Contending in prayer for Israel

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The Battle for Israel There is no doubt that the Church in general needs to rediscover the role and power of prayer. Jesus said that His house should be “a house of prayer for all nations.” Today it is mainly a house of singing… Read more »

Paul wrote that we are to recognize this and thus oppose these principalities through the struggle of prayer:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

– Ephesians 6: 10-12

Prayer is hard and demanding work and yet it constitutes the mighty power of God when discharged faithfully. We neglect it in our churches to our peril!

Paul, writing to the Church at Philippi said, “In all things by prayer…” (Philippians 4:6). If we took this simple advice we would see so much more of the “hand of God” in our communities.

This is an urgent call to prayer:
For Israel, the Church, and our nations.

We believe that prayer can change all things and that God in Christ is calling our ICEJ family to faithful prayer. Please join us as we call on God as never before. To help you, we have provided some prayer points to focus your intercession, broken down into eight specific areas, to guide you in an eight-week season of prayer for Israel and the nations.

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.
See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads.

With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

– Psalm 83: 1-4

An 8-week Prayer Guide for Israel

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Week 1: Pray for Our Leaders “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” 1 Timothy 2: 1-3 The Bible calls us to pray for those in authority. That is for our national leaders. This according to Paul is the first obligation before us as we go to the place of prayer. Pray for your national leaders, the Israel’s Prime Minister and his cabinet. These leaders carry great responsibility, and they need the wisdom and help of God. We have no right to criticize them as Christians if we have not regularly called out to God on their behalf! They are the “servants of God” (Romans13:1-4) and do not carry “the sword” for nothing.

Week 2: Pray for Israel’s Protection “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” Isaiah 54: 17 The Middle East region is a “tinder box” and destruction of immense proportions could take place at any time. To Israel’s south, she continues to face serious threats from Hamas which has already launched thousands of rockets of one type or another. To the north, Hezbollah has thirty thousand new generation missiles aimed at Israel. We can only defuse these by the “missile” of prayer! The Bible states that “no weapon against Israel will prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) We need to hold these scriptures before the throne of God as we ask our Father to be merciful to His people Israel.

Week 3: Pray for Real Peace “Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.” Psalm 149: 5-9 While we can so easily dismiss peace efforts as insignificant and hopeless, we should recognize that initiatives in this regard are going to be launched with or without our involvement. Our involvement is not official. It is in the place of prayer. The book of Psalms declares that we rule national and international affairs from our bedrooms! Mary, Queen of the Scots said that, more than anything on earth, she feared the prayers of John Knox! We should therefore pray much about all the efforts to reach a lasting peace in the Middle East and beyond, always recognizing that true peace comes only from God and His Son, the Prince of Peace. Hopefully, we too, one day, can gain a reputation like that of John Knox!

Week 4: Pray for the Enemy’s Plans to be Exposed “The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?” Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come…” Daniel 2: 26-28 The situation with Ahmadinejad of Iran is becoming critical, very critical. He has set his sights on Israel and desires nothing less than her destruction. This week we must wait on God and call out to Him to remove this threat from over the nation of Israel. Daniel, the prophet of old, understood this and changed the direction of history because of his faithful prayers. Nothing could stop him, not even persecution! Daniel knew that there is a “God in Heaven “who reveals secrets to his servants. Hold this fact before the “Most High” and ask Him to expose the sinister plans of destruction that people like Ahmadinejad and others have for Israel. God can do it!

Week 5: Pray for the Church and Her Leaders “And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, nor the noise of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear.” Exodus 32: 17-18 There is no doubt that the Church in general needs to rediscover the role and power of prayer. Jesus said that His house should be “a house of prayer for all nations.” Our prayer meetings are weak and badly attended and consequently our projection of ministry is greatly lacking in power. The early church by contrast made prayer a feature of every meeting. This is the testimony of the Book of Acts (Acts 1:14). We need to urgently adopt this way of life together as, if we don’t, we shall “win on the grandstand but lose, where it counts, on the field!” The words of Moses will thus continue to haunt us when he said that he doesn’t hear the sound of defeat or victory but that of a good time. Let us not be guilty of just singing while our world burns and our churches lack power! Pray for your Church and for all the churches in your town and city. Pray that “your candlestick” will burn brightly and shine the light of Jesus upon your broken and fallen world (Revelation 2:5). Above all, submit to and pray for those whom God has set in oversight over you. These are precious men of God who need your prayers (Hebrews 13:17). They are not perfect but seek to glorify God in the local church. They count on and need your prayers. Support them by being faithful and dependable and God will honor you and answer your prayers. Remember that Jesus cried out to God with strong crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7); therefore, we should follow His example and do the same.

Week 6: Pray for God’s Will in the Middle East “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” Matthew 6: 9-10 Scripture affirms that Jesus is now at the right hand of glory interceding for us (Romans 8: 34). He is also waiting for His enemies, of which He has many, to come to His footstool (Luke 20: 41-44). Included in this group are those who seek the destruction of Israel (Psalm 2).

Week 7: Pray for our Governments “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13: 1-2 The Bible clearly teaches that we should have respect and honor for our national leaders. Too many Christians confuse respect and honor with compromise. They are wrong! To carry out the biblical injunction to honor and pray for our leaders does not mean that we necessarily agree with them.

Week 8: Pray for Faithfulness “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8) The Book of Revelation in chapter 5 and verse 8 notes that God’s great acts in history and in the earth today are because of the faithful prayers of His people. While prayer most certainly has an aspect of mystery to it, we know it moves the heart of God and that it does change the world. Prayer changes things because prayer changes us!