Friday, October 24, 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:
The ceasefire remains as fragile as ever, with Hamas refusing to honor its commitments. The terrorist group has not disarmed, returned only two more deceased hostages this week, and has yet to return the remains of 13 others. Terrorists also attacked IDF troops several times this week, though Hamas tried to distance itself from the incidents, claiming the attackers acted independently. Amid this fragile calm, members of the Knesset (Parliament) advanced a bill to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, which passed its first reading. Critics warn it could disrupt ongoing peace talks and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords to more Muslim and Arab nations.
Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner remain in Israel to advance the peace plan. US Vice President JD Vance also visited Israel this week, followed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Vance acknowledged the “very tough task” ahead in disarming Hamas, rebuilding Gaza, and improving life for its people while removing the threat to Israel. He confirmed that Israel will have the final say over which countries join the multinational peacekeeping force in Gaza and noted that efforts continue to recover the remaining deceased hostages, though full return cannot be guaranteed. Still, he expressed optimism that progress toward a lasting peace is underway. Prime Minister Netanyahu also met in Jerusalem with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad to discuss the agreement.
Dig Deeper:
Knesset Approves Bill to Apply Israeli Sovereignty in the West Bank
WATCH: Vance “Optimistic” Gaza Peace Will Hold...
Middle East Allies Ready to “Straighten out Hamas” in Gaza, Trump Warns
Pray with Purpose
- Lift up Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel’s other leaders in prayer amid this crucial time, asking the Lord to bless them with wisdom, discernment and courage.
- Pray for peace, for blessing over the fragile peace negotiations and that everyone involved will stand by their commitments to ensure safety for Israel.
Anchored in Scripture
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice (Proverbs 2:6–8a).
Guarding the Land: Prayers for Israel’s Security
What You Need to Know:
In addition to the post-ceasefire skirmishes in Gaza, Israel’s northern border is heating up. The IDF on Thursday struck Hezbollah infrastructure across southern Lebanon, targeting arms depots and training compounds used to prepare terrorists for attacks on Israel. This came a day after the military eliminated a Hezbollah commander in charge of transferring weapons in Lebanon and advancing terror attacks against Israel. Last November, Israel and Lebanon signed a truce to end cross-border fighting that started when Hezbollah launched attacks against northern Israel the day after the October 7 Hamas attack two years ago.
The IDF this week on the northern border conducted its largest drill since the start of the war to prepare for a potential attack from Hezbollah reminiscent on October 7. Israel has conducted sporadic strikes in southern Lebanon to prevent the terrorist group from rebuilding its infrastructure. The IDF on Sunday dismantled Hezbollah posts close to the border and struck more infrastructure on Monday. The Hezbollah secretary-general, in violation of the truce, said in July that Hezbollah is “rebuilding, recovering and ready” for more fighting.
The IDF chief of staff warned this week that terrorists in Judea and Samaria could attempt to disrupt the “stabilization processes” and noted that the military will reinforce its troops in Israel’s heartland and be on alert. In 2024, terrorists murdered 27 Israelis in Judea and Samaria and wounded 300 more.
Dig Deeper:
IDF Strikes Hezbollah Terror Targets across Lebanon
IDF Strike in South Lebanon Kills Commander in Hezbollah’s Elite Radwan Force
IDF Trains for Hezbollah Attack Drill
IDF Chief Warns Terrorists May Try to Undermine Regional Stabilization...
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray God’s hand of protection over all of Israel’s borders and over her biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria.
- Pray for peace, protection and security over the nation and people of Israel.
Anchored in Scripture:
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever (Psalm 125:2).
License: Wikimedia
Aligning Against Israel: UN and the Nations of the World
What You Need to Know:
A recent report shows that Al Jazeera, a Qatari state-run outlet, has been taking orders from Hamas on reporting the war. With Hamas leadership in Doha, coordination is easy. Hamas dictates what’s published and the language used—calling the IDF “the occupation army,” Israeli hostages “prisoners,” and Hamas fighters “resistance fighters” or “martyrs.” There is also evidence some Al Jazeera journalists doubled as Hamas terrorists and participated in the October 7 massacre.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday said Israel is obligated to allow UNRWA to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza. The advisory opinion, though not legally binding, contradicts Israeli legislation passed last year that bans UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, citing the organizations ties to terror and its employment of Hamas members, including several who participated in October 7. The Israeli Foreign Ministry “categorically rejects” the advisory opinion.
