ISRAEL INTERCESSORY PRAYER ITEMS January 3, 2024

The Apple of His Eye

(Prayer Points for Israel)

“Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit,” says the Lord of Hosts (Zech. 4:6)

Date: Jan. 3, 2025

Ponderings and Praise

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In Genesis 47, this week’s Torah portion, Joseph provides for his family, settling them in the best of the land and providing food for all their households. When the famine was severe, Joseph began selling food to the people.  He ended up putting all the money from Egypt and Canaan into Pharaoh’s house. He built up the wealth of his master.  When the money was gone, the people sold their livestock to Joseph.  The next year, they had nothing left but their land and themselves.  They sold it to Pharoah.  Joseph gave them seed, saying that they were to return a fifth back to Pharoah. The people agreed and promised to be Pharoah’s slaves.  It was like having a 20 per cent taxation rate.

Joseph, by his wisdom and planning, saved the Egyptians’ lives.  He increased the riches of the Pharoah.

As we pray let us ask God to help us make good plans for the coming years.  Let us pray for the leadership of Israel as they continue to plan war strategies.

 Give them wisdom, O Lord. Amen.

Prayer Points:

(All scriptures NASB, unless otherwise stated)

1.     Salvation of the Jews

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:23: They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their backslidings in which they have sinned and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Prayer: Father, Your Son died first of all for the Jewish people.  Continue to bring many Jewish people to Yourself.  Thank you for allowing the gentiles to have salvation as well.

(Note: the prayers are short but are only suggestions and starting points. The compiler is aware that many people who will be reading these prayer points have prayed for Israel for many years.)

2.     Aliyah

Scripture: Ezekiel 37: 21, 22: Say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will not longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.”

Prayer: Father, thank You for all the Jewish people who are returning to Israel from all over the world.  Make them one nation.  Father, please bring Your nation to unity. Amen.

3.     Israel

A)    Israel Society   

             Some Jewish people read the Parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Torah: Gen. 47:11-27

The Haftarah Reading: Ezekiel 37:15-28

The Apostles: Acts 3:13-26

(Note: The Sabbath reading journal I am using includes a New Testament portion as well.)

Prayer:

News:

- Israel’s population was 10.027 million at the end of 2024, even though 82,700 Israelis moved abroad.

- Amid the war, 23,8000  Israelis returned home and 32,800 new immigrant came.

-Economy:

News:

-          All foreign visitors must now apply online for digital authorization to enter Israel.  The Electronic Travel Authorization – ETA-IL costs $6.80 and applies to people wanting to stay for up to 90 days. It must be submitted at least 72 hours before booking tickets. The change is explained as necessary for Israel’s security. 

- Archeology: 

-Pray that the historical right of the Jewish people to their land is recognized worldwide.

News:

-          A collection of 160 coins that are more than 2,000 years old was found IN Judea and Samaria.. It is believed they belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, a Hasmonean high priest from around 103-76 BC. The coins were found on the third day of Hannukah and King Alexander is descended from the leaders of a revolt in 167 BC, which resulted in the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem and the first celebration of Hanukkah.

-          The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced the unearthing of a 1,700- year-old oil lamp that has a Jewish Temple Menorah engraved on it. Oil lamps with menorah decorations are extremely rare, and the National Treasures archive only has a few similar “Beit-Nattif-type” oil lamps. 

-Arabs within Israel:

-          -Please continue to pray for the Arabs within Israel.

-The Bedouin within Israel:

-          -Please continue to pray for the Bedouin within Israel.

                           -The Druze within Israel:

                        -Please continue to pray for the Druze people within Israel.

B)    The War       

Scripture: 2 Sam. 8:1: Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.

Prayer:   Father, we ask that You strengthen the Israeli government, the IDF leadership and the soldiers.  Give them great wisdom.  Protect them. Give them great wisdom as to how to deal with the cities in enemy territory.  Protect the hostages and help the IDF find them and bring them home.  Amen.

               - IDF and families:

            Pray for the soldiers who have now been fighting for over a year. Pray for their families.

May the memories of all the soldiers killed in the war be a blessing.

Continue to pray for all the soldiers, their families, those who have been wounded and those who have lost loved ones. May the memory of all the soldiers killed be a blessing to their families.

            -The Hostages and Their Families:

-News:

- Hams is continuing to refuse to provide Israel with a list of living hostages. 

