A Guide to Intercessory Prayer for the month of July 2025 ~ Jewish Year 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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On the morning of 13th June, everyone in Israel and around the world woke up to the reality of Israel’s pre-emptive strike against the Islamic Republic regime in Iran. For far too long, Iran has been poking at the lion-hearted people of Israel and global Jewry with its incessant vitriolic threats to annihilate the Jewish State and Jews everywhere. When the Iranian regime failed to take the Trump administration’s 60-day deadline seriously in the nuclear arms negotiations; Israel, the rising lion, struck on day 61. Many see this strike as an event long in the making - and rightfully so after 46 years of the jihadi regime’s grip on Iran and many Arab nations in the Middle East - especially in the wake of the two ballistic missile barrage attacks on Israel in 2024.
Just prior to Israel’s pre-emptive strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall and, in the time-honoured tradition, placed a prayer request in the Wall. He wrote a portion of Scripture from Numbers 23:24 on it, "The people rise like a lioness ." This cryptic yet prophetic passage would be the anchor for Israel’s war against Iran’s nuclear threat, aptly called Operation Rising Lion. We are several days into the war, and with great bravery and excellence, the Israel Defence Forces have launched staged strikes against the jihadi regime and its Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is an arm of the Iranian military, compared to Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis (the USA designated the IRGC a terrorist group in 2019). In addition to eliminating many modern-day Hamans in the top brass of the Iranian Islamic military echelon, Israel eliminated over 14 nuclear scientists that were directing the enrichment facilities from the underground bunkers of Iran.
To date, ten days into this war with Iran, there have been many barrages of missiles fired from Iran into the State of Israel. Several communities have been severely impacted with heavy damage and losses. 24 have died and hundreds have been wounded in direct missile hits in Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Tamra where one father lost his wife, three children, and his sister-in-law who was visiting her family. Imagine: two brothers losing their wives on the same day!
As many look on, it could seem as though this was a provocation from Israel, but history teaches us those who threaten to annihilate the Jewish people make every effort to make good on their words. The leaders of Israel simply could not afford to call their bluff with any further delay, nor rely on proxy negotiations to ensure the safety of Eretz Israel. (Many are grateful the USA has now joined the action).
The people here are deeply broken over the loss of lives, and thousands of soldiers being called up to duty, but there is a sense of resilience and courage to deal with Iran once and for all, as it is one of the main sources of demonic agitation in the region. The Islamic Republic regime in Iran has set its sights on the destruction of the "Great Satan" America and the "Little Satan" Israel, due to their jihadi death-cult ideology. Israel had to rise up as a people to avoid another holocaust. This war also signals hope for the people in Iran, home to the second largest population of Jews in the Middle East and a formidable growing underground church of Iranian believers in the Jewish Messiah.
The Iranian people are being encouraged by the nations to seize this moment in history to free themselves from the regime’s religious oppression that destroyed any hope for democracy without its complete collapse and removal. One thing is certain, the Middle East is changing, and Israel is valiantly leading the charge against tyranny, radical jihadi ideologies, and all those who seek the harm of the Covenant People. The Nasrallahs, Sinwars, and Deifs of our day are facing the same fate as all Israel’s former foes. "Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the Name of the LORD Most High."
(Psalm 7:14-17).
Scripture exhorts us to run as in a race with a goal and joy set before us (see Hebrews 12:1-2), as we endure many trials, alongside Israel, and await the return of our Messiah. Another changing of the guard has arrived on the Wall of Prayer; I have completed my time with CFI Jerusalem. I thank God and you for allowing me the amazing privilege and blessed honour of being the Wall of Prayer Coordinator over the last two years, joining my heart and voice with those across the globe who pray for and support Israel. May the Lord bless you and keep you, until he comes!
Maranatha!
Project Coordinator - Wall of Prayer
Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem (UK edited version)
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Thank you for praying for us through the month of June in which many members of staff took some much-needed leave. As a small team we are grateful for all the support we receive when covering all our normal activities during such periods. June has also been a time of catching up on activities and responses to Elim Leader’s Summit, completing the abridged CFI Jerusalem’s next For Zion’s Sake magazine, which many will receive in this July mailing. On the evening of Monday 30th June many will attend the Technion UK co-sponsored event with Melanie Phillips.
As we write, the US Air Force has carried out a precision strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, returning unscathed, for which we give thanks to the Lord. Israel and the world now brace themselves for retaliation or preferably capitulation by the totalitarian Iranian regime. These are tense times as we continue to pray for the protection of Israel and all innocent civilians caught up in this conflict.
The CFI UK 40th Anniversary Israel Tour late October / early November is presently on hold, following updated Foreign Office travel advice. A final decision is required by mid-August, so we pray that the conflict will diminish to enable that advice to change and the tour to proceed.
We are busy completing the required paperwork, public liability insurance, risk assessments, PAT electrical tests, safeguarding and staff allocation tickets for the upcoming Christian festivals where we exhibit our mobile CFI UK resources stall. Festivals include Refuel, Scotland, 20th-24th July; Creation Fest, Cornwall, 31st July-3rd August; Big Church, West Sussex, 22nd-24th August, and Awaken, Lincolnshire, 22nd-25th August. Pray we serve well at these festivals in encouraging understanding and conveying God’s heart for Israel and the Church, biblically, historically and today.
We very much look forward to welcoming speaker Gerald McDermott and his wife Jean to join us at our CFI UK 40th Anniversary Annual Conference, and Martin Charlesworth as second speaker on the Saturday. Continue to pray a wide Christian audience benefits from the teaching and fellowship. Please do join us 6-9pm Friday 12th / 9am-5:30pm Saturday 13th September.
May the Lord keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,