Every Wednesday evening we gather for intercession for the restoration of Israel.
The following is shared with you to help you in your own praying and interceding.
These are prayer directions rather than prayer points.
We want to leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead you and your group to pray as you are led.
If you would like to receive these Prayer Directions regularly, or
If at any time you want to be removed from the list, please write us at:
ofer@israelprayercenter.org
****
The following is shared with you to help you in your own praying and interceding.
These are prayer directions rather than prayer points.
We want to leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead you and your group to pray as you are led.
If you would like to receive these Prayer Directions regularly, or
If at any time you want to be removed from the list, please write us at:
ofer@israelprayercenter.org
****
Crisis: an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending (Merriam Webster) [or necessary - O.A.]
We prayed into several issues and used the word crisis to describe them, within the sense given above: "a crucial time, or state of affairs in which change is needed and impending."
We prayed into the Leadership Crisis in the land, the Spiritual Crisis, and the Body of Messiah Crisis
*
The Leadership crisis
There is a growing sense in Israel of lack of leadership, primarily as a result of the last few months of the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. We prayed into this without getting into the political issues but beseeching the Lord to raise the leadership Israel needs to move forward in His redemptive plan. (Which includes her physical survival and wellbeing.)
We read 1Samuel 8:1-7 There the people, out of insecurity, demanded a king. We read it with the desire to refresh our confidence that ultimately God IS our King and Shepherd; we can trust him to give us good leaders in time of need.
We read Jeremiah 3:15 and stood on it as a covenant promise we can call on the Lord to fulfill
The Spiritual Crisis
Matt. 23:39 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!’ ”
The problem: Throughout the last two millennia the Jewish people have become entrenched in a deep resistance to Yeshua being God's Son who is her savior and king. It is hard to describe how deep this goes and what a problem that is. And yet, until Israel acknowledges Him as such, she will not see Him! What is the solution? Where will such repentance such as needed, come from?
The answer is: From God. God will have to supply the repentance, the turning, the yielding.
Zech. 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."
The Spirit of Grace and Supplication is the Spirit of repentance. The Spirit will turn us to God, to Messiah, to the crucified one. It is the Spirit that produces the soft heart, the tender-towards-God heart, it is the Spirit that produces the seeing of God as He is. "...They shall see Me whom they have pierced..."
The Body of Messiah Crisis
It is no secret that the Body of Messiah needs revival. Yet revival is a confrontation with God. Surely He is Love, but Also He is Holy, and He is Truth. We see their union in one place: At the cross. From there Yeshua always comes to us to make us His own, to bring us to the Father, to reveal Himself. Just today I received an email with this quote. Though it may sound grim, if you read it with the eyes of love, you will get the true sense of it. God comes to us to make us His own and to give Himself to us, entirely! Here is the quote:
*
"To the church, a revival means humiliation, a bitter knowledge of unworthiness and an open and humiliating confession of sin on the part of her ministers and people. It is not the easy and glorious thing many think it to be, who imagine it fills pews and reinstates the church in power and authority.... It comes to scorch before it heals; it comes to condemn ministers and people for their unfaithful witness, for their selfish living, for their neglect of the cross, and to call them to daily renunciation, to an evangelical poverty and to a deep and daily consecration....Because it says nothing to them of power such as they have learned to love, or of ease, or of success; it accuses them of sin, it tells them they are dead, it calls them to awake, to renounce the world and to follow Christ." (- James Burns in his 1909 book 'Revival, Their Laws and Leaders'.)
*
We too long for a renewed sight of the face of the crucified one. We long to be drawn by the one who has been lifted up on the cross and is now exalted in heaven of heavens. We long to have a heart that is broken, turned, freed from any other love but for Him. O, how we too need the Holy Spirit, to reveal Messiah and Him crucified to us. We do not want only a visitation, but an abiding, We do not desire just to see power and miracles, but to be invaded by the power of God in our lives; our hearts, our souls, our minds and yes, even our bodies.
But it will take a willingness to be searched by the Holy Spirit, it will take a willingness to be exposed or corned by God, till we have nothing to say, but "I come to you without one plea, but that the blood of Yeshua was shed for me." But O, how great a freedom that is!
We need God!
We used the same scriptures as prayed for the land: Zechariah 12:10, Jeremiah 31:16-19
Let us stand before the Lord together, until he sends the rain, the showers we so need. Let us believe and trust and look to God until His Word comes to pass. Thank you for standing together with us in these things.
Blessings,
We prayed into several issues and used the word crisis to describe them, within the sense given above: "a crucial time, or state of affairs in which change is needed and impending."
We prayed into the Leadership Crisis in the land, the Spiritual Crisis, and the Body of Messiah Crisis
*
The Leadership crisis
There is a growing sense in Israel of lack of leadership, primarily as a result of the last few months of the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. We prayed into this without getting into the political issues but beseeching the Lord to raise the leadership Israel needs to move forward in His redemptive plan. (Which includes her physical survival and wellbeing.)
We read 1Samuel 8:1-7 There the people, out of insecurity, demanded a king. We read it with the desire to refresh our confidence that ultimately God IS our King and Shepherd; we can trust him to give us good leaders in time of need.
