[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 186 (Thursday, November 9, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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      RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA

 Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 50th 
anniversary of Intercessors for America--IFA--a ministry that has 
faithfully served believers by encouraging effective prayer and fasting 
for the Church, our Nation, and our elected leaders, including those of 
us elected to Congress. At the time of IFA's founding, the Watergate 
scandal, the Vietnam war, pervasive drug use, and the Supreme Court's 
tragic decision to legalize abortion on demand in Roe v. Wade had 
shaken the moral foundations of our Nation. In the 50 years since, 
IFA's ministry has been important in rebuilding a society that once 
again respects the Judeo-Christian principles and moral values that lie 
at the heart of America.
  The founding leaders of IFA, including Derek Prince and John Beckett, 
began their first activities at a large dining table where John Talcott 
and his wife Roselyn wrote a prayer letter, which was mailed to a group 
of like-minded people who recognized the need for God to intervene to 
heal our Nation. Over the past 50 years, IFA has grown from these 
beginnings to inform, connect, and mobilize intercessors across 
America, in churches and communities nationwide, to pray for our Nation 
and our leaders.
  In its work, IFA follows the teaching of the Apostle Paul in 1 
Timothy 2:1-3: ``I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask 
God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 
Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can 
live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is 
good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to 
understand the truth.''
  Nowhere could this impact of the power of prayer, including the 
prayers of many IFA intercessors, be better seen than the Supreme 
Court's historic decision in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health 
Organization to overturn the moral stain of Roe v. Wade. This moment 
was a testament to God's faithfulness, and underscores the importance 
of the work we have ahead of us to rebuild a culture where God's gift 
of life is respected and cherished.
  It is an honor to recognize Intercessors for America and to celebrate 
its 50-year anniversary, in gratitude for its work, through prayer and 
intercession for public officials, to restore our moral values, protect 
the right to life and the family, and to bring about a renewal of 
faith, so that God may continue to bless our Nation.

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