May 21, 2024
ATLANTA — Gruesome attacks on Israel by Hamas militants over the weekend triggered immediate prayer among Christian communities around the world, including in Georgia.
Light of Messiah Ministries, a Georgia-based organization that focuses on sharing the gospel in Israel, was one of the first to issue a call to prayer.
“Pray for the safety of the hostages and for their rescue and release,” said Murray Tilles, a Messianic Jew who leads the organization and who is a member of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta. “Pray for all of the victims of these horrific attacks, for their healing, and for the families.”
Tilles shared a full list of prayer concerns for believers in the U.S., including a request to pray for his own ministry staff, some of whom have been called into active service in the Israeli Defense Forces.
“Pray for the Israeli Defense Forces called to the front lines, for their children and families,” he said. “Pray that international support for Israel remains strong as they retaliate against Hamas. Pray for the government of Israel to have wisdom and regroup well. Pray for the tour groups there now to be protected and return home safely. Pray for all ministry workers and their families in Israel to be protected. Pray for the gospel to be strongly proclaimed during this difficult time.”
Tilles said the dramatic impact of the fighting in the Holy Land can’t be overstated.
“People are traumatized,” he said. “Israel is now making decisions that have enormous geopolitical ramifications.”
In a statement, the International Mission Board reminded Southern Baptists that “we are not mere spectators.”
“We don’t just see headlines,” the statement said. “We see people. Right now, they are injured, frightened, missing. They are lost. As this crisis unfolds, we will not ignore it. We will not be silent. We will not stand still. We will cry out to God on their behalf, asking Him to bring about true peace as only He can.”
The IMB said men, women, and children are facing unspeakable horrors in the Holy Land.
“While this region has a history of unrest, the escalation of violence demands an urgency in our intercession,” the IMB said in the statement. “Pray now that God would have mercy on the millions who are suffering and comfort those who have lost loved ones. Ask God to bless the efforts of those distributing aid. Pray He will provide opportunities for them to share His love.
The statement also asked Southern Baptists to pray that God will use the events to draw people into relationships with Jesus.
“Amid this chaos, the lost are living and dying in darkness,” the statement said. “While the nations rage, God is still in control and near to all who call out to Him. Pray that God will use current events to draw the lost into a relationship with His Son."
Tilles said such prayers are desperately needed.
“May the Lord God of Israel bring peace in the midst of this horribly tragic situation,” he said. “May the Lord God of Israel make himself know to those who do not yet know him. May he bring comfort to the grieving and hope to the hopeless. Most importantly, may Jesus make himself known and be glorified in all of this.”
The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee said in a statement “the grief and sorrow across Israel is unimaginable.” Executive Committee staffers created a downloadable prayer guide for churches to share with their members.
That prayer guide begins by urging Southern Baptists to pray for peace in Israel and for the protection of the people there.
The SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has been organizing support for Israel among evangelicals.
“The news of the horrific attack in the Middle East has gripped the attention of the world since Hamas invaded the nation of Israel on Saturday,” the commission said in a statement. “Like you, our team is grieved by the acts of terrorism perpetrated against those made in God’s image, and we are praying for the peace of Israel.”
