Monika Lerer, 40, immigrated to Israel from Argentina four years ago. Today (Thursday, July  13 , 9:00 am Israel time), she was sitting on the balcony of her fifth floor apartment in the northern coastal town of Nahariya, sipping her morning coffee, when she was killed instantly by a direct Katyusha hit from Hizballah in southern Lebanon.

Last week, Hamas escalated fighting in Gaza by crossing over the border into Israel to attack soldiers, kidnap Gilad Shalit, and fire Kasam rockets into the heavily civilian populated area of Ashkelon. It must be noted, that at the time of this Hamas escalation, there was not one Israeli soldier, nor one Israeli settler in Gaza AT ALL.

This week, Hizballah, the large, well-armed, well-financed (by Iran) terrorist army occupying southern Lebanon, initiated a major attack against Israel. They crossed the border into Israel, kidnapped two soldiers (Ehud Goldvasser and Eldad Regev), killed eight others, and began firing Katyusha missiles into Israel. Today alone one hundred and twenty (120!) Katyushas were shot into Israel; 2 innocent civilians were killed and about 100 injured.

Again it must be noted, that at the time of this Hizballah attack, there was not one Israeli soldier, nor one Israeli settler in Lebanon AT ALL.

Prime Minister Olmert stated simply: this was not a terrorist act; this was an act of war. I agree. The Hamas and Hizballah actions have crossed over a red line, and Israel will not stand by. Imagine, by comparison, if Germany had launched 120 missiles across the border into sovereign France; or if North Korea had launched 120 missiles into sovereign South Korea (or Japan); or if Cuba had launched troops and missiles into Miami.

Even Saudi Arabia issued a statement this evening saying that Hizballah was to blame for the recent escalation.

Hassan Nassrallah, Hizballah leader, has overstepped his boundaries, overestimated his own power, and underestimated the people of Israel. Israel seems weak and divided, because she is torn by all the complex moral, political and security issues in the Middle East. However, when Israel is pushed into a corner facing a war that threatens her existence, watch out.

These attacks in the north and the south have united Israel in a way she has not been united in years: left and right, military and civilian, secular and religious.

How should we pray? We must always be cautious in presuming to know God’s will in such complex and delicate issues, particularly in which many innocent civilians undoubtedly will be killed. However, the following three goals seem to be priorities:

1. Breaking the power of the terrorist organizations - Hamas and Hizballah.

2. Realigning world opinion against terror - India was shocked this week as Moslem terrorists bombed a crowded civilian commuter train in Mumbay; Japan was shocked as North Korea shot a missile in its direction as part of their testing to equip themselves with nuclear warhead potential; moderate Moslems around the world are turning more and more away from terror. Who remains defending the terror? Ironically, other than the terror groups themselves, are the leftist parties and journalists, particularly in Europe.

3. Opening the Moslem world to freedom of opinion - particulary the spread of the gospel.

Please take time to pray right now. Israeli Defense Forces can respond in their way, but the battle has many spiritual aspects to it that the IDF has no way to access (Ephesians 6:12). There is a natural army and a spiritual one (II Samuel 5:24). The spiritual part of the battle is our job (II Corinthians 10:4).