You may not have heard about this development. Last week, in a bold, controversial move, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shut down nearly half a billion dollars in federal mRNA vaccine research, declaring that the technology carries “more risk than benefit” for fast-mutating viruses like COVID-19 and influenza.

Twenty-two contracts were canceled, freezing projects that many in the biomedical establishment considered essential to pandemic preparedness. The backlash from the public health elite was swift and severe.

Secretary Kennedy, a longtime critic of Big Pharma and government overreach, unapologetically explained that “mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits.” In a video posted to X, he went on to say:

“One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective. This dynamic drives a phenomenon called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine.”

According to an article on Daily Wire, RFK, Jr. said:

“We’re not going to keep dumping taxpayer dollars into risky platforms that may be obsolete by the time they’re deployed.”

For millions of Americans disillusioned by coercive mandates, censorship, and pharmaceutical profiteering, Kennedy’s decision is a welcome course correction. It represents a shift away from rushed, experimental solutions and toward a more transparent, safety-first approach to public health—one grounded less in ideology and more in accountability.

This moment also serves as a powerful reminder of the Apostle Paul’s call to pray “for all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1–4).

How often do we lift up cabinet officials and agency leaders in prayer? Their decisions carry enormous weight, shaping national policies that affect every aspect of American life. As Christians, we must remain vigilant in both prayer and action—asking God to guide those in power toward wisdom, integrity, and truth.

We invite you to join us as we lift in prayer the following items, starting with prayers of thanksgiving. We’ve also included a list of cabinet officials to pray for.

Please Pray:

• Thank the Lord for the great number of abortion mills closing their doors this year;

• Thank the Lord that the pro-life truth is resonating with more and more people. Pray that God helps us open eyes and change hearts;

• Thank the Lord that  several prominent hospitals across the United States have halted “gender-affirming” surgeries and hormone treatments for minors;

• Thank the Lord that the Trump administration has effectively secured our southern border;

• Thank the Lord for His gift of self-government. May we/they be good stewards of this responsibility.

• Thank the Lord for His gifts that have been enshrined in the First Amendment. Praise God for religious liberty, the right to assemble peacefully, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

• Thank God for the freedoms we have to worship Him freely in this state and nation. Pray for stronger local churches and bolder pastors who are not ashamed of the gospel.

• Please pray for the following leaders of President Trump’s Cabinet. May they all learn to fear and obey the God of the Bible, recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and trust in His work on Calvary to redeem them from their sins. Pray that they govern honestly and with integrity:

1. 1. Vice President – J.D. Vance 

   2. Secretary of State – Marco Rubio 

   3. Secretary of the Treasury – Scott Bessent 

   4. Secretary of Defense – Pete Hegseth

   5. Attorney General – Pam Bondi 

   6. Secretary of the Interior – Doug Burgum 

   7. Secretary of Agriculture – Brooke Rollins 

   8. Secretary of Commerce – Howard Lutnick 

   9. Secretary of Labor – Lori Chavez-DeRemer 

   10. Secretary of Health and Human Services – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

   11. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Scott Turner 

   12. Secretary of Transportation – Sean Duffy 

   13. Secretary of Energy – Chris Wright 

   14. Secretary of Education – Linda McMahon 

   15. Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Doug Collins 

   16. Secretary of Homeland Security – Kristi Noem 

• Please also pray for the leaders of Illinois state agencies, appointed by Governor JB Pritzker. May the Holy Spirit convict their hearts—leading them to fear the Lord, embrace the truth of Scripture, and recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior. Pray that they would govern rightly, with moral clarity, discerning good from evil.

1. 1. Department of Agriculture – Jerry Costello II

   2. Department of Central Management Services (CMS) – Raven DeVaughn

   3. Department of Labor – Jane Flanagan

   4. Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) –  Mario Treto Jr.

   5. Department of Public Health (IDPH) – Dr. Sameer Vohra

   6. Department on Aging – Mary Killough 

   7. Department of Human Services – Grace Hou

   8. Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) –Lizzy Whitehorn

   9. Department of Military Affairs – Major General Richard Neely

   10. Department of Emergency Management (IEMA) – Alicia Tate‑Nadeau

   11. Department of Human Rights – James Bennett

   12. Department of Juvenile Justice – Heidi Mueller

   13. Department of Natural Resources – Natalie Finnie

   14. Department of Veterans’ Affairs – Terry Prince

   15. Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) – Kristin Richards

More Prayer Bullet Points:

• As the new school year begins, please pray that efforts to indoctrinate children in government schools will fail and that local school boards and administrators will reject the woke agenda for their students in kindergarten through 12th grade;

• Pray for those who are going away to college. May God protect them and give them discernment to know right from wrong and good from evil, in and out of the classroom;

• Please pray that assisted suicide legislation would not gain traction in the Illinois Senate, but will continue to fall short of the votes needed to pass this session;

• Please pray that God will work in the hearts of our local officials, including county board members, local mayors, city council members, and members of library and school boards. (Proverbs 21:1);

• Please pray that God will use the upcoming IFI Annual Banquet with Riley Gaines to raise much-needed support and revenue so that we can continue our work and ministry – for the glory of the King of kings.