Why Israel? Chapter 12 – CONFESSION OF SINS by author Derek Prince.

As we continue looking at the right approach to prayer, it is important to include a discussion on confession of sin.

A true intercessor is one who not only prays in a serious way, but also comes to confess sin before the Lord. The perfect example of this is Daniel, who was one of the most righteous men recorded in the Old Testament.

Identification

Though Daniel was an outstandingly righteous man, he identified himself with the sins of his people. If you are an intercessor, you cannot stand before God and say, “They have done wrong.” That mindset doesn’t get you anywhere with the Lord. You have to say, “We have done wrong.”

It is imperative that you identify yourself with the sins of your family, your inheritance, your culture, your nation, or whatever situation you are praying for. In regard to Israel, Daniel says in chapter 9 verse 5:

We have sinned . . .

Daniel does not say they have sinned, but he says we have sinned. Then he continues:

. . . and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.

Is that true of Israel? It certainly is.

Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day.

O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgive- ness, though we have rebelled against Him.

We could continue with that passage, but can you see the pattern? We can’t be self-righteous.

We need to practice this principle of confessing the sins of the group we represent. We have to stand in proxy just as Daniel did, because he was a righteous man. Yet he did not say of his fellow Jews, “They have sinned.” He said, “We have sinned.”

Personally, I believe it was Daniel’s prayer that opened the way for the return of the Jews from Babylon to Israel. This example teaches us that confession is an essential part of effective intercession. We can be part of this activity of confession, but we should also be praying that God would release this act among both Gentiles and Jews.

Why Israel? Chapter 10 – THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE by author Derek Prince.

As we continue to look at the right approach to prayer, the next suggestion is based on Psalm 100:4:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.

Unfortunately, many Christians are not familiar with this great fundamental principle. Our direct access into God’s presence comes through the gates of thanksgiving and the courts of praise.

This principle also applies when you are praying for Israel. The most effective way to pray for Israel is to begin with thanksgiving.

God has given us an example of this principle in Jeremiah 31:7. The Lord says:

Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations.

How many times have you read the word shout in the Psalms? Have you ever shouted? I tell people, “I’m not a singer, I can’t keep a tune. But I can shout.” We have an obligation to shout. Of course, you must choose the right time and place. But don’t mutter. Be clear, be bold, be as articulate as you can. Shout!

The Power of Proclamation

Another aspect of our thanksgiving and praise is found in this same verse:

Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations, proclaim.

Proclamation is releasing the Word of God into a situation.

Boldly and in faith, you proclaim the Word of God into any given situation. By doing so, you release God’s supernatural power into that situation. As the Lord says in this verse from Jeremiah 31:7, “Proclaim.” In other words, “Release My promises into the destiny of Israel.” Next He says, “give praise,” and then “and say, O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.”

Please notice that in that single verse—verse 7 of Jeremiah 31—there are five actions the Lord has outlined for us to do: sing, shout, proclaim, praise, and then pray. Obviously for us to say, “O Lord, save Your people” is a prayer.

Those are the five responses we can make to the promises of God. Sing, shout, proclaim, praise, and pray. Do you see that pray comes at the end of the actions? What makes prayer most effective is going through the previous stages.

So, let us be sure to enter into God’s gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Specifically, we can give Him thanks and praise for what He is doing, and for what He is going to do for Israel.

Day 13 of God Keeps Covenant: PREPARE THE WAY  by Wendy Beckett

The focus of our study on Day 12 was how the Lord worked miracles to fulfill His word and bring home thousands from Europe and the countries surrounding Israel. What about the more than 2,000,000 Jewish people who were virtual prisoners of the communist system in all the countries of the Soviet Empire? A small number were allowed to emigrate each year, but many were being watched and imprisoned without cause.

In 1985, a group of international prayer leaders gathered in Jerusalem for a major prayer conference that was convened to intercede specifically for the release of the Soviet Jews. The Lord had been preparing the hearts of some of the men, and during the gathering, they agreed to take a prayer journey behind the Iron Curtain.

What followed was amazing. Skirting the Russian KGB, these intercessors prayed powerful prayers for the release of Soviet Jews in front of the Kremlin, the statues of Lenin and even the headquarters of the KGB itself.

They traveled to Odessa in the Ukraine, to the famous Potemkin stairs, which lead from the port up an embankment into the city. Invaders through the centuries scaled those stairs as their point of entry. The most recent had been the Nazis bent on conquering the Ukraine and destroying the large Jewish population of the country. The intercessors descended the long stairs – praying again for the Jews’ release as they went. As they turned at the bottom to ascend the stairs, they almost bumped into the KGB agents who were following closely behind them, trying to figure out what these odd tourists were doing.

