Earlier this week, President Bush welcomed the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots to the White House, making special mention of the many prayers that had been offered for Patriot player Tedy Bruschi. He said, "Tedy Bruschi, it's good to see you. I congratulate you on showing such incredible courage on the field and off the field. There's a lot of people that were praying for you, I know. And I'm glad you're feeling good and I'm glad you're back. You look great." Photo courtesy of the White House.

1. People are talking about how things seem to be getting better and better in Iraq, and both the leaders of the new Iraqi government and the leaders of our troops in Iraq feel that they are making good progress in helping that country change from a place of chaos and disorder to a safe, working democracy. There are still plenty of problems, so let's be sure to keep on praying for the Iraqi people, their leaders and the troops who are working so hard to help bring order and freedom to that country. Pray that God will protect everyone as they work to rebuild Iraq.
2. One of the most important things that we do as people who pray for our leaders is to keep a "covering" of protection over them. Some of our most important leaders like the President are often the target of people who want to hurt others for a variety of reasons. In fact, there was a bomb scare in Washington just this week! So it's crucial that we keep on praying for the protection and safety of President and Mrs. Bush and Vice President and Mrs. Cheney and all the other leaders who are vital to our country. Ask God to surround them and their families with His angels and His care, protecting them from anything harmful or evil.
3. Pray for President Bush as he continues to meet with world leaders helping to strengthen democracy around the world, especially in the Middle East. Today, April 15, he meets with the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame to talk about spreading democracy and strengthening trade between our countries.

Attorney General— Alberto Gonzales

Photo courtesy of the White House.

The Attorney General is the nation's top lawyer and the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ). He is also the chief law enforcement officer for the government, so along with his team, he works to make sure that our laws are carried out fairly and well. Along with all the other cabinet members, Mr. Gonzales in one of President Bush's main advisors, in fact he consults with him or any of the other members of the cabinet who need a legal perspective on any of the issues or problems they are dealing with. Another interesting part of his job is that he is the attorney for the U.S. government in any cases that come before the Supreme Court, or other cases of great importance.

Alberto Gonzales brings to the job many years as a faithful public servant, having served as the top attorney to George W. Bush when he was first elected as Governor of Texas. He later became Texas' Secretary of State and followed President Bush to Washington to be White House counsel.

As head of the DOJ, Mr. Gonzales and his team will work hard to ensure justice for every American. While the war on terror is certainly the highest priority of the DOJ, they also work to protect Americans from those who commit crimes with guns and drug dealers. They also work to protect victims of child abuse and domestic violence to create a compassionate society that values every human life and acknowledges the dignity of each citizen.

Alberto Gonzales is from Houston, TX and is a graduate of Texas public schools, Rice University, and Harvard Law School. With his wife, Rebecca Turner Gonzales, he has three sons.

Prayer points for Mr. Gonzales and DOJ:

• Wisdom and help from God as he and the DOJ re-enact the Patriot Act.
• Diligence in fighting the war on terror.
• Wisdom in battling those who hurt others.

The story of Alberto Gonzales' personal life is a really interesting one, so we are going to tell you more about him later in this week's update. Be sure check it out here!

National Security Advisor— Stephen J. Hadley

Photo courtesy of the White House.

The formal title for the National Security Advisor is Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The NSA's position is very interesting because she or he serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the President. That means they work independently of the State Department and the Defense Department and can offer advice that is not colored by those departments or their policies.

Another interesting thing about the National Security Advisor is that the person in that position does not undergo the approval process of the Senate as do many other cabinet level positions. The NSA is an important member of the President's team because he works very hard to provide the President with the most up-to-date information about America’s foreign and defense policies as well as advising the President on issues of national security.

The NSA is chaired by the President and includes the Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Defense, as well as several other high-ranking government officials. Each president determines how active a role the National Security Council and the National Security Advisor will play in his administration.

Stephen Hadley has a great track record as a strong public servant, having served as Deputy National Security Advisor under Condoleezza Rice who moved on to become Secretary of State. Before becoming a public servant, Mr. Hadley served in a Washington law firm and with an international consulting agency. Mr. Hadley received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

Prayer points for National Security Advisor

• To interface well with the other security-related departments and leaders.
• To advise the President with integrity and wisdom.
• To assist in strengthening America’s relationships with European nations.

Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He did for me. For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw His unfailing love from me.
—Psalm 66:15-20

And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. And if we know He is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for.
—I John 5:14-15

We'd like to collect some stories and pictures of how you observe the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 5. So plan now to be involved! Be sure to take some photos, whether you have a special chapel service, a flagpole rally, a gathering with your youth group or Sunday School class. Write us a few sentence about how you observe the NDOP and we'll do our best to tell your story on the PPK website.

You know about Billy Graham, don't you? He is one of the most beloved people in the world, and some say he has appeared personally before more people than anyone else in the world. (We know you are probably thinking of the Pope, but Rev. Graham has been speaking to huge live audiences since 1947! That's a long time ago!) One of the reasons people love Billy Graham so much is because he always explains things in a way the people can easily understand. In this quote, he explains a really well-known Bible verse, Psalm 37:4.

Your petitions should always be conditioned by 'Thy will be done.' 'Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart' (Psalm 37:4). But the delighting of oneself in Him precedes the fulfillment of our desires. Delighting ourselves in Him will direct our desires, so God can answer our petitions. Remember that you can pray any time, anywhere. Washing dishes, digging ditches, working in the office, in the shop, on the athletic field, even in prison—you can pray and know God hears!
--Rev. Billy Graham

QUESTION 1

Which of the following would you say is true about the way Billy Graham explains Psalm 37:4?

1. When you meditate on the promise of Psalm 37:4, it's really important that you remember that God wants to give you anything you dream of.
2. When you meditate on the promise of Psalm 37:4 it's important to keep your heart attuned to God's will first and foremost.
3. When you meditate on the promise of Psalm 37:4, it is important to delight in God first. That way you can get your desires in tune with God's desires.

QUESTION 2

Read Rev. Graham's quote again. Which of the following is true?

1. Rev. Graham says it's important to only pray in special places like church or the top of a mountain.
2. Only garbage men, ditch diggers and athletes can pray in their workplace.
3. Anyone can pray anywhere, and that's a great thing to practice.