An update from the Mount Moriah Trust, whose work was featured in Prophecy Today UK earlier this year.

Earlier this year, we introduced Tony and Kathy Stewart and the Mount Moriah Trust, which helps needy believers in Israel and its contested territories (click here for the interview). Now we are pleased to bring you an update on the latest developments in their work - including prayer points for Israel at the end.

From Tony and Kathy Stewart

God is good, He is Jehovah Jireh – the God who provides. Under His direction we continue to enlarge the place of our tent by extending financial and prayer support to more Pastors, congregations and organisations in God's Land. As we commit to providing more funding the Lord increases His provision.

Beit El congregation, JerusalemWe recently distributed a prayer request from Ethiopian Messianic Pastor, Tal Shiferaw and the Beit El congregation in Jerusalem, asking people to pray for the resources needed to equip their meeting place and for small mattresses for the children to sleep on whilst their parents attend all-night prayer meetings. The Lord responded by touching hearts and Pastor Tal now has a substantial contribution towards meeting the needs.

During the year MMT has increased help to Pastors who have to work in addition to their ministries. The value of this support is demonstrated in the letter we received from Ps Eduard Bitiev at the Aviv Centre, which helps drug and alcohol addicts in Tel Aviv:

Pastor Bitiev from the Aviva Centre in Tel Aviv.Pastor Tal from Beit El.Our family sincerely thanks God for your caring hearts. Your financial support gives me the opportunity to be more dedicated to serving in Aviv Center because I do not need to think about money matters and can spend more time with the people who need our help. We appreciate your prayers and support and thank our Lord Jesus for you from the bottom of our hearts! (Eduard Bitiev)

Praise the Lord for all that He is doing through The Mount Moriah Trust.

Tony & Kathy Stewart

The Mount Moriah Trust

Prayer Points

Consider these prayer points as springboards into deeper prayer and intercession.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16, KJV)

Israel's Right to Exist

• There was a recent attempt to try to persuade the British Government to apologize for the Balfour Declaration. A meeting in the House of Lords in November to launch the campaign chaired by Baroness Tonge, got off to a chaotic start, leading to the Baroness' resignation from the Liberal Democratic Party. However, the sponsors are unlikely to let this rest.
  • Pray that this campaign will fail and that the events planned to celebrate the famous declaration will be successful.

"For he who touches you [Israel] touches the apple of his eye" (Zechariah 2:8)

Resetting the relationship between Israel and the United States

• An Israeli delegation has already visited the USA to have preliminary talks with President- elect Donald Trump's transition team.
  • Pray that the Israeli Government will establish good working relationships with the new administration.
  • Pray that the new President will make his support for Israel abundantly clear and follow this through with deeds.

"At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king's house, and Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired." (1 Kings 9:10-11)

Relationship with Russia

• President-elect Trump clearly intends to approach Russia in a different way from his predecessors. The West has not always been sensitive to Russia's feelings about the spread of NATO and the EU into Russia's domain of influence.
  • Pray that President Trump will have the wisdom of God as he seeks to reset the relationship between the two superpowers and that any change in direction will not disadvantage the West and in particular Israel.

"He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them." (Job 12:23)

The Threat from Iran

• President-elect Trump has declared his wish to renegotiate the West's deal with Iran over its potential to build nuclear weapons. Prime minister Netanyahu has expressed his intention to speak to Donald Trump about this 'Bad Deal'.
  • Pray that both leaders will approach this subject wisely and pray that they will have the mind of God as they do so.

"I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your SAVIOUR." (Isaiah 43:3)

The Threat from Hezbollah

• Israel has revealed a map showing numerous positions including towns and villages where Hezbollah has established operational bases or military equipment. Israel may have revealed this information both to prepare the nation and the world for future military action and also as a warning to Hezbollah of Israel's intelligence capabilities. Hezbollah has been preoccupied with its role supporting President Assad in Syria, but at some point in the future it will be free to focus again on Israel.
  • Pray that Hezbollah will not be able to recover from its involvement in the Syrian Civil War.
  • Pray that they will take note of Israel's intelligence gathering and think twice before entertaining an attack.
  • Pray that the IDF will be ready and equipped to provide a knockout blow should Hezbollah risk an attack.
  • Pray that Israeli citizens, especially in the north, will take seriously all of the nation's civil defence precautions.

"He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans." (Job 5:8,12)

There is mounting terrorist violence in the Middle East

• Many people were killed and wounded outside Istanbul soccer stadium in Turkey on Saturday 10 December, while many Coptic Christians were killed in a Coptic church in Cairo on Sunday 11 December.
  • Pray for those who have lost family and friends as a result of these brutal attacks.
  • Pray for and for those who have suffered injury to be comforted and healed.
  • Pray also that those who planned and carried out these bombings will be caught and brought to justice.
  • Pray especially for the Christian communities in the Middle East who as we have seen over the last few years are particularly vulnerable.
  • Give thanks to the Lord that a Hamas terrorist cell planning to attack an army base in Jerusalem was prevented from doing so by the security services (9 December). Likewise, the security forces managed to arrest an Arab planning to carry out a stabbing attack in Hebron.

"Even 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." (Psalm 23:4)

Israel's growing ties with African Nations

• Foreign ministers and other high-level representatives from 13 Western African nations are attending an Israeli agricultural conference in the first week of December. Israel already has a reputation for helping African countries with agriculture (for example Burkina-Faso.)
  • Pray that these relationships will prosper and that as Israel helps these countries so they too will bless Israel.

"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus." (Isaiah 35:1)

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) in retreat?

• A number of states and political parties are beginning to register their dislike of the BDS movement. Canada's state of Ontario voted against BDS, while the Governors of New York and California restricting the ability of companies to comply with BDS. The state of Tennessee also voted against BDS. Germany's Christian Democratic Union party on 7 November 2016, passed a resolution opposing the BDS movement because the anti-Israel action is anti-Semitic.
• However, the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), is expected to vote this week to fund a blacklist of Israeli and international companies operating in Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Judea & Samaria. The Israeli mission to the UN said the list is expected to be utilized by BDS activists for anti-Israel activities.
  • Give thanks that certain states and political parties are beginning to counter the BDS movement.
  • Pray that the momentum will continue and more organisations will follow suit.
  • Pray for the Lord to overturn the decision of the UN to publish this blacklist of companies.

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse." (Genesis 12:3)

Hope rises from the Ashes

• The forest fires which devastated parts of Israel were contained by fire fighters and then finally doused by torrential rain. Now the task of rebuilding people's lives and homes has begun, as well as the environment. Thousands of trees need to be replaced.
  • Give thanks that God has heard the call for rain and that no lives were lost.
  • Give thanks too that so many nations came to the help of Israel, a just response for the many occasions when Israel has gone to the help of nations suffering natural disasters.
  • Although the hot, dry weather started some fires and fanned the combustion, the authorities estimate that half the fires were due to arson. Pray that all the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice.
  • Israel made many improvements following the devastating fires in the Carmel region some years ago. Pray that they will learn the additional lessons from these recent fires.
  • Israel still desperately needs rain. Pray that God will heed this call.

"For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings." (Romans 15:27)

Acknowledgement: These prayer points have been consolidated from a number of sources including Prayer Letters and Newsletters originating in God's Land.