On 8 June 2024, after 245 days in captivity, Noa Argamani and three other hostages were rescued from Gaza in a joint operation by the Israel Defence Forces, Shin Bet, and the Israel Police. Her name in Hebrew means, “movement”, and after those awful 245 days it was definitely a sudden one!
I think it was about February 2024 I began to feel a burden from The LORD about this particular girl. I knew her mother Liora was battling brain cancer and I knew her outlook was poor. I could only think of the word, reunion, and so I set about praying along those lines.
I have learnt over the years that having prayer lists are a good thing but what we really need when it comes to intercession is direction from The LORD, what does He want us to pray about?
I had been attending a church meeting on Saturday 8th June and to be honest I had come away a bit discouraged with some conflicting thoughts about what had been shared by the preacher. I had no sooner left the meeting when a text came through four hostages had been released and one of them was Noa. All the disappointment from the meeting just disappeared and I was filled with ecstatic joy! Immediately I thanked The LORD, I’m sure amongst the many others who had been praying.
I wept when I heard she went straight to see her mum and the reunion had come to pass even though at this stage Liora was very sick. The doctors had been working hard with her over those months and they were confident that she could hear her daughter’s voice. Yesterday Liora passed away but her prayer had been answered.
At the funeral Noa speaking of her mother said:
“Thank you for being strong and holding on all this time, just so I could see you at least one more time.”
Being alongside Jude in hospital even up to her last breath was the greatest privilege a husband could receive. It is though I entered into Noa and her mum & dad’s situation personally because of my own life experiences.
The Apostle Paul said to the Corinthian Church:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.“ 2 Cor 1: 3-4
Ask God for a burden & be faithful to follow it through, it might change your walk and life forever.
Jude Gray 