We Were Invited to Come – We Invite You to Pray

If you pray for the places we visit, the name Gokwe will likely be familiar to you. We have been there before, but our next full Medical Outreach will be in an entirely new community of this region in Zimbabwe, known as Gokwe North. Local authorities witnessed our ministry in Gokwe South and invited us to do the same in Gokwe North, where there is a huge need. During our scouting visit, we discovered many Lemba in Gokwe North. Once again, we gave God our yes and began making plans to go.

In addition to great need, there are also challenges in this new area. We are counting on your partnership as you cover us in prayer for wisdom, discernment, protection, and safety.

Ways to Pray

Please join us in prayer in the following ways:

• Use the detailed Prayer Points below
• Commit to a specific time slot to pray for us from home during the Outreach.  SIGN UP on our Prayer Schedule, referring to the dates below

Day-by-Day Prayer Points

Gokwe, Zimbabwe, July 10–20

Medical Outreach

Before the Outreach

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3 NKJV).

Wednesday, July 2–Wednesday, July 9

• All preparations to come together and be fully in place in good time, including VISAS, medical supplies, site readiness, team unity, and community relationships
• Protection, health, safety and favor as our team and partners prepare and travel
• Spiritual forces of darkness to flee, making way for the King of Glory to come with salvation, healing and deliverance as He prepares people’s hearts and the spiritual atmosphere

Thursday, July 10

• Timely arrivals of Outreach team members, partners, and their luggage
• Safety for workers, participants, vehicles, and supplies, traveling to the Outreach site on very rugged roads
• Each participant to lay aside their own thoughts of what the week will look like, seeking the Lord for how He plans to use them
• Quick acclimation to the new surroundings, food, culture, and time zone
• Efficient Clinic set-up, in which we will erect large event tents to create additional spaces and increase the utility of the small clinic building we’re using

Friday, July 11

• The Lord to use tonight’s Erev Shabbat meal to establish unity and fellowship among the team and partners
• A clear and inspiring welcome meeting
• An excellent night’s sleep in preparation for an active week
• Deep, lasting trust and favor from local officials and the community

Saturday, July 12

• A meaningful Shabbat Service that will bring shalom and orient everyone’s hearts for the week
• Successful, clear, and anointed orientations for the Clinic and Prayer & Counseling teams
• God’s angel armies to push back the forces of darkness and cause the seeds of the Good News to go deep into good soil and bear lasting fruit throughout the week and beyond

During the Outreach

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).

Sunday, July 13

• The Lord to hand-pick the local workers to work alongside us in unity; may they also be touched by the Lord themselves
• A sense of anticipation, hope, and trust in the Lord as the Clinic opens for a half-day today
• May the community not only hear about the Outreach but also come in large numbers starting today and continuing through the week
• For us to have profound care and wisdom regarding any local factors that we may need to navigate

Monday, July 14

• We have a smaller number of Outreach partners on this trip – may the Lord use them powerfully and draw more people to join us next time
• The entire Outreach to go smoothly, and more importantly, be effective in treating bodies and transforming lives through the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus)
• For the Zehra Kids Program, under indigenous leadership, to be ideally situated, fully staffed, and wonderfully effective in drawing children and teens to God

Tuesday, July 15

• May the Spiritual Care Ministry be busy throughout the week with healings, deliverances, and salvations as the Lord moves in power through His Word and the Holy Spirit
• Spiritual anointing and physical stamina for those who are ministering in that area
• The Living Waters program to be effective in bringing clean water, but also in bringing news of Yeshua, the Living Water

Wednesday, July 16

• Medical and dental volunteers to give effective medical and dental care and the Lord to heal, including supernaturally, as a testimony of His power and love
• Worship (led by the Lemba) and prayer times to bring great joy and refreshment, and permeate the spiritual atmosphere with light and life
• Breakthrough among people who are captive to witchcraft and false ideologies

Thursday, July 17

• As the Outreach winds down, may those in greatest need of medical or spiritual care either be seen or spontaneously healed
• Safety as the Outreach tents and equipment are taken down and packed up
• Calm to prevail as our staff pays the local workers. May they leave not only with a financial benefit, but more importantly, great spiritual blessings because of being exposed to the Good News and the ministry of the Holy Spirit

After the Outreach

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of [Messiah] Jesus” (Philippians 1:4–6).

