We have entered 2025! Happy New Year from all the team at CUFI. There is no better way to enter the new year, than doing so in prayer. The Psalmist penned in 139:5, “You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.” May you and your family experience the surrounding presence of Almighty God, and as we direct our prayer regarding Israel, we pray that God will surround His people with His presence. And may the Lord be a hedge of protection upon the Jewish people in their homeland and around the world.
We do not know what 2025 has in store, but we seek the Lord’s guidance and believe that we will see the Lord’s goodness and mercy poured out upon those who call upon Him.
Here are some pointers to aid us in praying:
- Pray for the Israeli hostages that remain captive in Gaza. We pray continually for their rescue, including for the British young lady, Emily Damari, who has spent her second New Year’s Eve as a hostage of Hamas.
- Pray for Israel’s defence. The Houthis have stepped up missile attacks against Israel over the holidays, and we must continue to pray for Israel’s protection.
- Pray for Israel’s leaders. Pray for the health of Prime Minister Netanyahu following his recent surgery and for his strength physically and in his leadership role.
- Pray about the rise in antisemitism around the world. Pray for the Jewish community in the UK, in Ireland and in mainland Europe. Pray for the Jewish community in Australia, following recent antisemitic attacks including the burning down of a synagogue in Melbourne and a series of vehicle fires and other vandalism. Pray for the Jewish community living in Muslim-majority countries, including those in South-East Asia and in the Middle East. Pray too for the Jewish community in the USA, especially in light of the recent terror attacks.
- Pray for the UK-Israel relationship. In the UK, policies towards Israel introduced in the second half of 2024 by the change of government has caused a lot of concern, and 2025 is set to be a challenging year for the UK-Israel relationship. After the worrying rise in antisemitism in the UK in 2024, the Church must not be silent in standing with the Jewish people.
Thank you for praying with CUFI. What a wonderful assurance it is knowing that the God of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps. He who watches over Israel, watches over us too.
