and other federally owned and managed recreation areas in our country, as well as overseeing 544 wildlife refuges. Have you ever visited a National Park or monument? Then you have the DOI to thank, because they are the folks who take care of the parks and make sure they are preserved—not just for you, but for your kids and grandkids.

Gale Norton is a 1975 graduate of Denver University where she also took her law degree. She was Attorney General for Colorado before she came to Washington. She and her husband, John Hughes, are avid hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. They live in the Washington, D.C. area.

But I keep right on praying to you, Lord, hoping this is the time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation.
--Psalm 69:13

[God says,] I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.
--Amos 5:24

For some time now we’ve been telling you about our Founding Fathers—how they absolutely knew that God’s hand was on America. They could see that the wonderful experiment of Independence was a gift from God. This quotation from President Bush echoes the same ideas—that God has been very good to America. And in response, we must be the very best citizens we can be, honoring God and His plan.

Our nation was founded by people of great accomplishment, great courage, and great humility. They believed not only in themselves, but also in the goodness of God's wisdom and God's plan for every life. This American quality has endured throughout the generations. Americans are, at our best, are a reverent and a grateful people. Even in times of hardship, we see all around us gifts to be thankful for: our families and friends, the beautiful land we call home, and the freedom granted to us all.

This year, as in other times in our history, we can be especially grateful for the courage and faithfulness of those who defend us. Every man and woman who wears our country's uniform is a volunteer, facing hardships and sometimes peril, because they believe in this country and our cause. Our nation's sense of gratitude is the source of the great generosity and compassion of our people.
--George W. Bush

This photo shows General John Wickham, former Army Chief of Staff, in his Four-Star General uniform. General Wickham is a member of the Honorary Committee of the PPT.

General John Wickham is a man who really believes in prayer. When he served our nation as the Army Chief of Staff, he worked very hard to improve conditions for moms and dads and their families. He is also a praying man. His words included here sum up what The Presidential Prayer Team is all about!

Prayer changes lives and history. Praying for America's officials will empower them to provide inspired, courageous, moral leadership during the domestic and international crises facing all Americans.
--General John A. Wickham

Photo of President Bush courtesy of the White House.

We see Martin Luther King in many ways. Perhaps, above all, we should see him as a minister of the Gospel. He said, ‘I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute--not for these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow--but to God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.’ That faith gave Dr. King the grace to forgive, and the strength to love. He refused to answer hatred with hatred, or meet violence with violence. He appealed not to resentment, but to reason; not to anger, but to conscience.
--George W. Bush