WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
In this week's Intersect, read about:
Sherrill Signs Law Restricting Prayer Near NJ Clinics
"New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a sweeping new abortion law on Aug. 20, and pro-life advocates say it could put praying Christians and sidewalk counselors at risk of criminal charges. The bill creates a new crime called "interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services." Sherrill signed it outside a Planned Parenthood location in Montclair." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- New Jersey already had laws against violence, threats, and trespassing before this bill existed, so the real question is why lawmakers felt they needed a new statute at all. A law framed around safety usually targets conduct that isn't already illegal, and here it mostly targets the discomfort of being seen praying nearby.
- The civil provision letting someone sue over "reasonable" emotional harm effectively hands a heckler's veto to anyone who feels bothered by a quiet witness. That standard doesn't require proof of intimidation, only proof of feeling harmed, which quietly shifts the burden onto the person praying to justify their own silence.
- Daniel kept praying with his window open even after a decree made it a capital offense, trusting God over the political risk (Daniel 6:10). New Jersey's law carries far lighter consequences than a den of lions, which makes the modern hesitation to keep praying publicly look far less justified than it might first seem.
PRAY.
Lord, we lift up every mother facing a hard decision outside a clinic in New Jersey and beyond. Give courage to the sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors who stand for life, and soften the hearts of lawmakers who wrote this bill. Protect the unborn, comfort the fearful, and let Your truth never be silenced by any statute. In Jesus' name, Amen.
ACT.
Pray regularly for pregnant mothers and for the pro-life volunteers who serve them outside clinics nationwide. Contact your state representatives and ask them to protect peaceful prayer and sidewalk counseling as constitutionally guarded speech. Support a local pregnancy resource center with your time or a gift so women have a life-affirming alternative close to home.
Federal Pressure Forces Maryland School to Back Parents
"The Trump administration's crackdown on school districts accused of hiding students' gender transitions from parents has already produced a result. Weeks after federal officials threatened Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland with enforcement action, the district changed its policy to make parental rights explicit." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- It took one letter, not a lawsuit or new legislation, to make Anne Arundel reverse course in weeks. That says the law protecting parents was never the weak link; the willingness to enforce it was. Ann Arbor's continued silence suggests plenty of districts are betting that enforcement, not the underlying rule, is what actually determines their risk.
- FERPA has guaranteed parents access to their children's records for decades, meaning this entire controversy exists because officials chose to interpret the law creatively rather than because the law had a gap. That distinction matters for the next administration: a policy built on aggressive enforcement rather than a legal fix can just as easily go dormant again once priorities shift.
- Hiding a child's identity from the very parents raising them isn't just a privacy dispute, it's a preference for darkness over light (John 3:20). A district that keeps two separate filing systems, one visible to parents and one hidden, has already decided which version of the truth it's more comfortable defending.
PRAY.
Father, we ask for wisdom for school leaders across this country as they navigate these sensitive decisions. Protect the parent-child bond that You designed, and give courage to moms and dads fighting to stay informed about their children's lives. Guard the hearts of every student caught in the middle of this debate. In Jesus' name, Amen.
ACT.
Ask your local school board to confirm, in writing, that its policies fully honor parental notification rights under federal law. Get involved with your school district by attending board meetings and reviewing policy changes before they take effect. Encourage other parents in your community to stay engaged and informed about what is taught and shared in their children's schools.
Judge Sides With Trump in California Pipeline Fight
"A federal judge ruled this week that a Santa Barbara County oil pipeline can keep operating under federal authority, dealing a setback to California's yearslong effort to keep it shut down. The decision affirms the Trump administration's use of the Defense Production Act to override state objections and restart the pipeline earlier this year." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- Pairing a win for Sable with a $1.45 million penalty tells a more complicated story than a simple federal victory. The administration got the pipeline running again, but the court still made the company pay for jumping the gun, suggesting even a favorable ruling isn't a blank check to ignore process.
- The deeper precedent here has little to do with oil. It's about how far a declared national emergency can reach into a state's own consent decree, and that tool cuts both directions. The same reasoning that lets this administration override a Democratic governor's environmental rule today could just as easily let a future administration override a Republican governor's energy or gun policy tomorrow.
- Conservatives who invoke creation-care language should apply it consistently, not only when convenient for a political outcome. A pipeline with a history of a 142,000-gallon spill deserves the same scrutiny from people of faith regardless of which administration reopened it, since stewardship of God's earth was never meant to be a partisan talking point.
PRAY.
Lord, grant wisdom to judges, governors, and energy officials as they weigh safety, stewardship, and the needs of everyday families. Help our nation find responsible ways to provide for its people without neglecting the care of Your creation. Guide every court still weighing this case toward justice and truth. In Jesus' name, Amen.
ACT.
Stay informed on energy policy decisions affecting your state and contact your representatives with your concerns. Support responsible energy production that strengthens America's independence while encouraging careful environmental stewardship. Pray for wisdom for state and federal leaders as similar energy disputes continue to unfold across the country.
America's Debt Crosses $40 Trillion Milestone
"The United States national debt has crossed $40 trillion, a milestone that arrived faster than almost anyone in Washington predicted just a few years ago. The Treasury Department confirmed the figure last week, and it comes as the federal government is on pace to run a $2.1 trillion budget deficit for the fiscal year that ends in September." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- Both parties' actual proposals dodge the two programs driving the growth: Social Security and Medicare. Trimming a deficit from $1.9 trillion to $1.8 trillion while mandatory spending keeps climbing isn't a plan, it's an agreement between both sides not to touch the third rail, which means the warnings from budget hawks will keep repeating with no real change until voters force the issue at the ballot box.
- Interest payments now cost more than the entire defense budget, and that number grows automatically every year regardless of who controls Congress or the White House. Unlike a spending bill, interest on existing debt doesn't require a single vote to keep increasing, which makes it one of the few fiscal problems that gets worse purely by doing nothing.
- Proverbs 22:7 warns that the borrower is slave to the lender, and a nation carrying $40 trillion in debt is quietly deciding, year after year, that comfort today matters more than freedom for those not yet born. Faithful stewardship was never just about balancing a budget; it's a test of whether a generation is willing to practice self-denial for people who can't yet vote or speak for themselves.
PRAY.
Father, give our nation's leaders the courage to practice honest, faithful stewardship of the resources You have provided. Free us from the bondage of reckless debt, and raise up leaders willing to make hard choices for the sake of future generations. Grant wisdom to every official responsible for our nation's budget. In Jesus' name, Amen.
ACT.
Contact your congressional representatives and ask what specific steps they support to reduce the federal deficit. Stay informed on fiscal policy debates and share trustworthy information with your church and community. Pray regularly for lawmakers to have the wisdom and courage to pursue lasting fiscal responsibility rather than short-term political wins.
My Faith Votes— is a ministry that motivates, equips, and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. An estimated 25 million Christians who are registered to vote, fail to vote in presidential elections. My Faith Votes is on a mission to change this statistic by helping Christians act on their faith and vote in every election. When we pray unceasingly for our nation, think biblically about the issues, and vote consistently in every election the impact of Christians taking action from the local to the state and federal level will be unprecedented.
Website | www.myfaithvotes.org Twitter | @MyFaithVotes Facebook | My Faith Votes