Prayer!
America’s Strength and Shield

May 1, 2008

The Lord is my strength and shield,
 my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.
Psalm 28:7

2008 Prayer for Our Nation
Dr. Ravi Zacharias
2008 Honorary Chairman, National Day of Prayer Task Force

Holy Father, in a world where so many are hungry,
You have given us food in abundance;

In a world where so many are hurting,
You offer to bind up our wounds;

In a world where so many are lonely,
You offer friendship to every heart;

In a world longing for peace,
You offer hope.

Yet, we are so stubborn and resistant.
Have mercy upon us, Lord.

Our nation is at a crossroads this year;
we look to you to be our strength and shield.

Please give us the guidance to elect one who will honor you
and to respond to the wisdom from above
so that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured.

In God's holy name.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
President:  George W. Bush
Vice President:  Dick Cheney
Secretary of State:  Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of Defense:  Robert Gates
Secretary of Treasury: Henry M. Paulson
Attorney General: Michael B. Mukasey
Secretary of Agriculture:  Ed Schafer
Secretary of Commerce: Carlos Gutierrez
Secretary of Education:  Margaret Spellings
Secretary of Energy:  Samuel Bodman
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Michael Leavitt
Secretary of Homeland Security:  Michael Chertoff
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Roy A Bernardi
Secretary of Interior:  Dirk Kempthorne
Secretary of Labor:  Elaine Chao
Secretary of Transportation:  Mary E. Peters
Secretary of Veterans Affairs:  Dr. James Peake
Environmental Protection Agency:  Stephen Johnson
Chief of Staff:  Joshua B. Bolten
National Security Advisor: Stephen J. Hadley
Director of National Intelligence:  Mike McConnell
U.S. Senator:  Mel Martinez
U. S. Senator:  Bill Nelson
House of Representatives:  Dave Weldon and Tom Feeney

STATE OF FLORIDA
Governor: Charlie Crist
Lt. Governor:  Jeff Kottkamp
Secretary of State: Kurt S. Browning
Attorney General:  Bill McCollum
Chief Financial Officer:  Alex Sink
Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:  Charles H. Bronson
Commissioner, Department of Education:  Eric Smith
Senators:  District 24: Bill Posey  District 26:  Mike Haridopolos
Representatives:
District 29:  L. Ralph Poppell     District 30:  Thad Altman
District 31:  Mitch Needelman    District 32:  Tony Sasso
District 80: Stan Mayfield

BREVARD COUNTY
Clerk of Courts:  Scott Ellis
Public Defender:  James Russo
Property Appraiser:  Jim Ford
Sherriff:  Jack Parker
State Attorney:  Norman R. Wolfinger
Supervisor of Elections:  Fred D. Galey
Tax Collector:  James “Rod” Northcutt

BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
District 1:  Truman Scarborough
District 2:  Chuck Nelson
District 3: Helen Voltz
District 4:  Mary Bolin
District 5:  Jackie Colon
County Manager: Peggy Busacca

BREVARD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Superintendent: Dr. Richard A. DiPatri
District 1: Robert Jordan
District 2:  Dr. Barbara Murray
District 3:  Amy Kneessy
District 4:  Larry E. Hughes
District 5: Janice Kershaw

CAPE CANAVERAL
Mayor:  Rocky Randels
Mayor Pro Tem: Robert Hoog Council Members: Leo Nicholas, Buzz Petsos, Shannon Roberts
City Manager:  Bennett Boucher
City Clerk:  Susan Stills
Fire Chief: Dave Sargeant

COCOA
Mayor:  Mike Blake
Deputy Mayor:  Jake Williams, Jr.
City Council:  James E. McCarthy, Pat McCrary,  Clarence Whipple, Jr.
City Clerk:  Joan Clark
City Manager:  Ric Holt
Fire Chief: Francis Murphy
Police Chief:  Mark Klayman

COCOA BEACH
Mayor: Leon “Skip” Beeler
Vice Mayor: Ken Griffin
Commissioners: Don John,,  Kenneth “Skip” Williams,  Kevin Pruett
City Manager:  Chuck Billias
City Clerk:  Lori Kalaghchy
Police Chief: Bryan Holmes
Fire Chief:  Scott Shear

