Weekly briefing: Tony Evans seeks prayers, faith leaders meet with Trump, Patricia Heaton's warning for Kanye

We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know:

Tony Evans calls on Christians to pray for supernatural intervention

Pastor Tony Evans is asking for all people of faith to pray for a supernatural intervention as his wife battles to defeat cancer despite chemotherapy no longer being an option.

"Even though chemotherapy and radiation are no longer options, we still have total confidence in God's ability to supernaturally intervene and do what man is unable to do. Our prayers are full of faith, hope, and expectancy. We would appreciate you praying with that same spirit. While we wait on our miracle, Lois is continuing with natural therapies, supplemental treatments and is surrounded 24/7 with the love of her nuclear and extended family as well as the support of our church and national ministry.” — Evans

Faith leaders meet with President Trump at the White House

Several faith leaders, including notable conservative Christian and evangelical pastors, held an informal meeting with President Trump at the White House this week.

The pastors prayed for the president and the nation, and “discussed the Administration’s many accomplishments,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to The Christian Post, confirming that the president met with religious leaders Tuesday morning.

“Great discussion & CELEBRATION of many achievements like: criminal justice reform, defending religious freedom, reducing abortion, combatting the opioid crisis & trafficking, the end of ISIS & Baghdadi.” — Johnnie Moore

Christian leaders react to the killing of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi

President Donald Trump announced Sunday morning that notorious Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself during a U.S. special forces operation.

“No [U.S.] personnel were lost in the operation, while a large number of Baghdadi’s fighters and companions were killed with him. He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way,” the president said.

Al-Baghdadi took control of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh, in 2010. Under his leadership, the terrorist group greatly expanded its territory into Iraq and Syria in 2014, with affiliates in Egypt, the Philippines, and other parts of the word.

Andrew T. Walker, a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of research and senior fellow in Christian ethics at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, approved of the action.

“A reminder that government is at its most fulfilled purpose when it is doing, quite literally, what its basic and primary calling is—Noahic preservative justice: ‘For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.’ Romans 13:3.” — Walker

New York passes Johnson Amendment banning churches from political speech

New York’s Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that bans churches and other nonprofits from campaigning for or against political candidates.

Cuomo signed Senate Bill S4347 last week, creating a state-level equivalent to the current federal Johnson Amendment that bans electioneering among nonprofit groups.

“In the minds of New York lawmakers, a group can only speak freely if it pays the government extra for the privilege of doing so. That type of financial coercion may pay for a payroll increase in Albany, but it will sideline the roles of both secular and religious charities,” wrote Ryan Tucker of the Alliance Defending Freedom in an op-ed published by the New York Daily News.

“Cuomo’s comments are wrong. The government can’t condition your tax-exempt status with the surrender of your First Amendment rights or any other constitutionally protected freedom.”

Patricia Heaton issues warning for Kanye West

Actress Patricia Heaton says she's praying for Kanye West because people want to see him fail at Christianity.

"I was just listening to the Kanye interview with Big Boy this morning as I was getting dressed. I never thought I'd be downloading any Kanye West music, but here we are,” the “Everybody Loves Raymond” actress told The Christian Post on Tuesday.

“It's very hard. I think when someone of his stature in the industry and someone who has his amount of fame makes that kind of proclamation, people then really watch and scrutinize everything he does to catch him falling down. I hope that he is able to handle that, because that's what's going to happen. People want to see him fail at Christianity." — Heaton

Feature: The Christian Post launched an eight-part series called “Leaving Christianity.” Read parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7a, and 7b.

Pray for:

California residents battling the fires and the families who’ve lost their homes

The list of fires include: the Maria fire, 46 fire, Hillside fire, Hill fire, Getty fire, Easy fire, Kincade fire and the Tick fire

Pastor Bryan Nerren who leads the International House of Prayer Ministries in Shelbyville, Tennessee, who was arrested by authorities in Bagdogra, India, last month and has yet to be released

New releases

Albums:

Casting Crowns Voice of Truth: The Ultimate Collection (Nov.1)

Selah Firm Foundation (Nov.1)

Phil Wickham Christmas (Nov. 1)

Books:

Becoming C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Young Jack Lewis by Harry Lee Poe (Nov. 12)

Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future by Gavin Ortlund (Oct. 29)