Happy New Year! Praying and blessing you with a year of favor and increased understanding of God’s calling on your life. “You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm 65:11 “…you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
SADDLE UP
As I began to seek the Lord for the first prayer letter of 2026, I heard the words “saddle up.” After pondering what they would have to do with prayer for Israel, I looked up what the saying “saddle up” means other than putting a saddle on a horse to get ready to ride. This is what I found: “It’s used figuratively as slang to mean get ready to go, prepare for action, or gear up for an adventure or journey, often with a sense of excitement. It’s a call to action, implying you are prepared for what is next.”
The implication for us is 2026 is going to be a challenging and exciting year of prayer assignments for Israel. It will be important to note that “saddle up” means “GET READY YOU ARE ALREADY PREPARED for what is to come!”
ISRAEL’S PERSON(S) OF THE YEAR 2025
At the end of 2025, Israel chose the mothers of Israel as the Person(s) of the Year. For the past two years as Israel fought a war to eliminate Hamas, the mothers of Israel kept families and the country functioning. Many IDF active and reserve soldiers fought in Gaza for two years. This brought emotional and financial stress on families. In addition, families found themselves spending hours and sometimes days in bomb shelters. Schools could not operate on the usual schedule, and some families were displaced from their homes for a year or longer. Israel’s leaders credited moms for holding families together and communities supporting each other during what was the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust.
PRAYER FOR ISRAELI FAMILIES
- Pray for the emotional healing of children. Isaiah 40:29, Psalm 34:18
- Pray for the mothers of Israel to be renewed and restored emotionally, physically, and mentally from the damage of stress they have suffered these past two years. Isaiah 40:31
- Pray for marriages to be strengthened and spiritually revived. Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 37:4
- Pray for joy and trust to be restored to Israeli families. Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 30:11-12
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
With antisemitism on the rise worldwide and Holocaust denial poisoning our institutions of higher learning, it is important for the world to acknowledge the United Nations Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27. This date was selected because on this date in 1945 the concentration and death camp Auschwitz was liberated. Nearly ONE MILLION Jews were murdered there simply because they were Jews. History teaches us that hatred of Jews always leads to violence and plots to destroy them.
PRAYER POINTS AGAINST ANTISEMITISM
- Pray for the safety of Jews worldwide. Psalm 91:1
- Pray against plots to attack Jews. Psalm 46:1
- Pray against the spiritual strongholds of antisemitism. II Corinthians 10:4
- Pray antisemitism will be erased from the Congress of the United States. Isaiah 54:17
GAZA CEASEFIRE UPDATE
Since the ceasefire that was agreed upon to end the war in Gaza, Hamas has shown no signs of compliance with Phase I of the agreement. They have continued to attack IDF soldiers and make continued efforts to cross the border into Israel. They have not released the final hostage body of Master Sargent Ram Gvilli. They say they will not disarm.
President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu met Monday, December 29, to discuss the situation with does not willingly disarm, they will be disarmed by force. The parents of Ram Gvilli met with both leaders and asked them not to move to Phase II until their son’s body is returned to them.
PRAYER POINTS – GAZA CEASEFIRE
- Pray for the return of the body of Ram Gvilli, the last hostage still held by Hamas.
- Pray for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu for the spirit of UNDERSTANDING to work in them and through them. Isaiah 11:2 (Spirit of Understanding is the ability to discern and comprehend spiritual truths)
- Pray that during the negotiations and decision-making concerning the rebuilding and security of Gaza, no decisions will be made that will compromise Israel’s security or wellbeing. Genesis 12:3
Thank you for praying over all these important prayer points. Your prayers make a difference!
CUFI SUMMIT 2026
This year the United States will celebrate our 250th birthday. Plan to celebrate by attending the CUFI WASHINGTON SUMMIT July 5-7, 2026.
Our Daughters for Zion Prayer Conference is July 5. Let’s have the largest attendance EVER! Register today. Click here to secure your spot.
Join us Thursday, January 8, for a day of fasting and Friday, January 9, for prayer to dismantle the stronghold of antisemitism in our education system.
Join our DFZ prayer teleconference on Friday, January 9, 5:45-6:15 a.m. ET. Dial 267-807-9611; conference code 280921#.
Every month, you’re invited to join the regularly scheduled DFZ Virtual Prayer that happens around the nation.
