Greece and Israel

It was announced Sunday that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will resign after a new coalition government is formed. The new government is to be in place until elections are held in early spring. For months Greece has hovered on the brink of bankruptcy, and this past week saw the situation becoming critical. Leaders in the EU have been working desperately to come up with a "bail-out" plan for their fallen member-but the austerity measures necessary for imposing an effective plan have resulted in chaotic outbreaks of lawlessness across the land. A default could pull down other European economies (Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland are especially vulnerable), which in turn could severely disrupt economies around the world.

During the past year, the leadership of Greece has made strong overtures of friendship towards Israel. Even as our relationship with Turkey has cooled drastically, that with Greece has warmed. Among other things, this warming has resulted in plans reportedly beginning to be discussed whereby Greece might become a key partner with Israel in the export to Europe of resources from the vast petroleum deposits discovered off of Israel's northwest coast. Now, with the meltdown in her economy and the dissolution of her government, these bright hopes are distressingly being replaced with uncertainty.

PLEASE PRAY:

*Integrity, order, courage and prosperity over the nation of Greece.

*That friendship between the two countries would be maintained during the dark and desperate days through which Greece is passing. Pray that leadership will come into place which sees the importance of maintaining close relations with Israel.

*Against a rise of anti-Semitism in Greece. An emaciated economy with imposed austerity measures and rampant poverty often give rise to lawlessness.and these are circumstances in which the enemy has historically found fertile soil for planting seeds of accusation against the Jews.

*The blessings of the New Covenant Letters to the Corinthians to reawaken in the Body of Messiah in Greece. For the Church there to come out of the delusion of "replacement theology" and realize that praying for and blessing God's purposes for Israel will return blessing upon their own land and people.

portions taken from Israel prayer list