All the Bible verses in this edition of The Presidential Prayer Team
for Kids Update are from The New Living Translation of the Bible.
 Click here to learn how to print this page.
  • Thinking of gifts this Christmas? Don't forget the gift of prayer!
  • Do video games alter your brain? Find out here!
  • Presidents #1 and #40 agree on some facts about America! Do you know what they are?

Things to pray for

President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki met in Jordan on November 30.  They talked about how to work together to secure the nation of Iraq.  Pray for the President as he considers how to help Mr. Maliki bring an end to the terrible violence in Iraq.  Photo courtesy of the White House.

  1. President Bush is back from another international trip.  He went to Latvia and then to Jordan to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki.  He and the Prime Minister spoke of the problems Iraq is having.  They spoke of the ways American and coalition troops can help out.  So this is an excellent time to pray for the outcome of these talks—that President Bush, Prime Minister Maliki and all leaders involved in the decisions about our military efforts in Iraq will have God’s wisdom and help as they decide the best path to follow.  Pray that they will have the resources and help needed to bring an end to the violence and unrest.  Pray that fighting groups will reconcile and will want to do what is best for all the people—not just their group.

    First Lady Laura Bush hosted members of the media on Thursday, November 30 for a tour of the White House.  The tour, an annual event, reveals the décor, Christmas artwork and Christmas menus in advance of the many events held at the White House during December.  Photo courtesy of the White House. 

  2. This week marked the start of the Christmas season in the White House.  Mrs. Bush received the official Christmas tree, and volunteers moved in to decorate the 17 trees and many nooks and crannies throughout the White House.  The former White House pastry chef returned, just to create the gingerbread version of the White House!  [See the photo below …]  In the next few weeks, thousands of people will come to the White House for all kinds of Christmas and holiday parties.  So it’s a perfect time to pray for God’s rich and powerful blessing to be on the White House and on all these celebrations, asking God to bring His presence and light to each event.   

    Mrs. Laura Bush and former chef Roland Mesnier standing in front of the gingerbread White House. Photo courtesy of the White House. 


  3. Hey, did you know video games are in the news again?  New studies have shown that violent video games make kids react in violent ways for a long time after they have played them.  That’s not good news, considering how many kids are playing violent games now.  But it is a really good time to pray that more and more kids will lose their interest in violent video games and will get excited about better games.  Pray that the power of violence will be completely diminished in our country so kids and adults alike can be safe. 

  4. Pray for our troops as they keep working to keep our country and the world safe.  Pray for those working in Afghanistan and Iraq, that they will be protected by God’s power and presence.  Pray too, for the kids who are doing without a mom or a dad this Christmas, asking God to comfort kids who have parents serving overseas. 

Leaders to pray for
Photo courtesy of Stanford University.

White House Chief of Staff
—Josh Bolten
Josh Bolten became President Bush’s Chief of Staff on April 14, 2006, stepping up to that position as Andy Card stepped down. 

As Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten holds one of the most important positions on the President’s team.  He is the person who makes sure that all the things the President wants to do—from the people he meets with to the places he goes and the policies he enacts—get accomplished.  The modern-day White House is a really complicated place, and the Chief of Staff is the person who keeps everything organized, coordinated and moving smoothly. 

Josh Bolten has served in a variety of positions in the government and private jobs too.  He’s worked in the White House, on presidential campaigns, and with different law firms.  He’s even worked for the State Department!

Mr. Bolten received his B.A. from Princeton University (1976) and his J.D. from Stanford Law School (1980), where he was an editor of the Stanford Law Review. Immediately after law school, he served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. During the fall semester of 1993, Mr. Bolten taught international trade at Yale Law.  So you can tell he’s a very smart man and a terrific guy to have serving our country!  Mr. Bolten loves to bowl and is known for taking his staff to the bowling alley to blow off steam, and he likes to ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he’s not working.  Josh Bolten is single and lives in Washington. 

Image courtesy of the State Department.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget--Rob Portman
Rob Portman is our country’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  This job is one of the most important in our federal government. The OMB Director is a key member of President Bush’s cabinet and plays a vital role in every aspect of the administration's agenda, from securing the homeland, to winning the war on terror, to growing our economy and creating jobs.

