NOTICE: As the authors are currently unavailable, there will be no update in February. The next update will be issued at the beginning of March
Prayer Points: January 2020
Consider these prayer points as springboards into deeper prayer and intercession.
We pray that your 2020 will be very blessed and fruitful, filled with His Peace, His Joy and His wondrous Love in ever increasing measure.
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Israel News
2nd March 2020 New Election – Israel will go to the polls for the third time in 12 months to try to resolve the impasse that has left the country without a properly functioning government for so long.
Talks about long term calm in Gaza - Despite occasional missiles still being fired from Gaza the Israeli government is in talks with Hamas on a long term “calm agreement”. It is reported that Hamas may have decided to postpone March of Return protests for a month or more. The PA are very unhappy as the deal circumvents them.
Gaza – over 2,600 missiles and mortars were fired into Israel from Gaza in the last two years.
Anti-Kite/Balloon laser – A laser weapon has been developed that is capable of shooting down incendiary kites and balloons from a range of two kilometers.
Snow and rain – Israel has been blessed by heavy snow and rain. Snow closed the ski slopes on Mount Hermon over a weekend at the start of January. The heavy rain has raised the level of the Sea of Galilee by over 42 centimeters (16.5 inches) and is expected to continue through January.
The Leviathon Gas Field – has just started production off the coast of Haifa. Israel is now an energy powerhouse, able to supply all its energy needs and gaining energy independence. At the same time, it will be exporting natural gas to its neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, thus strengthening Israel's position in the region.
Poverty - While Israel has enjoyed much increase in 2019, end of the year poverty figures reveal that some 2.3 million Israelis, including one million children, live beneath the poverty line. Additionally, child poverty has climbed by two percentage points, from 27.1% to 29.1%. Poverty among the elderly also increased, from 17.2% to 18.8%. The report also found that nearly one-fifth of Israelis, over 1.6 million people suffer from food insecurity, a 2-point increase over the previous year. The latest children’s poverty rates place Israel as second to the highest in the OECD countries with only Turkey ranking higher.
Iranian General Soleimani – the killing of Iranian General Soleimani who commanded the Quds Force is a huge blow to Iran’s plans to destabilize the Middle East. He was the driving force behind Iran’s ambitions in the region. Israel is now on high alert to the threat of Iranian reprisals.
Prayers for Israel and the region
- Continue to commit the political situation in Israel into the Lord’s hands.
- Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the peace of Israel. Praise the Lord we are now hearing about very few new knifings, shootings and car rammings.
- Ask God to put a shield around Israel and protect the country from anything that Iran might do in reprisal for the killing of General Soleimani. Pray that Iran’s destabilising activities in the region will not develop into a much greater conflict.
- Pray that God will thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. They have now renounced all the constraints that had been placed on their nuclear development programme.
- Pray for the people of Iran to be successful in their attempts to remove the ruling Ayatollahs. If this were to happen, it would benefit the Iranian people, reduce world-wide terrorism, reduce tension in the Middle East and reduce the threat to Israel.
- Pray for great wisdom and discernment for all governments and military leaders to know how to respond appropriately to events as they unfold.
- Praise the Lord for the winter rains that are refreshing the land and filling the Sea of Galilee and the aquifers which store water underground. Pray for more abundant rain during the remainder of the season.
Pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts.
1 Timothy 2:2 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Acknowledgement: These prayer points have been consolidated from a number of sources including Prayer Letters and Newsletters originating in God’s Land.