-Continue to pray for the recovery of the hostages and their families.  Continue to pray that the hostages who were returned to Israel recover from their traumatic experiences.

-Gaza Front

News:

- The IDF has launched airstrikes against 40 staging grounds of terror operatives and Hamas command centers over the past day. (Times of Israel, Jan. 3)

- The Iron Dome air defense system shot down a surface-to-air missile that was launched from the Gaza strip and aimed at an Israeli helicopter that was flying over the Gaza strip. The missile was fired from the Bureij area of central Gaza.

-- No injuries were caused when two rockets were launched from the Gaza strip. One of them impacted near Kibbutz Nir Am, while another hit an open area.

- A Hamas commander who led the attack on Kibbutz Nir OX on Oct. 7th, was killed in a recent drone strike, according to the military and Shin Bet. Abd al-Hadi Sabah was killed in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Khan Younis area of Gaza.

- Hamas has asked for a seven day pause in the war so that it could account for the hostages.  Hamas said it could not produce a list of the living hostages while the war was going on.

- UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said that at least 745 people were killed in its shelters. More than 2,200 were injured.   He added that nearly 650 incidents were recorded against facilities and  over two-thirds of its buildings and schools have been damaged or destroyed.

-Other areas of Israel:

News:

-An elderly woman was murdered near her home in Herzliya. She was stabbed by a 28-year-old Palestinian terrorist, who was neutralized by security guards at the scene.

- Lebanon/Hezbollah Front

News:

- IDF troops in southern Lebanon have found and destroyed a large cache of Hezbollah weapons.  The weapons include rocket launchers, missiles, explosives, assault rifles, grenades and explosive devices.

-Syria:

News:

- A defense facility and a scientific research center near the city of al-Safirah were targeted on Thursday, with media sources saying that it was an Israeli attack.

- The IDF surrounded government buildings in Al-Baath city, a southwestern Syrian city near the Golan Heights.  The IDF issued evacuation orders and wanted to inspect the buildings.

- Yemen/Houthi Front

News:

-          The ballistic missile that was launched at Israel from Yemen on Friday was successfully shot down.  However, a fragment impacted near the central city of Modin. Slight damage was caused by falling debris. The attack activated sirens across central Israel and in Jerusalem.  Later on Friday, a drone launched from Yemen was intercepted outside Israel’s borders.

-          Israel is pushing for an international coalition to deal with the threat from the Houthis according to an Israeli official.

-          US strikes have targeted Houthi facilities in the capital Sanaa. They also targeted Houthi command and control facilities and weapon production and storage facilities. The Houthis have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

- On Monday, Dec. 30, air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen before it reached Israeli territory.  Sirens were triggered across central Israel because of the attack.

C) The Knesset and Politicians:

News:

-          Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in the Knesset less than two days after undergoing surgery. He voted on the budget-related Trapped Profits Law.  It passed 59-58. The prime minister had prostate surgery on Dec. 30. He returned to the hospital to continue his recovery after voting on the bill.

-          He also said it was “possible and necessary to bridge the gaps in the coalition without shaking it,” calling out National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for an aggressive public campaign against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Gvir says Smotrich is blocking pay raises for police officers. Ben Gvir and members of his party Otema Yehudit voted against the Trapped Profits Law.

-          Pray for the Lord to strengthen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bring unity to the ruling party.

-           

D)   Jerusalem District Court:

-          Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyer has requested a two-week delay in his ongoing criminal trial.  The lawyer noted that the prime minister was discharged from hospital on Thursday and that the discharge papers stipulated home rest for two weeks. Netanyahu began his testimony on Dec. 10. Pray that the prime minister is able to rest and have a wonderful time with his family.

4.     The Middle East:

-Syria:

-Pray for the safety of the Christians, Druze and Kurds and other minorities as Syria goes through a time of instability.

5.     The World:

Scripture: Ezekiel 37: 27, 28: My dwelling place also will be with them (Israel); and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.

Prayer: Father, let the nations know that Israel is a special nation to You.  Let the nations hear Your voice.  Amen.

A)    Antisemitism:

-Continue to pray against rising antisemitism.  Pray that many Jewish people return home to Israel because of the antisemitism.

B)    France:

News:

-France has launched airstrikes against Islamic State (Daesh) positions in Syria. France has been fighting ISIS since 2015, when there were deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

-France has condemned a raid on northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital.  The raid occurred on Saturday.

Compiled by Katherine Carswell, Aided by Murray Carswell (Canada)