The OMB works to implement policies that help the American economy grow.  They make sure the taxpayers' money is spent wisely, or not at all!  OMB works hard to improve the management of federal programs so that spending brings the very best results for everyone.  They also work to cut the federal deficit.

Rob Portman brings great qualifications to the job, having served as a Representative to Congress from Ohio.  Trained as a lawyer with great experience as a trade attorney, Ambassador Portman served in the George H.W. Bush White House from 1989-1991 as Associate Counsel to the President and later as Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Most recently, he served as the United States Trade Representative. 

Ambassador Portman is a Methodist and was born in Cincinnati, OH.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1979 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan in 1984. Rob Portman is married to Jane and they have three kids, Jed, Will and Sally. 

Bible Verses of the week

Tell everyone about God’s power.  His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is  mighty in the heavens.  God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
--Psalm 68:34-35

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
--James 1:5

At Christmas time, out thoughts turn to gifts of all kinds.  Author Mary Ann Haslett says prayer is something God gives us as a wonderful way of showing His love for us.  Read her words below and see what you think. 

Have you ever considered what a gift God has given us, in the form of prayer?  Prayer allows us to communicate with God, to confide in Him, and to enter into an intimate relationship with Him.  Prayer fills us with perfect peace, security and hope.  The results of prayer are limitless because God’s powers know no bounds.  He tells us to ask and we shall receive.  Prayer truly is a gift from God. 

Prayer really is a great gift, isn’t it.  When you pray, you know that you are in touch with God Himself.  What a fantastic thing!  And God just keeps on blessing you when you pray. 

Ms. Haslett also says that prayer is a gift we give back to God.  Have you ever thought about your prayers becoming a gift or a blessing to God?  It’s true!  God love to hear your prayers and He loves to answer them.  Here are some more thoughts on that:

Have you ever thought of your prayers as a gift to God?  Scripture suggests that our prayers “come like incense before God” (Psalm 141:2).  How pleasing they must be to Him!  We receive from God whatever we ask when we keep His commands and do what is pleasing to Him.  So you see, it pleases God when we pray.  God not only desires our prayers, He commands us to pray. 
--MaryAnn Haslett, author of My Prayer Box

So as you get busy making your gift lists this Christmas, be sure you include the gift of prayer.  Be sure you offer loving and praise-filled prayers to God this Christmas, remembering that He loves to communicate with you in prayer. 

There is a Bible verse that talks about prayer and how peaceful we will feel in our hearts when we trust our concerns to God in prayer.  Do you know where it is?  Hover HERE to read.

Do you play violent video games?  If so, do you tell yourself, “It’s just a game.  I can control its effect on me.”?  Some researchers discovered something very interesting about how violent video games affect your brain.  Read on and see what you think. 

Violent Video Games May Emotionally Arouse Players
Courtesy of Standard Newswire

Adolescents who play violent video games may exhibit differences in activity levels in areas of the brain associated with emotional arousal and self-control, according to new research at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

The study randomly assigned 44 adolescents to play either a violent video game or a nonviolent but equally fun and exciting video game for 30 minutes. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain function immediately following the play time, researchers documented differences in brain function between the video game groups. Adolescents who had played violent video games exhibited more brain activity in a region thought to be important for emotional arousal and less activity in a brain region associated with executive functions. Executive functions are the ability to plan, shift, control and direct one's thoughts and behavior.  Read More.

If violent video games actually change the thinking patterns of the kids who play them, should there be rules against them?  Whose responsibility is it to keep kids from playing violent video games? 

Bible Verses of the week

Photo of Ronald Reagan courtesy of the
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. 

I have always believed that this anointed land was set apart in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the Earth who had a special love of faith and freedom.  Our pioneers asked that He would work His will in our daily lives so America would be a land of morality, fairness and freedom.

