(Jerusalem, Israel) — As someone born and raised in the United States, and still an American citizen, and deeply in love with “the land of the free and home of the brave,” it grieves me to see how hard the coronavirus pandemic is hitting the American people.

Understandably, frustration with the lockdowns is building — people want this to be over and to go back to their lives.

But fear is growing, too — so many have lost their lives, many more may still die, tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and many businesses are increasingly in danger of going bankrupt, devastating their owners and throwing more out of work.

The latest figures I read this morning hit me hard — “The U.S. death toll from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday exceeded the 58,220 American lives lost during the Vietnam War as cases topped 1 million,” reported Reuters.

Below, I’ve posted important excerpts from the Reuters report.

First, a reminder: I hope you’ll join me tonight for a free webcast from Jerusalem. You need to register while there’s still space available — you can do so by clicking here.

• Topic: “How Can I Live By Faith, Not Fear, Amidst Worst Case Scenarios?”
• Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
• Time: 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
• Duration: 45 minutes

Excerpts from the Reuters report:

• U.S. cases have doubled in 18 days and make up one-third of all infections in the world, according to the tally.
• The actual number of cases is thought to be higher, with state public health officials cautioning that shortages of trained workers and materials have limited testing capacity.
• About 30% of the cases have occurred in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania….
• The outbreak could take more than 74,000 U.S. lives by Aug. 4, compared with an April 22 forecast of over 67,600, according to the University of Washington’s predictive model….
• Globally, coronavirus cases top 3 million since the outbreak began in China late last year. The United States, with the world’s third-largest population, has five times as many cases as the next hardest-hit countries of Italy, Spain and France.
• Of the 20 most severely affected countries, the United States ranks fifth based on cases per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has about 30 cases per 10,000 people. Spain ranks first at over 48 cases per 10,000 people, followed by Belgium, Switzerland and Italy….
• The coronavirus deaths in the United States fall short of the approximately 100,000 Americans killed by seasonal flu in 1967, according to the CDC. It is also far less deadly than the Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and killed 675,000 Americans.
• Unprecedented stay-at-home orders to try to curb the spread of the virus have hammered the economy, with the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits over the last five weeks soaring to 26.5 million….

Please continue praying:

• for all those who are suffering in Israel, the U.S. and all over the world that the Lord would heal and comfort them
• for all those who have lost a loved one, that the Lord would comfort them
• for all those struggling with fear and anxiety to turn to the Lord for comfort and the Bible for answers
• for protection and strength for all health care workers and first responders
• for wisdom for our national leaders to know how best to contain/defeat the virus
• for pastors to continue teaching the Word of God with clarity and compassion, and to know how best to minister to people with church doors closed
• for all those who have lost their jobs and all who are struggling financially, and for the economy to recover quickly
• for The Joshua Fund team to have both the wisdom and financial resources to continue investing in, strengthening and encouraging vital ministries in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the neighboring Arab countries

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