Jerusalem, Israel
APRIL 2017 PRAYER
UPDATE
Israel and the Nations
The recent
chemical attack in Syria, allegedly committed by the military forces of Syrian
President Bashar Assad, has sent shockwaves throughout the world. Photos of
dying children on social media has outraged civil societies. International
leaders are trying to come to grips with these scenes and figure out the best
way to move forward.
The United
States holds the current monthly presidency of the United Nations under U.S.
Ambassador Nikki Haley. An emergency meeting is being set up at the UN Security
Council to discuss the Syrian crisis, as leaders try and understand what would
motivate Assad to carry out another destructive assault on his own people (he
has done this several times before).
If Assad did
use the chemicals, he has violated international law, as well as commitments he
made in 2013, to rid his country of these WMD’s. Both he and Russian President
Vladimir Putin have denied Assad’s involvement in this latest chemical attack.
Putin has placed Russian advanced military equipment in Syria to help Assad win
the current war against Syrian rebels; a war which has taken place for six
years now; killed hundreds of thousands of people; and displayed millions of
Syrians. If Assad is guilty, then Putin is implicated in this latest tragedy.
In March
2017, Assad’s air force attempted to shoot down
Israeli jets on the Golan Heights. The Israeli Air Force had been on a mission
to eliminate an advanced arms shipment that was traveling by truck from Syria
to Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Israel has knocked out these type of advanced
armed shipments before, this time Assad’s forces retaliated. Three Syrian
missiles were fired at Israeli jets. One fell inside Jordan; another in an open
area of Israel; and, the third was intercepted by Israel’s Arrow anti-missile
defense system. There were two other incidents that occurred on the Golan
border between Israel and Assad’s forces during that time, but the border has
been quiet since then.
In late
March, this writer took part in a telephone conference call with Israeli Brig-Gen (res) Nitzan Nuriel who spoke to journalists about
the first incident. Nuriel analyzed Assad’s intentions: “Assad does not read the map
correctly, and he believes it’s only a question of weeks, maybe months, before
he can declare a full victory. Therefore, he is looking at the next change...
Clashes in Syria are going to stay with us for at least 3-6 years. So, I
believe he does not read the map correctly.”
The fact
that Assad is not reading the map correctly is a major problem for Israel.
Analysts have not yet said, what has become a concern for the state of Israel;
that is, Assad still has access to chemical weapons and would not hesitate to
use them, not only against his own people, but against Israel.
While
international leaders try to gain evidence as to whether Assad did order the
chemical attack, intercession to stop any future attacks is needed:
PRAYER:
·
Pray for those Syrians that have lost
loved ones in this horrible tragedy. Weep with those who mourn. Pray God’s
comfort over the Syrian families who are struggling to survive. Ask the Lord to
heal those who have been wounded by these chemicals; that God would restore
them to perfect health.
·
Proclaim that all WMD’s in Syria will
be destroyed, and that no retaliation will take place to try and stop this
action.
·
According to Psalm 121:4, “He who watches over Israel will neither
slumber nor sleep.”
Psalm 32:7 says: “You are my hiding place; You will protect me from
trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Declare these promises of God over Israel.
·
Pray that the Lord will remove His
enemies in this battle according to Psalm 108:13: “Through God we will do
valiantly,
And it is He who shall tread
down our adversaries.”
Reportedly,
ISIS is also believed to have obtained chemical weapons in the regions where it
has control (Iraq, Syria, and Libya) and has used the WMD’s in battles more
than 50 times. Experts on this subject
believe that ISIS could try and use chemical weapons in a terrorist attack
against Israelis or against Jews traveling in Europe.
PRAYER:
- Declare Psalm 44:5 for the Jewish People, worldwide: “Through Thee will we push down our enemies: through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.”
- God will prevail over ISIS, according to Isaiah 60:12: “For the nation or kingdom that will not serve You will perish; it will be utterly ruined.”
Several
leaders from Arab nations have been visiting U.S. President Donald Trump at the
White House including PA President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah Al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah, and Saudi leaders. There are preliminary
plans to host a summit or international peace conference between Israel, the
Palestinians, and Arab nations, sometime during the summer of 2017. So far, the
only plan being offered is the outdated Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, which
Israel rejected, and continues to reject in its current state. Even if this
plan is altered, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians will not be
solved based on secular ideas of land for peace. This is a religious conflict
and a fight between Islam and the God of Israel over His Covenant Land!
PRAYER:
- Proclaim that it is the Prince of Peace, Israel’s “Sar Shalom”, Messiah Yeshua, who rules over the Middle East region, including Israel, the territories occupied by the Palestinians, and Arab lands. Declare that it is the Lord’s peace, according to John 14:27 that is the only way to true victory: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
- Pray that this on-going conflict in the Middle East will be over soon because revival will come to the nations and cause the peoples to enter into true peace with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Himself!
- Declare: John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Psalm 29:11: “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” Isaiah 57:19: “Creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord. ‘And I will heal them.’ ”
The
Jerusalem Post reported (3/16/2017),
that the U.K. Community Security Trust recorded 1,309 anti-Semitic incidents in
2016, the highest number in Britain since the Community Trust began collecting
statistics 33 years ago. Anti-Semitism in the United States has soared since
the U.S. presidential election campaign, and continues to be a source of great
anxiety for American Jewish communities. Anti-Semitism on social media has
caused record levels of incitement against the Jewish People worldwide. The
Anti-Defamation League is, reportedly, building a sophisticated command center in
California’s Silicon Valley, to combat cyber hate. The center will monitor, track,
analyze and mitigate hate speech and harassment across the Internet. But, this
is not enough!
It is time for us to lift
our hearts to the Lord of Heaven and ask Him to stop this hatred against His
Chosen People, release the Jews from the nations and bring them home!
PRAYER:
- Declare, according to Zechariah 8:23: "This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: 'In the future, ten men speaking all the languages of the nations will grab hold of one Jewish person by the hem of his garment and say, ‘Let us go up to Jerusalem with you, because we heard that God is with you.’ ”
- Proclaim God’s Aliyah promises over Israel, including, Isaiah 60:4: “Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home.” Isaiah 43:5-6: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, 'Bring My sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth.’ ”
There is
increased prostitution happening inside Israel’s Defense Forces (the IDF).
Females are resorting to sex for pay in order to rid themselves of financial
difficulties. Some female soldiers find it difficult to survive on military
salaries and get involved in prostitution despite it being illegal in Israel.
At least 500 soldiers are estimated to be involved in prostitution in the IDF.
The Labor and Social Services Ministry in Israel reports that there are an
estimated 11,420-12,730 sex workers nationwide.
PRAYER:
- Pray that the Lord clamps down on this immoral sex industry. Intercede for those women who have entered into prostitution – that they will repent, find help, and be restored spirit, soul, and body. Ask the Lord to guide these women into moral ways of provision for themselves and their families, according to Philippians 4:19.
- Declare, over the IDF, 1 Thessalonians 4:3: "For it is God's will that you should be holy; you must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor…”
PRAISE:
Israel now has diplomatic relations
with more than 160 countries. As Israelis turn to the God of Israel, He is
blessing them in their redemptive purpose:
To be a light to the nations!