A Guide to Intercessory Prayer for the month of March 2025 ~ Jewish Year 5784/5785
’I will stand upon my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what he will say to me,
and what I will answer.’ (Habakkuk 2:1)
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"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?
Will he keep putting them off?" (Luke 18:7)
Over 500 days have passed since 7th October 2023. It has been a long journey - a long time to continue praying for Israel, the peace of Jerusalem, and the Middle East region. No one has borne that burden longer than the God of Israel. It may seem like the end of this war is delayed, the full number of the hostages being returned is overdue, but we must remind ourselves that we are waiting on the Lord and not Israel’s government. He only asks us to watch and pray - doing so in faith, without doubting.
While we watch and pray, it is quite a privilege to be in the land witnessing the resilience of the Jewish people and nation. By God’s grace, they are valiantly waging war against enemies on many fronts, including an unprecedented resurgence of antisemitism that has more platforms than it did in Hitler’s day - like AI or artificial intelligence. One wonders what the atmosphere was like for Esther and Mordechai to appeal to heaven to save the Jewish people. What was it like for them to stand up to Haman and his wiles? As they prayed and fasted, joining forces as a people, God heard their cries and avenged his people and his glory. Esther and Mordechai became real life heroes, saving the day and avoiding the annihilation of the Jewish race. I think of the story of the Book of Esther as a timeless epic that can be seen in the modern-day Marvel Comic’s story of the Avengers; a band of heroes who saved planet earth from the evil doers of their day.
In the eternal story of the Jewish people, we see God ’bearing long with them’ in various seasons throughout their history because he is leading his people to the outcome he planned (see Jeremiah 29:11). This phrase, "he bears long" in the Strong’s Concordance means God "suffers long, has long patience, and patiently endures." In Romans, Paul asks whether God has rejected his people and answers the question by saying, "By no means!" (Romans 11:1). He later explains, "As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs" (Romans 11:28). Has God been asleep this whole time? No! We know God has not been sleeping, just read Psalm 121.
Meanwhile, like in the times of Joseph, and Nehemiah, God always seemed to raise up servants who had a divine calling to intersect with the destiny of the Jews - a number of them Gentiles. For Joseph it was Pharaoh’s Chief Cupbearer who played a key connecting role in the Jewish people being able to walk in their covenantal Abrahamic calling. With Nehemiah, it was King Artaxerxes I who played a key role in helping the Jewish people move forward in their calling when he released Nehemiah to go rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. And what about Cyrus, who the prophet Isaiah mentioned 150 years before his time saying, "’He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt,"’ ... ’"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armour, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut"’ (Isaiah 44:28-45:1).
Throughout history, there have been these key players, some not even named, of seeming unimportance, whose calling was to advance the cause of the Covenant People. The apostle Paul writes, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). The Jewish people are definitely called for an eternal, global, cosmic, transcendent purpose - God is working on the love part. Arguably, the new US administration under President Donald Trump will serve God’s redemptive purposes in ways we may not be able to fully understand for years to come, alongside Benjamin Netanyahu. Dramatic geopolitical shifts are taking place. We must ask God to open our eyes like those of the servant of Elisha, to go beyond the surface of the war in the natural and truly discern these times ahead.
The pain of Israel is not being wasted. There is only one true Avenger for Israel and all creation - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And while we may want a quick microwavable popcorn type of justice, the tarrying of God is not without divine intention and grace. In the concordance, it says that the long-suffering and just nature of God is both "to be mild and slow in avenging and to be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish" - the opposite of how we might try to fix things. Think of the occasion where the disciples of Jesus wanted to call down fire on their perceived enemies, and Jesus reminded them that they were coming in under a different spiritual approach - one that would reflect grace and truth, forgiveness and reconciliation, all ending in eternal, biblical justice, resting in the promise of our Jewish Messiah Jesus.
"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ’It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
It appears that the window of God’s mercy is being held open for just a while longer. In this window of mercy, we work with fervour and zeal, acknowledging that greater trials may come that will bring the whole world into God’s divine judgment and restoration.
Stand firm in the Lord for Israel today and "Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations" (Jeremiah 31:7), because, whether people like it or not, Israel is not going away.
Maranatha!
Project Coordinator - Wall of Prayer
Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem (UK edited version)
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Thank the Lord for his blessing upon the trustees during their annual ’Way Ahead’ residential meeting, where they sought his guidance for the coming year, as CFI UK and CFI Jerusalem approach their 40th anniversaries.
Please continue to pray for the recruitment of a new Finance Officer for CFI UK and the transition period. Remember Sibo in prayer as she prepares for a new role closer to home, a medical operation, and a good recovery.
Pray for God’s anointing on our CFI UK Prayer Conference this month, Tuesday 18th - Thursday 20th March at Northampton, particularly with those preparing, David, Julia, Jacob, Trustees and Paul Luckraft.
Pray for Jacob with Kate as they attend an International Conference on combating antisemitism arranged by the Ministry of Diaspora Jerusalem, with keynote speakers including Israel’s President and Prime Minister.
Please pray for in-person events being planned jointly with Jewish organisation counterparts providing informed and constructive briefings to a wider audience. Give thanks that we can show support to the UK Jewish community in this way and pray the details are confirmed in time to inform through our monthly mailings to ensure the best turnout.
Thank the Lord that we now have two excellent speakers for our CFI UK 40th Anniversary Annual Conference, Friday 12th - Saturday 13th September 2025 in Eastbourne, under the title, "Why Israel matters to the Church." Gerald McDermott will speak on the biblical, historical and current importance of Israel to the Church; and Martin Charlesworth will speak on the Cultural Progressivism and the rise of Antisemitism. Pray as we use the conference brochure to publicise widely at Christian festivals, among our supporters and among other Christians who are open enquirers.
We have also confirmed our CFI UK 40th Anniversary Tour to Israel, Tuesday 28th October - Monday 3rd November 2025, in coordination with CFI Jerusalem, arranged through Shalom Tours. Pray for our use of the tour brochure to publicise widely, asking for a good and early take-up as we express solidarity with Israel and CFI Jerusalem through this tour.
May the Lord encourage you as you pray,