As negotiations for the Israel–Hamas peace deal continue, Israel has put its foot down on a Turkish presence on its borders with Gaza amid talk of the nation joining a multinational peace force in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Turkish participation a “red line,” and Israel’s minister of Diaspora affairs and combatting antisemitism recalled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s prayer in March: “May Allah, for the sake of his name… destroy and devastate Zionist Israel.”
Dig Deeper:
Al Jazeera's Gaza Coverage Directed by Hamas, Israeli Research Center Finds
Al Jazeera Worked Hand in Glove with Hamas, Captured Docs Reveal
ICJ Says Israel Must Work with UNRWA; Jerusalem "Categorically Rejects" Notion
Israeli Diaspora Minister: Erdoğan a “Sworn Enemy” of Israel, West
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray against such entities as Al Jazeera and UNRWA who employ and push the agenda of terrorism and Israel’s enemies, that they will be silenced and thwarted.
- Pray that the truth will shine bright in the darkness of lies and misinformation.
- Pray for the ongoing peace negotiations and that the nations will not push Israel to allow enemies who cheer for her destruction on her soil.
Anchored in Scripture:
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations (Psalm 33:10–11).
License: Wikimedia
Frontline Faith: Praying for Soldiers and Hostages in Gaza
What You Need to Know:
Attacks on IDF soldiers in Gaza this week are shaking the already tentative ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. On Sunday, two IDF soldiers were killed and three wounded by terrorists in Gaza. Israel called the attacks “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement” and launched retaliatory attacks against Hamas commanders and infrastructure. On Monday, Hamas fired two anti-tank missiles and killed two IDF soldiers in Gaza. Three more IDF soldiers were wounded in an explosion on Tuesday, prompting retaliatory Israeli strikes.
The war with Gaza has lasted longer than any other in Israel’s modern history, and more soldiers have been mobilized than in any other Israeli war. With more soldiers fighting than ever and for longer periods of time, they come home with invisible scars in addition to their outward wounds. The Israeli military has recorded 37 suicides since the beginning of 2024, according to an IDF official in August. One soldier said that PTSD “must be recognized as an injury, just like a physical injury. It’s no less serious than a physical injury, it’s an injury to the soul.” Another said that the wounds soldiers carry impact the people around them as well. “Our children see everything, feel everything.”
Dig Deeper:
2 Soldiers Killed, 3 Wounded in Attack on Troops in Gaza...
Pray with Purpose:
- Ask the Lord for a supernatural shield of protection over the soldiers who are still fighting in Gaza and protecting Israel’s borders.
- Lift up the veterans in prayer, asking God to heal their heart wounds as well as their physical injuries.
- Pray also for the families of veterans, that they will be able to support and strengthen their loved ones who have seen so much horror on the battlefield.
Anchored in Scripture:
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge (Psalm 91:2,4a).
License: Wikimedia
Lifting the Weary: Praying for Vulnerable Israelis
What You Need to Know:
By the end of 2024, Israel welcomed 32,000 new immigrants, according to Director-general Avichai Kahana of the Aliyah (Immigration) and Integration Ministry, with surged interest from France, North America and Britain. This was a significant surge, compared to the average of 22,000 to 25,000 of new immigrants that Israel normally welcomes each year. Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, most of the new immigrants have been singles, young adults and young families.
Despite the encouraging immigration trend, however, the Israeli government reported that more than 125,000 of its citizens emigrated between early 2022 and mid 2024, with the war likely causing more Israelis to leave the country during that time period. However, nearly 30,000 Israelis returned to Israel from abroad in 2022, 24,200 returned in 2023 and 12,100 returned in the first part of 2024.
Looking ahead, Kahana said Israel’s new strategy is to recruit more immigrants strategic for the labor market, including physicians and engineers, with new policies to ease their transition.
The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization (IDFWO) held an event this past week for 48 Israeli children who lost a parent serving in the IDF. The organization noted that Israel has seen more IDF widows and orphans since the October 7 Hamas attack than in the entire preceding 20-year period, adding that 885 children have been left without a parent and 352 partners without a spouse.
Dig Deeper:
Immigration Files Surge in Europe, “Israel Wants Olim,” Aliyah Director-general Tells “Post”
Hidden Cost of War: 125,000 Israelis Emigrated between 2022 and 2024
“Tsunami” of Citizens Chose to Leave Israel in Past Years, Knesset Report Reveals
For Israeli War Orphans, an Unforgettable Jerusalem Experience
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray that the tentative ceasefire will hold, ushering in a new era of peace that will encourage Israeli emigrants to return home and more immigrants to make their home in Israel.
