Friday, July 25, 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 – a quick snapshot 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:
In a time when Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the world, the pressure on her leaders is intensifying. Internally, the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, is set to begin its three-month recess at the end of July. During this time, no legislation is passed nor can any changes be made to the government. This includes dissolving the current coalition government. In the week leading up to the recess, the Knesset passed a non-binding declaration to apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley by an overwhelming margin of 71–13. This is a significant move as the area in question—which the world calls “occupied territories”—is the biblical heartland where most of the events in the Torah (Gen.–Mal.) took place. Finally, Israel is facing unprecedented pressure at the UN from the global community to immediately end the war in Gaza. Only the United States spoke in Israel’s defense.
Dig Deeper:
Knesset Approves Declaration to Apply Sovereignty to Judea/Samaria
Pray with Purpose
- Pray that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel’s leaders will look to the Lord for strength as the world increasingly turns against His people.
- Pray for the health of the prime minister, as he was recently hospitalized for a short time.
- Ask for the Lord’s wisdom for the entire leadership of Israel. Pray that they would be good shepherds rather than pursue their own agendas.
Anchored in Scripture
“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.” (Numbers 23:8–9)
Guarding the Land: Prayers for Israel’s Security
What You Need to Know:
In his multi-arena assessment on July 22, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir laid out a number of changes in the IDF’s “defense perception.” Among them are the importance of maintaining a security zone on every border, protecting civilian communities, understanding that methods of fighting will vary because all borders are not the same. The IDF is moving forward with lessons learned during and after the Hamas infiltration on October 7, 2023. Military activities along the northern border with Lebanon continued this week as Hezbollah attempts to regain its strength. The border with Syria appears calm. Israel’s biblical heartland (Judea and Samaria) presents more difficult security challenge as Jewish communities are often located next to hostile neighbors. This week, the IDF detained 70 Palestinians suspected of terrorism, seized large sums of money and dozens of weapons and explosive devices during counter-terrorism operations in Samaria.
Dig Deeper:
IDF Chief of Staff Convenes First Multi-Arena Briefing since 2023
Israeli Retirees Return to Reserve Duty to Protect their Home
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray for those who guard Israel’s borders and security check points, asking the Lord to alert them to all danger.
- Pray for Israel’s intelligence services, the Shin Bet and the Mossad, that they will receive information in a timely manner and know how to respond.
- Pray for the Israelis who live in the biblical heartland and often face dangerous situations as they drive or when they are tending their livestock.
Anchored in Scripture:
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. (2 Samuel 22:31)
Shield from the East: Praying for God's Strategy to Counter Iranian Aggression
What You Need to Know:
Despite international pressure and the serious damage that was done to much of its nuclear infrastructure last month, Iran steadfastly refuses to relinquish its nuclear program with uranium enrichment goals. US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iranian nuclear sites again, if necessary. IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed the issue of Iran on July 22 when he stated, “Iran and its axis remain in our sights—the campaign against Iran is not over.” According to the Jewish News Syndicate, “the Islamic Republic has vowed to rebuild its nuclear capabilities and threatened last week that it was ‘ready’ to deal ‘even bigger blows’ to the United States and its regional allies, including the Jewish state.”
Dig Deeper:
Iran Will Not Stop Nuclear Development
Analysis: What Can Israel Expect in the Next War with Iran?
Half of Israelis View Iran as the Biggest Threat to the Country
Pray with Purpose:
- Continue to pray that the Lord will confuse the plans of His enemies as they seek to destroy Israel and the Jewish people.
- Pray that the IDF Chief of Staff and the military commanders will have the Lord’s strategy to defeat Iran.
- Pray for Iranian believers and also for the small Jewish population remaining in Iran, asking the Lord to shield and protect them from harm.
Anchored in Scripture:
They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4)
Frontline Faith: Praying for Soldiers and Hostages in Gaza
What You Need to Know:
The past week has seen an increasingly vocal group of world government leaders calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza. Israel is being accused of starving the Gazans when in reality, humanitarian aid has been a tool used by Hamas to control the population and/or to fund their war against Israel. The IDF is continuing operations in the northern part of the Strip, encountering booby-trapped buildings and resistance from Hamas. Although this is not the first time such an announcement has been made, US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in the region on July 23 amid speculation that a breakthrough in the ceasefire/hostage release agreement is close. On a more ominous note, Islamic Jihad announced on July 22 that they have lost contact with captors holding Rom Braslavski, one of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza.