We read Jeremiah 3:15 and stood on it as a covenant promise we can call on the Lord to fulfill
- We declared and proclaimed: God's sovereignty, God Supremacy, God's omnipotence:
- 1Chr. 29:10 ....“Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
- 1Chr. 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all.
- 1Chr. 29:12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all."
- We Acknowledged that God has already planted His King on Mt. Zion: Psalm 2:6-8
- We proclaimed that He is the ultimate leader and King of Israel, even now.
- We asked the Lord for the good shepherds He has promised to give Israel, those who would protect, feed and lead God's people in good ways.
- We asked the Lord to overrule in the current political situation to put the right people, Israel needs, in leadership.
- We asked for great wisdom for the leaders He will put in place, who would be able to navigate the complicated security situation Israel is currently in and the challenging political situation in the world.
- We prayed explicitly from Joel 3:9-14 The rise of nations against this land and people are actually, of the Lord, but are not meant for destruction but for their judgment. It will be God who has the last word! Joel 3:16
- We declared Psalm 47:8-9
The Spiritual Crisis
Matt. 23:39 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!’ ”
The problem: Throughout the last two millennia the Jewish people have become entrenched in a deep resistance to Yeshua being God's Son who is her savior and king. It is hard to describe how deep this goes and what a problem that is. And yet, until Israel acknowledges Him as such, she will not see Him! What is the solution? Where will such repentance such as needed, come from?
The answer is: From God. God will have to supply the repentance, the turning, the yielding.
Zech. 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."
The Spirit of Grace and Supplication is the Spirit of repentance. The Spirit will turn us to God, to Messiah, to the crucified one. It is the Spirit that produces the soft heart, the tender-towards-God heart, it is the Spirit that produces the seeing of God as He is. "...They shall see Me whom they have pierced..."
- We cried for Israel, with the words of Jeremiah 31:16-19,
- We cried for the Spirit's outpouring on the people of this land
- We cried for great conviction and the piercing of hearts
- We cried for the opening of blind eyes to SEE the crucified one
- We called on the Lord to fulfill this promise
- We called on the Lord, longing to see repentance in the land
- We asked the Lord to give SIGHT of Himself to our people
- We asked for the breaking of the power of religion that has kept our nation in the dark.
- We asked for the great conviction of the Holy Spirit to come upon our nation until we say as one man: "what must we do to be saved?" (Acts 2:36-39)
The Body of Messiah Crisis
It is no secret that the Body of Messiah needs revival. Yet revival is a confrontation with God. Surely He is Love, but Also He is Holy, and He is Truth. We see their union in one place: At the cross. From there Yeshua always comes to us to make us His own, to bring us to the Father, to reveal Himself. Just today I received an email with this quote. Though it may sound grim, if you read it with the eyes of love, you will get the true sense of it. God comes to us to make us His own and to give Himself to us, entirely! Here is the quote:
*
"To the church, a revival means humiliation, a bitter knowledge of unworthiness and an open and humiliating confession of sin on the part of her ministers and people. It is not the easy and glorious thing many think it to be, who imagine it fills pews and reinstates the church in power and authority.... It comes to scorch before it heals; it comes to condemn ministers and people for their unfaithful witness, for their selfish living, for their neglect of the cross, and to call them to daily renunciation, to an evangelical poverty and to a deep and daily consecration....Because it says nothing to them of power such as they have learned to love, or of ease, or of success; it accuses them of sin, it tells them they are dead, it calls them to awake, to renounce the world and to follow Christ." (- James Burns in his 1909 book 'Revival, Their Laws and Leaders'.)
*
We too long for a renewed sight of the face of the crucified one. We long to be drawn by the one who has been lifted up on the cross and is now exalted in heaven of heavens. We long to have a heart that is broken, turned, freed from any other love but for Him. O, how we too need the Holy Spirit, to reveal Messiah and Him crucified to us. We do not want only a visitation, but an abiding, We do not desire just to see power and miracles, but to be invaded by the power of God in our lives; our hearts, our souls, our minds and yes, even our bodies.
But it will take a willingness to be searched by the Holy Spirit, it will take a willingness to be exposed or corned by God, till we have nothing to say, but "I come to you without one plea, but that the blood of Yeshua was shed for me." But O, how great a freedom that is!
We need God!
We used the same scriptures as prayed for the land: Zechariah 12:10, Jeremiah 31:16-19
- We cried for this outpouring of the Spirit that is Holy, for the Spirit who is God the Spirit, who is Holy!
- We cried for the Lord to overrule in the Body of Messiah great revelation of His crucified Son.
- We cried for the Lord to take over in our congregation and in other congregations.
- We cried for the Kingdom of God to come upon us as a Body
- We asked that we would, as a Body, look to Him, depend on Him, Love only Him...
- We cried for a personal revival in this way (won't you join us in this cry?)
Let us stand before the Lord together, until he sends the rain, the showers we so need. Let us believe and trust and look to God until His Word comes to pass. Thank you for standing together with us in these things.
Blessings,