Daily devotion – What’s happening Israel today- Friday 28th August 2026!
Stirrings in Israel
Zechariah 12:10 — “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced.”
Today in Israel, thousands of Jewish people are gathering at the Western Wall to pray what are known as the Selichot prayers. Selichot are penitential prayers and poems recited by Jewish people as they ask God for mercy and forgiveness in the lead-up to the High Holidays and on designated fast days. The Hebrew word Selichot carries the meaning of “forgivenesses.”
But there is something else taking place at the Wall. Alongside these prayers, Jewish people are praying the Amidah, also known as the Shemoneh Esrei—the central prayer of Jewish worship. They are praying together, with one heart, asking Hashem for the speedy arrival of the Mashiach, the Messiah.
They are praying for the Messiah to come!
There is something deeply significant about seeing thousands of Jewish people gathering together in repentance and prayer at the Western Wall, at the foot of the Temple Mount—the place where the Temple once stood.
After years of war, conflict and uncertainty, it is evident that many Jewish people, including soldiers who have experienced the realities of battle, are turning their hearts toward God. We should not dismiss what we are seeing. God has promised that He will deal with Israel, and His purposes for His chosen people have not changed.
Yet there is also a great sadness in all of this.
The Messiah they are praying to come has already come.
Jesus came to Israel. He came as the promised Messiah. He fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures that bore witness to who He was. Yet, as a nation, Israel rejected Him.
Standing outside Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, Jesus looked upon the city and said:
Luke 19:42 — “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”
What a heartbreaking statement.
They were looking for their Messiah, yet when He came, they did not recognise Him.
And yet the story does not end there.
We must take serious note of what is happening in Israel today. We should pray for Israel, but we should also watch with spiritual discernment. Scripture tells us that God is not finished with His chosen people. There remains a prophetic purpose for Israel, and one day their eyes will be opened to the One they rejected.
Zechariah 12:10 gives us a remarkable glimpse into that future day:
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
One day Israel will look upon the One they pierced—and they will recognise Him.
Jesus is the Messiah.
The Jewish people are presently asking God to send the Messiah. One day, according to God’s prophetic Word, they will realise that their Messiah has already come—and that He is Jesus Christ.
We are living in extraordinary days. We should never attempt to set dates or claim to know exactly when prophetic events will unfold, but we should certainly remain watchful. The Lord Jesus told His disciples to watch, and Paul reminded believers that we are not to be caught unaware by the events surrounding the return of Christ.
The stirring we see in Israel should therefore move us not into speculation, but into prayer, holiness and evangelism.
Pray for Israel.
Pray that Jewish hearts would be opened to the Gospel.
Pray that they would discover that the Messiah they are seeking is the very One whom the Scriptures proclaimed, the One who came nearly two thousand years ago, the One who died for our sins, rose again and is coming again.
The first time Jesus came, He came as the suffering Servant.
The next time He comes, He will come as the conquering King.
And when He comes, Israel will finally look upon Him whom they pierced.
The Messiah is coming again. Are you ready?