We’re witnessing the worst attack on Israel in recent decades, and the best action we can take right now is to pray. To pray effectively, it helps to be informed about what is going on.
As you’ve probably heard, our friends in Israel are at war. On October 7, they were brutally and shockingly attacked by the terrorist organization Hamas, which is the ruling party in the Gaza Strip. Hamas blew a hole in the border fence and invaded several Israeli towns near the strip. They targeted innocent civilians, slaughtering hundreds, and boasted about it. They went into families’ homes, doing horrific things to women and children, as well as taking prisoners back into the Gaza Strip.
I have a number of friends who live in that area, and I am deeply concerned for their welfare. They are confined to within reach of their bomb shelters, so they can access them easily when the bomb sirens go off. The situation is as dire as I’ve seen, and I’ve been traveling to Israel since I was a child.
Israel must respond. There are nine million people in Israel, surrounded by hundreds of millions who are sworn to their destruction. If their out-facing posture is anything other than one of strength, they will be overrun in short order.
Recent violence in Israel and this escalation into all-out war are a sharp contrast to the celebrations two years ago when we saw historic peace accords signed across the Middle East. Since then, the Taliban has taken control in Afghanistan, where we see women and children suffering the most. Recently, the U.S. government gave $6 billion to Iran, a country recognized internationally as a sponsor of terrorism. I'm not suggesting those dollars purchased the weapons that came into Israel, but I'm telling you that activity emboldened terrorists. That’s a destabilizing influence, not just in the Middle East but in the whole world. We are now seeing Hezbollah, another terrorist organization, launch attacks on Israel from the north. Will the U.S. stand with its ally? Our track record recently has not been great.
What remains unchanged is this: We have a biblical assignment to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. God gave that land to His people in covenant with them, and that has not been withdrawn. In addition to physical protection, the people of Israel desperately need to know the only true source of peace: the Prince of Peace. I encourage everyone to take a day in the next week to fast a meal or two and pray for our friends.
We need to not only pray for the peace of Jerusalem but for wisdom for the Israelis as they respond and for protection from their enemies. We must pray for those who are suffering, those who have been captured, and those whose loved ones have been killed. We should also pray that the perpetrators will be identified, exposed, and brought to justice.
Finally, we need to pray for our nation—that we don’t put ourselves in a position that brings God’s judgment by our inaction or lack of support for Israel. Our choices have a great deal to do with what happens in the world. When we project weakness, it emboldens our enemies and the enemies of our faith in the earth.
It's also important to recognize Antisemitism and anti-Christian sentiment are fueled by the same spirit – the spirit of the antichrist. Over 300 million Christians are being persecuted in the world today, suffering similar things to what we see in Israel, yet it goes unreported. We need to pray the spirit of the antichrist will be turned back—for the sake of Israel, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ourselves.
The whole world is watching to see what the U.S. response will be. The Bible shows us many examples of God changing the course of history when His people cried out to him. Your prayers matter, and they can impact decisions from the highest offices in the land.
Here’s a prayer I am praying regularly this week, and I invite others to join me:
We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the people of Israel. Give wisdom to those who are making decisions on their behalf. Help them to lay aside their political and ideological differences and stand together under the authority of Almighty God to defend the people of that land. Lord, we ask You to release the angels to stand guard over those who are in harm’s way.
For those families who have suffered great loss and for those who have been captured, Lord, we pray You would defend them and comfort them. May the plans their enemies made be turned back on themselves. We pray that as suddenly as this began, You will stop it and that it will be for Your glory and Your honor. May the people of Israel have a revelation of Jesus of Nazareth as Christ, Lord, and King.
We also pray for our nation—that we would not make decisions against Your purposes or that You would bring Your judgment upon us more fully. Be merciful to us. Lord, we thank You that You’re watching over what happens on the earth—that You are faithful, powerful, and interested. Thank You that we will see Your hand in these next few hours and days—that the whole world may know that there is a God and that He watches over His covenant on the earth.
When you see atrocities happening on the news, don’t just comment on it—stop and pray. The prayers of God’s people change the course of nations, and our world needs God's intervention today. I urge everyone to continue praying for Israel throughout the coming weeks.
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Leon Neal / Staff
The views expressed in this commentary are not necessarily those of Christian Headlines.
Allen Jackson is senior pastor of World Outreach Church, a congregation of 15,000, and founder of Allen Jackson Ministries, which broadcasts his biblical messages across the world on TV, radio, and the internet. He is the author of Intentional Faith, and his latest book, "Big Trouble Ahead," which was released from Thomas Nelson Publishers in August 2022.