Friday, July 18

• A sacred and welcome Shabbat at the end of a week of ministering out of love
• Joyous and inspiring testimonies as each participant reflects and shares on all the Lord has done during the week
• May each one sense the Lord saying to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Saturday, July 19

• The Jewish people of this community to be profoundly blessed because of the Outreach and see it as evidence that the Lord sees and values them
• May they also have an enlarged sense of the significance of their Jewish identity and live it out with intention
• An ongoing strong and positive relationship between Jewish Voice Ministries and the local authorities and community

Sunday, July 20 and beyond

• Safe travels home, including on the rough roads, and a special outpouring of grace for everyone who honored the Lord by serving and loving the community through this Outreach  
• Effective and timely follow-up to all who want to hear more about Yeshua
• The Lord to continue to establish and develop healthy congregations there and throughout the region

Let’s Pray

Lord, we have experience in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, but this is an entirely new area for us. We need Your protection and favor in the community, as well as real wisdom and discernment, to navigate this new place and our first-time Outreach there. As we break new ground, may Your Kingdom come, with salvation, healing, and deliverance to profoundly impact this place of great need. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.

Those who love Israel and the Jewish people love to pray for them. Yet, sometimes we may wonder how to pray for them. General prayers for salvation and protection come immediately to mind, but after that, we may not know what to pray. Since July contains national holidays for both Canada and the United States, we thought we’d draw inspiration for prayer from the themes surrounding each of these holidays.

Canada Day is July 1. It celebrates the forming of a Confederation which unified three separate British colonies – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada (now Quebec and Ontario) – into one Dominion of Canada. This historic event paved the way for Canada’s development into the sovereign nation it is today.

July 4th is U.S. Independence Day. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the free and sovereign nation of the United States of America was born.

Building on these themes of unity and freedom, here are 10 scriptural ways you can pray for Israel during the remainder of the summer.

Unity

Like most countries, Israel is composed of people with differing opinions and ideologies. Divisions exist regarding politics, policies, ethnicities, the war, the hostages, and many other vital issues. Also, like many nations, these differences seem to be growing more emphatic, passionate, and vocal.

Naïve as it is to expect perfect agreement among such a diverse population, unity is worth praying for because it is something God highly values. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) “High Priestly Prayer” of John 17, He prayed to the Father five times that His followers “be one” and live in unity. And while we know that He was speaking of the body of those who believe He is the Messiah, unity is desirable, to whatever degree it can be achieved, among those who don’t believe in Him. God deeply loves Israel, His “treasured possession,” and unity is dear to His heart.

Here are some ways you can pray for unity in Israel. Understanding that only Yeshua is the true unifier who brings peace among divided people, pray also for eyes and hearts to open to Him.

Love

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14).

Love brings hearts and minds together. Pray for love to reign.

Increased Harmony

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, through the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10 TLV).

Pray for increased harmony, understanding, and cooperation among people of different opinions, faiths, and worldviews – leaders and everyday citizens.

Common Ground

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Messiah, if there is any comfort of love, if there is any fellowship of the Ruach [Spirit], if there is any mercy and compassion, then make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, united in spirit, with one purpose” (Philippians 2:1–2 TLV).

One of the quickest ways to come together is by focusing on common ground and shared values. Pray for unity in Israel and among Jewish people, that they can move toward each other rather than away when they disagree.

No Division

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: ‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall’” (Luke 11:17).

Division makes things weaker. Pray for Israel to stand strong, defending its right to exist, protecting its people, and homeland.

