Why Pray for Israel?
Why should we pray for Israel? Well, because God wants us to – more than that, in a way God needs us to. Remember how God promised to bring back the Jews from the Babylonian captivity after seventy years? (Jer. 29:10). He brought them back, in part, because of Daniel's prayer:
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the word of the ORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years. 3 I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
Dan. 9:1-3
Somebody recently asked me "If God has already decided to fulfill all His promises to Israel, why should we pray – won't the promises happen anyway?" Well the answer is to be found in the Scriptures. God, who knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10) already knows those that will pray and therefore it can be said that God's promises are based on His foreknowledge of the prayer's of the saints – Daniel chapter 9 being a good example.
God has promised many things concerning Israel and He wants Bible believing Christians to stand in prayer to see these promises come to pass.
If you are familar with the prophecies regarding Israel, then consider before God that He may be calling you to be a prayer warrior for Israel and the Jewish people. Even if you do not feel a specific calling to pray for Israel, it is good to always be open and available when there is a special need. Jesus told His disciples to 'watch and pray' (Mk. 13:33); we too need to watch and pray – to be aware of the situation in the Middle East and, when needed, rise up in prayer to see through the promises of God.
If you would like to know more accurately what is happening in the Middle East, and Israel in particular, visit PrayingForIsrael.net where you can also subscribe to the monthly Intercessors prayer letter.