Friday, August 8, 2025
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Prayer Highlights:
The Bible encourages us to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps 122:6). At Bridges for Peace, we want to partner with you to do just that with clarity and purpose. That’s why we’ve refreshed our weekly prayer update to make it even more helpful and easy to use.
Each week, you’ll find five to seven key prayer focuses, designed to guide and deepen your intercession. For every focus, you’ll receive:
• What You Need to Know – an overview of the situation to help you pray with insight
• Dig Deeper – links to trusted articles and resources if you want to explore more
• Pray with Purpose – practical prayer points to get you started
• Anchored in Scripture – powerful verses to declare and stand on as you pray
Thank you for standing with Israel in faithful, Scripture-based prayer. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16b).
Wisdom from Above: Praying for Israel’s Leaders
What You Need to Know:
On August 7, Prime Minister Netanyahu convened the Security Cabinet “to direct the IDF how to achieve the three war objectives: to defeat the enemy, release our hostages and ensure that Gaza will never again threaten Israel.” Israel’s leaders are further considering whether or not to allow former Israeli residents of Gush Katif, who were removed from Gaza 20 years ago, to return and resettle the area.
Formal annexation of Judea and Samaria continues to be a topic of discussion in the government. Since the land was restored to Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, it has been governed as a territory and contains land designated for the Palestinians under the Oslo Accords (1993, 1995). Though the government is currently in summer recess and therefore won’t take or implement any far-reaching steps, a future decision to annex the biblical heartland would undoubtedly face considerable opposition from the EU and UN.
Dig Deeper:
IDF Opposes Gaza Takeover but Ready to Follow Any Cabinet Decision
Pray with Purpose
- Pray for Israel’s leaders as they face decisions that will bring opposition from the world, asking the Lord to strengthen them in their resolve to restore the biblical heartland to Israel.
- Pray for unity among the leaders, asking that they will seek to be shepherds after God’s heart, caring for those they lead.
- Pray that Israel would fulfill its role as a “light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6).
Anchored in Scripture
The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:3)
Guarding the Land: Prayers for Israel’s Security
What You Need to Know:
While the United States and Israel continue to insist that the government of Lebanon follow through on its commitment to disarm Hezbollah, leader of the terror group and Iran proxy, Naim Qassem, has refused. Although badly weakened by Israeli airstrikes as well as the now infamous beeper incident, Hezbollah is attempting to rearm and has threatened to begin the war again if Israel does not stop targeting its military sites.
Although not always in the news, the security situation in Judea and Samaria is always a top concern for the Shin Bet (Israeli intelligence), Border Police and IDF. This week, there was an attempted infiltration to the town of Efrat as well as a number of counterterrorism raids in northern Samaria. There are roughly half a million Jewish Israeli citizens living in the area, which also contains an Arab population four times that size.
Dig Deeper:
Hezbollah Chief Refuses to Disarm, Threatens War
Palestinian Vehicle Breaks through Security Barrier, Enters Judea City
IDF Intercepts Missile from Yemen, the 68th Launched since March
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray for confusion in the enemy’s camp, that any plans to harm civilians or soldiers will fail.
- Pray for the volunteer security teams in the isolated villages of Judea and Samaria, who are first on the scene before the army can arrive.
- Pray that missiles launched by the Houthis in Yemen would continue to be intercepted before they reach Israel.
Anchored in Scripture:
He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. (Psalm 62:2)
Aligning Against Israel: UN and the Nations of the World
What You Need to Know:
Pressure from the nations to establish a Palestinian state NOW continues despite Israel’s response that such an action only rewards Hamas for the atrocities committed on October 7, 2023. Last week’s UN session, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, saw the participation of 160 of the 193 UN members. Of those participating, 125 spoke in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state, requiring the addition of an extra day to the schedule in order to accommodate all the speakers.
In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "We must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric." The United States and Israel declined to attend the conference, with the US State Department spokesperson calling the event a “publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.”
Dig Deeper:
France and Saudis Vow to Keep up Momentum for Two-State Solution
Israel’s Foreign Minister to UN Security Council: World Must Condemn Hamas
Turkey Urges Europe to Force Israel into a Two-State Solution
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu as he leads the nation in a world that is increasingly opposed to the only Jewish state, the fulfillment of God’s covenant relationship with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- Pray that any and all plans formulated to divide the land of Israel will come to nothing.
- Pray that the United States administration will remain firm in its support of Israel on the global stage.
Anchored in Scripture:
Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. (Psalm 83:1–2)
Frontline Faith: Praying for Soldiers and Hostages in Gaza
What You Need to Know:
In a bid to increase the psychological pressure on Israel, Hamas this week released videos of emaciated hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski. The videos have resulted in speeches at the UN and a special meeting of the UN Security Council to address the hostage situation. However, Israeli pleas for their release as well as calls to the International Red Cross to visit the hostages have so far fallen on deaf ears.
