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Biblical understanding about Israel
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PRAYER FOR JERUSALEM AND HER PEOPLE
How to Pray for the Jewish People
Interceding for Isaac’s Seed
GOD’S ETERNAL COVENANT WITH ISRAEL
“And God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew” (Exodus 2:24,25) “And I will remember the covenant of their ancestors whom I have brought forth from the land of Egypt, before the eyes of the nations to be their God” (Leviticus 26:42).
Like the burning bush in the desert that was wrapped in flames and yet not consumed, so throughout history the Jewish people were constantly surrounded and attacked by the fire of malice, hate and persecution, and yet were not destroyed. They were sustained in times of misfortune with fortitude, trusting in the mercy of God, who had promised to be mindful of His covenant with them, forever and ever.
My Covenant Remains – Jeremiah 33:25-26
Thus says the Lord: “If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.”
Unconditional Nature of God’s Covenant
Leviticus 26:42,44-45; Psalm 89:30-37; Hosea 3:1
Other verses: Genesis 28:13-15; Exodus 6:7-8; Deuteronomy 29:12-15; Joshua 1:5-6; Psalm 105:8-11; Psalm 105:37,42; Isaiah 43:1; 49:15-16; 65:22-23.
ISRAEL: GOD’S CHOSEN NATION
There are only two groups of people in all of history that God has chosen to identify as His very own.
The first was the nation of Israel and the second was the Church. God calls Israel “My firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22,23), “The People I formed for Myself” (Isaiah 43:18-21), “My Delight” (Isaiah 62:4), My “Treasured Possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6), and “the apple of His eye.” (Zechariah 2:8).
A Nation like No Other – 2 Samuel 7:23 “And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name – and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land – before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods?”
Other verses: Genesis 12:3; Leviticus 20:24,26; 26:11-13; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:1,2; 26:18-19; Isaiah 49:13-16; 51:12-13,16; 54:5-8; 66:8; Ezekiel 37:14; Psalm 98:3; Jeremiah 31:3-4.
GOD’S MANDATE FOR US TO PRAY FOR ISRAEL
Even though the Jewish people and the nation of Israel desperately desired peace, peace has historically eluded this tiny nation and this particular people. Have you ever wondered if this would be the case had the Church been fulfilling her Biblical Mandate and praying for her peace and protection? It’s not too late to begin now.
Isaiah 62:6 “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night.”
Other verses: Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:5,9; Psalm 102:13,14; Isaiah 40:1-5; 21:6; 52:8; 59:16; 62:7.
PRAYERS OF PEACE AND PROTECTION
Throughout history as the Jewish people were scattered across the nations, they have endured relentless harassment, persecution, and death. Even at the birth of a safe Jewish Homeland in 1948, the new nation was welcomed by war. Jewish people still fight for survival. They are surrounded by enemies within their borders and without, yet their desire and hope for peace remains as constant as their enemies’ desire for their destruction.
Psalm 121:4 “Behold, He who keeps Israel, Shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
Other verses: Psalm 122:6; Psalm 147:13-14; Isaiah 54:10,13; Zechariah 2:5; 8: 4-5.
PRAYERS OF RESTORATION
We worship the God who “makes all things new” (Revelation 21:5)...the God of restoration. When the Lord restores something, it is always increased, multiplied or improved so that its latter state is significant better than its original state (see Joel 2:21-26). God not only restores our souls as the Psalmist said, but since His covenant is with the Land as well as with the people, He promises that “Israel will bud and blossom and fill the world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6).
Jeremiah 30:17 “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.” Declares the Lord, “because you are called an outcast Zion for whom no one cares.”
Isaiah 61:4 “And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.”
Other verses: Amos 9:11; Psalm 147:2-3; Isaiah 35:1; 41:18-20; Jeremiah 30:18; 31:12; Ezekiel 34:25-30.
RESTORATION OF THE LAND
A Promise to Abraham – Genesis 12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land. So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”
An Everlasting Possession - Genesis 17:8 “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
Other verses: Psalm 69:35; Jeremiah 32:2-5; 33:6-12.
PRAYER FOR RAIN IN THE LAND
Psalm 65:9 “You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so You have ordained it.”
Isaiah 41:17-18 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.”
Other verses: Deuteronomy 28:1,12a; Job 5:9-10; 36:27-28; 37:5-6,11-13; Isaiah 43:18-21; 55:10; Jeremiah 5:24-25; Zechariah 10:1.
PRAYERS OF RECONCILIATION
Our God has always lived in community in that He functions as Father, Son and Holy Spirit … The Three in One. There is neither competition nor comparison between them; each one of the Godhead delights in the other and they give honor to one another. God’s desire is that man – made in His image – would reflect Him in all of His ways, especially in their inter-action with one another. There needs to be prayers of reconciliation between the offspring of Ishmael and Isaac.
The Roots of our Faith - Isaiah 51:1b-2a “Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you.”
Other verses: Romans 9:4,5; Malachi 4:6; Romans 11:2,11.
Grafted In: A Legacy of Faith - Romans 11:18 “Do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
Other verses: John 4:22; Ruth 1:16; Gal. 3:29; Isaiah 56:8; Rom. 11:18, Psalm 80:14,15.
Reconciliation with Arabs – Psalm 133:1 “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Other verses: Isaiah 14:5-7; 49:9.
PRAYERS OF REDEMPTION FOR ISRAEL
“In Ezekiel 36:22-28, God tells of His plan to bring the people back. He didn’t say that the people were being brought back because of their own righteousness; rather, He says that He is bringing them back for the sake of His Name. In Hebraic thought, a name stood for the character of a person. When God says He is doing something for the sake of His name, He is saying that His reputation is at stake. He promised to do certain things and He will fulfill them so that the nations will know that He is God.” (For Zion’s Sake I will not be Silent,” by Rebecca Brimmer, page 101, Bridges for Peace.)
