“For the Lord will not forsake His people, Nor will He forsake His heritage.”
Psalm 94:14
Thank you for joining CUFI in prayer. Today we are praying about the Board of Peace; for the defense of Christian Zionism; for the Iranian people, and for CUFI’s latest initiatives, including Holocaust Memorial Day next week.
Board of Peace
The Trump-led ‘Board of Peace’ is truly historic. It is also incredibly ambitious. But how do we pray for this development? The Bible is very clear that the Land of Israel is not allowed be sold “permanently” (Leviticus 25:23), because the Land is God’s. Members of the board are being asked to pay $1 billion dollars; is this solely for investment and aid, or is there ‘more at stake’? The Bible also says that the Land must not be divided (Joel 3:2). At the same time, many who support this initiative genuinely want peace in the region, and peace is what the Israeli people long for. As Christians, we must affirm God’s Covenanted land as the inheritance of His people Israel, support Israel’s self-determination, and discern what the will of the Lord is in these fast-moving, unprecedented times. Let us remain watchful in these days.
Will the Board of Peace bring the disarmament of Hamas? Will it prioritise Israel’s interests and recognise Israeli sovereignty over this strip of God-given Land? Will all the countries that join stand with Israel, or will some have ulterior motives? Is this Board of Peace paving the way to what the Bible prophesies will happen with a confederation of nations that turn against Israel? We need to pray for wisdom for President Trump and the United States. There can be no doubt that the USA is the greatest ally of the State of Israel. Their support for Israel outdoes that of the UK’s weak leadership on Israel in recent times. Continue to pray for our leaders. And let us continue to pray for the ‘peace of Jerusalem’.
Christian Zionism
Pray for the defense of Christian Zionism. When we say that, we really mean in defense of the Bible. Patriarch heads of the churches in Jerusalem issued a statement without any doctrinal explanation, calling Christian Zionism a “damaging ideology”. This group of mainly Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders said they speak as the only authority in matters relating to Christians in Jerusalem. They do not speak for us. And they do not speak for God. Christian Zionism is the belief in what the Bible says: that the Land of Israel was given to the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance; in effect, it supports the establishment of the State of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. Sadly, this statement is not a good testimony to the Jewish people, nor does it foster unity within the church, or between the Church and the nation of Israel, the host of where these churches reside. It has already been weaponised by public commentators, social media influencers, and protestant evangelical anti-Zionists, who are using this statement to validate and further their anti-Israel views. Pray against this antisemitic replacement theology and the damage that it intends on causing. Pray that the truth of God’s Word will trump this deceptive statement, and that the church around the world will wake up to what the Bible actually says.
The Iranian people
We must continue to pray for the Iranian people from the oppressive Iranian regime. It might seem that the world has gone quiet in response to the thousands of protesters who were murdered this month, simply for rising up and speaking out against the Islamic Republic’s regime. Compare the huge pro-Palestinian protests every weekend in cities such as London with the smaller protests against the Iranian regime. Even though there have been protests against the Iranian regime, the groups involved are NOT the same as those who were protesting against the war in Gaza. It doesn’t seem to matter to the pro-Palestinian protest groups that innocent civilians are being slaughtered in Iran. Why? Because the pro-Palestinian protests were never about defending vulnerable civilians – they were about calling for the destruction of Israel and Jews. In contrast Israel and Jews are very much aligned in support of the Iranian people, an ancient-friendship that pre-dates the Islamist take-over. Pray against the strongholds of the Ayatollahs – that they will be humbled. It may seem to have gone quiet, but Western intervention is still not ruled out, and there have been reports of increased military activity in the Gulf.
Voices of the Holocaust
Pray for the Voices of the Holocaust gatherings that CUFI supporters are holding in the coming weeks to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, which is next week. The packs have been distributed to help small groups in holding a remembrance that involves each person in the group reading a different first-hand account of someone impacted by the Holocaust. These are powerful testimonies, and our prayer is that valuable lessons in how we should respond to antisemitism today will be learned by those attending. Pray how you might be able to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. It could be by using one of the Voices of the Holocaust packs; or you might want to join us on Tuesday for our online Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration.
CUFI Academy
Please continue to pray for CUFI Academy, announced by CUFI UK last week. Our prayer is that young people will be blessed by the courses, be encouraged in their stand with Israel, and feel better prepared for whatever vocation they pursue. There is a battle for the hearts and minds of our young people, so we would appreciate your prayers for this new endeavour: that young people will sense a call to join the Academy; for the CUFI staff conducting the courses; that the educational material will prepare a generation that stands boldly with Israel and the Jewish people; and that the students who complete the course will be used by the Lord in advocating for Israel in the future. Enrolment is now open. Please pray for and encourage anyone you know between the ages of 16-25 who would benefit from joining CUFI Academy.
