“Firsts” are worth celebrating. A baby’s first giggle, first word, and first steps delight and thrill us because they’re such milestones. The first day of school each year is a big day for our children. First jobs, first cars, first anniversaries – life is full of firsts.

Jewish people have a beautiful custom of saying a particular blessing when encountering firsts, new milestones, and special occasions. It’s called the Shehecheyanu, and more than thanking God for the event, this prayer expresses worship of the God who sustained us through all our days to get us to that particular moment when we could experience its joy. 

Giving thanks and blessing God are ongoing privileges, so the Jewish custom of blessing God for firsts isn’t limited to first-in-your-life events; it’s a cycle that renews each year. Jewish tradition calls for saying the Shehecheyanu blessing for a wide variety of first moments each year, including…

• At most Jewish holidays, such as waving the lulav on the first day of Sukkot or when lighting the first Chanukah candle
• When reading the book of Esther (the Megillah Esther) at Purim
• When buying a new home
• Upon arriving in Israel
• When performing a mikvah (ritual water cleansing)
• When eating a seasonal fruit for the first time in the year

Many recite it for personal first experiences each year. It’s a way of staying awake to the wonder of life and celebrating its offerings as gifts from God.

We’re still at the beginning of a new year, so here’s a challenge. Let’s ask the Lord to make us aware of “first” moments as they occur in the days and months ahead.

Firsts In Nature

One way to do that is to observe the changing seasons. Each season brings its own firsts to the year. Your firsts could be noticing such things as:

• Spring’s first robin’s song, wildflower, or leaf buds; the first spring rain or warm day
• Your first summer watermelon, pool party, or garden-grown tomato
• Autumn’s first yellow leaf, chilly morning, or whiff of a fireplace warming a neighborhood home
• Winter’s first snowfall, the first holiday lights, and your own holiday decorations and traditions

The opportunities to notice God’s “first” gifts each season are almost endless. May they bring you gratitude and joy and cause you to bless God for sustaining you, for keeping you alive, and bringing you to those moments when He would show you, His wonders.

Other Places to Look for “Firsts”

We say the Shehecheyanu upon seeing someone we haven’t seen in a long time, so look for “firsts” this year in your relationships as well. Among them, you might note and give thanks for the first lunch of the year with a friend, the first holiday dinner you host or attend, firsts in your children’s lives, a first visit from the grandchildren this year, or the first heart-to-heart conversation with a family member or friend.

Firsts-of-the-year in your spiritual life are also worth marking. What about when you open your Bible to begin reading a new book? The first prayer spoken over you or a loved one this year, the first meeting of a new Bible study, or the first time serving in a new aspect of your congregation’s ministry life? Those are worth stopping to thank God for and note His grace in bringing you to receive those gifts.

Your work life is another place to look for thanks-worthy firsts each year: your first project completed, your first affirmation of the year received or given, joining a new micro-team for a new assignment. Depending on your job, you may be marking things like your first class taught, first life saved, first art piece produced, or the first person whose day you turned around because of your kind service. You could even note these occasions monthly or quarterly.

Each of these occasions can be enhanced by taking a minute to revel in them and glorify your gift-giving God. He brought you through many days to reach these moments of delight, warmth, and blessing that He ordained for you to experience. Ask Him to make you aware of more “firsts” this year, and may He bring you much joy through them.

The Shehecheyanu

Barukah atah Adonai Eloheynu Melech ha’olam

Shehecheyanu v’keyamnu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh

English Translation: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe

who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this moment.

Click below to hear this blessing in Hebrew.

Your Prayers Matter: Please Cover Our 2025 Outreaches in Prayer

Once again, we wish you a happy New Year! As our last Prayer Points stated, we have a lot of new things to pray for this year. 

We’d love your prayer covering over our 2025 Outreach schedule. As always, these dates and locations are “subject to change,” as we know all too well. But as we flex and flow with the Lord’s leading in these things, we find Him so faithful, doing exceedingly more than we could ask, expect, or plan on our own. 

