'People of Israel need our prayerful support,' say US faith leaders from coast to coast as war continues

With some 1,000 Israelis dead as of Monday evening and at least 11 Americans confirmed dead as well, faith leaders from across the U.S. shared their most solemn thoughts and deepest sympathies about the terror attacks over the weekend launched on Israel by Hamas and Islamic jihadists — and the now ongoing war. 

The fighting began on Saturday morning.

Judge Phil Ginn, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital, "In Deuteronomy 7:6, God refers to the Jewish people when he says, ‘For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.’"

Ginn added, "This promise is [also] contained in the same Bible as John 3:16 — and I believe that God meant both of them."

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Said Ginn further, "He is not through with Israel. God’s purposes will be fulfilled — and the hellions of terror will not prevail in their nefarious and evil schemes and actions."

He said that "Southern Evangelical Seminary, along with Bible-believing Christians all over the globe, stand squarely in support of the nation of Israel in their time of need, and we call on all levels of our government to bring about the entire might of America to bear against the enemies of both Israel and the U.S."

Patti Garibay, founder and national executive director of American Heritage Girls, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Words cannot describe the sorrow we feel regarding the horrible, unprovoked attack by Hamas on Israel. As our brothers and sisters who share our spiritual heritage, the people of Israel need our prayerful support."

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Added Garibay, who is also the author of the book "Why Curse the Darkness When you Can Light a Candle," "We stand with Israel and pray that the evil aggression that started on the Jewish feast day is divinely interrupted through the power of our Almighty God." 

Mike Signorelli, pastor of VI Church in Brooklyn, New York, shared a prayer that people of any faith can say. 

"Father, we pray right now for the peace of Israel," he said. 

"We also pray for the Jewish people around the world who are experiencing anxiety and fear as a result of these circumstances. We pray they would experience the comfort of your Holy Spirit."

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He continued, "We ask You for protection and provision for every individual. We ask for comfort and peace for those who came out of their holiday celebration and found this news out just recently. We pray You would comfort their hearts. We pray for every family, every child and their safety."

He concluded, "We ask that Your perfect will be done in the midst of these horrific circumstances. In Jesus’ name, amen." 

The VI Church has produced a film opening in theaters nationwide on Oct. 24, called "The Domino Revival."

Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Mississippi, said, "We at American Family Association are heartbroken at the loss of innocent life in Israel because of the attacks by Hamas in the last few days."

Added Wildmon, "The Bible says Christians are to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem,’ and thus we are praying for wisdom, courage and unity in Israel so that this threat to the country’s existence can be dealt with swiftly."

He also said, "We are praying that Almighty God preserve the nation of Israel and its people — and we remember in prayer that Islamist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban also oppress the many Christians who suffer under their radical ideologies."

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Earlier, Rabbi Pinchas Taylor of Plantation, Florida, told Fox News Digital, "In addition to Judaism being a religious faith, the Jewish people around the world are a family, who experience triumph and tragedy as one."

He added, "With Jews under attack anywhere in the world, Jews around the world feel pained and even personally more at risk. The horrific news stories coming out of Israel this past weekend are some of the darkest moments in recent Jewish history."

He said as well, "Hamas is an evil terrorist group that is purposefully killing civilians. Mothers. Babies. Families. Their founding charter calls for the destruction of all Jews. They embody darkness and destruction and set their vile attack this [past] weekend on what is meant to be the happiest holiday on the Jewish calendar."

Taylor, who is director of the American Faith Coalition, a nonprofit that works to advance the spiritual values shared in the Hebrew Bible, said, "Many people are feeling powerless and confused and want to help and be involved in some way. It's crucial to remember that the greatest way to personally fight darkness is by adding in light."

Taylor added that "acts of unity, expressions of goodness and kindness, faith and solidarity play an important role in eradicating darkness from this world. Those who are part of the Jewish people may want to consider taking on an extra mitzvah, as doing something Jewish is not only an act of solidarity, but spiritually uplifts someone on the other side of the world."

"Those who are not part of the Jewish people," he also said, "may want to consider reaching out to someone in your life that is Jewish, and letting them know that you're thinking about them and that they're not alone."

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