Pleasantness

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Pray for the spread of unity and its pleasantness throughout Israel and among the Jewish people. Pray for protection, security, and unity.

Freedom

Since sin entered the world, mankind has not been free from its effects. Captivity of some sort – whether literal, emotional, mental, or spiritual – is often part of our existence in a fallen world. Since our liberation as a people from Egypt, we have been grateful to God for our freedom. Even so, we cannot escape the problems and trials, sorrows and sufferings of life since The Fall. God promised us One who would break yokes of bondage and set captives free. He has done that for us in the Messiah, yet we will not know complete freedom until the age to come. In the meantime, we wait in hope and pray for the precious freedom He offers us here and now.

Here are some ways you can pray for freedom for God’s people.

True Freedom

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

True freedom is only found in Yeshua, the Messiah. Pray for the salvation of all Israel so that they might know the freedom God intended for them all along as His people.

Freedom for Captives

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1).

Pray for the Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza, that they will be freed soon. Pray also for freedom and healing for those held captive to trauma, grief, fear, and other life crises.

The Truth

“Then Yeshua said to the Judeans who had trusted Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!’” (John 8:31-32 TLV).

Pray that God will make the truth known to Israel and the Jewish people – the truth about Yeshua, about governance and security matters, and more.

Freeing the Burdened

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isaiah 58:6–7 NKJV).

Pray for the Messianic Jewish ministries and Believers in Israel. They serve their neighbors with the love of Yeshua by meeting their needs in times of crisis, helping set them on paths to recovery from various life burdens and finding spiritual freedom in Messiah.

The Lord’s Spirit

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Pray that the Spirit of the Lord will move throughout Israel, among Jewish populations worldwide – in neighborhoods, synagogues, and organizations, calling His people to freedom in Yeshua.

What other ways can you pray for Israel, focusing on themes of unity and freedom? Let the Holy Spirit guide your prayers, and, as always, pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

Stepping In to Change Lives in South Africa

South Africa Medical Outreach

We prayed for 10 years about reaching the Lemba Jewish people living in South Africa. Late last year, we held our first Medical Outreach there, and we recently returned from a second one. Here’s a look at what God did through your generosity and prayers. Thank you for transforming so many lives!

• 7,133 Patients Received Care
• 352 People Received Dental Care
• 1,824 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 38  People Received Minor Surgery
• 580  Children Attended the Zehra Kids Program
• 150  Teens Attended the Zehra Teens Program
• 919  People Heard the Gospel
• 209 People Received Yeshua, 33 of them Jewish
• 231  People Requested Congregational Follow-up

Water for a Thirsty Land

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants.”

— Isaiah 44:3 (TLV)

The verse above refers to the Land of Israel, but it also pertains to what the Lord did in South Africa. Our Outreach was to a dry and thirsty land with no water. Someone had drilled a borehole in the area and installed a pump, but there was no water below for the pump to deliver.

Here’s Where God Stepped In

A few days before the Outreach, while our team was in the area preparing, our staff member Clinton — who is originally from South Africa — saw a local ad for a drilling company. He knew the chances were slim that they’d be available on such short notice, let alone that they could find water below this stubborn ground. He called anyway. The company said they happened to have a truck and crew already in the area, so they would go check out the land.

Not only did they arrive that day, but they also found water!

And they found it only 17 meters deep, when others had tried in many other spots, drilling to various depths down to 160 meters.

There’s more! The underground water source they discovered is supplied by five different streams. They said, “This hole will never run out of water.”

God provided in a miraculous, whirlwind-like manner. The company worked enthusiastically into the night to complete the installation, and there was water, pouring out over the dry ground.

Here’s Where You Stepped In

So many had tried to find water in this place before, but God used YOU at the right time to play a role in delivering it to the thirsty people of this part of South Africa.

