People here in Israel can hardly believe what’s happening. We just experienced the most deadly day in modern Israel’s history.
Hamas terrorists launched thousands of missiles into Israel, broke through the border from Gaza, swarmed into Israeli villages, and brutally murdered over 900 Israelis. They also kidnapped around 130 people including children, women, and elderly, and are holding them hostage in Gaza.
Our hearts are broken as we hear one harrowing story after another : Young children who are now orphans because their parents sought to defend them from the terrorists but lost their lives, a father weeping uncontrollably over his daughter taken into captivity, children in utter shock as their mother was kidnapped, and so many more.
What can we do at such a tragic moment as this? The most important thing is to realize that this battle is first and foremost a spiritual one, and you and I are the soldiers! Take up your position on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6-7) and fight with us in prayer for Israel during this crucial moment.The Most Crucial Issue We’re so grateful for every prayer for protection and peace, and believe those prayers are making a difference. But there’s actually something far more important that we need to be praying for as well: repentance.
How can we say that it’s far more important? Because God said over and over in His Word that if we, the people of Israel, as a nation were not walking in His ways, He would allow our enemies to defeat us (see especially Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 2 Chronicles 6:24-25, 28-31, 36-39). So if calm is restored, yes, at least more lives aren’t taken right now. But it’s only a matter of time before the enemy floods in again and destroys more lives.
In fact, God specifically said that if we didn’t repent after He allowed our enemies to defeat us, the next wave would be even worse (Leviticus 26:17-18), because this is His goal: “I will break the pride of your power” (verse 19a). This is exactly what God did often throughout the Scriptures – He allowed Israel’s evil enemies to defeat them, breaking their pride and leading to repentance.
Unfortunately, we as a people have been full of pride, depending on our own righteousness, power, and wisdom. We’ve often given the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) more credit than God for our protection, and have depended on them more than Him – but they utterly failed to protect us this time.
We as a people have often set ourselves above God , living in idolatry, creating man-made religion, killing innocent children in the womb, celebrating immorality, cheating for dishonest gain, and so much more.
We have gaping holes in the wall! Just as when the terrorists were flooding into Israel with impunity because there were holes in the fence, so there are spiritual breaches in the walls around Israel right now, and so spiritual forces are freely flooding in and bringing destruction.
And the only things that can close these holes are intercession and repentance. God made this beautiful promise to Solomon that many have quoted for their nations, but that originally applies to Israel:
“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” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
So I believe the most significant thing we can do for Israel right now is to stand in the gap and intercede for all aspects of this situation, and especially to ask God to bring a wave of deep and real repentance. And those of us who are a part of Israel need to repent on behalf of our people like Daniel and Nehemiah did. Feel free to use and share our Prayer Guide for Israel |
