SITUATION ANALYSIS -- 81

Jerusalem, Israel

JUNE 2014 PRAYER UPDATE

Israel and the Nations

 Psalm 122:6-9

·         STORM CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON!  At a recent security conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli Maj-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, Director of Political-Military affairs at Israel’s Defense Ministry, warned, “Today is a pleasant day. But, there are clouds, and a storm, on the horizon. People don’t believe it until it comes.”  He spoke of Iran’s military nuclear program, declaring it is the greatest threat to Israel’s security. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards now have global command centers for terrorism. Gilad also said that Hezbollah’s firepower threatens all of Israel’s territory. He admitted that Israel has not been successful in preventing a build-up of rockets in Lebanon, except for a few military operations, as has been reported. He spoke of Israel’s need to maintain operational readiness.   (Jerusalem Post, 5/21/2014).

Today, despite this need, Israel’s defense chiefs (Moshe Ya’alon and Benny Gantz) have spoken openly about large cutbacks in Israel’s defense budget. This is causing the IDF to operate in less than ideal conditions. The sense is that there is infighting between the IDF and Israel’s Treasury and Ministry of Finance. The IDF says if something is not done soon about its budget, it will cease many of its key operations in 2015. The IDF has been cancelling defense projects that are vital to Israel’s security because of a lack of funds!

CRAFTED PRAYER:  Lord, you know Israel’s military needs and the preparations that are necessary for the IDF to defend this nation.  You are Israel’s shield and buckler, a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 35:1-2; Psalm 91:4; Psalm 46:1). You are the life-line that Israel must seek for. So, we ask You to make Yourself known among Your people. For You are the Lord and You change not!  (Malachi 3:6). We pray that the generals in the IDF will lift up their eyes to the mountains and seek where their help comes from. According to Psalm 121, it comes from You, Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth!  Lord, Your Word says that You will not allow our feet to slip; that You who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. We declare that You are the shade at our right hand, and the sun will not harm us by day or the moon by night.  You will keep Israel from all harm. You will watch over the lives of Your Jewish People. You will watch over this special and unique nation – as people come and go – both now and forevermore. 

·         Anti-Semitism is spreading globally. Reportedly, 25% of adults, worldwide, are anti-Semitic. In Greece, 65% of the population holds anti-Semitic views about the Jewish People which is part of their traditional upbringing and the conspiracy theories they believe in. The recent killing of Jews in a Jewish museum in Belgium; the brutal beating of Jews on the streets of France; and the increased danger for Jews living in the Ukraine who are in the cross-fire of a civil war there – all these acts of hatred have been of great concern to the global Jewish Community. Recent elections in the EU resulted in radical anti-Semitic racists being voted into the European Parliament! They now have greater influence on political decisions being made throughout the European community. This is not a good sign for the Jewish People in Europe and they should be making plans to come home to Israel.

Pray the Aliyah scriptures for European Jewry… 

CRAFTED PRAYER:  Lord, according to Ezekiel 36:24, we pray that the Jewish People in Europe will heed Your call to leave their homes and cities, and come to their Promised Land… Israel. We pray they will have the faith of Abraham, according to Hebrews 11:8, and they will obey You and go to the place where they will receive their inheritance. We declare that they will listen for Your voice, and will not hesitate to take the steps necessary towards making Aliyah, even though they may not know exactly where they will settle in the land. We proclaim that they will be bold, strong and courageous, as spoken of in Joshua 1:9 -- that they will not fear; and, that they will heed your commandment, O Lord, knowing You are with them wherever they go. Ezekiel 20:42 says that they will know that You are the Lord when you bring them into the land of Israel, the land You swore with uplifted hand to give to their ancestors. God, we trust that You will give them good pastures on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements in the land. Lord we remind You of Your promise, in Ezekiel 39:27, that when You have brought them back from the nations, and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, You will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. You promise they will know You as the LORD THEIR GOD, and as you gather them to their own land, You will not leave any behind, according to Ezekiel 39:28. Amen, in Yeshua’s name!

·         There has been back-biting, manipulating, and all kinds of deals being made behind the scenes in Israel’s political corridors as the race for the Presidency begins.  In mid-June, the Israeli government will vote on who will be the next President of the State of Israel. It is mainly a ceremonial position, but depending on who is elected, some of Israel’s former presidents used this high office for political and diplomatic gain. The President can also undermine the work of the Prime Minister and stir up trouble. On the other hand, the President can be a father figure who brings Israelis together in times of trouble; comforts the people; and encourages unity when there is strife in the nation. Pray that God’s choice for President will find favor in the eyes of the Israeli government and people. Pray for the Lord to put His Spirit into His Divinely appointed leader, and anoint this Israeli for God’s Kingdom purposes.  As written in Proverbs 21:1, pray that “The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; He guides it wherever He pleases.”

·         Britain, France and the U.S. have intelligence information that proves that Syrian leader Bashar Assad has failed to declare all of the chemical weapons he has in his possession. Meanwhile, he has, reportedly, been using chlorine gas on his people.  (The death toll in Syria is now estimated at about 170,000).

In mid-May, the IDF closed the Quneitra border between Israel and Syria, declaring it a military zone. This is because of the fierce fighting on the Syrian Golan Heights between Assad’s forces and Sunni jihadists. Some of the rebels fighting are with Al-Qaeda and they control major areas of the Syrian side of the border. This is alarming news for Israel!

