Prayer Letter – December 2014
Isaiah 62 Prayer Campaign

Dear prayer partners,

One of the interesting characters that we meet in the story of Christ’s birth is Anna the prophetess, from the tribe of Asher. In Luke 2:36-38, we learn that she was a long-time widow who “did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” And when Joseph and Mary brought the infant Jesus into the Temple courts to present him before the Lord, “in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

In these few short verses within the Nativity story, we can learn much about prayer from Anna.

1)  Her prayers were persistent!
Anna spent day and night in prayer at the temple. Paul encourages us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), while the church offered “constant prayer” for Peter when he was imprisoned (Acts 12:5). Jesus also spoke in a parable of another widow, whose persistence taught us “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). So prayer has to be a lifestyle, and not just a break in our daily routine.

2)  Her prayers were earnest!
Anna not only prayed but also fasted before the Lord, evidencing a deep hunger to hear back from Him. Paul exhorts us to “continue earnestly in prayer” (Colossians 4:2), while James adds that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). We often pray quietly, so we can hear God answer in a still, small voice. But there is also a place and time for earnest pleading before God, throwing our whole selves into seeking Him, even by opening our lungs and denying our stomachs.

3)  Her prayers were forward looking!
Anna knew those “who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” and was herself among them (Luke 2:38). Like her, we are “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). When we pray, we must keep our eyes on the Lord and his future plans for us. Jesus said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

With these thoughts in mind, please join us in praying for Israel, the Middle East and our ministry this month, as we mark the Incarnation of Jesus.

With great expectancy in Him,
 
David Parsons
ICEJ Media Director

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PRAYER POINTS FOR DECEMBER 2014
The next day of prayer and fasting in our Isaiah 62 Global Prayer Campaign will be on Wednesday, 3 December 2014. Please join us!

Please pray with us for the following areas of need:

1)  Pray for redemption in Israel
We know that God is in the process of bringing His people back to the Land and then to Himself (Ezekiel 36:24-28). Pray for this process of redemption, that it might be hastened and completed in its time.

2)  Pray for the region’s embattled Christians
The Middle East is still embroiled in violence and political upheaval, with the region’s dwindling Arab Christian communities under constant threat from Muslim militants. Please pray for their safety this Christmas season, and that God’s glorious presence would visit them and give them strength to endure.

3)  Pray for the ICEJ’s outreach to the Church
As the Christian Embassy prepares our ministry travel plans for 2015, please pray that we would take the word of the Lord forth from Jerusalem in clarity and power. The Church worldwide needs to hear about Israel’s enduring role in God’s redemptive plans in our day. Ask the Lord for all the right doors to open for our ministry in the year ahead, and that we would be ready to minister effectively to hearts hungry for biblical truth about Israel.