Your financial gifts and prayer support sent us there to serve the Lemba Jewish community and their neighbors. You helped provide them with fresh water, and you offered them the Living Water of the Good News. You also brought them much-needed medical, dental, and eye care.

What’s more, this water well benefits the entire community, and they now have it because of the Jewish people among them. This is nothing less than God’s promise to Abraham coming true: that through the Jewish people, all the nations of the Earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). The water you helped provide is a vivid testimony to God’s faithfulness, and it elevates the community’s opinion about its Jewish people. This is especially important in these times of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel mindsets.

Thank you for making such a profound impact on this location in South Africa.

Here’s Another Way You Can Step In: In Person

You can also come with us and touch lives in person. Consider joining us on a future Outreach. Learn about upcoming trips at jewishvoice.org/outreaches.

Breaking Through in Southern Ethiopia

Jinka, Ethiopia, Medical Outreach

We recently returned from our Medical Outreach in Jinka, Ethiopia, where we saw God doing breakthrough work. This is the farthest south we have been in Ethiopia, and, thanks to your support, the Outreach made an amazing impact in the area. We’re hopeful and excited about what God will continue doing there as the Messianic congregation in Addis Ababa has already planted a new congregation in Jinka and is committed to following up, discipling, and training emerging leaders there.

Here’s a look at the number of other lives you touched in Jinka through your support of Jewish Voice Ministries. Thank you again for the tremendous difference you are making in lives all across the globe.

• 11,237 Patients Received Care
• 841 People Received Dental Care
• 2,423 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 19 Eye Surgeries Performed
• 141 Minor Surgeries Performed
• 200 Families Received LifeStraw® Water Filters
• 2  Community LifeStraw® Given
• 1,097 Children Attended the Zehra Kids Shema Program
• 359  Teens Attended the Zehra Kids Nehemiah Program
• 1,538 People Heard the Gospel
• 201 People Received Yeshua
• 236  People Requested Congregational Follow-up

Opening Closed Hearts in

We go to a location based on the Jewish community actively living in the area. However, we eagerly welcome everyone. At this Outreach, we met an Ethiopian Orthodox man suffering from chronic headaches.  During triage, one of our team members from Israel sensed his need might be more spiritual than physical. She asked if he’d like to visit the prayer area after his Clinic visit. “No,” he replied. “I am Orthodox. I cannot go to your prayer tent.”

The Ethiopian Orthodox religion is predominant in the country. It embraces worship of Miriam (Mary), and its members often oppose our spiritual ministry in the name of Yeshua (Jesus).

Our team member politely accepted his refusal and stepped away, remaining within hearing distance. There, she prayed for him with her Ethiopian translator, who repeated her prayer in the local language. When it was time, she escorted the Orthodox patient to his medical visit and the pharmacy, and then returned to her department.

After a while, the man came back to Triage and sat down. His Clinic visit was complete, so the team member was puzzled. She and her translator approached him.

“Is there something else you need?” they asked.

He said, “I want to go and pray.”

They led him to the Spiritual Care Ministry tent, where he received Yeshua as the Messiah and Savior.

Thank You!

We hope you know that you made this encounter possible. This man’s life has been made new in Yeshua because you sent us to Jinka.

Remember, you can go with us! Please prayerfully consider joining us on a future outreach. You can learn more about upcoming trips at jewishvoice.org/outreaches

You may know it as the Jewish Feast of Weeks. In Hebrew, it’s called Shavuot, which means “weeks.” Shavuot is one of the “appointed times” that God commanded Israel to keep, and its date is calculated by counting seven weeks (49 days) from the Sabbath (Shabbat) of Passover week. Shavuot is the 50th day, occurring every year on the 6th day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. On the secular calendar, Shavuot begins this year at sunset on June 1 and ends at sunset on June 3. Outside of Israel, the holiday spans two days, whereas in Israel, Shavuot observance is one day, from sunset June 1 to sunset June 2. Here are seven more things you should know about the Jewish Feast of Shavuot.