- Pray for the new immigrants, that God will bless them as they build a new life in their ancient homeland.
- Pray for Israel’s widows and orphans, that the Lord will provide for them and that they will find comfort and hope for the future.
Anchored in Scripture:
Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul (Jeremiah 32:41).
License: Wikimedia
Standing against Hate: Combatting Antisemitism in Prayer
What You Need to Know:
Despite the tentative end of the war between Hamas and Israel, antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred continue to rage among the nations. A troubling new trend on social media shows Gazans calling themselves “Gaza Holocaust survivors.” In Turkey, soccer fans displayed a massive “Stop the genocide” banner, despite the ceasefire. At a Paris university conference last week, speakers glorified terrorism and the October 7 Hamas attack, urging resistance against “imperialism, Zionism and fascism.”
In encouraging news, political and community leaders from across Central and South America gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the fifth annual Latin America Summit Against Antisemitism. Despite the Brazilian government’s anti-Israel stance, some 1,000 participants from 18 countries voiced their support for Israel and the Jewish people. The CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), a co-organizer of the event, said, “I hope the message from Latin America will echo across the globe and inspire similar declarations and efforts on other continents.”
Amid the global voices of Jew- and Israel-hatred—and the spread of anti-Israel conspiracy theories by Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson—there appears to be a disturbing rise in the spread of replacement theology—the false doctrine that the Church has replaced Israel as the recipient of God’s promises—on social media and even among biblical apologists. We must boldly speak truth and confront this diabolical ideology wherever it appears.
Dig Deeper:
“I Survived the Gaza Holocaust”: New Anti-Israel Trend Conquering Social Media
“Antisemitism Won’t Disappear with End of War”...
The Resurrection of American Christian Antisemitism
Anti-Israel Protest in Champions League...
Paris University Event Praises Terrorists, October 7 Massacre
Pray with Purpose:
- Pray against the hatred and against the false propaganda, misinformation and outright lies.
- Thank the Lord for the leaders in South and Central America who are taking a stand against antisemitism and standing with Israel, and pray that more across the world will join them.
- Pray against the spread of replacement theology, and pray that more Christians will take bold stands against this false doctrine.
Anchored in Scripture:
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night…: “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever” (Jeremiah 31:35a–36 ESV).
License: Wikimedia
Grateful Hearts: Praise Reports from the Land
What You Need to Know:
Following the tentative ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli skies are reopening to visitors, as major carriers are resuming flights to the Jewish state. On Sunday, British Airways and Iberia will resume flights to Tel Aviv. Next week will see the return of Scandinavian Airlines after a decade-long lapse as well as Germain airline Eurowings. Next month, United Airlines will expand its service and add routes from Chicago and DC to Israel. By the end of the year, Air India and Italian ITA Airlines will resume service as well. The addition of more airlines will lower the high fares for travel to Israel seen in the past two years.
Tourists traveling to Israel can visit Kibbutz Neot Smadar in southern Israel, which this month was honored on the UN Tourism 2025 list of 52 Best Tourism Villages in the world. After being included on the list, the kibbutz has been flooded with booking inquiries. The tiny community, home to only 250 residents, was chosen from more than 270 applicants. Visitors can enjoy an organic boutique winery, guest rooms and tours set in desert landscapes, artist workshops and stargazing. These are signs that the Jewish state’s tourism industry is coming back to life following two years of war. Israel also recently was ranked fourth in life expectancy among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, following Japan, Switzerland and Spain. The Jewish state saw a rise in life expectancy despite low spending in health care.
Dig Deeper:
British Airways, Iberia to Resume Israel Flights next Week
Israeli Kibbutz Swamped with Bookings after UN Tourism Honor
Longer Life, Lower Expenditure: Israel Ranks Fourth in Life Expectany
Pray with Purpose:
- Praise the Lord for the resuming of more and more international flights to Israel, making travel to the Jewish state easier and cheaper.
- Thank the Lord that Kibbutz Neot Smadar was included on the UN’s list, as the international organization is not traditionally friendly toward Israel. Pray that the Lord will bless this little community immensely!
- Thank the Lord that the people of Israel who have experienced so much hardship and pain over the last two years of war have also seen a rise in average life expectancy. May the Lord continue blessing His people with long life.
Anchored in Scripture:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting… (Psalm 100:4–5a).
License: Wikimedia
Related Resources
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