Why Bless Israel?

By Dave Butts

Many Christians find themselves drawn emotionally toward the little country of Israel with its amazing biblical history. Prayers of blessing for Israel are frequent and passionate. The question remains though, why pray for Israel?

The answers might surprise you:

  1. Praying for Israel brings you into prophetic fulfillment through your prayers. Isaiah ties your prayers of blessing to the fulfillment of God’s purposes, not just for Israel but for the world. “You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isa. 62:6–7).
  2. Praying for Israel is an act of obedience to the Word of God. We are clearly given this command: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure” (Ps. 122:6).
  3. Praying for the salvation of the Jewish people will reveal the great mercies of God to a watching world. In Romans 11 Paul devotes an entire chapter to God’s dealing with Israel and expresses His desire for their salvation. In verse 15 Paul writes of the astonishing impact of Israel’s salvation: “For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”
  4. Praying for Israel brings about God’s promise of blessing. You will be blessed as you pray for Israel! God spoke to Abraham words of blessings and curses—and our prayers of blessing for Israel bring us under God’s blessing. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:3).
  5. Praying for Israel’s protection will keep the righteous from doing evil. There is an amazing promise to pray over Israel that comes from Psalm 125:3: “The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.” Wicked leaders can easily lead the people astray and cause them to do what God has forbidden. Godly leaders point people toward God.

Prayer of Blessing for Israel

Lord, I thank You that we are living in the day in which Your people Israel have returned to the land allotted to them in Your Word. Help us to be faithful people of prayer for Israel. For Israel, we speak blessing from Your Word in Psalm 122:9, “For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.”

DAVE BUTTS is cofounder and president of Harvest Prayer Ministries and chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee.