Jerusalem, Israel
MARCH 2014 PRAYER UPDATE
Israel and the Middle East
As of this writing, a major rally is taking place in
Jerusalem among the ultra-Orthodox Haredim community. They are protesting the
new law that will draft young Yeshiva students into the army, while encouraging
other Orthodox Jews to join the Israeli work force. The ultra-Orthodox have
been stripped of much of their political power under the current government
coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A majority of Israelis want to see the
Haredim participate in Israel’s military national service and do their part in
defending the nation. This recent Knesset law reflects that desire. However,
the law will not go into effect for several years – which weakens the
legislation.
Also, as of this writing, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who
has been granted permission by his government to invade the Ukraine, has
Russian boots on the ground there. His troops are already controlling major
parts of Crimea, with the possibility of instigating a war with all of the Ukraine.
· A young Ukrainian living in Jerusalem and said that the recent
reports of a surge of anti-Semitism in the Ukraine are not true. This is coming
from her family that lives in the central part of the Ukraine. News reports,
however, indicate the desecration of at least two synagogues in late
February/early March. The Israeli Jewish Agency is prepared to airlift
Ukraine’s Jewish community if the situation there becomes intolerable.
Statistics show that there are somewhere between 70,000 to 400,000 Jews living
in the Ukraine, one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. The Ukrainian
elections are slated for May 25. Ultra-nationalists could gain power. One
group, Svoboda was active in the recent protest movement. They have exhibited
virulent anti-Semitism against Jews in the Ukraine.
CRAFTED PRAYER: “Father, in the name of Yeshua,
we thank You for Your protection over the Ukrainian people. And, we ask for a
double measure of Your protection over the Jewish communities of the Ukraine. We
request that you hold off the Russian bear from his aggressive tactics. We pray
that the Russian government will allow the Ukrainian people to form their new
government in peace; and, that the people will be able to root out all corruption
from their land. We pray that all attempts by ultra-nationalists to gain power
in the next Ukrainian government will fail in Yeshua’s name. Your Word says
that the Jews will come from the north, south, east and west back to their
homeland, Israel. And, many have come. But, there are still thousands of
Ukrainians who have not been awakened to the call of God to immigrate. So, we
pray, according to Jeremiah 16:14-16, that these Jewish people will
return to Israel in joy and not turmoil; that they will heed Your warning and
begin to prepare for Aliyah. We pray, especially, for the young Ukrainian Jews
who have already immigrated to Israel and who are waiting for the rest of their
family to come. Give them hope, Lord, and may they not fear the trouble ahead. May
the eyes and ears of their parents and siblings be open, and may they hear the
voice of God drawing them and encouraging them to “come home”, according to Ezekiel
36:8. May You beckon your people from wherever they have been scattered,
and open up the gates of Israeli cities for them to settle, permanently, in
their Promised Land.”
·
Pray
for unity in the House of Israel. Pray for God to convict the hearts of the
Haredim that their contribution to the Jewish State is not only to study Torah,
but also to defend the nation in times of crisis. If their conscience will not
allow them to serve in combat units, then they should, willingly, serve in
units that help defend the home front in times of war and conflict. Pray for
open hearts towards the will of the Lord, especially that they would take their
place in the work force and contribute, practically, to Israeli society.
CRAFTED PRAYER:
Lord, we pray that you will train
the hands of the ultra-Orthodox Haredim community in Israel for battle,
according to Psalm 18:34-36. May their arms bend a bow of bronze. May
You bring them to salvation and provide them as a shield of defense for the
people of Israel against their enemies. May Your right hand sustain them. And,
may You use them as part of a large, great, and sustainable army in the land of
Israel. We pray that you provide a broad secure path for their feet to go
across enemy territory. Give them strong legs and ankles to endure the
difficult days ahead. (Other scriptures to declare: Psalm 144:1; 2 Samuel 22:35-37).
·
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. President Barack
Obama in Washington this week. It is the 14th meeting between the
two leaders, the most that Obama has held with any foreign leader during his
second term in office. Netanyahu will also be speaking at the AIPAC conference,
with an expected attendance in Washington of 14,000 people. Usually, half of
the United States Congress comes to the yearly event. While all eyes are on the
Kremlin and the Ukraine right now, pray that
American Jews will stand united in their stand for Israel.
Pray for great favor
for Netanyahu. His
main focus will be to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. There is still
disparity between Israel and the U.S. about what is necessary to keep Iran from
becoming a nuclear threshold state. Because Israel is located much closer to
Iran; and, because Iranian leaders have threatened the destruction of Israel,
Netanyahu will try and convince the Obama Administration, Congress, and members
of the Jewish community the importance of not allowing Iran to have any means
of developing nuclear capability, Already, Wendy Sherman, the U.S. negotiator
of the talks, has said that the P5+1 group of six world powers may have to let
Iran enrich some uranium at low levels. Israel says, “No”. The weak U.S. position is revealing Sherman’s
inability to negotiate strongly and firmly with Iranian leaders. Meanwhile,
Iran is deceptively changing tactics in these negotiations, but not backing
down from its main principles. Iran continues, unhindered, to work on its
nuclear program and on intercontinental missiles.
Pray that the Lord will
bring down the Iranian masters of deceptive diplomacy in the name of Jesus!
Pray that they will be forced to speak the Lord’s will in these meetings. Pray
that God will intervene in the negotiations so the P5+1 nations will not
conclude with a deal that could hurt Israel’s national security. Declare Galatians
6:7 as a warning to these six world powers: “Do not be deceived: God
cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
·
Reportedly,
Israel recently struck truck convoys of advanced weapons systems that were
destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is not clear if the weapons were hit by
IAF jet fighters in Syrian or Lebanese territory, but Hezbollah has threatened
to retaliate. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not admit to any
strike against Hezbollah, but did say that Israel will continue to do whatever
is necessary to protect its citizens.
Pray that the Lord will
secure the borders of Israel with His mighty right arm. Pray that no weapon
formed against Israel can or will prosper, in Yeshua’s name. Pray that God will
thwart the schemes and wicked plans of the enemy. Ask the Lord to contend with
those who contend with Israel.
CRAFTED
PRAYER: Lord, I
entreat You and plead the cause of Israel. I ask You to strive for her and fight
against those who fight against her, according to Your Word. I pray that You
will take hold of shield and buckler, and as You have promised, help Israel in
the battles that come. For all those who would try and persecute the Jewish
State, bring a double portion of salvation to her, instead! Lord, let those be
confounded and put to shame that seek to hurt Israelis who are the “apple of
Your eye”. Let Israel’s enemies be turned
back and brought to confusion -- those that devise harm against Your people.
Let Hezbollah and all haters of the Jewish nation be as chaff before the wind.
Let the Angel of the Lord chase after every terrorist that wants to strike at
your people and their homeland. Let the way of Israel’s enemies be dark and
slippery. Let Your mighty Angel persecute them. Let destruction come upon the
evil one when he least expects it. And, let him be caught up in the net that he
has laid for Israel. May Israelis be joyful in the Lord and rejoice in their
salvation! We pray all this according to Psalm 35:1-9.
·
A recent discussion took place in the Knesset so that
Israeli leaders could debate the controversy over the Temple Mount. Israel has
full jurisdiction over the Mount, but has given the Moslem WAQF (Religious Trust)
oversight. Jews and Christians are allowed up on the Mount, but with
restrictions. They cannot pray or read the Word of God up there. They cannot
group with others. And, there are times when the Israeli police will refuse
access to all those except Muslims. Recently, there has been rioting up on the
Mount to prevent Jews from going up there. The Knesset debate also triggered
unrest and violence because Arabs feared that Israel was going to change the
status quo. The current situation has become unacceptable to right-wing members
of Netanyahu’s coalition.
Meanwhile, not only did Israel
receive threats from the Arab world just for having the Knesset debate, but
Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs said that attempts to touch the
Al-Aksa Mosque would undermine Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel. Jordan’s Lower House of Parliament has
rejected Israel’s demand to be recognized as the nation state of the Jewish
People. They have also demanded that a future Palestinian state will have full shared
sovereignty over Jerusalem with the Jordanians, including Christian and Islamic
holy sites. The Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts by U.S. Secretary John Kerry;
along with a Knesset debate on just how much control Jordan should have over
Jerusalem; in addition to this current debate about who should be allowed up on
the Temple Mount – has dominated discussions in Jordan’s Parliament. King Abdullah has pushed the Obama Administration
for an upgrade in its status as America’s key ally in the region…. hoping the
U.S. will consider its strategic alliance with Jordan over Israel.
Pray for Jordanians to have a revelation of Jesus; of His righteousness
and of His Kingdom purposes. It is His government that rules and reigns over
Zion, according to Isaiah 9:6-7.
He controls the destiny of Israel and the nations, including Jordan. May
Jordanians repent so they do not fall into God’s judgment, as mentioned in
Psalm 83.
Pray that Jews and Christians, who are called by His name, will be able
to ascend the steps to the Temple Mount, pray there, and declare God’s Word
over that place. Declare, according to Micah 4:1-2: “And it will come about in the last days
that the mountain of the House of the Lord will be established as the Chief of
the mountains. It will be raised above the hills. And, the peoples will stream
to it. Many nations
will come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to
the House of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us about His ways; and, that
we may walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will go forth the law, even the Word
of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
Intercede that the Temple Mount will serve to be a place where the
holiness of the God of Israel, His Son, and His Holy Spirit will be restored.
Pray that all false gods and all pagan religions will not be able to rule or
reign from that place. Ask the Lord for a heart of repentance on the part of
Israel and the Jewish People, according to 2 Chronicles 7:14, so that
they can be prepared to meet the Lord on His holy hill: “If
My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek
My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I
will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Declare Psalm 18:6 over the whole House of Israel: “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my
God: He heard my voice out of His Temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.”
·
As we have
mentioned before, Netanyahu and Kerry are in constant contact regarding the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It is
possible that in Washington, Netanyahu will face even more pressure from the
Obama Administration, demanding that he yield to Kerry’s framework peace
agreement. Those who could stand by Netanyahu’s side under this pressure, will,
apparently not be accompanying him during this trip. It is mostly liberals in
his government and the Opposition that will be going to Washington. Bayit
Yehudi, the strong conservative party in Netanyahu’s coalition, has continued
to speak out against the peace talks. Construction and Housing Minister Uri
Ariel recently stated: “In a united Jerusalem, let me say again, loudly and
clearly, to our friends overseas: between the Sea and the Jordan (River) there
will be just one state, the State of Israel… All this talk of a two-state
solution won’t succeed.” He also claimed
peace won’t come from Kerry’s efforts to reach an agreement. Ariel said that
the Jewish People won’t give up the land.
Pray that
Netanyahu will remember God’s Word as he spends time in private meetings with
Obama and Kerry. Pray that the Lord will give him advisors that know His ways
and will not compromise. Ask God to bless Uriel Ariel, a man who is standing on
behalf of Israel. Ariel claims that the Bayit Yehudi party, under the
leadership of Naftali Bennett, will not sign any document that would be
interpreted to mean that concessions could be made regarding the land of
Israel. Thank God for this strong stand, and pray that these men will continue
to speak out His principles. Intercede for Netanyahu’s coalition to remain
strong in the Lord and in the scriptures concerning the Promised Land.
·
Israel needs rain
and it is a time of drought-like conditions. Some analysts associate the lack
of rain with God’s judgment on the land. Recently, it was revealed that former
Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak agreed to cede sovereignty of the
Jordan Valley to the Palestinians, promising to withdraw the IDF from that
area. Netanyahu has, reportedly, talked about keeping the IDF in the Jordan
Valley for a time, with Israel leasing the land from the Palestinians. That
indicates Netanyahu’s willingness to also cede sovereignty over the Jordan
Valley. This is not pleasing to the Lord, and the lack of rain could be a
result of this compromise of land for peace. Something to consider!
Since December 2013, when the 10 day mega storm brought
copious rain and snow to Israel, there has been almost no rainfall. To-date
there has only been 64% of the annual normal rainfall for the year. While both
the Kinneret and the water aquifers remain stable, the Dead Sea continues to
drop at an alarming rate. Because of
Israel’s intervention of the flow of water into and through the Jordon River,
which empties into the Dead Sea, the shoreline has receded nearly 30 feet in
some places. The shortage of precipitation has caused a drastic reduction in
the volume of cattle grazing lands, particularly in the south of the country.
Pray that the Lord will
have mercy on Israel’s former and current elected representatives. Pray that they
repent and their eyes are opened to see the folly of their decisions. Intercede,
as the Holy Spirit leads in these next few weeks of the winter rainy season, that
there would be an unexpected downpour of blessings -- just the right portion of
rain that the land needs so badly.
Declare
God’s ways over Israel! “I form the light and create darkness; I bring
prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. You heavens
above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth
open wide; let salvation spring up; let righteousness grow with it. I, the Lord, have created it.” (Isaiah
45:7-8).
“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to
acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us
like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea
6:3).
“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of
unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the
Lord, until he comes and showers His righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12).
·
Since 2013,
Israel has treated more than 700 Syrians in Israeli medical facilities and in a
field hospital on its border with Syria. The Syrians are spreading the word
about care in Israel and changing their minds about the Jewish State. It is important to continue to pray for the
Syrian people to be healed and restored.
Thank God that Israel is fulfilling her destiny as a “light to the
nations”!