As each Outreach draws closer, we will provide more information and prayer topics. You can start signing up now to pray from home for each one on our Jewish Voice Ministries 24-7 Prayer Schedule. You’ll receive a reminder to pray ahead of your chosen dates. 

For now, we invite you to cover these dates, locations, and the people who live there in prayer for each of the upcoming Outreaches shown below. That might look like: 

• Printing the list out and posting it somewhere where you can see it and pray often (I have mine taped to my wall calendar in our kitchen)
• Putting it in your Bible so you pray each day as you read the Word
• Sharing it with your small group, telling them about Paul’s prayer in Romans 10:1 for all Israel to be saved, and how you are joining Paul and Jewish Voice Ministries in making that your prayer, too
• Laying your hands on the list and asking the Lord to show you how to pray for our 2025 Outreaches in general or in detail

However you choose to use this list, please join us in prayer: 

• For the Lord’s abundant favor, guidance, and perfect timing regarding every one of these Outreaches
• That we would seek Him faithfully and hear Him clearly for each one
• For our openness to any changes He might make to this schedule as we move forward this year
• That we would also be open to any additions He might make – new locations, people groups, or timeframes
• For His protection and divine connections during our scouting trips for the Outreaches on the schedule and for those yet to be planned

Thank You! 

May we respond to the Lord’s statement in Psalm 46:10 by being still before Him, calling upon Him in prayer, and watching in faith as He is exalted in the nations. Thank you for your prayers.

Happy New Year!

We all say it, and we really mean it here at Jewish Voice Ministries. Happy New Year to you! We are praying for you to be blessed of the Lord in every area of life in 2025: your health, relationships, finances – and especially in your relationship with Him.

Speaking of relationships, we are blessed by our relationship with YOU. We so value your heart for God and His Chosen People, as well as your partnership with us in reaching and serving them.

Because of that, we want to share with you points of prayer for some new things in this New Year. Let’s pray together and then watch how the Lord will answer.

Please Pray

• New Outreach locations the Lord is leading us to in 2025. We will have a full Outreach calendar, and many locations will require new divine connections, local favor, and wisdom
• New location scouting trips. We may not go to these places this year, but the groundwork for future Outreaches may be laid this year
• New initiatives. In 2024, the Lord called us to initiate new projects like Love Your Jewish Neighbor. He also increased our focus as a staff on worship and prayer, and He is calling us to invite others into His Presence to intercede for Israel and the Jewish people through those expressions. Pray for these initiatives to grow and also for whatever other new things the Lord might be calling us to launch or grow this year
• Pray for our new staff members as they acclimate to the work of the ministry at Jewish Voice and the spiritual warfare that comes with it. Pray also for future staff members the Lord might send to join us in 2025.
• Pray with us for new partners of all kinds. We are so blessed by people like you, who partner with us in prayer, go on Outreaches, and support the Lord’s work through Jewish Voice Ministries. Pray for even more partners in 2025 who will pray, give, and go
• We are also asking the Lord for new partnerships with other ministries and groups who will be divine connections and kingdom collaborators as we follow the Lord’s lead in new assignments
• Pray with us for new, God-birthed, creative ideas and strategies to reach the Jewish people, engage the Church, and grow the Messianic Jewish community. The Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) never changes, but the Lord is always doing a new thing. We are asking Him to help us share a timeless message, compassionate care, and dynamic ministry around the world in a way that is timely and compelling
• Pray for a fresh outpouring of His Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, and resources, as we know we will continue to face new challenges in these changing times. His mercies are new every morning, and we trust that where He guides, He will provide

We value your prayers for all these points and more – because who knows what new things the Lord might do or call us to in 2025? We are grateful that you will be alongside us in partnership and prayer this year, and we are praying for you!

