Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Morning by Morning, May 16 - Praying for Israel and the Peace of Jerusalem

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my spirit, as I worship You and welcome You into my heart and into my day - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

"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. 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. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram went, as the Lord had told him..." (Genesis 12:1-4).

Father God, I pray for the land of Israel and the descendants of Abram, who You named Abraham. As Your Word commands us, I "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" that there may be "peace within (her) walls and security within (her) towers" and that I may "seek (her) good" (Psalm 122:6-9).

Your Word also says that there will come a day when "all the nations of the earth shall come together against (Jerusalem)" but in the end "the Lord will give victory" to Your city "and on that day (You) will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:3-9). And at the same time, Your Word says "(You) will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the One whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn" (Zechariah 10). Then an amazing prophecy of Your Word will be fulfilled before the eyes of all heaven and earth: "On that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.... They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are My people'; and they will say, 'The Lord is our God!" (Zechariah 13:1-9). As they "look on the One whom they have pierced," may they cry out to You from the depths of the pain and desperation of their hearts, "Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Psalm 118:26).

As You promised the people of Your city many generations ago: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, 'Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord'" (Matthew 23:29). And Your Word that cannot fail will be fulfilled: "So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins" (Romans 11:25-27).

Father God, I want to come into agreement with Your will and Your Word, praying by the leading Your Spirit in the name of Jesus. I want my words and my prayers to be in alignment with Your heart for Jerusalem, for Israel, for her people, and all that they represent in the face of every means intended to destroy her by her spiritual enemy seeking use the nations of the earth to come against her in every generation. Use their struggles to turn their hearts to You, the Savior and Deliverer of all-"that (You) might create in (Yourself) one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross" (Ephesians 2:15-16).

Through my words and prayers, I sense a leading to be a part of all that You intended in the image of Your Word of the wings of the
great eagle" sent to lift up Your people in the face of destruction: "So when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male Child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14). I don't know all that this means or represents, but I do want to be a part in my generation and my nation to take my place among "those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" even in the face of "the dragon (who is) angry will the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children" (Revelation 12:13-17).

Come, Holy Spirit. Show me how to pray in these days. Pray through me and all You are moving to pray for Your people and the people of all the earth in our times. "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27).

These are both frightening and exciting days to be alive and called to the work and advancement of Your kingdom for such a time as this. "We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we are saved" (Romans 8:22-24). I groan in prayer for Your people and all who are to be saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, as I groan and labor in prayer for the day that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea!" (Habakkuk 2:14) May I be found faithful to be among those You've led to be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord" (2 Peter 3:11) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, I pray you will be moved by the Holy Spirit to pray according to the will of the Father in the name of Jesus for Israel and all the nations and people of the earth, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!