7 Things to Know about Shavuot

1. Shavuot Then and Now

Shavuot was originally an agricultural feast. God commanded Israel to bring to the Temple in Jerusalem a sacrifice of the first of their summer grain harvest. After the Temple’s destruction, these sacrifices were no longer possible. Jewish sages noted that Shavuot’s timing aligned with when the newly freed Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, and they re-framed the holiday as a celebration of God giving us the Torah.

2. All-Night Torah Study

One of Shavuot’s unique traditions is staying up all night studying the Scriptures. It’s called Tikkun Liel Shavuot, meaning “night of correction for Shavuot,” and is based on a Jewish legend that the Israelites overslept on the morning they were to gather at the foot of Mount Sinai while Moses received the Torah for us. All-night study of the Torah and Tanach (the full Hebrew Scriptures) is a way to compensate for and correct the error of our ancestors.

3. Reading the Book of Ruth

Another Shavuot tradition is reading the book of Ruth. The most common reasons are that:

• Ruth’s acceptance of her mother-in-law’s God, the God of Israel, reflects the Jewish people’s acceptance of the Torah
• Shavuot is a harvest festival, and much of Ruth’s story occurs in a harvest setting
• Jewish tradition teaches that King David, a descendant of Ruth, died on Shavuot

4. Dairy Products

Dairy foods are a delicious Shavuot custom. The holiday is associated with scrumptious desserts like cheesecake, cheese blintzes, and savory foods like mac and cheese, creamy noodle dishes, and cheesy breads. Why is dairy part of Shavuot celebrations?

• Tradition explains that our ancestors didn’t have time after receiving the Torah to prepare meat according to its laws and therefore ate dairy that day
• Each Hebrew letter has an associated number, thus giving words a numerical value. The number for “milk” is 40, reminding us of Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai and the Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness
• God promised Israel a land “flowing with milk and honey” 
• The spiritual sustenance of the Torah is likened to the physical sustenance of milk

5. Synagogue Liturgies

Synagogue services on Shavuot typically include:

• Piyyutim – Jewish liturgical poems (some centuries old), chanted or sung in synagogue
• Hallel – psalms of praise
• Yizkor – the Jewish prayer service in remembrance of the dead

6. Shavuot in Israel

What does today’s Shavuot observance look like in Israel? In Israel, Jewish people celebrate Shavuot in the ways already mentioned – going to synagogue for a service, reading the book of Ruth, eating dairy, and all-night Torah study. In addition, many synagogues and yeshivas (schools for studying the Torah and Jewish tradition) offer Torah classes and lectures. Daytime festivities often include attending music festivals, exhibitions, and outdoor family activities. Growing more popular among Israel’s youth is engaging in ‘water fights” as a fun way to cool off from the heat of the summer sun. Holiday decorations often include greenery, flowers, and other items highlighting nature’s bounty.

7. Pentecost is Shavuot

As with the other biblical feasts God commanded Israel to observe, Shavuot contains a picture of what would come later. Shavuot became “filled full” on Pentecost as described in Acts chapter 2. Pentecost means “fiftieth,” and refers to the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week. Thus, Pentecost is Shavuot.

The Lord commanded that, for Shavuot, all those physically able to travel were to bring their harvest offerings to Jerusalem. This means that Jewish men from all over the world were present on Pentecost to see the tongues of fire descend from Heaven and hear the Good News preached in the languages of the countries they’d come from. As God gave the Torah on Shavuot at Mount Sinai, He gave us His Holy Spirit on Shavuot (Pentecost), fulfilling His promise to write His Law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).

Whether you know it as Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, Shavuot celebrates the Lord’s goodness and gifts. He gives the harvest to sustain us physically. He gave us the Torah to guide and nourish us spiritually, and He gave His Spirit to all who believe in His Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), as His guiding, sustaining, and nourishing presence with us always.

