Psalm 144 is a Scripture penned by King David at a time when he faced opposition.
“Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle,
My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge…”
Psalm 144:1-2a
King David understood the need to be prepared for battle.
Today’s Christians often misunderstand that there is sometimes a need for war. Too many times, leaders within the Church paint Christianity as pacifist. And this pacifism impacts our spiritual warfare also. We are not warmongers, but we believe it is important for the Church to understand that we live in a fallen world and there is often a need to physically and spiritually stand against evil.
The Bible is full of examples where God’s people have been required, even commanded, to go to war. Israel knows this all too well. The very existence of the world’s only Jewish state stirs up such evil that Israelis of all different backgrounds are forced to defend their homeland.
“Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood”
Psalm 144:11
There are numerous “foreigners” whose mouths “speak lying words” against Israel. None is more threatening to Israel’s existence than the state of Iran. The world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, funding the terror groups of Hezbollah, the Houthis, PIJ, and Hamas. They also seek a nuclear weapon, which the Ayatollahs believe will bring about Israel’s end.
They are wrong. But on top of this, we have lies, misinformation, blood libels, and hatred running rampant online and in various forms of media against Israel and the Jewish people. Something we are witnessing ourselves on CUFI’s social media platforms as haters and mockers inundate us.
Every battle against Israel is spiritual. So we are asking God to equip us as in Psalm 144. God, please train our hands for war against Your enemies and silence the mouths of those who speak lying words!
Pray for the Christian Watchmen over Israel
Christians must be “trained for war” in a spiritual sense. We must sharpen our arrows by reading the Word. We must strengthen our bows through fervent prayer. We have long been praying for the Church to arise in this land. We need it to happen now more than ever before. We must unite in prayer for Israel, as the forces of evil that seek her destruction are only growing in power. Israel isn’t going anywhere, but we strongly believe that the health of the Church depends upon standing with Israel. God is serious when He says He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). It goes for the Church also!
Pray for Wisdom for Western Leaders
We need to pray for the leaders of Britain and America at this time.
President Donald Trump is weighing options and is trying to negotiate a deal with the Iranian regime. We pray that God’s hand will be upon him and his administration. Pray for wisdom for his team, and for courage and boldness if they need to make tough decisions. We pray that America will continue to have Israel’s back.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government continue to appear weak against Iran. From reports that the UK is blocking the US from using its airbases to strike Iran, to the lack of a ban on Iran’s IRGC terror group. There is so much more we expect from our government. We pray that Labour will have its eyes opened to the threat of Iran, especially following both the mass murder of Iranians and now the illegal imprisonment of British citizens. We pray the UK will stand with Israel against Iran in whatever form that takes.
Pray for Tucker Carlson
We saw more lies from Tucker Carlson this week as he “visited” Israel, simply to interview Ambassador Mike Huckabee at the airport and then leave without properly setting foot on Israeli soil. He’s been pretending to care about the persecuted Church, but instead of speaking to Christians in Israel, he refused to speak to them and chose to smear Israel. Israel is the only place in the Middle East that is safe for Christians. And while we understand that Tucker Carlson is not a big deal compared to the threat of Iran, he is still another “foreigner whose mouth speaks lying words”, and his influence is breeding antisemitism. We pray that Tucker Carlson turns away from his ungodly hatred of Israel and will instead become an advocate for Biblical truth.
Pray for Israel
As always, we continue to pray for Israel and the Jewish people. May peace be within the boundaries of Israel, and particularly may there be peace in Jerusalem, especially during Ramadan, which can be a time of turmoil. The God of Israel is the defender of Israel, and His Word is truth. They have nothing to fear with God on their side!