Today, we have more to be thankful for than our pilgrim mothers and fathers who huddled on the edge of the New World that first Thanksgiving Day could ever dream.  We should be grateful not only for our blessings, but also for the courage and strength of our ancestors which enable us to enjoy the lives we do today. Let us reaffirm through prayer and actions our thankfulness for America’s bounty and heritage. 
--Ronald Reagan, November 25, 1982

Bible Verses of the week

About the disciplines of the Christian life!  
When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.
--Corrie Ten Boom, Holocaust survivor, author of The Hiding Place

If you could talk with Corrie ten Boom today and give her a report on the disciplines in your life, would you say that our enemy is smiling?  Laughing?  Shouting with joy?  Or running in the other direction?

Bible Verses of the week

The Bible gives us some great instructions on how to make the devil go away and stop taunting us.  Do you know where to find that verse?  
Hover HERE to read.

Bible Verses of the week

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt often used radio to bolster confidence and faith in the American people. That's what he did on December 8, 1941 Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

December 7, 1941 — does that date ring a bell?  It should!  It is the day that Japanese forces attacked American troops at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  Thousands were killed, and America was immediately thrust into the war.  On December 8, 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt came to a jam-packed Senate chamber and spoke to the members of Congress, explaining that America was declaring war on Japan.  This was a monumental day in the history of our country.  When you read President Roosevelt’s words, recognize that he speaks with confidence, and reminds everyone that God will be the helper of the American people. 

Click HERE to listen to FDR’s famous speech. 

Pearl Harbor Day is a terrific day to be thankful for the gift of freedom.  It reminds us of the innocent lives that were lost and the dedication and determination of our president and our country in the face of such a horrible attack.  It’s also a great time to pray that no further attacks will be made on America, and that those working to bring peace to Iraq will succeed.

President Roosevelt addressed the members of Congress and the country when he told of the horrible attack on America by the Japanese.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of
America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.  The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Read the whole speech.

QUESTION 1

When you read the words of President Ronald Reagan, which of the following would you say is true?

  1. President Reagan believed, as did George Washington, that God was very involved in the founding of our nation.

  2. President Reagan said that early Americans prayed that this country would be a place for those who honor faith and freedom.

  3. President Reagan felt that if Americans asked God to work His will in our lives, our country would become a very good place to live with good values guiding us.

QUESTION 2

True or False
President Reagan’s words imply that Americans today are a lot better off than our Pilgrim mothers and fathers.

  1. True
  2. False

QUESTION 3

Mary Ann Haslett calls prayer a gift.  What does she say about the gift of prayer?

  1. Ms. Haslett says prayer is a gift to kids who really want a lot of presents at Christmas because they can ask for a lot of things and get them.
  2. She says that prayer is a gift from God because it helps us to draw near to Him—to really know Him intimately.

  3. She says that prayer is a gift we give God, because He delights in the praises of His people. 

QUESTION 4

What happened on Pearl Harbor Day?

  1. The Japanese bombed American troops on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu.
  2. The Japanese showed that they planned this attack long before December 7, 1941.

  3. The world changed forever, and America lost many faithful and good people.

This week’s update has a lot of different ideas for kids to think about and apply.  We hope that you’ll be encouraged to be prayerful and thoughtful this week as you consider the gift and the blessing of living in America.  Remember to pray for our President and our troops as you prepare for Christmas.

Home | Sign Up | Downloads | Radio Program | Archives | Contact | Last Week
Presented by the sustaining partners of The Presidential Prayer Team.
© Copyright 2006 The Presidential Prayer Team, Inc.

INTERNET SECURITY NOTICE: For your safety, The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids will never phone or initiate personal correspondence. If anyone saying they are from The Presidential Prayer Kids contacts you (other than to respond to your question or request or to send you birthday greetings or updates), please tell your parents or the authorities. Never give your address, phone number or personal information to anyone you don't know (or anyone else on the Internet). Membership is free and members' names and email addresses will never be shared with any other entity or individual.

The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids is a division of The Presidential Prayer Team (www.presidentialprayerteam.org), a nonprofit, charitable organization. The Presidential Prayer Team is not affiliated with, nor does it receive funding from, any political party or office of the government.