IFA has published stories about Louisiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, with months set aside to fast and pray for their states. It is encouraging to see that our intercession for our leaders is not in vain. Let this encourage you to continue to stand in the gap for your state’s leaders, even the ones you don’t agree with. South Dakota Co-State Leader Mary Beth Phillips shared this massive praise report and the power of connection and prayer for those leaders who vote against conservative values. 

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This recent victory didn’t happen overnight. Mary Beth and South Dakota State Leader Kathy Schmeichel, along with the state group, have held the line through intercession and engagement. Two years ago, MaryBeth heard Tennessee proclaimed a month of fasting and prayer. “I remember thinking, I wish we could get something done like this. I wouldn’t know where to begin in South Dakota,” she said. Kathy and Mary Beth had not talked about it, but God had other plans, and He was at work.

Mary Beth said she had never been actively involved in the political realm like this when she lived in Oregon and Colorado. “I had been following IFA since the 90s. I would go to the Voter Values Summit. I had been using their prayer guides for decades, so when I got here to South Dakota, I started praying with the IFA South Dakota State Group in 2023. God really gave me a heart for governmental intercession,” she said.

Mary Beth and Dennis have close relationships with several legislators from Rapid City since the 2024 campaign. During this election, they met Curt Voight, one of the men running, who was canvassing the neighborhood looking for votes. They had already been praying with Greg Blanc, Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Rapid City, in a weekly pastor’s prayer group. Greg needed help getting signatures to get on the ballot, and we helped with that effort. One day at his church, she met Janet, the wife of a state Representative who was also part of the GOP leadership. 

“I said to my husband Dennis, we need to be praying for these people for the election. I talked to Pastor Greg, the woman, and my husband, and we decided we were going to open up our house and invite candidates who wanted to receive prayer for the upcoming elections. We invited twelve candidates and twelve prayer warriors. We prayed over them; one of the men from Custer wanted to be anointed with oil. We prayed and anointed those with oil who wanted it. As we prayed, we really saw God moving over the ones who received prayer and anointing that night. Five of those present for prayer and five not present won their elections. that included 4 state senators, 4 state representatives, and 2 Rapid City School Board members. We’ve gotten to know Greg Blanc pretty well and have talked to him about more in-person prayer this year. We’ve gotten to know Greg Blanc pretty well and have talked to him about more in-person prayer this year,” Mary Beth said. 

Mary Beth and Dennis decided they really wanted to make connections and find opportunities to pray over their elected officials. God was opening doors and providing opportunities through IFA’s Capitol Connections.

Meeting South Dakota’s Representatives

Last year, Mary Beth and Dennis were at the Capitol for a bill to return the Ten Commandments to the schools. Sitting in the Senate gallery, she saw Senator Mykala Voita, who really impressed Mary Beth with her boldness. The Senate Committee passed the Ten Commandments bill out of committee by one vote, and it passed the full Senate by about the same margin. Unfortunately, the bill failed in the House. But the legislators who had been prayed for, including Senator John Carley, who introduced this bill, gave strong witness on the floor of the Senate.

In 2023, there was a Senate vacancy in Rapid City in Pastor Greg Blanc’s District. Greg asked for consideration for the position, but Gov. Kristi Noem filled the abbreviated term with a man named Mike Walsh. Sen Mike Walsh and Sen Helene Duhamel, both from Rapid City, voted against a bill about stopping children’s exposure to pornography. Mary Beth reached out to both Senators after the vote failed and said, “Why would you vote against something that would protect children from pornography? Mary Beth never received any response from either of them to her question.

Last year, Senator Greg Blanc told Mary Beth that it was being reported in the media that Senator Helene Duhamel had cancer and was receiving ongoing treatment. “Last fall, we were trying to meet as many legislators as we could in Pierre. They had a special session, Kathy and I were present, and I saw Helene Duhamel come in. “I had been wanting to speak to her. So I approached Senator Duhamel and said, ‘My name is Mary Beth Phillips, and I’ve been praying for your health.’ Is there any way I can pray for you? Helene took my hands and said, “Please pray for healing.”

Mary Beth confessed, “I had really been negative towards her. If you look at her voting record, it is not at all conservative. But I have kept in touch with her and sent her some prayer notes, and during Christmas time, she sent me a Christmas card with pictures from her son’s wedding. It was very nice.“

 Mary Beth was recently back in Pierre for the Resolution for Prayer and Fasting. Every year, Family Voice sponsors a Day at the Capitol, in which they bus people from Rapid City and the eastern city of Sioux Falls. Mary Beth and Dennis had missed previous visits but were able to go this year. Kathy and Mary Beth had been thinking of ways to utilize IFA’s Capitol Connections. Mary Beth wrote many handwritten notes for January’s Capitol Connection. She wrote to all thirty-five members of the Senate. “There were 70 members of the House present, and I wrote notes to about two-thirds of them as well. I took those notes with me. I talked to the leader of Family Voice and said that I’d like to put these on their desks. The legislators do not have offices; they only have their desks on the floor of the Senate or the House. People can go into these chambers and talk or leave notes with permission from the Sargents-at-Arms before 11 am each day. After a breakfast briefing, we were able to go onto the Senate floor and then to the Senate Gallery. We didn’t have time to go to the House that morning, so pages delivered those notes in the House for us. We knew we were leaving for home on the bus at 3:00 pm, because it was an almost three-hour bus ride home. We had been up since 3:30 am to catch the bus.

