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Every week, we post seven to ten news stories from Israel with a suggested prayer focus and scripture for each one, guiding readers how to pray for Israel’s most urgent needs. This Prayer Update is also sent to over 18,000 subscribers every Friday by e-mail. Sign up HERE if you would like to receive this Prayer Update by e-mail.
Prayer Focus
Cry out to the Lord for His guidance and protection as Israel is forced into a very difficult situation. Pray that Israeli leaders will hear the voice of the Lord as they make decisions regarding the burgeoning conflict with Hezbollah. If a military outcome is inevitable, pray that Israel will have a swift and decisive victory.
Scripture
“For the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel will not “fall into a trap” set by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by allowing the war in Gaza, the conflict with Hezbollah and constant terror in Judea and Samaria to consume the attention of their military, intelligence and political establishment. Beseech the Lord that the Jewish state will be successful in all three arenas while preventing Iran from advancing its atomic weapon of mass destruction.
Scripture
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler.
Israel Ranked Fifth Happiest Country in the World
by JNS
Israel took fifth place in this year’s World Happiness Report.
Thursday, 21 March 2024 | Israel is the fifth happiest place on Earth, according to the World Happiness Report 2024, released on Wednesday.
The findings are powered by data from the Gallup World Poll and based on six factors: social support; income; health; freedom; generosity; and absence of corruption.
Finland topped the list for the seventh successive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Israel, which dropped one position compared to 2023. Rounding out the Top 10 were the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia.
Notably, the United States (23) dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012, driven by a large drop in the wellbeing of Americans under 30.
Afghanistan was ranked the least happiest country in the world.
“The broad country coverage and annual surveys of the Gallup World Poll provide an unmatched source of data about the quality of lives all over the globe. There are now enough years of data, going back to 2006, to enable us this year to plausibly separate age and generational patterns for happiness,” said Professor John F. Helliwell, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report.
The report was released to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, which was established when the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/281 in June 2012.
Photo Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Praise the Lord that Israel continues to rank in the top ten happiest nations on earth, despite the issues and challenges the country is facing. Plead with the Lord to bless His people with ongoing strength, courage and determination as Israel fights for her very existence. And pray that He will heal the trauma of every Israeli, young and old, granting them resilience and the determination to defeat evil and remain a happy nation for generations to come.
Scripture
Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the LORD!
Prayer Focus
Pray that President Biden will respect Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position as a leader in the free world and support the decisions that he and his cabinet are making. Pray that Israel’s American ally will stand alongside her if anyone threatens the security of either state. And beseech the Lord that Israel will indeed have security control “from the River to the Sea.”
Scripture
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Prayer Focus
Pray for supernatural alertness and safety for all Israelis throughout the country. Pray that every terror attack will be thwarted before any harm can be done and cry out to the Lord for an end to this random violence. Pray that perpetrators will be prosecuted and ask the Lord to comfort the loved ones of these recent victims and bring both physical and emotional healing to all those affected.
Scripture
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me.
Prayer Focus
Thank the Lord that the Houthi cruise missile caused no injuries or damage and landed in an open field. Pray that Israel’s missile defense system will continue at peak performance and cry out to the Lord that the Houthi threat will be eliminated.
Scripture
Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.
Prayer Focus
Praise the Lord that the Jewish community in Canada was able to prevent the passage of a proposal that would have been “intolerable” for Israel, dropping unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Pray that the Canadian government will recognize the dangers of its anti-Israel focus and repeal its call for an arms embargo.
Scripture
O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.
Prayer Focus
Cry out to the Lord for an end to this alarming increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the world, especially those directed at young people. Pray for educational programming that will help dispel stereo types and the use of anti-Jewish tropes that incite violence. And pray that schools and colleges will recognize their responsibility in creating a safe environment for all, including Jewish students.
Scripture
“I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Prayer Focus
Beseech the Lord for the rise of media outlets of integrity that will tell the truth of what is happening in Gaza, free of the anti-Israel bias that is currently the status quo. Pray that people will become informed of the incredible efforts that Israel is taking to prevent civilian deaths and Israel’s commitment to getting badly needed humanitarian supplies into the hands of needy Palestinians.
Scripture
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
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