Joe Kennedy: The power of prayer was demonstrated for Damar Hamlin
Joe Kennedy, who won a Supreme Court case for praying at a high school coaching job, on how the nation came together to pray for Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Prayer is a focus this month as Americans observe Sanctity for Life Month all throughout January — with Jan. 22 specifically observed as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. The faithful are hoping that their prayers will encourage respect for life at all stages.
Intercessors for America (IFA) is a religious organization in the United States that is laser-focused on prayer 365 days a year — for national issues such as the right to life — and for the nation’s elected leaders, too.
Located in Northern Virginia and founded in 1973, IFA has "millions of Americans" praying and responding to specific action items as part of an interconnected online community, IFA CEO Dave Kubal told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.
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"We believe that God invites us to join him in shaping history through prayer," Kubal said.
The IFA website details a variety of action items that members can take, along with specific elected leaders for whom members can pray.
IFA membership is free; people can sign up for a newsletter and participate in prayer initiatives through the website.
Said Intercessors for America CEO Dave Kubal, "We believe that God invites us to join him in shaping history through prayer." (Intercessors For America)
Carol Wright of Clifton, Virginia, is an IFA member. Prayer with the organization, she said, "widens the depth and scope" of her prayers.
"As I am informed of the spiritual battles before us," said Wright, "I pray with greater awareness and understanding."
She added, "When we all pray, the assurance that heaven is hearing [us] is a blessing as well as faith-building … Hope arises in my spirit, and I am at peace."
"Today, many men and women of faith may be discouraged by the political climate in our nation."
IFA prayer requests are also organized by state.
Members can join in regular prayer phone calls on specific initiatives.
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So what does a national prayer collective offer participants?
"The average Christian does not have the contacts, time or energy to keep informed about most issues on national, state and local levels," the IFA website indicates.
Some national issues today "appear to deny our freedoms," the IFA website states; we need to "seek God's intervention and guidance for our leaders." (iStock)
"More and more, some of these issues appear to deny our freedoms," the site also notes. "With each emerging concern, we need to seek God’s intervention and guidance for our leaders."
IFA believes, said Kubal, that "as we pray for these governmental leaders, God would guide them and direct them and empower them, give them wisdom and understanding to know the best way to govern their nation."
‘God at work’ in the nation
While people can often "experience discouragement" when it comes to governmental affairs, if they pray, they can see "God at work" in the nation, Kubal emphasized.
"In this last year, the Lord's blessed us by putting together state networks with leaders in every state."
"If you consider the last 50 years of praying for government leaders — when you look at both the government and our culture — there's been good times and there's been bad times," he said.
Today in particular, "many men and women of faith may be discouraged by the political climate in our nation," he said.
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"Yet I would point to victories for the faith community that occurred this year. Number one was the protection of the unborn [through the reversal of Roe v. Wade]."
The Supreme Court is shown here. IFA's Kubal said that the overturning of Roe v. Wade plus high school football coach Joe Kennedy's Supreme Court win are recent "victories" for the faith community. (Joshua Comins/Fox News)
He continued, "The one that's not talked about much — and I think it’s unfortunate — is the Coach Kennedy case."
Kubal was referring to the successful high court battle of Bremerton, Washington, high school football coach Joe Kennedy — who was reinstated to his employment after he was fired for praying on the field after games.
"At the federal level, we call upon lawmakers on a regular basis."
"As [Supreme Court] Justice [Neil] Gorsuch said, ‘Just because my words offend you does not mean they're coercive,’ and I've said that oftentimes, too," Kubal noted.
"It makes me chuckle when we're told that we have to listen to everybody's opinions, but people can't listen to ours," Kubal also said.
‘Take it to the local level’
The year of 2022 was one of growth for IFA, with big things on the horizon for 2023, said the CEO.
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"In this last year, the Lord's blessed us by putting together state networks with leaders in every state. So in 2022 we saw half a billion impressions across all of our platforms," said Kubal.
He called the prayers that are flowing through IFA on behalf of the nation "measurable."
Two people in prayer. "As I am informed of the spiritual battles before us, I pray with greater awareness," one IFA member told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
IFA is going to harness the engagement it's built around prayer for national leaders and "really take it to the local level" this year and in the future, Kubal said.
The group will do this by using IFA "leaders in every state to assist the men and women of faith in supporting their local lawmakers through prayer and encouragement — and to be a part of encouraging God's values in their local communities."
An important part of IFA’s mandate is visiting lawmakers in person, Kabul said.
"Our lawmakers need to understand that they do not have the power to distribute rights to us."
"At the federal level, we call upon lawmakers on a regular basis," he said.
"When we tell people who we are, once we sit down with them, they'll say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I know who you guys are because your people send us the encouraging emails,’" he also said.
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Kubal said they see "millions and millions of communications" from IFA members to lawmakers who receive "the phone calls and emails."
Several people pray together. Said IFA's CEO Dave Kubal, "At the center of God's kingdom and his governance over creation is this concept of our personal freedoms." (iStock/Intercessors For America)
"We are an encouraging word to them," he said.
The group, he said, has heard from left-leaning lawmakers after they receive prayerful messages from IFA members.
Kubal said it is important to pray for elected leaders because "it's all about our freedoms … At the center of God's kingdom and his governance over creation is this concept of our personal freedoms and that our rights come from him and him only."
"A free nation will be free if the people of faith have the freedom to have faith in Christ."
He also said, "That is under attack, it always has been and still is, especially these days."
Elected lawmakers need to understand that they "do not have the power to distribute rights to us," Kubal said.
"Christianity and our belief in religious freedoms … will ensure the future freedoms of our nation," said Dave Kubal of IFA. (iStock)
"Our creator does that," he noted, "not any government."
Said Kubal, "If we believe that rights come from government, government can take away our rights. But if we believe our rights come from God, then it is God who sustains those rights."
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He continued, "And so we are praying for lawmakers to protect our religious freedoms, including our freedom of speech, in the ways that our Founding Fathers understood were so important."
He also said, "A free nation will be free if the people of faith have the freedom to have faith in Christ."
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He added, "Christianity and our belief in religious freedoms is that which will ensure the future freedoms of our nation."
IFA is 501c3 nonprofit organization.