South Africa Praises and Prayers

We have some praises to report! In one of our last Prayer Points emails, we asked you to pray for our Outreach in South Africa, which has since taken place. It was a short one — just two and a half days — but it was packed with evidence that the Lord was working,

The official detailed update is yet to come, but here are some preliminary praises and a few follow-up requests.

Praise the Lord:

• Our team shared with us that people came ready to receive, and well over 100 came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus)
• The Lord really engaged the hearts of some of the medical professionals who partnered with us for the first time. They can now be advocates for the work the Lord does through us and could also be great partners for potential future work
• We received feedback regarding this Outreach's impact on some of those we ministered to. Because Jewish Voice Ministries and the two organizations we partnered with came specifically to serve their community, the Lemba felt seen, valued, and blessed as Jewish people. Praise the Lord!
• We saw incredible evidence of God’s perfect timing. We have been praying to reach out to South Africa for years. At the beginning of 2024, we didn’t have this Outreach on the calendar; it wasn’t in the budget, and we didn’t have government permission to do it. In answer to fervent prayer, the Lord did so much in setting things in order and confirming, “The time is now!” We followed His lead and watched Him do great things

Continue to Pray for:

• Ongoing advocacy for Jewish Voice Ministries by those who were blessed and impressed by the Lord’s work through this Outreach in South Africa
• Great and increasing favor from all authorities, groups, and communities that may be integral to us holding future Outreaches there
• Continued clarity from the Lord regarding open doors and His perfect timing for future ministry in South Africa
• Timely and effective follow-up for those who were ministered to during the Outreach
• Great unity of heart, mission, vision, and strategy between us and the two groups we partnered with to see this Outreach happen. One is faith-based, and the other is not, but the Lord was present as we worked together and touched hearts. Pray for His guidance regarding possible future partnership

Let's Pray

Abba, we are in awe of You! You do the unexpected and unprecedented. This last Outreach of 2024, although short in time frame, ended up full of blessings, praises, and even meaningful faith lessons that we will take with us into 2025 and beyond. You are faithful to answer when we pray, so we continue to ask that You do great things in South Africa regarding the people’s hearts towards Israel and the Jewish people and IN the hearts of the amazing Lemba Jewish people and communities there. In Yeshua’s name, AMEN!

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28–33). He declared this is the second greatest commandment of all. Did you know that when Jesus gave this commandment, He quoted a verse from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament? The Lord spoke these words to the Israelites in Leviticus 19:18 as He conveyed His Law through Moses. (See also Deuteronomy 6:4–5.)

Much of the world seems to have abandoned this fundamental law of sharing life on the same planet. With all the ugly antisemitism going on today, we thought it was time to emphasize that Jewish people are our neighbors, too. That’s why we’ve partnered with a campaign called Love Your Jewish Neighbor, which is airing a 30-second video you might see on your local TV station during December and can watch on YouTube.  It’s a new movement seeking to actively speak out in support of Jewish people and against antisemitism.

The Inspiration

A historical photograph inspired the video. The photo was taken during Chanukah 1931 in the home of Rabbi Akiva and Rachel Posner, who lived in Kiel, Germany. On the eighth night of Chanukah, Rachel photographed the family chanukiah (Chanukah menorah) sitting on a table in front of their living room window. Through the open curtains, you see a large Nazi flag hanging from the building across the street.

Chanukah tradition calls for placing our chanukiahs in a prominent window so that all who pass by can see its light. Prejudices against Jewish people were on the rise. Under those circumstances, it took courage for Rachel Posner and her family to place their Chanukah menorah in their front window.

Courage Today

Today, the number and flagrancy of antisemitic acts are rising at an appalling rate. In some communities, Jewish people are forced to weigh the risks of wearing their Stars of David, kippahs (yarmulkes) or other identifiably Jewish articles. This year, placing a Chanukah menorah in their window may require courage that most have not needed to employ before. It’s a harsh truth – far too reminiscent of the years leading to the Holocaust – that many Jewish people don’t feel safe today publicly showing their Jewish identity.