We’re excited to tell you that we’re headed to a new location in Ethiopia again. We’ve been to this region before, but not this specific community with many Jewish people. The local government actually invited us to come and serve here. This area has seen a lot of deep hardship that has impacted people in many ways. We’re asking the Lord for His help and power as we care for their bodies and souls through the wonderful, Good News of Yeshua (Jesus)!

We will need significant prayer covering as this area is a stronghold against the simplicity of that Good News. Please cover us in prayer for protection, wisdom, and effectiveness. Please join us in prayer:

• You can commit to a specific time slot to pray for us from home during the Outreach.  SIGN UP on our Prayer Schedule, referring to the dates below.
• Here are detailed DAY-BY-DAY Prayer Points so you can pray along with us for this Outreach in a new location in Ethiopia, May 15–25:

Before the Outreach

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3 NKJV).

Wednesday, May 7–Wednesday, May 14

• All preparations to come together and be fully in place, such as VISAS, medical supplies, Clinic readiness, team unity, and community relationships
• Protection, health, safety, and favor as our team and partners prepare and travel
• Spiritual forces of darkness to flee, making way for the King of Glory to come with salvation, healing and deliverance as the Lord prepares the spiritual atmosphere and the hearts to receive Him

Thursday, May 15

• Protection, health, safety, and favor as our team and partners prepare and travel
• Favor with all flights and that all passengers and luggage arrive on time and in good condition
• That all involved will prepare their hearts to serve during the Outreach and get a sense of the Lord’s desire for them in that

Friday, May 16

• All team members to arrive safely and easily settle into new lodgings, foods, and sleep schedules
• Team unity to begin to develop among the partners and team during the Erev Shabbat dinner and deepen throughout the week
• Each person to be personally prepared for the days ahead through a restful day, a good night’s sleep, along with spiritual preparation and insight

Saturday, May 17

• Safe travels by land and local air flight to the Outreach community
• The Lord to impart special wisdom and acute discernment for the Outreach leaders and our local partners throughout the week and beyond
• Local curiosity to produce a desire for care, comfort, and the Lord
• The Lord to surround us with angelic protection in every aspect

During the Outreach

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).

Sunday, May 18–Thursday, May 22

Sunday, May 18

• As in every new location, pray with us that news about the Clinic would spread quickly so that many are drawn to receive not only medical care but also the Good News of Yeshua
• Favor from every leader and group in the community, including governmental, religious, and spiritual
• The Lord to move powerfully through the Gospel and the Holy Spirit
• Great effectiveness, order, and shalom as the Clinic opens today and continues throughout the week

Monday, May 19

• Effective medical and dental care and healing to take place, including supernaturally
• Everyone who attends the Clinic to receive and respond to spiritual care
• The Lord to give us wisdom, favor, discernment and protection regarding any unique factors regarding this new location, conditions, or timeframe
• Again, great favor with local authorities and the community: may they be abundantly blessed, seek the Lord, and extend blessing to their Jewish neighbors

Tuesday, May 20

• May many Jewish people and their neighbors continue coming to the Outreach throughout the week
• May the Lord use us, by His Spirit, to minister not only to physical needs, but to the spiritual and emotional needs in this community, which has experienced much hardship and trauma
• Spiritual resistance and strongholds to be broken here, so that the Good News of Yeshua can have a great impact this week and beyond

Wednesday, May 21

• Spiritual strength and stamina for our team, renewed by intimacy with the Lord and daily prayer and worship times together
• Salvation, healing, and deliverance as the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit go forth in great power
• Protection from the schemes of the enemy and openness to the Good News as we break new ground in this new community

Thursday, May 22

• A great last day for the Medical Clinic in which we can see as many as the Lord enables; may He minister to and heal the rest
• Safety taking down the Clinic, loading up, and transporting all the equipment, medical and otherwise
• The Lord’s protection as we pay the many local workers who help make the Outreach happen. May they be touched by the Lord’s love and salvation

After the Outreach

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of [Messiah] Jesus” (Philippians 1:4–6).

