Israel Prayer Update: February 17, 2010

This week in Israel:

1. ITALY AS FRIEND-THE BLESSINGS AND THE CURSES.

Two weeks ago Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi visited Israel for three days. During that time he spoke from the podium during a special session of the Knesset, voicing words of respect and support for Israel unusual for visiting dignitaries. The Prime Minister strongly criticized the "Goldstone Report" (which implied that Israel was guilty of war crimes during its war with Hamas in Gaza last year)-accusing it of attempting to "incriminate Israel for its legitimate response" to rocket attacks from Palestinian terrorists. At one point during his speech, he said, "We, the free and liberal people across the world, thank you (Israel) for your very existence." Regarding Iran (whose leaders, in contrast to Berlusconi, are more often wont to curse and threaten that "existence"), he repeatedly had strong words, "We cannot accept the nuclearization of a country whose leaders have explicitly expressed their desire to destroy Israel, have denied the Holocaust and delegitimized the Jewish state." In fact, the Italian premier took this time to announce that Italy, until now long Iran's biggest EU trading partner, would be scaling back its economic dealings with Teheran; and he issued a call on other countries to impose similar sanctions.

It has been said that for those nations which take a public stand for Israel two things are certain, the Blessings of Israel's God-and the curses and attacks of Israel's enemies. These latter were not long in coming. A week later, Iranian protestors, furious not only at the impositions of Italian sanctions, but that they were announced from Israeli soil, rallied in front of the Italian embassy in Teheran, hurling stones and eggs amid shouts of "Death to Italy! Death to Berlusconi!" The Iranian Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned the Italian envoy to protest the Prime Minister's remarks in Israel.

We are reminded of a striking image viewed by millions around the world in early September of 2001. The infamous Durban I conference on racism had just degenerated into a "Hate Israel" fest, when then President George W Bush chose to deliver a speech on the air flanked by a U.S. and an Israeli flag. Less than a week later came "9/11". Of course the attack had been planned for months-but this juxtaposition of images was nevertheless telling: those who stand with Israel as a friend will also be called to withstand her enemies.

At the same time, we have ourselves only just returned from Italy where we received firsthand reports of a strong warming towards Israel, in particular in the Church. There appears to be a remarkable upsurge in the evangelical church around the country on behalf of throwing off a "replacement theology" view of Israel (i.e. that is, a view that God has finished his special working with the Jewish people and the Land; that "Israel" is now "the Church"). In fact, we understand that there are presently strong inroads being made by believers into the Government itself on behalf of standing with Israel.

PLEASE PRAY:
*For Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, that he and his nation will be protected from backlash of the enemy for the friendly stand they have taken on behalf of Israel.

*That the relations between these two countries would continue to grow strong.

*For wisdom and prophetic insight in the Christian Body in Italy, as how best to pray and move on behalf of God's redemptive purposes for both nations. One pastor told of how God had sent him and a team to Caesarea-the place where 2000 years ago the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit were first released into a Roman centurion (Cornelius; Acts 10) and spread thence to Italy. They felt God was asking them to return with that anointing as grateful Italians, bringing it back for a release into Israel in the place from which it had first leapt forth towards their land!

2. SUCCAT HALLEL-TEN YEARS OF A TABERNACLE OF PRAISE IN JERUSALEM

Ten years ago this week Rick and Patti Ridings were released into fulfillment of a dream the Lord had given them years before: to raise up a house of 24/7 worship and intercession in Jerusalem as near as possible to the location where David had placed the Ark of the Covenant under a tent and stationed worshippers round it ministering continuously to the LORD (I Chronicles 16). This beginning was in early 2000, with a little band meeting for several "worship watches" a week in homes on a hill just south of the Old City. From the first the endeavor was made up of believers who were members of different congregations within and outside of Jerusalem; intercessors, worshipers and worship leaders who were citizens from several nations including Israel. Now, ten years later, this ministry is in a facility on the edge of a valley facing Mount Zion-and for five years there has been continuous 24 hour-a-day seven-days-a-week ministry to the Lord. Succat Hallel has hosted a number of major national and international conferences for youth and young adults, maintained internships, while providing a place where local staff and visitors from all over the world may join in worship, praise and intercession in the City of the Great King. At the same time, God has begun raising up other Houses of Prayer and Worship in the Jerusalem area, southward near Beer Sheba, westward on the coast and northward to the Galilee and the Golan Heights. And there are now connections with similar ministries being birthed in other Middle Eastern countries.

We believe this sort of work to be a powerful arm of God released throughout the Church in these days. We have recent reports of many hundreds of such houses which have sprung up in Indonesia (the most populous Muslim nation in the world); the local believers are finding such places of worship essential in "renewing their strength" and in releasing the powerful light of the King into dense darkness.

PLEASE PRAY:
*That God nourish and supply the spirits of those He has called to be involved in "worship watches" to Him in Israel-filling them with His Holy Spirit to worship in Spirit and in Truth, to see and pray prophetically, to be watchful, and bound together in unity of love and holy resolve.

*That personnel be released to fill all of the watches of the Lord. In Israel there can be great difficulties in getting visas, finding affordable housing. Israel is so tiny, and beset by problems of illegal aliens as well as being under constant threats by enemies, security measures are stringent, and can make it difficult for those coming in. And of course, the Enemy hates it, because God "inhabits the praises of Israel!" Pray for God to open doors and clear a way for all those He calls to this purpose.

*For finances-the cost of rent and taxes for maintaining a house of prayer in Jerusalem is truly daunting. Please pray that property can be provided for and purchased.

*That God would continue to send worshippers from the nations-and also raise up more from here in Israel to fill His House of Prayer.

*For clarity of vision regarding how these ministries may best be administered in days ahead-that those in leadership will "stand their watch, set themselves on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to us.and what we will answer when we are corrected" (Habakkuk 2:1).

3. TAUNTS FROM THE PRINCE OF PERSIA

"Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The YHVH of Armies is His name): If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever!" (Jeremiah 31:35-36).

Last week Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proclaimed, "Israel is going downhill toward decline and fall and Allah willing its obliteration is certain" (emphases ours). He went on to refer to Israel as "a symbol of atrocity, viciousness, and ugliness." With this supreme "spiritual" leader making such calls, coupled with those continually issuing from his President, is there any wonder that Israel is not easily convinced that the accelerated enrichment of uranium in Iran is only taking place with peaceful, civil goals in mind? We have entered the Hebrew month of Adar. A week from this coming Saturday comes the celebration of Purim, a feast somewhat ironically named after a "lot" which was cast to activate a Holocaust of the Jews. This was in Persia (modern-day Iran) during the reign of Esther the Queen (Esther 3:7)."Haman sought to destroy (or, the "obliteration" of!) all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus."

Yet we continue to receive cautions that a vast majority of Iranian citizens despise their leaders and do not share their hatred of Israel-that the one thing which would turn them back into such blind fanatical hatred would be an attack from her. And as we have mentioned before, there are an estimated 25,000 underground Christian churches in Iran.

PLEASE PRAY:
*Jeremiah 31:35-36 above.

*That God's royal WORD of timing and judgment would guide and constrain our leaders. "Where the word of a King is, there is government.He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; and a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment"(Ecclesiastes 8:4-6a).

*That the God who had "compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there were more than 120,000 persons who did not know the difference between their right and left hands", would have mercy on the myriads of souls in Iran. That He who "removes kings and establishes kings" (Daniel 2:21) would release His purposes on their leadership-and that at the same time, He will "Redeem Israel out of all his troubles" (Psalm 25:22).