Suddenly, cracks in the Iron Curtain began to appear. In front of the Berlin Wall in June 1987, President Reagan announced, “This wall will fall.” And yes, down it came and ruthless regimes toppled. The peoples held captive by communism had their first taste of freedom! The Lord had heard the prayers of those intercessors as well as the worldwide prayer that had ascended to His throne during the 70 years of Soviet domination.

As a result, in 1990 alone, more than 185,000 Jewish people left the former Soviet Union for Israel. In 2002 that number reached 1,000,000 immigrants (in 12 years), helping to fulfill Isaiah 49:25 (NKJV) “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered.” How terrible the communist massacres were.

Look at how specifically the Scriptures apply to the Aliyah (return) from Russia, the land whose capital, Moscow, is directly north of Israel.

“I (the Lord) will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’” (Isaiah 43:6)

“See, I will bring them from the land of the north.” (Jeremiah 31:8)

“‘Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,’ declares the Lord.”  (Zechariah 2:6)

So yes, “the obstacles” are being removed and there is a highway for “my people” to go home from “the land of the north.”

Why Israel? Chapter 10 – DIRECTION FROM GOD’S WORD by author Derek Prince.

In considering how we can best pray for Israel, we need to recognize one important fact. The prayers that are going to be answered are those which are already supported in the Scriptures. Why is this so important? Because we need to see that to pray outside the purposes of God, or contrary to the purposes of God, would be fruitless. We are to pray within the parameters of the Word of God. We must not ask God to do what He has said He will not do. This is one reason we need to have a clear understanding of God’s prophetic purposes for Israel. That understanding will enable us to pray effectively for them.

According to Your Word

In the New Testament, the Virgin Mary received the astonishing news that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. When the angel first gave her that message, she didn’t understand it. She didn’t know how it could happen, but she said, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

I believe the greatest miracle ever experienced by a human being was the birth of the Messiah through a virgin. It came to pass when she said, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

You cannot pray anything higher than the revealed Word of God. One of the great functions of an intercessor is to pray into being what God has already said will happen. That is why God has set intercessors on the walls of Jerusalem.

The Role of a Secretary

The Hebrew word for an intercessor in Isaiah 62 is maskir, which means someone who reminds someone else. So, according to the Hebrew understanding, the function of an intercessor is the same as a secretary—one who reminds the boss of what is on the calendar or “to do” list.

As intercessors, our job is to remind God of what is on His prophetic calendar. You say to God, “Do as You have said according to Your Word.” There is much more to intercession than this simple point, but this is the basis of the task. Therefore, an intercessor must be familiar with the Word of God, and must have a clear view of God’s purposes and their outworking.

So, this is the first important principle for the right approach to prayer. When you pray for Israel, stay within the parameters of the Word of God.

Day 12 of God Keeps Covenant: ALIYAH  by Wendy Beckett

“Aliyah” is a Hebrew word that literally means “to go up” or “ascend.” In the passage above, King Cyrus was giving his blessing to Jewish people who wished to return or “go up” to rebuild Jerusalem and other areas of Israel after their 70 years of captivity in Babylon.

There are approximately 70 passages in the Bible that refer to the return of the Jewish people to their land. Some verses specify that it will be “in the latter days.” Other Scriptures speak of this migration coming from every corner of the earth. In many places the Lord declares explicitly and emphatically, “I will bring you back.”

When Israel became a nation in 1948 and the restrictions on immigration were finally lifted, Jews who had survived the ravages of the Holocaust poured into their “Promised Land” from countries across Europe.

In addition, they fled from all the surrounding Arab countries, including 47,000 Jews from Yemen. From Morocco 170,000 returned, and 14,000 came from Algeria. There were 104,000 Jews who literally had to be smuggled “home” out of Iraq. Between 1948 and 1955, the Jewish population in Israel doubled.

Almost 30,000 have been rescued from tyrannical regimes in Ethiopia. In one weekend in the early 1990s, 14,400 were taken home on Israeli El-Al commercial airliners just 36 hours before the Ethiopian airport was attacked and closed by advancing Marxist rebels. At one point there were 24 jumbo jets without seats (to carry maximum capacity) ferrying back and forth from Ethiopia to Israel to complete the rescue.

Surely this was one of the fulfillments of Isaiah 60:8. “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?” What an accurate description of a return home by airplane – 2,600 years before the advent of air travel!

Israel has welcomed her people home from every corner of the earth since 1948. Their assimilation into Israeli society has been remarkable considering all the cultural and language differences that challenge the new arrivals.

The Lord is working out His promises to Jewish people before our very eyes. And we have yet to see the greatest and most glorious aspects of what He will do. Jeremiah describes an Aliyah yet to come that will overshadow the great Exodus out of Egypt.