Friday, May 22

• Safe travels home
• A special outpouring of grace for everyone who served by honoring the Lord and loving this new community through this Outreach  
• The Lord to continue working in the region, bringing a great movement of His Holy Spirit among these dear people
• Effective and timely follow-up to all who want to hear more about Yeshua
• The Lord to continue establishing His Kingdom in Ethiopia and developing healthy congregations

Let’s Pray

Lord, once again, You are commissioning us to reach out to the precious Jewish people of Ethiopia and their neighbors. Will You open their spiritual senses to receive full revelation of Yeshua as Messiah, Savior, and Lord? And would You also bring salvation, deliverance, and healing among people who have experienced so much loss and trauma? You alone can bring Your shalom. Please use us to do Your will in this new location. In Yeshua’s Name, Amen.

Jerusalem Day is coming up in Israel. Some people might ask, “So what? What’s so important about Jerusalem and what’s Jerusalem Day anyway?”  

What is Jerusalem Day?

When the modern State of Israel was born in 1948, Jerusalem was divided. Israel possessed only the western portion, and East Jerusalem, which includes the Temple Mount, was under Jordan’s rule. Jerusalem Day commemorates the day in 1967 when Israel emerged victorious from the Six-Day War, having won possession of East Jerusalem from Jordan. It was the first time in 2,000 years that Israel controlled an undivided Jerusalem.

What’s So Important about Jerusalem?

Here are some reasons why the city of Jerusalem is such a vital part of Jewish faith and history:

• Jerusalem is the holiest site of Judaism and Christianity
• Jewish tradition holds that Jerusalem is the site of the ancient Garden of Eden, where God first began His relationship with mankind
• Mount Moriah is within Jerusalem and is where Abraham bound his son Isaac for sacrifice before the Lord intervened, providing His own sacrifice of a ram caught in a thicket
• David made Jerusalem the capital of Israel’s united kingdom, and it remained the capital of Judah after the kingdom was divided in two
• Jerusalem is where the First and Second Temples were built, making it the epicenter of Jewish religious life
• The Jewish people were commanded to observe three of the annual feasts by making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
• Jesus taught and healed in Jerusalem

Jerusalem is also where:

• Yeshua (Jesus) sacrificed His life as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
• Jesus was buried, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven
• The Holy Spirit was given to Believers at Shavuot
• The Third Temple will be built
• Yeshua will return when He stands on the Mount of Olives
• Yeshua will rule and reign in the Age to Come
• The center of life will be in the Age to Come, when God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and we will live with Him in completeness and peace forever
• And Jerusalem is where God has chosen to put His name

God Has Put His Name in Jerusalem

Of Jerusalem in particular, the Lord speaks repeatedly of it being the specific place where He has “put His name.”

“But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for His dwelling. To that place you must go” (Deuteronomy 12:5).

“…Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name….” (1 Kings 14:21).

Did you know that God’s name is physically in Jerusalem as well as spiritually and symbolically? Jerusalem sits amid hills and valleys that, when seen from above, resemble the Hebrew letter Shin, which resembles a W. A Shin has long been representative of God because it is part of the Hebrew spelling of one of His names, God Almighty, or in Hebrew, El Shaddai. God has placed a symbol of His name — a Shin — in the very topography of Jerusalem. His name dwells in Jerusalem, just as He said in Scripture.

Special to God

The Bible tells us that the Jewish people, the Land He gave them, and Jerusalem are all special to God. In the book of Deuteronomy, He calls Israel — the Jewish people — His “treasured possession” and his “inheritance.”

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6, emphasis added).

“For the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9, emphasis added).

Deuteronomy reveals that the Land of Israel is important to God as well, describing it as “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.” (Deuteronomy 11:12 NKJV, emphasis added). 

