Did you know that the water you drink, the fuel your vehicle burns, and the energy in your home are all hugely impacted by what happens in the United States Department of the Interior (DOI)?

It’s true. This little-recognized department is a behemoth when it comes to responsibility, and this department and its new Secretary—Doug Burgum—need our prayers today!

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Who is Mr. Doug Burgum?

Doug Burgum is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, venture capitalist, former governor, and multimillionaire who has shown Americans what hard work, focus, and perseverance can accomplish.

Born in 1956 in North Dakota, he worked hard as a chimney sweep to get through college, earning a college degree in 1978 from North Dakota State University. In 1980, he also earned an MBA from Stanford.

Burgum went on to found a company called Great Plains Software, which he managed and grew, taking the company public in 1997—only to sell the firm to Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion in Microsoft stock. He continued working in the tech sector until moving into venture capital in 2008, and then being elected as governor of North Dakota in 2016.

What is Burgum’s background?

As governor of North Dakota, Burgum worked hard to maximize effective use of the state’s fossil fuels and other natural resources. He also signed bills and vocalized support for causes conservatives generally care about, such as:

• bringing major tax relief to his state’s citizens;
• supporting education;
• support for Israel;
• Second Amendment rights; and
• support for the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. (He states that he believes abortion law should be done at the state level.)

Why was Burgum chosen for his role?

In 2023, after only briefly campaigning for president, Burgum became an advisor for then-presidential-candidate Trump on energy-related issues. That relationship has continued, and President-elect Trump announced Burgum’s nomination for Secretary of the Interior shortly after election day 2024.

What challenges is he facing in his role?

On February 1, after being sworn into his new position, Secretary Burgum posted the following on X (formerly Twitter):

“Grateful to @POTUS for the honor to serve as Secretary of the Interior. We look forward to delivering on President Trump’s vision for Energy Dominance — which is the foundation of American prosperity, affordability for American families, unrivaled national security, and world peace. We will achieve Energy Dominance by sustainably developing our natural resources while championing clean air and clean water, protecting our most beautiful lands, and expanding outdoor recreation! And we will strengthen our mission of enhancing the quality of life, promoting economic opportunities, and empowering our Tribal partners through mutual respect, open communication, collaboration, and a sincere willingness to listen.”

In his new role with the Department of the Interior, Secretary Burgum is definitely facing some challenges.

He needs our prayers today, and he will continue to need them on an ongoing basis.

• First, President Trump has charged Burgum to oversee a major expansion of drilling for American oil, as well as mining for other natural resources (such as rare earth minerals). New and expanded drilling is needed in order to reduce rising fuel costs for American families.
• Burgum has also stated that he believes it is a national security issue for the USA to not be energy-independent. For us to be more secure within our own borders, we need to be able to fuel our nation’s way of life.
• Burgum will be facing the hatred of the left as drilling expands. He will need to maintain his courage to stay the course.
• He will need great wisdom to know how to navigate the complicated issues of land rights, pipeline construction, and fuel transportation when native lands or private lands are involved.
• Burgum has also stated that the DOI has a goal of expanding outdoor recreation options (which would be through the use of public land and national parks), and the infrastructure of many national parks is in dire need of updating.
• Burgum will now be in charge of massive amounts of public land. For example, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is part of the DOI, manages 245 million acres of public land in the United States.
• The DOI is in charge of 476 dams—which also have transportation-related issues when there is a road atop a dam.
• Even the Bureau of Reclamation falls under Burgum’s new purvey. The Bureau of Reclamation is the nation’s largest wholesale water supplier, managing huge water reservoirs in the West (such as Hoover Dam), and supplying “10 trillion gallons of water to millions of people each year,” according to the official government website. One might even call him the federal “water czar”!
• As “water czar,” Burgum will have to oversee the complicated and divisive process of distributing precious water resources across the Western states and between the First Nations tribes, simultaneously navigating the challenges that come with rampant wildfires, thirsty cities, irrigation for millions of acres of farmland, and more.
• While protecting American interests and delivering natural resources into the hands of the American people, Burgum must also balance our need for clean air and clean water. The waterways, the Great Lakes, and even our oceans (in American waters) all fall under the DOI’s sphere of authority.

Suffice it to say, Burgum has his work cut out for him!

How can we pray for Secretary Burgum?

1. Pray for Burgum to have great wisdom to navigate the complicated relationship between the federal government and the First Nations tribes. Many of the First Nations tribes are sovereign nations, with their own sovereign territory, while still existing inside the boundaries of the USA. God entrusted this land to the First Nations to steward before Europeans ever arrived, and we need to honor and deal righteously with those nations.
2. Pray for Burgum and his new DOI to do justly and love mercy, and to care about the American people they serve. We all saw how water was not available during the terrible recent California wildfires. Burgum is now in a position where he can ensure that natural resources, such as water, are distributed as they should be, so that such disasters can hopefully be averted or avoided altogether.
3. Pray for American energy independence, both with fossil fuels and rare earth minerals.
4. Pray for the money that comes from use of public lands (via drilling, mining, sale of land, et cetera) to be stewarded properly, so that those funds will benefit all Americans.
5. Pray that farmland, oceans, ports and shipping in the Great Lakes, and more will be protected from being taken over by foreign interests.
6. As Burgum is currently age 68, pray for his protection and good health.

The government of our natural resources have a far greater impact on our lives than any of us realize.

What would happen if we turned on our water faucets, only to find no water available in our homes? What would happen if we pulled up to the gas station, only to find no fuel available at the pumps? Chaos would ensue, and our way of life would vanish instantly.

Even if we don’t think about these things on a day-to-day basis, it is the faithful stewardship of our natural resources—headed up by Doug Burgum and his new Department of the Interior—that directly impacts all these things. So, let’s join together and pray for the Lord to bless our nation through his wide leadership and stewardship over our natural resources and lands!

How else do you feel led to pray for Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum today? Leave a comment below!

Jamie Rohrbaugh is the founder and CEO of From His Presence, a global discipleship ministry. She has written over 40 books, including The Way Forward: 10 Prayers for Your Journey Into the Promised Land, All Things New, Finding Deep Soul Healing 101, and Healing from Father Wounds. She seeks to equip you to carry God’s manifest glory everywhere you go. Her resources have been published by YouVersion Bible Plans, The Elijah List, Crosswalk, and various other ministry outlets. You can find free mentoring and encouragement on her website or YouTube channel. Download her free prayer tool, 25 Prayers That Will Build Your Life, here. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of the Interior.