“The thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”
(Proverbs 12:5)
The negotiations between the United States and Iran are ongoing and there are some mixed messages coming out of both the White House and the Iranian regime. We believe that Iran does not intend to keep any part of the deal. They have proven this over time. They are saying it out loud right now. Every time the US announces something, Iran releases a statement contradicting them.
It is likely that the US is being lied to, and we are not surprised by this because those who are mediating the negotiations are not good faith actors. Those mediators are Qatar and Pakistan.
Qatar is the largest funder of Hamas, its state-run media (Al Jazeera) is leading the global hate campaign against Israel, and its funding of Western universities has turned many into hotbeds of antisemitism. Pakistan, on the other hand, has no diplomatic relations with Israel and does not recognise Israel, its leadership is largely antisemitic, and they want to maintain relations between Washington, Tehran, and the Gulf Arab states for their own economic benefit.
It is clear that those involved do not have Israel’s best interests at heart. In fact, some of them seek the very same thing as the Iranian regime: Israel’s destruction. They also don’t have America’s best interests at heart.
“The counsels of the wicked are deceitful”, as the Scripture above attests. But “the thoughts of the righteous are right.”
As Watchmen, we have to be praying for wisdom for the leadership of both America and Israel. Here are this week’s prayer points:
Israel’s enemies are not America’s friends: Pray that President Trump, JD Vance, Marco Rubio and anyone else involved in these negotiations will have the wisdom and courage to stand up to those who seek Israel’s destruction. This is not about popularity back at home, this is about doing the right thing in the eyes of the Lord. God says He will curse those who curse Israel. America must ensure it remains a blessing. Likewise, it should not be dealing favourably with nations who hate Israel and who are bringing themselves under a curse by God Almighty. No deal is better than a bad deal. We pray that the US will reject the lies of Israel’s enemies.
The CUFI Washington Summit: CUFI is heading to Washington next weekend. Please pray for the protection of all those in attendance (including the CUFI UK team). We are praying that the thousands of Christians who gather there will be so bold in their advocacy that there will be no doubt in the White House and or in the halls of Congress that Christians stand united with Israel now and always!
The Church cannot be silent at this critical time: We are praying for the Church in America to arise and speak the truth of God with authority. Now is not the time to keep the topic of Israel out of the pulpit. There has never been a more important time for Pastors in America to speak boldly in defence of Israel. This applies to Church leaders in the UK also.
The Church of England has lost its way: We pray that Archbishop Sarah Mullally will have her eyes opened about Israel. She visited the ‘Holy Land’ this week, and it is clear that both she and those advising her are not up to speed on God’s plans and purposes for Israel. A house divided against itself cannot stand, and that goes for God’s people: Israel and the Church. The Church of England needs to repent, humble itself, and get back to preaching the Bible. God’s Word is truth and that truth must prevail over the lies and deception.