Dig Deeper:
Wrong Message: Israel Refutes Calls to End Gaza War
IDF: ‘No Hunger Crisis in Gaza’
Israel Releases Video Evidence Amid Accusations of Casualties
Pray with Purpose:
- Continue to intercede for the release of the Israeli hostages, now held for over 650 days. Also ask the Lord to comfort their loved ones.
- Pray for the soldiers who are fighting the most complex war Israel has ever known.
- Pray for the truth about the humanitarian aid to be known and the lies of Hamas exposed to the world.
Anchored in Scripture:
Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. (Psalm 25:19–20)
Lifting the Weary: Praying for Vulnerable Israelis
What You Need to Know:
Israeli residents of southern communities have been living with the terror of rockets from neighboring Gaza since 2001. Can you imagine growing up in an environment where you never knew when you might hear the scream of a Code Red siren giving you 15 seconds to reach shelter? October 7, 2023 added to their trauma. Not only were missiles launched at their homes, but many communities were infiltrated by terrorists who raped, burned and murdered young and old alike. A team from BFP visited Sderot and Ofakim—two communities on the Gaza border—this week to deliver supplies to our contacts who distribute food to the needy each month. Over and above the practical assistance of nutritious food, we came and listened to their stories, shared their pain and offered hugs on behalf of all the Christians in the world who love and pray for them.
Dig Deeper:
Gaza Border Architectural Firm’s Designs Aim to Protect the Body and Elevate the Spirit
This Week in History: The first Kassam hits Sderot (April 15, 2011)
Faces of Iron: Shuki’s Story from October 7
Coloring outside the Crisis: BFP Creates a Safe Place for Children
Pray with Purpose:
- Ask the Lord to strengthen the weary and encourage the fearful of heart with His presence, reminding them of His covenant promises.
- Pray especially for those who are fragile emotionally, that they will gain strength and hope as they pray Scriptures from the Tanakh (Gen–Mal.).
- Look for opportunities to encourage the Jewish members of your own community who may be feeling very much alone and isolated.
Anchored in Scripture:
Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD. (Psalm 31:24)
Standing against Hate: Combatting Antisemitism in Prayer
What You Need to Know:
The world is becoming more dangerous for those who are obviously Jewish or Israeli. Up until now, Greece has been less antisemitic and anti-Israel than some other European nations. Sadly, that is changing. On July 22, an Israeli cruise ship with 1,600 on board attempted to dock at the island of Syros, but was met with hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors. In the end, the Israeli crew decided not to allow their passengers to disembark but headed for an alternate destination in Cyprus. In another incident, this time in London at a kosher restaurant, two young Jewish girls and an Israeli man were accosted by a pro-Palestinian woman who accused them of “killing babies.” Many of these protests are the result of a deliberate campaign by Hamas. ‘October 8,’ a documentary film just released, shows how antisemitic, anti-Israel protests broke out on US college and university campuses before the bodies of those murdered by Hamas terrorists had even been buried.
Dig Deeper:
New Film ‘October 8’ Exposes Antisemitism on US Campuses after Hamas Attack
Jews Attacked at Kosher Café in London
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray that a fear of the Lord would come over anyone with an anti-Israel or antisemitic hatred of His chosen people.
- Continue to pray for the exposure of the false narratives and lies being spread on social media as well as some mainstream media regarding Israel and the Jewish people.
- When you are given the opportunity, take a stand in support of the Jewish people.
Anchored in Scripture:
For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. (Zechariah 2:8)
License: Wikimedia
Grateful Hearts: Praise Reports from the Battlefront
What You Need to Know:
Rev. Peter Fast, BFP International CEO, and a small team from Bridges for Peace, traveled to Paris on July 19 to spend three days with a group of 60 new French olim (immigrants to Israel) and then accompany them to Israel as they return to the Land of promise. Working in conjunction with Keren HaYesod (an Israeli organization that promotes aliyah, or the return of the Jewish people), Bridges for Peace completely funded the expense of the flight to Tel Aviv on July 22 for these new immigrants and will continue to walk alongside them as they settle into life in their ancestral homeland. We give thanks for this fulfillment of prophecy as these courageous men and women return to the Land where much of the world sees only danger and death.
Dig Deeper:
The Headlines Say HiTech Workers Are Leaving: these Professionals Returned
Pray with Purpose:
- Offer praise and thanksgiving for the recent olim from France and the role that Bridges for Peace and YOU have had in making this possible.
- Give thanks for the example of the Jewish people who, though they may have suffered tremendously, choose to respond by helping others.
- We continue to give thanks for all the faithful intercessors and pray that the Lord will strengthen you in the battle. Without prayer, nothing is possible.
Anchored in Scripture:
Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, and set up My standard for the peoples; they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. (Isaiah 49:22)
License: Wikimedia
Related Resources
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