2023.10.15.Sermon Notes. Prayers for Peace - CALLED TO PRAY
William Akehurst, HSWC
SCRIPTURES: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Psalms 122:1-9, Genesis 12:3, Psalms 23:1-6, Exodus 17:9-16, 1 Samuel 15:1-3, 1 Samuel 15:23, 1 Samuel 30:1-5, 1 Samuel 30:16-17, 1 Chronicles 4:43, Esther 3:1-6, Psalms 83:1-18
BIG IDEA: WAR in ISRAEL, PRAY FOR PEACE. Scriptures tell us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And that GOD will protect HIS OWN by coming against those who come against them. But that’s not all. GOD wants for all people everywhere to be saved and understand the truth; even by using War to bring the enemy of HIS people to HIMSELF.
I saw a recent report of 95-year-old Ezra Yachin, a reservist in the IDF, who was recruited into the reserves to give soldiers motivation and tell them that despite his difficult childhood in Jerusalem where he frequently experienced and saw riots and shocking sights, that he and his friends managed to be part of the establishment of a great country, and he wasn't about to give up on it now. Hoorah!
Just as Israeli Soldiers are being recalled from all over the world to return to Israel for battle, WE too as Believers are being called to the battlefield. We, however, do not battle with the physical, but with principalities and powers, in the Spiritual Realm. THIS IS OUR CALLING!
When we pray aloud using Scriptures, GOD's WORD is given flight to accomplish it's purpose. There's a Battle Cry calling us to engage in the Battle. Take up the Sword of GOD's WORD and Pray!
So when you pray:
Pray the scriptures; Pray out loud; Pray in the SPIRIT. Your audible voice sends forth GOD’s WORD into the atmosphere, to accomplish it’s purpose. When you pray out loud using Scripture, you are actually giving GOD’s WORD wings to go where it is needed. You’re literally giving HIS WORD flight on the wings of the Heavenly Armies to carry forth HIS judgments and commands.
GOD’s DESIRE for YOU.
First of all, PRAY. Pray for mankind. PRAY for our leaders, Pray for the unsaved to come to the TRUTH.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED
(NLT) 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
PRAY FOR PEACE IN JERUSALEM.
Psalms 122 (NKJV)
1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.
GOD WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS THE LINEAGE OF ABRAHAM AND CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE THEM.
Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
THE LORD HAS EVERYTHING WE NEED
Psalms 23 (NKJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
HE GIVES PROVIDES REST – AND CALMS THE STORMS
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
HE RESTORES AND LEADS ME ON THE RIGHT PATH, BECAUSE I AM HIS CHILD.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
EVEN IN THE DARKEST HOURS, GOD IS WITH ME.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
GUARDING, AND GUIDING ME ALL THE WAY.
EVEN WHEN SURROUNDED BY THE ENEMY, I SIT AS YOUR TABLE, IN PEACE.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
I AM ANOINTED FOR YOUR PURPOSE
HIS GOODNESS AND MERCY ARE WITH US
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
NOTES: HISTORY OF AMALEK & THE AMALEKITES AND AGAGITES – HAMAN & HAMAS
MOSES AND JOSHUA
Exodus 17:9-16
9 Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
14 After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the LORD is my banner”).
16 He said, “They have raised their fist against the LORD’s throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
THE LORD WILL BE AT WAR WITH AMALEK GENERATION AFTER GENERATION!
KING SAUL
1 Samuel 15:1-3
1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the LORD who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the LORD! 2 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
1 Samuel 15:18-19
18 And the LORD sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ 19 Why haven’t you obeyed the LORD? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD’s sight?”
1 Samuel 15:23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
KING DAVID
1 Samuel 30:1-5
1 Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. 2 They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone. 3 When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, 4 they wept until they could weep no more. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.
1 Samuel 30:16-17
16 So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah. 17 David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.
400 ESCAPED! THE LINEAGE LIVES ON...
KING HEZEKIAH AND SONS OF SIMEON
1 Chronicles 4:43 They destroyed the few Amalekites who had survived, and they have lived there ever since.
QUEEN ESTHER AND HAMAN
Esther 3:1-6 1 Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. 2 All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.
3 Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” 4 They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. (JIHAD)
6 He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
HAMAN IS REFLECTED BY THE CURRENT DAY HAMAS.
Its interesting that the Hebrew word “Hamas” means “violence or a violent person or a false witness.”
THOUGHTS: There are many scriptures regarding the Nation of Israel and the Battles that will come against them. Additionally, there are many references to Gaza being destroyed. Are we seeing prophecy being fulfilled? I think so.
And this current battle is the shadow of what is YET to come. This is not the Ezekiel or Zechariah Wars, but a precursor to those events. When the Ezekiel War occurs, Israel will stand alone, and the GOD of ISRAEL will battle for them. This is yet to come. But we can look to Psalms 83 and pray for Israel in the here and now.
Pray this passage out loud and send GOD’s WORDS to the battlefield.
Psalms 83 Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God!
I CRY OUT TO THE LORD FOR ACTION
2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
THE ENEMY IS ALL AROUND, MAKING WAR
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
THE ENEMY HAS COME AGAINST YOUR PEOPLE
4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
THEIR DESIRE TO WIPE OUT ISRAEL
5 For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You:
THEY HAVE FORMED A CONFEDERACY TOGETHER AGAINST YOU
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.
Selah
9 Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10 Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for a possession.”
13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind!
14 As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
GOD – MAKE THE ENEMY BE SCATTERED AND BURN OUT
15 So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm.
GOD – GO AFTER THEM WITH YOUR FURY SO THAT THEY WOULD KNOW YOU ARE GOD.
16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
MAKE THEM TO SEEK YOUR NAME
17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
THAT THEY MAY KNOW YOUR NAME IS OVER ALL
KEY POINT: When we pray and declare GOD’s WORD out loud, using scripture, we can be assured that it will go and accomplish it’s purpose.
Prayer
FATHER GOD,
WE Come standing in YOUR TRUTHS. Standing on the Promises of YOUR WORD. We pray for Jerusalem, for Israel, that there would be peace. We bless Israel and those who are called by YOUR NAME. We pray for those who have lost loved ones, that they would be comforted. We pray for those in harms way, that YOU would protect them. We pray for those who come against YOUR PEOPLE, that they would find YOU, and YOUR POWER over them. That they would be filled with shame, and know their wickedness, and turn their hearts to seek YOUR NAME. That they would know that YOU LORD GOD, YOUR NAME is over all the earth. We ask that YOUR SPIRIT would move on the hearts of everyone world wide, and that they would see YOUR HAND at work in ISRAEL. To YOUR HONOR and GLORY FOREVER, in JESUS Name, Amen.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
Bill