FELLSMERE
Mayor:  Sara Savage
Mayor Pro-Tem: Fernando Herrera
Council Members: Susan Adams,  Cheryl Hampton, Francisco Magana
City Manager: Jason Nunemaker
City Clerk: Deborah C. Krages
Police Chief: Scott A. Melanson

GRANT-VALKARIA
Mayor - Del Younts
Council Members: Joe Hackford, Danielle M. Morgan, Patrick Bryan, Cathy DeMott, Dan Faden, Jason Mahaney
Town Manager - Matthew Brock
Town Clerk - Sue Krueger

INDIALANTIC
Mayor:  Robert L. Cochran
Deputy Mayor:  Vincent Benevente
Council Members:  David Berkman, Lauren Goldfarb, Lori Halbert
Town Manager:  Christopher Chinault
Town Clerk:  Laura Eaton
Chief of Police:Troy W. Morris
Fire Chief:  John MacDonald

INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH
Mayor:  James Nolan, Sr.
Deputy Mayor:  Mary Anne O’Neill
Council Members: Edward J. Kapushy, Scott Nickle, David A. Panicola
City Manager:  Jackie Burns
City Clerk:  Deborah Maliska
Fire Chief: Todd Scaldo
Police Chief: Robert Sullivan

MALABAR
Mayor:  Tom Eschenberg
Administrator:  Bonilyn Wilbanks-Free
Town Clerk:  Debby Franklin
Council Members:  Nancy Borton, Pat Dezman, Jeff Knight, Chuck McClellend,  Brian Vail

MELBOURNE
Mayor:  Harry C. Goode, Jr.
Vice Mayor: Kathy Meehan
Council Members: Richard Contreras,  Joanne Corby, Mark LaRusso, Cheryl L. Palmer, John Thomas
City Manager:  Jack M. Schluckebier
City Clerk:  Cathleen A. Wysor
City Attorney:  Paul R. Gougelman, III
Police Chief:  Don Carey
Fire Chief: Paul Forsberg

MELBOURNE BEACH
Mayor:  William Stacey
Vice Mayer:  Donnie L. Price
Comissioners:   April Evans,  Paul Guglietta,  Chad Tennant
Town Manager: James D. Bursick
Town Clerk:  Lenore R. Milan
Fire Chief: Seth Stark
Attorney: Paul R. Gougelman, III

MELBOURNE VILLAGE
Mayor: Steve Gaul
Commissioners:  Rand Carroll,  Richard Jones, David Sinton, Valerie Calenda, Priscilla Griffith,Barbara Howell
Town Clerk:  Gail Griswold

PALM BAY
Mayor:  John J. Mazziotti
Deputy Mayor: Ed Geier
Council Members: Kristine Isnardi, Milo Zonka, Pat Woodard
City Manager:  Lee Feldman
City Attorney:  Nick Tsamoutales
City Clerk:  Alice Passmore
Police Chief: William Berger
Fire Chief:  Steve Abraira

PALM SHORES
Mayor:  Carol McComack
Vice Mayor:   Frank Falcone
Council Members:  Bill Blucker,   Sheila Donahue, Jack Yaroch
Town Clerk: Patricia Burke
Town Attorney: Michael Kahn

ROCKLEDGE
Mayor:  Larry Schultz
Council Members:  Dr. Joe Lee Smith, Richard Blake,  Lisa Lombardi, E. Georgia Phillips,  Coleen Stuart, Frank Forester
City Manager:  James McKnight
Assistant City Manager:  David A. Henderson
City Clerk:  Betsi Beatty Moist
City Attorney: Joseph E. Miniclier
Chief of Police:  John C. Shockey
Fire Chief:  Richard Allen

SATELLITE BEACH
Mayor:  Mark Brimer
Vice Mayor: Joseph Ferrante
Council Members:  Sal C. D’Amato,  Martha Kirby, Dominick Montanaro
City Manger: Michael P.Crotty
City Clerk:  Barbara Montanaro
Police Chief:  Lionel Cote
Fire Chief:  Daniel Rocque

