Israeli Tour Guide Notes Powerful Role of Post-October 7th Christian Intercessors Who Hit the Ground Praying

JERUSALEM, Israel –Tourism in Israel has dropped dramatically since the Hamas massacre and kidnappings last October 7th. Still, tourists are coming, and many of them are Christians who come as a group to stand personally with Israelis and to pray.

Hanna Ben Haim has led some of those groups. She's not only an excellent tour guide, but she also is a keen observer of Israel's spiritual and political climate.

She talked with us recently about what she has perceived. The video of our interview is below, and below that is a transcript of her insights.

CHRIS MITCHELL; Hanna Ben Haim, great to be with you again. You're a tour guide. You understand Israel in so many ways. Many groups have come here and many prayer groups. What has been your experience with the prayer groups coming here to Israel?

HANNA BEN HAIM;  Wow. They're so earnestly vigilant to pray. I've been really, belittled by the fervent prayers that some of these groups bring when they come here. You know, their hearts are just ringing to be in this land. And so when they get here, it's almost like an instant, you know, beginning; and they're ready to start praying in a moment, in a moment. And, you know, the land itself is evangelizing them. The land is speaking to them. The people are speaking to them. So, what an incredible opportunity to come here and pray, on-site. And I think that for most of these groups, they don't take it lightly. They're very, very, privileged, and they know it. And they're going to go home with the goods if you know what I mean. You're going to go like, I've seen it, I know it. We've got to keep going, you know? So it's very encouraging, very encouraging.

C.M:  Do you think there's an intensity that you haven't seen, after October 7th, when these groups come?

H.BH:  Certainly in prayer. Yeah. I mean, you know. A regular tour group will pray. I mean, we do pray. We visit places, we pray in different places. But, as far as honing in on.. this is the time to pray and stand in the gap and believe God for every word that he's promised this land and this people.. this is where they're going.  And this is, you know, this is jet fuel. For someone who really wants to pray, being here in this land is just more than life from the dead, you know, it's just exciting. And so even though they can't tour, per se, it's a very different kind of tour, a lot of it is truncated, they're not disappointed at all.


C,M: What are they praying?

H.BH:  They're praying, of course, for the protection. They're praying for our armed forces. They're praying for our government. But most of all, the the the bottom line is God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And so they're praying the Word of God. They're praying the Word of God and believing and standing in it. And these are the nations interceding for Israel and for the people who are still blinded. It's awesome.

C.M:  Are they praying Isaiah 62?

H.BH: I hope they're praying Isaiah 62. You know Isaiah 62 starts off, you know, you can't be silent. And so they are not silent. But by the time you get to "I have placed watchmen on your walls. Oh Jerusalem. that will never be silent day and night. They will give God no rest until he makes Jerusalem a praise in all the earth". That's the mandate of the church today. And, that's a very strong mandate. There are no more vacations, no more time out. You know, you can't ignore the mandate that God has put on the church to intercede, stand in the gap and believe him to make this city a praise and all the earth. You don't have to be physically on the walls of Jerusalem to pray for Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is ground zero of the New Kingdom that's coming.

C.M: What's your message to Americans, anyone around the world, what's your message to them about the importance of praying for Israel right now?

H.BH; Wake up. Stir up those who have fallen aside. You know, I think a lot of believers are disillusioned today with leadership and things that have come into the church. It's a distraction. You know, I've said this before, if you don't have your eyes on what God is doing in Israel, you don't know what God is doing. And so this is a time that all eyes... Why do you think all the nations are looking today? What's going to happen in Jerusalem today? Because God wants them to see this. How much more the church should be standing in that place of knowing his soon return, and praying into his word, standing on it and believing it. So, anyone who is like, "well, we've kind of, you know, no one comes to the prayer meeting anymore" kind of thing, I'd say, get on your face and start crying out, because this is not a time to lay down the weapons of your warfare. This is a time to sharpen them."

C.M;  A great message Hanna Ben Haim, thanks for joining us.

H. BH: "Anytime."