A number of air drops of humanitarian aid into Gaza also occurred, however, without inspection by the IDF for concealed weapons. Reports also show that the majority of the aid does not reach the poorest and most vulnerable Gazans but is instead hijacked or looted, often by armed Hamas members.
The IDF withdrew some of the troops serving inside Gaza this week. Remaining soldiers will be facing an extreme heat wave, with possible record-breaking temperatures that is set to begin August 8.
Dig Deeper:
IDF Destroys Two-Kilometer Tunnel in Khan Younis, Gaza
Gaza Hostages Lost 50% of their Body Weight
Pray with Purpose:
- Continue to intercede for the immediate release of the hostages without compromise to Israel’s security needs.
- Pray that the International Red Cross will finally intervene on behalf of the Israeli hostages.
- Pray that the graphic videos of two starving hostages will clearly reveal the truth that Hamas has manipulated the situation for nearly two years
Anchored in Scripture:
He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans. (Job 5:11–12)
Lifting the Weary: Praying for Vulnerable Israelis
What You Need to Know:
With the current war in Gaza at 671 days and counting, all Israelis are weary and in need of prayer. Since the needs are so great, each week we choose a small segment of the population to focus on. This week, let’s lift up the families of the hostages that are still being held in the tunnels of Gaza. The last few months of “stop and go” negotiations recently came to an abrupt halt with no visible sign that they will resume, thus possibly sealing the fate of the 20 living hostages.
Listen to a family member who was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post. “Ella Ben Ami, whose parents were both kidnapped and returned from captivity in a previous hostage deal, stated, "Tomorrow, the cabinet ministers will make a decision for the hostages who are still there. We saw Evyatar and Rom. They don't have another day. If the decision tomorrow in the cabinet is to sacrifice their lives, we will go crazy,” she said.”
Dig Deeper:
Hostage’s Brother Tells UN Security Council: ‘Your Silence Is the Face of this Monstrous Cruelty’
Pray with Purpose:
- Cry out on behalf of those who have endured the unimaginable pain and helplessness of knowing their loved ones are being held and tortured by terrorists.
- Pray for rays of hope to penetrate the darkness as these families plead with God to set the captives free.
- Pray for other Israelis as they are worn down from the many battles they have encountered during the nearly two years of war.
Anchored in Scripture:
Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)
Standing against Hate: Combatting Antisemitism in Prayer
What You Need to Know:
Israeli blogger, Hillel Fuld, posted a long warning on his Facebook page to the Jewish population in the Diaspora (outside Israel). In it, he predicted that within a month, “A very, VERY large-scale attack on Jews is about to happen.” Fuld does not claim to be a prophet, only an observer of the rapidly increasing antisemitism in the world today. Whether Fuld is correct or not remains to be seen, but he makes some pertinent observations.
On Sunday, August 3, approximately 90,000 protesters took to the streets in Sydney, Australia shouting “Long live the intifada,” “Death to the IDF” and “Free Palestine.” It was one of the largest anti-Israel protests seen in Australia since October 7, 2023. Labeled, “March for Humanity,” the protest was organized by Palestine Action, a radical group that was recently banned in the UK for glorifying terrorism.
Dig Deeper:
Hillel Fuld on X: "I'm Going to Make a Prediction..."
Massive Sydney Anti-Israel Demonstration
Sarajevo Museum Turns Medieval Haggadah into a Money Maker for Palestine
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray for the protection of Jewish populations in countries that are becoming more violently antisemitic and anti-Israel.
- Pray that any plans for violence against Jewish gathering places will be revealed before they can be carried out.
- Pray for “teachable” opportunities to speak the truth in love about the love God has for His chosen people.
Anchored in Scripture:
For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
Grateful Hearts: Praise Reports from the Battlefront
What You Need to Know:
US Rep. Mike Johnson, as current Speaker of the House of Representatives and the highest ranking US official to do so, crossed over the Green Line (demarcation line showing territory recovered from Jordan in 1967) this week and visited Israel’s biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. Although not an official trip, Johnson spoke clearly about this highly contested area of land as he said, “The Bible teaches that the hills of Judea and Samaria were promised to the Jewish people and belong to you by right. The world may not see it that way—but we do.”
In one month’s time, 75 Australian mayors will attend the 2025 Australian Mayors Summit against Antisemitism. In a nation that has struggled with violent expressions of antisemitism, this conference will “provide practical tools, data, and partnership opportunities to effectively combat antisemitism and strengthen social cohesion at the local level.”
Dig Deeper:
Johnson: Judea and Samaria Belong to Israel ‘By Right’
In Response to Growing Hatred, the Combat Antisemitism Movement Co-hosting a Summit Next Month
Pray with Purpose:
- Give thanks for US Speaker Johnson’s bold stand and public proclamations during his recent visit to Israel’s biblical heartland.
- Pray for the success of the Australian summit for mayors, designed to combat antisemitism at the local level.
- As always, we give thanks for all the faithful intercessors who hold Israel and God’s people close to their hearts. Pray that they will be strengthened in the battle.
Anchored in Scripture:
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9)
Related Resources
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