Day 2: God is calling us to be watchmen for Israel and for Aliyah

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. – Isaiah 62:6–7 ESV

In the coming days, we will focus on God’s heart for Israel and for Aliyah, studying Scriptures, learning from people doing ministries to Israel and Aliyah, and praying for both Israel and Aliyah. I encourage you to study with an open heart, meditating on each truth. Each day will have prayers you can pray, prayer points and action points.

Watchmen on the wall are people who are looking for any enemies that may try to attack. These verses talk about watchmen who are praying for Israel. They are usually watching in the Spirit for what God reveals that they need to pray. There are prayer houses in Israel who are in the land praying, but we can also be watchmen wherever we are.

• Watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem that pray day and night have a unique role. How do we accomplish that role or fulfill it?
• What do you think it means to put the Lord in remembrance?
• What are we to remind Him of? Could it be all of His promises for Israel and Jerusalem?

Lou Engle, with Lou Engle Ministries, shares:¹

We are in the day of the global harvest. A massive prayer movement is going to explode for the harvest. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 9:37–38, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.”

Jesus’ heart was broken because the people were like sheep without a shepherd. I believe He was overwhelmed with the limitations of His incarnation. He realized He needed millions like himself to bring in the harvest. I wonder if He saw the millions of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and secular Western people. I believe He was torn to pieces, so He challenged His disciples, “Pray the Lord of the harvest.”

This verse has a different word for prayer than the one commonly used. It means to beg and it is a command He gave His disciples. It can be translated, I command you to beg me. If we understood this, it would revolutionize the whole earth. The Lord of the Harvest commands us to pray for workers in the harvest. Have we treated His command as a mere suggestion when in reality, it is the prescription for the great challenge?

The word for send in Greek is Ekballo, meaning to eject, cast out, expel, thrust out and send out.

Andrew Murray (1828–1917), a missionary from Scotland to South Africa said, “The number of missionaries on the field depends entirely on the number of people praying them there.” If that is true, this prayer should be on the lips of believers day after day. He says that it depends entirely on people praying. This verse is the key to the end-times billion soul harvest.

I’ve started praying this all day, at night and in my dreams. The Lord told me, “I want you to call a million believers to pray this prayer daily.” If we are disciples, we’ll obey His command; but have we trivialized the command?

What is God saying to you through what Lou Engle shared?

Meditate on Matthew 9:37–38 (CSB): Jesus “said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.’”

• Remember, according to the Greek, the last sentence could be translated as “Beg the Lord of the Harvest to thrust out workers into His harvest.”
• Write down everything God reveals to you from these verses.
• What might you need to do differently?
• Study Matthew 9:35–36. What was Jesus doing? Note each of His actions. Which of them stand out to you?
• How did Jesus react to the crowds and why?
• Do you react to people who don’t yet know your Savior in similar ways? If not, how do you react to them?

When we pray for God to send workers into the harvest as it relates to Israel, praying for Aliyah is critical because Ezekiel 36:22–28 says that when the Jews are in Israel, then they will know the Lord. We will study these verses later.

A prayer to pray

Lord of the Harvest, I know You long for everyone to know You, Jews and Gentiles. Would You give me Your heart to pray for workers in the harvest and workers who will help Jews make Aliyah? I want to be a watchman on the walls for Israel and Jews. Please teach me how to do that. Help me consistently pray for Israel, Jews and Aliyah in the next twenty days and beyond. What a privilege it is to join with hundreds of thousands of other believers worldwide praying for Your people and Your land.

Prayer points for today

• Pray for workers in the harvest, as we studied in Matthew 9:37–38.
• Pray also that God will send workers into the Aliyah harvest.
• Pray earnestly for the Jewish people’s salvation and for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6; Isaiah 62:1–7; Romans. 9:1–5; 10:1).

An action to take

As Lou Engle challenged us, make a commitment to pray Matthew 9:38 daily, begging God to thrust out workers into His harvest. This includes the harvest of souls, but also the Aliyah harvest, bringing the Jews back to Israel, so they can come to know Him.

Consider: Are you willing to be part of the answer to this prayer and go into the harvest? Why or why not? If so, ask God how He wants you to be a part of it.

1. From Lou Engle’s talk at the Billion Soul Harvest at Every Home for Christ in February 2022. Learn more about Lou and his ministry at www.LouEngle.com.