With the events taking place on the world stage, we decided to pause our series, The Focused Track, and spend some time in prayer for Israel. However, we wanted to make sure our students understood why we, as Christians, are concerned about Israel and why we should pray for them not just during times of war and conflict but often. So today, after we had some time of fellowship, we sat down in our small group setting to examine the scriptures.

This made for an interesting conversation because our students knew that Israel was important but weren’t entirely sure why Biblically. Walking them through the lesson, they asked some great questions as we worked to help them understand not just what we do but WHY we do it.

We capped the evening off with a sweet time of prayer, first individually around our student room but then corporately. We stood in a circle and instructed the students that we’d each be praying twice. First, we asked each student to take a turn to pray for Israel. We made sure to point out that it didn’t need to be a long, drawn-out prayer but something genuine. In the second round, each student prayed over the student immediately next to them. The idea here was we want our students to get used to the idea of praying out loud in a safe place but also get used to the idea of praying over each other.

The Lesson

Let’s start off by saying that we, as followers of Jesus, should be in prayer for ALL PEOPLE. Jesus lived a life of compassion, something we should imitate at all times. But for us as Christians, we should specifically pray for Israel as well.

Ask: Does anyone know why Israel is important to us as Christians, and why should we pray for them?

To start this conversation, let’s go back to the roots of Israel, back when God first called Abram [Later Abraham] to seek out the land we call Israel.

Genesis 12:1-3

V1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 

V2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

• Ask: What does this tell us about the nation of Israel?

• In this land, God said He’d make a “great nation” that He would bless. This blessing wasn’t just to make the people of Israel feel good; it was because God wanted them to be a blessing to those around them out of the abundance of blessings He poured out on them.

V3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

• Ask: What does this tell us about the nation of Israel?

So here, in these verses, we see the importance of Israel. First, it’s a country that God divinely established and blessed for purpose. It’s also a country that God loves so much that He has promised to bless those who care for Israel and curse those who don’t. On top of that, in God’s divine plan, Jesus comes from Israel.

Throughout the scriptures, we see time after time when God expresses His love for Israel in His words and actions. Psalm 135:4 says, “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special Treasure.” Yes, he does allow Israel to go through hardship as a result of their disobedience, but He also restores them when they turn to Him.

Is Israel still important to God?

As Christians, we believe that the only way to heaven, to have a relationship with God as Father, is to have faith in Jesus. This applies to everyone, including the Jews.  Sadly, there are many who do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. This does not mean that God does not love them anymore, nor does it mean that we, as non-Jewish believers in Jesus, should look down on them. Romans 11 speaks to this using the analogy of branches being grafted into a bigger tree.

In this illustration, Jesus is the trunk/root of the tree.  The people of Israel were the first fruits/branches of this tree. Some (those who don’t believe in Jesus) are broken off the tree. Those of us who are not Jewish yet believe in Jesus are grafted into this tree by faith. Verses 18-20 warn us not to boast but to be humble, knowing that we were grafted in. Then, in verse 23, we see this:

And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

So God is not done with Israel; in fact, verses 28 and 29 tell us that they are beloved and remind us that God’s gifts and calling cannot be removed. So God’s love, blessings, and promises that we see way back in Genesis still rest on the people of Israel.

So why are we told to pray for Peace in Jerusalem?

We are told in Psalm 122:6

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

But we aren’t just praying for a stop to the violence in Israel and the surrounding area.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.“

John 14:27

Ask: How does Jesus give true peace?

True peace comes through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God’s desire for Israel to come to Jesus did not end when the door of salvation was opened to the Gentiles. In fact, in Romans 10:1, we see the Apostle Paul say this:

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”

So when we pray for peace in Israel, as Christians, we are asking God to, yes, bring an end to the violence but also for the people of Israel to know Jesus.