Isaiah 45:17a “Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation…”
Ezekiel 36:26-28 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a right spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people and I will be your God.”
Romans 11:26-27 “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Other verses: Psalm 130:7-8; Isaiah 33:24; 35:8-10; 44:3-5,21-23; 46:13; 62:1,10-12; Jeremiah 31:31-34; 33:7-9; 50:20; Ezekiel 11:18-19; Joel 2:28-29,32; 3:21; Micah 7:18-20; Zechariah 12:10-12; 13:1-2; Hebrews 8:8-12; 10:16,17.
PRAYERS FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH
For thousands of years, the Jewish people have looked and longed for the coming of the Messiah – The “Anointed One”… The Deliverer. We who worship Jesus Christ believe that the Messiah has already come. Let us now join with the Jewish people in their fervent prayers, that the Messiah will reveal Himself to them and come to dwell in their midst
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”
Other verses: Jeremiah 23:5; Luke 2:32.
CARING FOR THE NEEDY IN ISRAEL
Because of the resurgence of fighting and terrorism, the people of Israel are experiencing tremendous economic hardship. Tourism – which is a major industry in Israel – has been down, so unemployment has been up. In addition to Israel having to use so much of her resources for defense purposes, welfare recipients have increased because so many Jewish families now find themselves without a major wage earner because of either death or disability due to the bombings.
Romans 15:27 “They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.”
Psalm 82:3-4 “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Matthew 25:40 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”
Other verses: Psalm 10:17-18; 41:1; 102:13-14; Isaiah 30:19; Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 14:31.
PRAYERS AGAINST TERROR IN THE LAND
Israel has lived with the equivalent of Sept.11th every week for the last four years. The toll of this continues terror is not just a physical one, but also an emotional and psychological one as well that affects not just the adults, but also the children. Everyone has been touched by the reality of terror and each one needs to find the place of rest and safety in the Lord.
Psalm 91:4-6 “He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks ion the darkness, not the plague that destroys at midday.”
Other verses: Psalm 17:13; 18:46-48; 23:4; 33:20-22; 34:15-18; 35:9-10; 55:9-11,16,17; 57:1-3; 59:1-2; 62:7-8; 82:4; 91:2-5; 140:1-2,4,6-8; 142:1,3-5; Isaiah 30:19; Proverbs 3:25-26; Jeremiah 15:20-21.
HEALING FROM PAIN IN THE PAST
We serve the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and He desires to bring “Abundant Life” to every season – past, present, and future. It is therefore not surprising that when Jesus proclaimed His mission, He said He was sent to heal the brokenhearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives. Today we can do the same for those in Israel who have tremendous pain from the past, by the power of prayer in the Name of Jesus.
Isaiah 30:26 “The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of His people and heals the wounds He inflicted.”
Hosea 11:3-4 “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I Who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent to down to feed them”
Other verses: Psalm 66:10-12; 129:2-7; Isaiah 14:5-7; 49:9; 51:3; Jeremiah 30:4-6,16,17; 31:1-2.
PRAYERS AGAINST MEDIA DISTORTION
Israel not only battles with Arab armies and radical Islamic Jihad, but they must also battle an over-zealous media focus upon their issues and a media bias which has created international scorn and criticism. In the media and in the courts of international affairs, Israel is held to a level of scrutiny and standards imposed on no other country today. Pray that the God of Truth would reveal all truth, and that indeed, He would not rest until He makes Jerusalem a praise in all the earth!
Psalm 5:6 “You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.”
Other verses: Psalm 5:9,10; Proverbs 14:5,8; Jeremiah 9:3.
PRAYERS FOR LEADERS
The leaders in Israel today have a wonderful legacy from biblical times that they would be wise to study and draw from. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and David were mighty men of God who led Israel to victory and blessing because they “inquired of the Lord” and they obeyed their God. Pray that today’s Israeli leaders would not trust in their military might nor in their friendship with the United States, but instead, put their trust in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”
Other verses: Proverbs 8:12-17; 16:10,23; 21:1; 28:3-5; Hebrews 13:17.
ALIYAH: JEWISH RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND
Tom Hess, in his book “Let My People Go,” says that there are over 700 verses of Scripture where God promises the Land of Canaan to His chosen people and commands or encourages them to return to the Land of Israel which he gave to them as an everlasting inheritance. When God repeats His Word in Scripture, we know that it is vitally important that it be obeyed no matter how things may appear in the natural. With the present level of anti-Semitism continually growing under a politically correct guise of “anti-Zionism,” it is becoming increasingly evident that we are quickly approaching the day when Zechariah 14:2 can be fulfilled. As only God could foreknow when He inspired the writers of Scripture, the ONLY safe place for Jewish people worldwide is the special homeland that God has given to them for such a time as this (“I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to fight against it.”)
Released From Captivity – Jeremiah 29:14 “I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”
Jeremiah 16:14-16 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands were He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their forefathers. Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the LORD, “and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.”
Other key verses: Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Psalm 126:1,2; Isaiah 11:11-12; 14:1,2; Jeremiah 30:3; Ezekiel 39:26-28; Amos 9:13-15; Zechariah 8:7-8; 10:8-9.
(Source: Watchmen on the Wall, A Practical Guide to Prayer for Jerusalem and Her People – Kairos Publishing, PO Box 450, Clarence, NY 14031 – Credit: Robert Stearns, Eagles’ Wings - www.kairos.us)