“The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”
(Psalm 29:11)
After a 12 day war with Iran, Israel is finally able to rest. It is often said that peace is obtained through strength, and Israel and the US showed the world this reality over the past few weeks.
The lion rose, it roared, it obliterated its foes, and now it rests again. Just as Numbers 23:24 says: “Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, And lift up himself as a young lion: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.” (Numbers 23:24)
This depiction of the people of Israel being both a “great lion” and a “young lion” are evidenced in the fact Israel is an ancient nation, some 3,000 years old, yet it is also young, just 77 years old in its modern form. Both iterations of Israel were brought into being by the hand of Almighty God.
Likewise, the lion did not lie down until it had eaten its prey. Iran’s nuclear facilities were an existential threat to Israel. The Iranian regime is hell-bent on destroying Israel. They will never succeed. And thankfully, Israel, along with some help from the USA, has pushed back Iran’s plans.
Now, Israel can rest somewhat. But the war is not over. Iran is still a threat to Israel, and Israelis are still fighting against Hamas in Gaza and trying to bring home the hostages. But there is at least some respite, because God blesses His people with peace.
With all this in mind, here are this week’s prayer points:
Praise God that He is faithful to Israel: God promises throughout Scripture that He will defend His people, Israel. We are witnessing this promise being fulfilled every single day. There were supernatural victories Israel experienced over Iran. There were also miraculous acts that saved lives in Israel, including a hospital being evacuated just one day before it was struck by an Iranian missile. We will continue to praise God for His faithfulness to His people. Israel can always rely on God to defend them.
Pray for Israelis to be blessed with peace: The 12 day war was hard for Israel. Sleep deprivation, fear, financial losses, and the like had a massive impact on Israelis, not to mention the 28 people who were killed and thousands more wounded. The world ignores the war crimes of Iran, which only targeted civilians. Pray that Israelis can rebuild their nation, that they can prosper in the land, and that they will once again experience peace in their daily lives.
Pray that Christians will reject anti-Israel hatred: During this latest war, many Christians were led astray by ‘Christian’ influencers who are undermining God’s plans and cursing Israel. Now that the dust is settling, and that World War 3 has not happened, let us pray that Christians will reject those who led them astray with fearmongering and lies. Pray that the Church will reconnect with its Jewish roots and stand firmly on God’s side.
