W A T C H I N G and P R A Y I N G in J E R U S A L E M

Haifa in Hizbullah’s crosshairs…

Friday, July 14, 2006

Shalom again Praying Friends,

Many of you expressed an interest to be kept abreast of unfolding developments and prayer needs here in Israel. Forgive me if my communications are limited to these general updates. Thank you to all of you who have forwarded these alerts on to your friends and the responses we have received expressing their prayer support.

Over the course of the past 24 hours much has happened in this part of the world. Since early this morning (Thursday) the northern Israeli communities have come under an ever increasing barrage of rocket attacks killing 2 civilians and wounding more than 100 others….some of them critically.  One of the women who was killed was a 40 year old who was sitting on her balcony in Nahariya (see the map below) when a rocket crashed through the ceiling.  The other fatality was a 70 year old woman in the town of Safed. (on the map it is spelled Tzefad).  An eight year old girl is now hospitalized in critical condition after sustaining serious head wounds from shrapnel in a rocket attack in Safed this evening.  Much property damage has occurred to homes and fires in the center of some of the cities.  Residents in all of the border towns have been ordered to stay close to their homes and/or in bomb shelters as rockets continue to rain down upon them.

a building in Nahariya hit by a Hizbullah katushya rocket (photos: JPost and Haaretz)

Tonight marked the first time that the city of Haifa has been hit by rocket fire from Hizbullah as two slammed into the city. PRAISE THE LORD that there were no reports of casualties. In addition to the places that you see on the map above, other smaller ones that are in direct line of these attacks are Moshav Zar’it, Rosh Pina Hazor; Kibbutz Hgoshrim; Manara, and many others.  

Israel in the meantime is taking very much needed actions against Lebanon from where the terrorist organization Hizbullah operates and enjoys government support and covering. Hizbullah is even represented in the Lebanese government. Israel has struck the Lebanese International Airport; military bases; closed Lebanese ports; struck the main Beirut-Damascus roadway; and taken other measures in part to prevent the terrorists from smuggling out the two kidnapped Israeli soldiers from Lebanon to Iran.  In addition, these measures are also intended to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hizbullah from Iran and Syria and to ultimately destroy the terrorists and their infrastructure that have been a thorn in Israel’s side for decades.  

You will no doubt hear calls that “Israel is using disproportionate force” in an effort to de-legitimize any measures Israel takes to rid itself of this plague of terror. But for all of us Bible Believers we have a very clear blueprint in the Word of God as to how He deals with His enemies. While we pray for God’s Mercy to spare innocent lives, we fully understand that the God of Israel has arisen and He WILL deal with all those who have set themselves to fight against Him. 

*Pray for Lebanese Christians who perhaps will be in harms way as Israel must intensify its operations in Lebanon, that the God of Israel whom they love and serve will be merciful to them and supernaturally deliver them in their time of need. Pray that He would make a way of escape for them out of no way.

*Pray that every undetected breach along Israel’s borders (whether above or beneath) would be sealed by Him Who is a Man of War so that the enemy is not able to infiltrate into Israel by any means. One of the tactics commonly used by terrorists is to infiltrate the country by digging tunnels. Pray that EVERY tunnel would be exposed and that the LORD would cause the earth to collapse upon them.

*Pray continuously for Israeli leaders that they would be led by the LORD in all of their decisions and actions and that they would not be weaken by those who would attempt to force them from this course of action. Pray that they would carry out their mission in humility before God but in BOLDNESS and determination before the world.

*Pray for the nation and especially each of the towns and communities listed above that are presently in direct line of rocket fire. Pray for the many children effected (and especially for the 8 year old girl from Safed critically wounded) for complete healing in every area.

*Pray for all Israeli soldiers and security personnel that the LORD would anoint them with the same anointing that He granted to David…the Warrior King. Pray that they would have the fortitude to do their assignments beyond their natural abilities.

Below is an excerpt of an email that I sent this morning to encourage Jewish friends of mine here.  You might find it helpful also.

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It’s ironic that Nasrallah, the head of Hizbullah, is calling his operation, “Operation Promise Fulfilled.”   Our prayer is that SOON he will meet his Maker, The One Who is the ULTIMATE Promise Keeper…The Lion of Judah…the Holy One of Israel!!!   If you have friends or relatives who are in the Israeli armed services or security apparatus, please tell them that in addition to the prayers from their Jewish brothers and sisters, millions of Christians around the world even NOW, this very minute, are lifting up their voices on their behalf not only for the safety of the nation but for a resounding VICTORY over all of Israel’s enemies that will echo throughout the world.

The God Who parted the Red Sea and led His people through and then destroyed Pharaoh’s army is the same God Who will now go before them and chase after their enemies until their names can be found no more.   

The God Who caused the sun to stand still at Joshua’s request enabling him to utterly destroy the enemy, is the same God Who call will call forth those things that are needful supernaturally in order to enable them to believe Him for the impossible…to see what they could not see…to hear what they could not hear…and to do what they could not do.

The God Who brought down the giant Goliath with a stone slung from a boy named David, is the same God Who will bring down the giant of terrorism that has long plagued this nation from without and from within.

The God of Israel is Mighty and AWESOME!    He Alone is a God of Miracles.  The elements, the laws of nature and all the host of heaven are at His disposal to do His Will. HE indeed is the greatest weapon in Israel’s arsenal.

Therefore friends, we say as Jeremiah said, “Oh LORD God NOTHING is too difficult for You!”

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“For the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  (James 5:16)

Note: “Watching and Praying in Jerusalem” is a news update and commentary of current events from a Biblical perspective as they are unfolding in Israel with a special focus on Prayer alerts. Written and compiled by Brenda Giles, the Founding Director of Hugs for Israel, these prayer alerts are meant to offer fuel to your intercession for Israel. Please feel free to re-publish the text of these alerts making sure that you give the proper attribution as to their source. You may also forward them to friends using the link “Recommend this site to a friend” provided on this page. If you are not on our email mailing list already, we encourage you to join our email list by clicking on the link “Receive our FREE newsletter” provided on this page in order to receive additional updates that may not be posted on this website.

Special Note: News reporting agents used include The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, AP. For photos you must obtain written permission from the owners of the copyright as noted next to each photo before you can use them.

Now, may the LORD God of Israel bless you and continue to guide you by His Spirit as you stand in the gap for Israel.