I had no idea the first thing to come up in the Senate would be Senate Concurrent Resolution 604, calling for a month of prayer and fasting. Dennis and I were sitting there, and our youngest State Senator, a 26-year-old with two children, stood up, and when she started talking, I just couldn’t believe it. It was not something we knew was going to happen, but we got to be there. She and others got up to speak in favor of the Resolution, and we were there for the vote!”

“After Senator Mykala Voita read the Resolution, they allowed any Senator who wanted to, to make comments. Senator Tamar Groves, who is one of the two native Senators, Pastor/Senator Greg Blanc, and two or three other Senators stood up and said they would support the Resolution. The name of Jesus was well represented and lifted high that day. Nobody stood up to oppose or say anything negative about the Resolution,” Mary Beth said. 

A Change of Heart

Sen. Helene Duhamel was present and voted that day. Earlier that morning, I had handed her a handwritten note from Capitol Connections supporting her. When they called the roll for the vote for SCR604, Helene voted “Yes” for the month of fasting and prayer. “There have been a lot of things she has voted for that were not conservative. Although she did not get up to speak, she did vote in favor of the Resolution. I heard it with my own ears. I personally believe that connecting with her and praying for her, the Lord softened her heart.”

“We took a picture on the steps of the Capitol, and my husband and I are in the third row just above Governor Larry Rhoden and Attorney General Marty Jackley. They and several Senators and Representatives joined Family Voice in singing God Bless America, and then we sang Amazing Grace. Then we all had lunch together. During lunch, we met another Christian Representative who told us his amazing story of how he ended up running for office. Another woman joined our table, one of the Family Voice staff, and we learned her husband is a Representative to whom I had written a note. We made several new contacts.”

South Dakota Votes for Prayer

Another member of the IFA prayer group was present during the Tuesday Senate vote, and she returned on Thursday. She said the atmosphere was not as positive and friendly as it had been during our Family Voice Day. Still, we are grateful the vote passed. When we were in the Senate, the vote was 22-11 with 2 excused. “When I got back home, I found out from Rep Heather Baxter, a Representative from Rapid City who joins our South Dakota Monday prayer calls, that the Resolution passed in the House by a 42-23 vote. Since it is a Resolution, it does not need the Governor’s signature.

In South Dakota, there are three Democrats out of 35 in the Senate, and out of 70 Representatives, there are six Democrats. A lot of good bills are going down in defeat, 31-37, meaning we have a lot of RINOS. When we moved here, I was told that many do not run for office as Democrats; they run as Republicans. We look at the Scorecards that Family Voice puts out, and there are many Republicans with scores almost as low as the Democrats.

 We continue to intercede for all of our leaders for wisdom, guidance, health, and safety. Our main prayer goal is that we pray that Saul’s would become Paul’s and vote for godly legislation, and if not, the Lord will replace them.

Senator Blanc informed Mary Beth that at least five more conservative Senators and five more Representatives are needed at our Capitol. The conservatives and Christians are being targeted as we look to this year’s election. “South Dakota has a big target on its back. God is bringing people in, and we’re seeing answers to prayer,” Mary Beth said.

If you are encouraged by how God is raising bold men and women of faith in positions of government, and by Mary Beth’s story, let’s pray. 

Father, we thank you for what you have done in South Dakota. Thank you for leaders, bold men and women of faith who recognize the power of fasting and prayer. With every resolution, hear our hearts cry, it is a cry for total dependence on you to move in this nation. We praise you for every state that recognizes prayer, and we contend for every state that has yet to sign one, and we intercede for those leaders who adamantly resist you. We pray they will have a change of heart. Turn their hearts from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. 

We pray for leaders who have received prayer and cards, open doors for connections and relationships, that they may know some people will call on the Lord and intercede on their behalf.  We pray for those Damascus road encounters for our leaders from Saul’s to Paul’s, and if not, we pray let another take his or her office. We know the battle is not over in South Dakota and in many states. The battle is raging and fierce, but we decree and declare that this battle for our nation belongs to the Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Share your praises and prayers in the comments below.

IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: IFA South Dakota State Leader Mary Beth Phillips.