| · West Bank: 5,877 km2
| · Population: 2.4 million
| · 408 people per km2
| · 19 refugee camps
| · Gaza Strip: 365 km2
| · Population: 1.5 million
| · 4,108 people per km2
| · 8 refugee camps
For the Palestinians living in the Gaza strip, Nablus (the old Sichem), Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah and elsewhere, life is hard. Economic survival is difficult for most Palestinian families in normal periods, but the conflictual relations between the Jews and Palestinians as well as the conflicts between the Palestinians themselves makes things much more difficult. Families, the elderly and the handicapped are especially suffering.
Stress and Bitterness
Despite their withdrawal from Gaza, the Israeli military presence at sea and on the borders of the Gaza strip is still commonly perceived by Palestinian Muslims as an Israeli occupation because of the difficulty of importing goods from the outside world into the overpopulated enclave. Gazans can only rarely leave the enclave to travel abroad. On the Egyptian side the difficulties of getting visas are enormous. Most Gazans have never even been across the frontier with Egypt or to Cairo, which is the biggest city in the Arab world, only 350 kilometres away. And since the Arab Spring Uprising in Egypt 2011, matters have become more complex than ever. The West Bank is still under very strict Israeli control as well, however happily there are some isolated pockets of prosperity. While the Palestinians do get economic help from abroad, some countries also send weapons, shells and rockets that often only make the situation worse. This incites further violence against Israel.
Enormous stress, bitterness and often actual hatred is felt because almost every family had a son, a nephew, a cousin, a father or a mother or sister who died during the wars, protests, armed insurrections, terrorist efforts and confrontations of the last 65 years. Even among the Arabs, factional fighting between their own political and military groups (Hamas and Fatah) have killed many hundreds of people (about 600 people died in 18 months in 2006 and 2007 alone). Ultimately only God’s love can change the people and take away hate and resentment.
Believers In Gaza
About 2,500 people in Gaza call themselves believers. However, the vast majority of them are not practising, although some committed believers have been martyred for their faith. Some have actively done things to help the widows, the handicapped and the elderly. The Gazan believers definitely need encouragement. Visitors to Gaza from the outside tell how their hearts are touched and they are moved to tears when they leave. “The believers in Gaza say ‘Do not forget us.’”
Map of Israel
Prayer Starters:
- Thank God that he has not forgotten his promises to the Jews or the Arabs. He is faithful to both; some Arab speakers (from Arabia) first heard about the Messiah on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11). God obviously wanted them to hear the Good News. Thank God for the Palestinians who have recognised the Messiah already. Ask for more!
- Pray for profound inner healing for many. The scars of decades of conflict destroy lives in the present.
- Pray for the Hamas and Fatah militants. May their hearts be changed. May they come to know the love of the Messiah. Simon the Zealot was among Jesus’ disciples. Many zealots at the time of Jesus used violence to accomplish their goals (Mt. 10:4).
- Pray for the brave believers who live among the Muslim Palestinians that they may be a good witness (Mt. 5:16). May they be strengthened in their faith (Ephesians 3:16-17).
“The best way I can help Israel is by leading her enemies to Jesus Christ.” ~ Brother Andrew
Listen to the Podcast – DAY 11 – Palestinian Territories
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pray for the Palestinian people:
* for the encourgment of and protection for true believers, especially MBBs
* for many Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, etc. militants to come to know Isa Al-Maish
* for the improverment of living conditions and fair distribution of water for the Palestinians
* for Palestinian women and girls, with so little freedom, to see Jesus as their true Deliever
* for raising up of fair, just leaders for Israel and for the Palestinians
* for the growing number of Jewish Israeli believers to learn to trust their Arab brothers and sisters
* for Christians to minister to the nearly 5 million Palestinians in refugee camps in nearby areas
* for many Muslim Palestinians to see the Gospel of Lifee demonstarted in action
* for distribution of the JESUS film and Good News Story viedo in Hebrew and Arabic
* for a fair soultion to the question of Jerusalem, the capital for both sides
* for Palestinian children to learn to love Jesus, as they have learned to hate the Jews
* for Jesus, who broke down the dividing wall of hosility between Man and God, to do His work of reconciliation and spitiual revival among both Israeli Jew and Palestinian Arab
Amen to all the above!
Let’s also add the following to the list: Pray for
*the Palestinian believers, who are working to build bridges between Arabs and Jews-Muslims, Christians, and those of the Jewish faith-and accomplish peace in their homeland.
*believers around the world who still feel prejudiced toward the Palestinians, so they may be enlightened and see that there are many facets to the conflict in the Holy Land, and realize that the Palestinian people are not all terrorists but also human beings like us, who have suffered many injustices.
The prayer for Christians in Palestine might lead some people to believe that there are problems between Christian and Muslim Palestinians. Actually, the information we receive from the Lutherans there indicate much more of a problem with the Israeli government’s economic abuse of all Palestinians. Roman Catholic information seems similar. Christian schools enroll Muslims along with Christians. Muslims didn’t build the separation wall. The Arabs are defending their homes.
I was touched by this prayer request. God loves those people. Thank you…God bless you indeed
Thank you God that you have not forgotten about the Palestinian people. In your eyes, we are all created in your image. There is no Palestinian, or Israeli, Muslim or Jew. You loved all the same.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Lord, I pray as the Palestinian people seek recognition as a full member nation in the united nations, I pray that each Palestinian would hear about your Kingdom desire to be a member, a son or a daughter in the Kingdom that never ends, servants of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Full membership at the U.N will not bring freedom to the hearts of the people, but membership in your family through Jesus our savior is the ONLY TRUE freedom.
Thank you for your desires for my people and your ministry there.
I would also pray, quite simply, for the defeat of the Jihad.
What ultimately drives this conflict is the Jihad imperative that is central to Islam, coupled with a monstrous hatred of Jews qua Jews that is coded into – hard-wired into – the Islamic texts, into Quran, Sira and Hadith (and that one therefore finds among Muslims who live far, far away from Israel, and that one finds in the historic accounts of Muslim attitudes from centuries before any nation of Israel was rebuilt). To understand this conflict, read Andrew Bostom’s Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism; read Norman Stillman, ‘The Jews of Arab Lands” and Martin Gilbert’s “In Ishmael’s House”; read Bat Yeor, ‘The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians Under Islam” and “The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam” (which will help you understand why the Arab Christians are as they are, and also help you understand the plight of Christians in Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon); read Mark Durie, “The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom”.
[Edited for brevity – please keep messages short. Tks | Admin]
Thank you for saying this!
Read this book “Son of Hamas” It is an eye-opener. And keep praying for the people of the Middle East. God bless you Masab Hassan Housef!!