Love Your Jewish Neighbor

The Love Your Jewish Neighbor movement calls upon the heart of human kindness to take action, encouraging non-Jewish people to reach out with love and support of the Jewish people in their communities. It reflects back to days that we must never see repeated and communicates that everyone has a part to play in fighting antisemitism.

Chanukah and Christmas

One way to help combat antisemitism is by getting to know Jewish people and gaining a deeper understanding of the customs and traditions of their faith. It’s among the reasons we love providing resources to you. Another reason is that there is so much to be gained as a Believer in Jesus by understanding and embracing these “Jewish roots” of faith in Jesus.

This year provides a unique opportunity as Chanukah and Christmas coincide on the calendar. The 8 nights of Chanukah begin on Christmas night and end on New Year’s night.  What a fitting occasion to reach out with love and support of the Jewish people in your community, to let them know you stand with them against antisemitism.

To learn more about Chanukah, visit our website. For an eight-day Chanukah devotional that will help you see the connection between Chanukah and your faith, see our Chanukah reading plan here.

The Video

You don’t have to wait to catch the Love Your Jewish Neighbor video on connected TV channels. You can watch it right here. You can also play an active part in spreading the word to stand against antisemitism by passing the video on.

Biblical Prayers for Your Government and Leaders  Regardless of Country or Timeframe

You’re receiving this edition of Prayer Points the day after November 5’s election in the United States, but it was written before the election. That’s because there are truths we can stand on and pray for, no matter the results. We hope the points below encourage and fuel your prayers regardless of who is placed in office.

Even though the U.S. elections and government may be at the forefront of many of our minds and prayers, the truths and prayers below also apply to other nations and times. Here at Jewish Voice Ministries, we don’t just do Outreaches in other countries; we truly seek the Lord for His blessings on the places we go. Praying for good government in those nations is an important part of that mandate.

Please pray with us for Israel, the United States, and other nations and their leaders. He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and He is watching over the nations and each of us as well (Psalm 121:4).

• Lord, we start our prayers by asking for peace in Your city, Jerusalem, and all Israel (Psalm 122:6)
• We also seek You for the city and nation that each one of us lives in, that all will go well with us, and we may prosper (Jeremiah 29:7)
• You promise to hear our cries when we humble ourselves, seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways. Lord, hear us from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land, in whatever nation we live (2 Chron 7:14; Job 12:23–24)
• Help us trust that You are in control and on the throne, and You are the one who puts places and also removes leaders (Romans 13:1)
• Bless our nations and give us leaders who will bless Israel
  (Psalm 33:12; Genesis 12:3)
• Regardless of who is in office — our national and local offices and in other nations — help us be diligent to pray for them as You tell us to (1 Timothy 2:1–2)
• May we see direct answers to our prayers in that citizens can live in peace and the Gospel can be heard and received
  (1 Timothy 2–4)
• We especially pray that You would bring our leaders themselves to a saving knowledge of who You are (1 Timothy 2:4)
• Lord, give us leaders who fear You, seek Your wisdom and commit their ways to You on behalf of those they govern (Proverbs 9:10, 16: 3, Psalm 37:5)
• Like David, may You give us leaders who will lead with integrity of heart and skillfulness of hands (Psalm 78:72)
• Give them a biblical worldview that shapes what they do and how they do it (Romans 12:2, Colossians 12:8)
• If our leaders hold any viewpoints, methods, alliances or convictions that do not align with You, You are able to change their hearts and minds, and we ask that You have mercy on them and do so (Proverbs 21:1)
• May we as Believers stand firm in Your truth, resist the devil’s schemes, pray consistently, and be faithful to share the Good News with others (Ephesians 6:10–18)

Let’s Pray

Lord, we commit our nation and leaders to You. We acknowledge that in addition to the right to vote for our leaders, we have the responsibility to make daily choices for ourselves regarding how we live and follow You personally. May we commit to doing so diligently, knowing that our ability to love and serve You and others does not lie in our leaders' hands but in our own convictions and willingness. You are worthy of all our allegiance and praise! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

There’s no doubt that God places a high priority on our gratitude. The Bible instructs us dozens of times to be thankful.* And studies show that gratitude positively influences our happiness and health. Judaism has a slightly different approach to thanking God. Instead of simply saying “Thank You, God, for __________,” Jewish tradition “blesses” God for His gifts to us.

