Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96, RFRA Turns 30 & Praying in an Anxious Society

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away Sunday afternoon (Nov. 19) at the family’s home in Plains, Ga., the Carter Center announced Sunday. She was 96. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Jimmy Carter said.

“While the world is celebrating her social and political accomplishments, we should not fail to honor the fact that she and President Carter maintained a warm and healthy marriage for nearly eight full decades,” said SBC President Bart Barber.

Barber honored Carter for facing the challenges of raising three sons and a daughter in the public eye.
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Thirty years after a landmark piece of religious freedom legislation was enacted, it’s more needed than ever.

That was evident this week to Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., when a U.S. State Department employee told him she quoted Scripture in her draft of a speech only to have it stricken by a government attorney who said quoting the Bible is not permissible. “Are they aware that the president of the United States has quoted Scripture in his speeches and that George Washington quoted Scripture in his speeches?” Lankford said Nov. 16 at an online event hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

Three decades after President Bill Clinton signed RFRA into law on Nov. 16, 1993 – with virtually unanimous support in both the House and the Senate – the religious liberty protections it enshrined are facing renewed opposition. But upholding RFRA is key to protecting religious liberty for the next 30 years, according to religious freedom advocates.
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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We know thanksgiving in prayer is an antidote for an anxious life. From Paul’s admonition in Philippians 4:6, we learn about overcoming anxiety; but a few other things about thanksgiving as prayer become obvious as well. For one thing, we learn that praying with thanksgiving is to be a part of everything we pray about. The text says, “…in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).  Naturally, many occurrences in life are horrific, and we don’t thank God for evil. We can, however, thank God in every circumstance, because we know He loves us and answers prayer. After all, the instruction says, “in everything by prayer” rather than “for everything.” Imagine every prayer, therefore, even those filled with disappointment, uncertainty, or lament, as a request bathed in thanksgiving. It would be a game changer. 

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