Syrian Rebels and Israel in the Cross-hairs: How to Pray
I trust you’re aware by now of the serious potential for regional war to soon occur in the Middle East. While Western nations plot their response to the tragic gassing of civilians in Syria, Syria threatens to retaliate for any military strike against it with a direct attack on Israel. For those of us who love Israel, it’s hard to be away at a time like this. But we know God is the Captain of the Armies of Heaven. He deploys us where and how He chooses to use us.
Many of you are prayer warriors battling for the Middle East. I’d like to weigh in on a few matters for your intercessory consideration.
1. Israeli believers need our prayers to stand strong and courageous in Yeshua, witnessing to the reality of the Gospel during these shakings. The same is true for our brothers and sisters in Syria, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Lebanon. These nations could be dramatically shaken in the next several days.
2. According to Israeli assessments, Assad’s tyrannical rule is probably not as bad as the regime which so-called Syrian rebels would establish, at least in the forseeable future. Relatively few of the rebels are still democratically-driven. Most true freedom seekers were overrun early on by al-Qaida and other terror groups backed by Iran. (Syria and Lebanon have long been aligned with Iran.) A victory for Syrian rebels at this point would represent a victory for Iran. Claims by the Assad regime that it is the rebels who have gassed civilians cannot be dismissed. The chaos in Syria is similar to that of Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood is plotting horrific revenge.
3. A Western, especially American, military response at this delayed point would be half-hearted at best, as evidenced by the delay itself. A week after the gassing President Obama essentially stated, We don’t know what we’re doing. Because anything less than a wholehearted response to militant Islam will fail, a strike on Syria could tragically backfire—on Israel first, then spread to the West.
4. On the other side, If Western nations do nothing, they signal a green light to Islamism and to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Just this week, with global attention on Syria, Iran reportedly crossed Israeli PM Netanyahu’s red line. In any case, Iran is viewing the West’s response to Syria as a foretaste of its response to Iran’s own future direct use of WMDs, including nuclear weapons.
5. It may be too late for an effective Western military response to the Syrian inferno. But it is not too late for heaven’s Weapons of Messiah’s Destruction. It is often said that history belongs to the intercessors. But so does the future. In the Mideast uproar, God is unveiling the true face of Islam. As a result, missionaries report that countless numbers of disillusioned Muslims are hungry for the love of their Father and forgiveness of sins through His Son. But Messiah is not only destroying the idolatry of Islam. If Israel is placed in the cross hairs, it is to tenderly draw her to the Cross where ultimate deliverance awaits her. Pray for her protection and deliverance.
As we pray into the headlines, let’s keep our hearts and eyes locked onto Yeshua’s, not FOX News cameras, BBC or even CBN. One’s eyes reflect whatever (s)he’s looking at. I want to be close enough to Messiah to gaze directly into the apple of His beautiful eyes. I want to see what captures His heart’s attention. 1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Weapons of Messiah’s Deliverance!
Regardless of how matters unfold, whether biblical prophecies are fulfilled this Rosh HaShanah season or not, weapons of Messianic deliverance are not carnal (soulish anger or bitterness) but mighty in the Spirit for destroying strongholds of evil. They include weeping with those who weep and practical acts of compassion. In the next several days we’ll offer a practical means of helping war and terror victims in the Middle East.
Update
Just to clarify this article: Iran is backing the Assad regime but some Iranian sponsored terror groups are backing the rebels. Without wanting to sound or inspire hard heartedness, it seems the enemy is confused and fighting against itself. Pray for innocents in the cross hairs. We who experience God’s Shabbat Shalom tonight are extremely blessed.