Yerushalayim

The Hebrew word for Jerusalem is Yerushalayim. It’s created by combining aspects of two other words. Yerush means “inheritance or possession,” and Shalem means “whole, complete, or peace.”  Jerusalem is the centerpiece of God’s inheritance and possession — Israel, and it is the epicenter of the completion of God’s redemption plan for mankind and the fulfillment of His promised peace in the Age to Come. Jerusalem is special to the Lord. Jerusalem belongs to Him and to His treasured inheritance of a people. So, it’s fitting that we as Believers in Yeshua — Jewish and Gentile alike — share in the joy of the day commemorating the day in 1967 when a united Jerusalem came under Jewish rule after such a long, long history of being governed by so many foreign nations.

Jerusalem Day 2025

Jerusalem Day this year begins at sunset on May 25 and ends at sunset on May 26. It gives us a special occasion to praise God for returning to His people the city where He has put His name. It’s a highlighted opportunity to pray for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Join us in praying for:

• Peace in Jerusalem and all of Israel, according to Psalm 122:6
• Jewish people in Israel and worldwide to recognize Yeshua as the promised Messiah prophesied about in Isaiah 55 and throughout the Hebrew Scriptures

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure’” (Psalm 122:6).

If you want to learn more about the Six-Day War, how it started, and an eyewitness account of it by the wife of Jewish Voice founder Louis Kaplan, here is some additional reading for you:

The War That Won Jerusalem

Jerusalem Day – She Was There

Jerusalem Day Prayer for Israel

Fresh Prayers for an Unchanging Vision

So much is changing these days in the world around us. At Jewish Voice Ministries International, these changes only serve to make us even more steadfast in fulfilling our God-given purpose. In changing times, our reason for existing remains the same — to transform lives and see all Israel saved, according to Romans 11:26.

The ways we pursue this mandate are also the same. We have three key approaches: We proclaim the Gospel, the Good News of salvation through Yeshua (Jesus), to the Jewish people first. We also seek to grow the Messianic community around the globe. And we work to engage the Church concerning Israel and the Jewish people.

Here are some ways you can pray for us as we continue to hold the same values and pursue the same vision in fresh ways for a new season. Help us do the Lord’s work by joining us in the work of prayer.

As we proclaim the Gospel to the Jew first, pray that we can:

• Focus missionally on strategic Jewish population centers
• Build outreach models that will shape future generations of believing communities
• Continue to break new ground among unreached Jewish people groups around the world

May we also:

• Communicate timeless truths regarding Israel and the Jewish people through cutting-edge media vehicles
• Engage the attention and touch the hearts of young adults for God’s Jewish people around the world
• Provide connection points for them to put understanding and passion into action in joining us to reach Jewish people and their neighbors

Ask the Lord to help us grow the Messianic Jewish community:

• Intercede for breakthrough in key locations where we’re praying for God to move in big ways
• Pray as we seek to engage and launch new leaders into Jewish ministry through innovative programs, resources, and training
• May we continue to mentor and help support ministry programs through indigenous leaders
• Pray for physical centers and locations that will become hubs for expanding ministry and influence

Pray with us as we seek to engage the Church concerning Israel and the Jewish people. May we:

• Be a resource for the Church, locally and globally, in understanding God’s plans and purposes for His people
• Increase understanding regarding the history, impact, and current firestorm of antisemitism, including its satanic source
• Encourage the Church in how to counter hate with programs such as Love Your Jewish Neighbor
• Equip and engage churches and Believers in fervent, effectual prayer, not only for Jewish Voice Ministries but for Israel’s salvation and for the Jewish people around the world

Let’s Pray

Finally, pray with us for great, great faith — faith to take hold of God’s promises and believe Him for Israel’s blessing, consolation, and salvation. Pray for continued confidence that He is and will use us in the answers to those prayers.

Together, we are seeing the Lord do miracles. Thank you for your prayers!