You can pray for Israel by looking at Ezekiel 36:24, which shares another step in praying for Israel. There, God says to the Jews, “I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land.”
As you probably know, the Jews were dispersed all over the world several thousand years ago after the destruction of the first temple. Some of the tribes got so lost that even today nobody can find them. But in our generation, we’ve seen a miracle take place. We’ve seen Jews streaming back to the land of Israel from all over the globe.
Some Jews, however, are still being held captive because they live in nations that won’t let them go. One group I have prayed about a lot is the Jews in China. Isaiah 49:12 speaks specifically about them. It says, “Behold, these shall come from afar—and, behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim (China).”
That’s the verse I base my faith on when I pray for the Jews in that nation to be released. I’ve been told about 2,000 of them are there right now but I am praying and believing that very soon they will all come home.
I don’t stop there, either. I also pray for the Jews’ spiritual homecoming. I pray for God not only to restore them naturally by bringing them back to the land but to restore their relationship to Him as well. That’s His will and His plan. Speaking to the Jews about the time of their return to Israel, He said:
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people and I will be your God. (Eze. 36:25–28 AMP)
One of the best ways I can think of to bless the people of Israel is to pray for their spiritual restoration. What better gift could they receive?
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”