Did you know that Hamas named the barbarous, deadly attack on Israel on October 7, “The Al-Aqsa Flood,” saying it was “in defense” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?
They knew that the one point that could galvanize Muslim support around the world more than any other is this very spot in Jerusalem (even though their attacks didn’t reach Jerusalem at all).
While there are various historical and political reasons for this, the real, underlying reason is spiritual: Satan knows that Jesus, Yeshua, will only return if Jewish people living in Jerusalem will welcome Him back (Matthew 23:37-39), so he makes every effort to destroy the Jewish people and Jerusalem. And he seeks to stir Muslims to violently fight for Jerusalem so that it won’t be in Jewish hands. Jerusalem will ultimately become a “very heavy stone for all peoples” because all nations will gather against it shortly before Yeshua’s return (Zechariah 12:2-3).
In fact, right now is one of the most volatile moments in Jerusalem’s history. There’s already a “wildfire” raging across this region, and now the Muslim month of Ramadan (known historically as a time when violence increases in the area) is beginning next week. Usually hundreds of thousands of Muslims come to pray on the Temple Mount at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during this period of fasting. And leaders from Iran, Hamas, and Hezb’Allah are threatening violence and calling for Muslims to march to the Temple Mount.
But God has given us a calling and the authority to combat these fiery flames. We are called to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). And God says of us:
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Isaiah 62:6-7
Of course, this is a much greater calling than just praying for political peace – there isn’t any miracle formula to calm everyone in the area! What is needed – truly all that’s needed – is the miracle of revelation of the Prince of Peace, Yeshua.
When all sides acknowledge Him for who He really is, Jerusalem will naturally find true peace, the peace for which she’s been desperately longing for all these millenia.
We’re seeing more and more Israelis – Jewish, Arab, and Druze – coming to faith during these times (see a few below), and your prayers are an essential part of it. Let’s press into the Lord for a breakthrough for even more revelation for Jews and Muslims during this crucial period!
Prayer Points
- That all Israelis will see that political and social solutions won’t bring real and lasting peace, but only the Prince of Peace, Yeshua, can give true peace
- That Jewish and Arab believers will set an example of true unity, that is possible only in Messiah, leading to opportunities to testify of Yeshua’s work and share the Good News
- For shalom – not only absence of war, but true peace and wholeness between all the different sectors of Israeli society that are often raging against one another, so that God can fulfill His purposes for the whole nation
- That the Jewish people in Jerusalem and Israel will make peace with Yeshua and welcome Him as their Messiah, so that He will return and establish peace in all the earth
Key Scriptures
Psalm 122:6-8 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
Isaiah 19:23-25 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria…and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.
In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria – a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”
Isaiah 26:1-4 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”
Isaiah 60:14, 17b-18 “Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel….”
“I will also make your officers peace, and your magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.”
Jeremiah 33:6-9 “Behold, I will bring [Jerusalem] health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the peace that I provide for it.”
Ephesians 2:14-18 For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Matthew 23:37, 39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!... For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Zechariah 8:2b-3, 15b, 20b-22 “I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.” Thus says the Lord: “I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain.”
“I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear….”
“Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.’
“Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.”
Watch and listen to our podcast on this topic.
True peace between Jews and Arabs can only happen when they receive the Prince of Peace, Jesus. Tass was a sniper and personal driver for Yasser Arafat, but since he met Messiah, he’s become an ambassador of reconciliation
Please Pray With Us:
- For all the new believers (see more stories here), including:
– Thank you for your prayers for Rami*, the Druze man we wrote about last time who was struck by lightning. Though he’d been considering suicide, he not only came to our congregation, but decided to repent of his sins and give his life to Yeshua! Since he’s from a religious family, he has intense pressure from the local sheik and others to remain in the Druze religion. He’s also experiencing major attacks to prevent him from meeting with us again, including him collapsing and being hospitalized on the day we were supposed to meet. Please fight with us in the Spirit on his behalf for total healing, deliverance, growth in faith, and courage to cling to Yeshua no matter what.
– Micah, the formerly demon-possessed man, has been continuing to grow in the Lord, although it feels like every step forward has taken a massive amount of prayer and effort, like caring for a baby. We were so excited to hear what he shared a few days ago, though. He said he spoke with a friend about Yeshua, and now his friend wants to join our discipleship meetings, too!
– Lital, an Israeli woman we met at the birthday party for one of the women who chose life through our Pro-Life and Gospel Campaign. Through this wonderful connection, we were able to share the Gospel, see God clearly touch her when we prayed, and witness Lital’s confession that she believes in Yeshua as her Messiah! Our team member Halel and Lital have been in contact nearly every day since. Please pray for our visit with her and her religious husband next week, that God would bring salvation and healing in her whole family!
– Yoav, an ultra-Orthodox Jew who had been in contact with Halel for a time, but the connection was lost. Just recently, Halel reached out to invite Yoav to an evangelistic event. Yoav only finally replied after the event. But he revealed that he had begun believing in Yeshua, yet was afraid due to all the religious family and friends around him. By God’s grace he is no longer afraid and he asked Halel to help lead him in a prayer of repentance and accepting Yeshua fully! Please pray for courage and revelation and that Yoav would be surrounded with the right people in this journey. - For follow-up with thousands of Israelis online and on the streets, including:
– For supernatural wisdom, order, unity, and favor with other believers as we revamp our follow-up system and discipleship system to effectively meet all the needs of all the new believers and seekers! - For our Pro-Life and Gospel Campaign, including:
–Ahava, a 16-year-old pregnant girl in her 7th week of pregnancy. Her 19-year-old boyfriend, Koren, called our hotline looking for an abortion for Ahava. Our counselor, Rene, requested that Koren tell us Ahava’s number, but Rene is still waiting for his response. Many times, the men contacting us refuse to provide the contact information of the women they’re trying to get an abortion for. And in cases when the girl is a minor and they seek government approval for an abortion, they automatically receive it. Please plead for divine intervention for this instance and so many others.
– Najwa, a 19-year-old single Muslim young lady. She just found out she’s almost 7 weeks pregnant. In her culture, her family may kill her to keep the honor of the family. Please pray that by some miracle, a safe home can be found for her and that she chooses life for her baby.
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