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Our hearts are broken for the people of Israel who have endured such great atrocities inflicted upon women and children and the elderly, slaughtered mercilessly. I also pray for those who seek peace, including believers in Jesus in Gaza, who will inevitably suffer as a result of Israel’s justified actions in defense of its people. (What else can Israel do but retaliate and try to bring justice to the perpetrators of these terrible crimes? What would the U.S. government do in the same circumstances? What would we want them to do?)

It is Hamas that has done this, a terrorist organization, and if there was a way to punish Hamas, and only Hamas for this, it would be ideal. But that would be like saying in World War II one should wage war only against the Nazis, not against the people of Germany, which included many who did not support the Nazi government, though there were, unfortunately, many who tolerated it. 

My heart breaks for innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians, but for sure any chance of peace in the Middle East, at least in the near future, has been decimated by the horrific actions of Hamas against innocent men, women, and children. Gavin Ortlund writes, “There is some evil in this world, like what Hamas terrorists are doing, that is hard to account for apart from belief in supernatural evil (demons). God, protect the innocent and break the teeth of the wicked (Psalm 58:6).”

I have met genuine believers in Christ in Gaza and in Israel. Let’s pray for those Christians, and their influence on those around them. Pray that in the midst of tragedy—and the further tragedies that are almost certain to follow—hearts would be turned toward Jesus, who is not only King of Kings, but also the Prince of Peace. 

In his article “Rachel weeps for her children: Israel’s fight is our fight as well,” Al Mohler writes,

The cumulative shock, grief, and horror experienced in Israel over the last few days is unspeakable and incalculable. The anger is palpable and justified. The righteous wrath of Israel is now to be unleashed, and difficult days lie ahead. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Among the residents in Gaza are Christian believers, trapped in a war started by Hamas and now prosecuted by Israel. We pray for those Christians even as we pray for Israel. Some of these believers are also victims of Hamas and its ideology.

A brother in the U.K, Gavin Drake, has a written a helpful article on “What’s happening in Israel and Gaza, and how should Christians pray?” He explains some of the history of the Gaza strip, and writes:

There are two evil positions: one is to be so pro-Israeli that you want to see Palestinians crushed, the other is to be so pro-Palestinian that you want to see Israel destroyed. Peace will only come to the Holy Land when Israelis and Palestinians – Jews, Muslims and Christians – feel secure and live in justice.

…In Psalm 122, King David extols us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That has never been more important.

Many people are thinking about prophecy right now and wondering if these events are a specific fulfillment of any particular biblical prophecies. Biblical scholar Chad Bird addresses, “Is Psalm 83 predicting events in Gaza and Israel?” and reminds us to be responsible with our treatment of the Scriptures.

We know for sure Jesus is going to return, and we long for His return, but we don’t know when it will happen. Sometimes it is obvious when biblical prophecies are being fulfilled, but often there is such out-of-context speculation that the same passages have been cited as being fulfilled dozens and dozens of times by different events. 

Click here to read more from Randy Alcorn of Eternal Perspectives Ministries

Alcorn, Randy "Pray for Israel and Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" Eternal Perspective Ministries October 13th, 2023 https://www.epm.org/blog/2023/Oct/13/pray-israel-jerusalem