In Proverbs 12, we read that an honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies. The Lord detests lying lips. Pray that the deeds of the unrighteous Assad government, and the rebellious Sunni jihadists, will be exposed and that all the poisonous chemicals will be brought out of Syria and destroyed.

Pray that Israel’s borders will be safe and that the Lord will root out the enemy and expose his wicked schemes. Psalm 21:8: “Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”

Despite wars and rumors of wars, Israelis are patriotic and they love their country. Israel’s current population is 8.18 million; 6.135 million are Jewish residents, which is 75% of the total population. The good news is that Israelis remain optimistic about their lives with a large majority reportedly happy to live in the land!

SITUATION ANALYSIS -- 80

Jerusalem, Israel

MAY 2014 PRAYER UPDATE

Israel and the Nations

·         The peace talks have failed. Fatah and Hamas claim to have reconciled and are planning a national unity government. Israel is being looked at as an apartheid state by the U.S. Administration. Despite the call of Hamas for Israel’s destruction, international leaders want to see Israel continue negotiations with the Palestinians (even with Hamas involved). All of this needs great prayer! 

Proverbs 11:14:  “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.”  

Crafted Prayer:  Thank you Lord for giving the Israeli government wisdom at this time, and for raising up many Godly counselors who can influence this nation and secure Israel’s diplomatic standing in the world. At a time when there are no answers that will appease the international community, You, God, know what is best for Israel. Please intervene on behalf of Your Chosen People. You established this covenant land, and we remind You that “He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.” (Psalm 121). You are a covenant God and you do not break Your promises. You say in     Psalm 33, that You shatter the plans of the nations and thwart all their schemes. Your plans, Oh Lord, stand firm forever. Your intentions can never be shaken. For Your Word holds true and everything You do is worthy of our trust. You love whatever is just and good and Your unfailing love fills the earth. We ask You, Lord, to save Your people Israel, and help them to fulfill their destiny as “a light to the nations”.  Let the failure of the current peace process be a gain for Israel in other areas of diplomacy. Hide Your people in the shelter of Your Presence. Bless this nation before the watching world, in Yeshua’s name!”

·         Praise Report! The Intel Corporation just announced that it will be investing $6 billion in its Israeli facility. This will create thousands of jobs for Israelis in the coming years. A great boost for those Jews who are considering immigration to Israel (and, who will be seeking employment)!  Because Israel has become a focal point of global technology and hi-tech, there are more companies interested in investing in Israel’s economy. 

Thank God for His continued favor on Israel in financial sectors. Pray for continued expansion of industry and technology in the land so the way is paved for new jobs in the future for new immigrants. Pray that Israel would not experience brain drain as many of its best scientists are lured away to better paying jobs and an easier life abroad.  

·         Approximately 180,000 Holocaust Survivors are alive in Israel today. There are no accurate statistics of how many are still alive, globally.  Most of the Survivors are now in their 80’s and 90’s. One report indicates that about 35 die each day in Israel. In a few years, their living testimony will be no more. 

Ask the Lord for ways the Body of Messiah in Israel and abroad can comfort and help Holocaust Survivors in a greater way. As many as 50,000 Survivors are living in poverty, and 45% of them claim they are alone. Pray for opportunities to reach these hurting Israelis with the “good news”.  Pray that their hearts and minds will be healed from the traumas they experienced in the concentration camps and under Nazi tyranny. In your prayers, declare that the truth about the Holocaust will always be upheld and that God will bring down every lie that has been spoken by Holocaust deniers. Remind the Lord of His People continually, especially that He will answer their cry for help. 

Declare Psalm 30:11-12 over the Holocaust Survivors:  “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I may sing praises for You, and not be silent. O Lord, My God, I will give You thanks forever.”

·         Currently there is a rift in Israel society between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and those families who are angry that he released Palestinian terrorists during the peace process. With Israeli Remembrance Day coming up for the slain soldiers of wars, conflicts, and terror attacks, many of the bereaved families are asking Israeli government leaders, especially Netanyahu, to stay home and not give speeches. They have lost their trust in the Israeli government. They are hurting in remembering their loved ones during a time when these murderers have been released from Israeli jails.

Pray that God will heal the pain that these Israeli families are experiencing. Pray that this breach will be repaired in Israeli society between the people and the government.  Proclaim Psalm 28:8-9, asking God to restore Israeli citizens to Himself:  “The Lord protects His people and gives victory to His anointed King. Save Your people!  Bless Israel, Your special possession!  Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them forever in Your arms.”

·         As Russian troops encroach on eastern Ukraine, and pro-Russian rebels inside the Ukraine undermine the Kiev government, instability is increasing. Despite reports to the contrary, anti-Semitism in increasing, as well.           

     

Pray that God would protect the Jewish Community in the Ukraine from ethnic tensions. Pray that the Lord will defend His people from militant nationalism. Pray that hatred towards Jews would cease, and that His favor over the 200,000-400,000 Jews living in the Ukraine would prevail. Intercede for Israel’s preparations to air lift Jewish Ukrainians if it becomes necessary, and that the Lord will bring them safely home. 

Declare Jeremiah 31:7-11:  For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’  Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth; among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and the one who labors with child, together; a great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications. I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.  Hear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he.”