“However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when men will no longer say ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.” (Jer. 16:14 & 15)

This year, Jewish people in Israel and throughout the diaspora will commemorate and celebrate Purim—God’s miraculous deliverance of Persian Jews from annihilation at the hand of Haman. Yet, Purim is more than an ancient story – it is a timeless testament to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a God of providence, faithfulness, and protection. He keeps His covenantal promises, guaranteeing Israel’s preservation and defending His people from destruction. The Scripture below illustrates God’s provision and foreshadows God’s ultimate redemption through Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, the sacrificial Lamb provided for the salvation of ISRAEL and the nations:

Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.” Genesis 22:13-14 CJB

The book of Esther recounts the miraculous rescue of the Jewish people from Haman’s wicked plot to exterminate them. This book is unique among the Scriptures—God’s Name is never explicitly mentioned, yet His Sovereign Hand is  unmistakable in every turn of events. Even when God seems hidden, He is actively working.

This truth resonates deeply today. As Israel faces a horrific war fueled by ancient hatred and daily acts of violence, many wonder—Where is God? But just as He orchestrated Esther’s rise to the palace “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), He is working in our time—raising up modern-day Esthers willing to pray, fast, and stand in the gap for Israel and the Jewish people. Haman’s spirit of hatred has not vanished with history. It thrives in modern movements seeking to delegitimize and destroy Israel, demonize Jewish identity, and propagate lies that fuel violence and anti-Semitism. The same demonic forces that once sought to annihilate the Jews of Persia are at work today.

The alarming rise of anti-Semitism in our midst is a wake-up call. Therefore, we cannot remain silent. We cannot passively watch as Jewish students face harassment and fear for their lives on campuses; Synagogues are defaced and attacked, and Israel’s very legitimacy is questioned. Like Esther, we must be willing to take a stand, even at great personal cost.

God is looking for modern-day Esthers and Mordecais—people who refuse to bow to fear, who are willing to wait on the LORD, and who choose to take courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. We must remember, those whom the Father calls, He equips and prepares for the work at hand—For His Holy Name’s Sake, and for His glory!

Let us encourage ourselves with these Scriptures:

Put your hope in Adonai, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in Adonai! Psalm 27:14 CJB

The God of shalom brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Yeshua, by the blood of an eternal covenant. May that God equip you with every good thing you need to do his will; and may he do in us whatever pleases him, through Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 CJB

Let us join with our Jewish friends as they celebrate Purim by vowing to recommit our focus on fervent intercession on behalf of Israel and our Jewish friends:

1. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem – Pray for the protection and well-being over all Israeli’s living in the Land. Psalm 122-6-9
2. Pray for God’s Protection – Around Jewish communities in the U.S and around the world. Pray for strength, wisdom, and courage for leaders, Jewish students, and families facing hostility. Psalm 91:11-12; Proverbs 3:13
3. Pray God’s Word – Declare God’s Word in the face of lies. Counter anti-Semitic rhetoric with God’s Word—educate those around us. Hebrews 4:12
4. Pray Open Doors over the Aliyah Highway – Pray for the LORD to speak to His chosen people’s heart that now is the time to make Aliyah—NO MORE DELAYS!  Ezekiel 36:24; Psalm 147:2
5. Pray for the remnant Church – To rise up in the Resurrection power of Yeshua-Christ Jesus, by taking its rightful place in the LORD’s holy Aliyah Highway—to intercede and carry God’s sons and daughters’ home. Isaiah 49:22-23
6. Pray for Open Doors – Ask the LORD for His favor over the Outreach work in Jewish communities in strategic regions of our nation. Matthew 7:7-8; Revelations 3:8
7. Pray for Supernatural Provision – Thank the LORD that all needed resources for the greater Aliyah are already supplied:  increase in intercessory and volunteer partners; finances; partnerships with like-minded servants of God who are called by God; Olim needs will be met in times of distress; flights will be made available to bring God’s people home. Malachi 3:10, Philippians 4:19

Purim reminds our Jewish friends and us that no matter how dark and dangerous the world may seem, God is always at work behind the scenes, positioning His chosen people and His Land for victory. The LORD will never abandon His chosen people that He created for Himself, as we read in 1 Samuel:

Sh’mu’el answered the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet now, just don’t turn away from following Adonai; but  serve Adonai with all your heart. Don’t turn to the side; because then you would go after useless things that can neither help nor rescue, they are so futile. For the sake of his great reputation, Adonai will not abandon his people; because it has pleased Adonai to make you a people for himself. 1 Samuel 12:20-22 CJB

Esther was called “for such a time as this” to risk everything to save her people—her obedience and courage changed history. Today, we are being called to the same level of commitment to our God! Together, let us pray that our faith will grow stronger, and the light of Yeshua will shine brighter through us, dispelling the darkness in this world. May our fervent intercession before God be in agreement with His perfect will and timing for the Aliyah of American Jewish people, and all Jews in the diaspora.

Chag Purim Sameach!

Adrianne Prosser
Outreach Development Director, OEUSA