SEBASTIAN             
Mayor: Andrea B. Coy
Vice Mayor:  Sal Neglia
Council Members: Al Paterrnoster, Dale I. Simchick, Eugene Wolff
City Manager:  Al Minner
City Clerk:  Sally A. Maio
Attorney:  Rich Stringer, Susan Larusso
Police Chief: Jim Davis

TITUSVILLE
Mayor:  Ronald G. Swank
Vice Mayor: Paul Secor
Council Members: Conrad Eigenmann, Walt Johnson, James H. Tulley, Jr.
City Manager: Mark Ryan
City Clerk: Wanda Wells
Police Chief:  Anthony C. Bollinger
Fire Chief:  Chuck Bogle

VERO BEACH
Mayor:  Thomas P. White
Vice Mayor:  Sabe Abell
Council Members: Debra Fromang, Ken Daige, Bill Fish
City Manager:   James B. Gabbard
City Attorney: Charles P. Vitunac
City Clerk: Tammy K. Vock
Police Chief:  Don Dappen

WEST MELBOURNE
Mayor:  Hal Rose
Deputy Mayor:  John D’Amico
Council Members: Stephanie Eley, Michael Hazlett, Andy Jones, Bill Mettrick, Christopher Paluszek
City Manager:  David Reynal
City Clerk:  Nancy Ciummo
Police Chief: Brian K. Lock
United States Supreme Court
Chief Justice: John G. Roberts, Jr.
Associate Justices: John Paul Stevens, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, David Hackett Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr.

Florida Supreme Court
Chief Justice: R. Fred Lewis
Associate Justices: Harry Lee Anstead, Kenneth B. Bell, Raoul G. Cantero III, Barbara G.. Parienete, Peggy Quince, Charles T. Wells

Fifth District Court of Appeals
Chief Justice: Robert G. Pleus, Jr.
Judges: Kerry I. Evander, Jacqueline R. Griffin, C. Alan Lawson, David A. Monaco, Richard B. Orfinger, William D. Palmer, Thomas D. Sawaya, Emerson R. Thompson, Jr., Vincent G. Torpy, Jr.

Circuit Court, 18th Judicial Circuit
Judges in Brevard County:  J. Preston Silvernail, Nancy F. Alley, O. H. “Bill” Eaton, Jr, John M. Harris,  Donna L. Mc Intosh,
David Dugan, Lisa Davidson, Bruce Jacobus, George Maxwell, Debra Steinberg Nelson, Marlene Alva, John D. Galluzzo, John D. Moxley, Jr.,  Jack Griesbaum, Tonya B. Rainwater, James E. Perry, Meryl Allawas, Charles M. Holcomb, Alan A. Dickey, Charlie G. Crawford, Ken Lester, Morgan Laur Reinman, Robert A. Wohn, Jr., Clayton D. Simmons, George B. Turner, Jim Earp

County Court Judges:
David E. Silverman, A. B. Majeed, Oscar Hotusing, Rhonda E. Babb, William T. McCluan, Kenneth Friedland, Cathleen B. Clarke, Benjamin B. Garagozlo, Kelly G. McKibben, Judith “Judy” Atkin, John Murphy
 
Brief History of The National Day of Prayer

1775 - The first Continental Congress called for a National Day of  Prayer.
1863 - Abraham Lincoln called for such a day.
1952 - Congress established the National Day of Prayer as an   annual event by a joint resolution, signed into law by  President Truman.
1988 - The law was amended and signed by President Reagan,   designating the National Day of Prayer as the first  Thursday in May.

As part of the National Day of Prayer's “Pray For Election Day” campaign, we are asking Americans to meet in corporate prayer. Matthew 18:20 says: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” We ask that every Thursday through November 4th, groups of two or more meet in their homes and businesses from 12:00 noon to 12:30 p.m. to pray for the November 4th presidential and general election. Please join your friends, your family, your co-workers and join me in uplifting our nation's future leaders in prayer.                    - Brian Toon, Vice Chairman, NDPTF

National Day of Prayer Web Site:
Nationaldayofprayer.org

Florida:   Floridaprayer.org