‘I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
I will plant them in their land,
And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.’
(Amos 9:14-15)
The world is growing increasingly hostile to Israel. Places that have historically offered safety to Jews, including the UK and America, are no longer as safe as they used to be. Christian leaders of mainstream Church denominations are increasingly abandoning the authority of Scripture and speaking with a tone that mimics the world. There are many reasons why we should be concerned for the Jewish people. However, we must not despair, because God loves His people, both Christians and Jews.
God has promised us He will never leave us nor forsake us. God promised to preserve the Jewish people even in exile, and as the Scripture above shows, He will bring back the Jewish people to their homeland and plant them in their land so that they are never uprooted again.
God is good, His mercy endures forever, and with that in mind, let us pray for Israel, the Church, and the nations.
Pray for Israel’s leaders: Pray for Israel’s political leaders as they navigate the ceasefire agreement and as they continue to seek the return of the remaining bodies of the hostages. Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government. Pray too that Israel’s allies will honour the Jewish state and her people.
Pray for the Jewish people: In the UK and in America, we are seeing the Jewish communities under increasing threat and leadership on both sides of the pond is failing. Pray for the incoming mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani. Pray that his heart will be softened to the Jewish people and that he will take on his responsibility of protecting the Jewish people. Pray too for Jews who are considering making Aliyah back to Israel. We pray for the safe return of Jews to their homeland.
Pray for the Church of England: Pray for the leadership of the Church of England. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, needs our prayers. He has spread hatred against Israel with unwise words that distort the reality on the ground and have raised concerns for Jews in the UK. We know we have many grassroots supporters who are Anglican, and we pray they will speak out on behalf of Israel in their churches. We pray that the Anglican leadership will submit to the authority of God’s Word.
Pray for CUFI: Pray for Alastair Kirk as he is in Spain this weekend, meeting with Christian pastors. Our focus is primarily the UK, but it is wonderful to have an invitation into Europe. We pray that the meetings Alastair has will bring forth fruit. Pray that CUFI will connect with many more Christians in the UK and Europe, as there is so much work to be done in the Church as a whole.
Pray that Christians will understand that it is God who preserved the Jewish people, it is God who regathers them, it is God who has planted them and will not allow them to be uprooted again, and it is God who will defend Israel and the Jewish people from now and forevermore.