What Does It Mean to Bless God?

When we hear the word blessing, we recognize that someone is the blesser — the giver of blessings — and someone is the receiver. We pray for and thank God for His blessings on us, or we bless others by giving them gifts to meet their needs. Dictionary definitions of “bless” can be summarized as asking God’s care for, speaking well of and bestowing prosperity on someone. An older usage of the word also included the idea of protection. How, then, do we “bless” God, the Creator of the universe who owns everything and needs nothing (Psalm 50:10–12, Acts 17:24–25)? What does it mean to bless God?**

Psalm 28:6 in the New King James Version says, “Blessed be the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplications!” The Hebrew word used here is barak, the primitive root of which means “to kneel.” To bless, by implication, means to kneel as an act of adoration before the blessed one. It means to honor. When we bless God, we honor and worship Him.

Jewish Blessings

The Jewish custom of gratitude is to say blessings (berachot), each typically beginning the same way: “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, for….” Berachot fall into three categories — blessings for enjoyment, fulfilling commandments, and various experiences. For instance, the Shehecheyanu Prayer is a blessing said when experiencing something for the first time in the year. “Firsts” include performing Jewish rituals and eating a fruit for the first time that year. Some people also say it when experiencing personal firsts.

Shehecheyanu

Barukah atah Adonai Eloheynu Melech ha’olam

Shehecheyanu v’keyamnu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh

Blessed are You Lord our God, King of the universe

Who has given us life, sustained us and brought us to this moment.

Jewish people also have a blessing to say when experiencing the wonders of nature.

Oseh Ma’ash B’reisheet

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam,

oseh ma’ash b’reisheet.

Blessed are You Lord our God, King of the universe

who forms the works of creation.

Judaism has blessings for all kinds of things. There are morning, evening and bedtime blessings; blessings said before and after eating; blessings said when putting on a tallit (a Jewish prayer shawl) and upon receiving good news; and so many more.

A Different Approach to Thankfulness

What’s the difference between thanking and blessing God for a gift He has bestowed on us? Both express gratitude. Both are said with a particular gift in mind. One, however, shifts the focus from the gift and recipient to the Giver. The Jewish tradition of blessing God goes beyond giving thanks for the gift. It extends to worshiping God. Blessing God kneels in adoration before Him for His power, His majesty, sovereignty and benevolent favor to give anything to us. It honors Him as Creator, Sustainer and Giver of All Good Things. The Jewish blessing has a way of reminding us that we don’t merit any of the gifts God gives us, but by His generosity and love, the God of the Universe gives.

The Jewish custom of saying specific blessings for a wide variety of events serves to enlarge our gratitude and increase our worship. Why not consider adding a fresh component to your expressions of gratitude by blessing God? You could start with either one of the blessings included here. Or, you could put them in your own words, blessing and worshipping God as big enough and loving enough to give the gift you see before you. While you’re at it, you can bless Him for what the Jewish blessing tradition adds to our relationships with Him.

* Be-Thankful Verses: Colossians 3:15, Hebrews 12:28, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:18–20

** Bless-the-Lord Verses: Deuteronomy 8:10, 1 Chronicles 29:20, Psalm 26:12, Psalm 103:1

Daily Victory, New Faith, and Bright Smiles
Chiwena, Zambia, 2024 Medical Outreach Recap

• 8,560 Patients Received Care
• 645 People Received Dental Care
• 2,119 Eyeglasses Distributed
• 183 Families Received LifeStraw® Water Filters
• 637  Children Attended the Zehra Kids Program
• 474  Children Experienced Zehra in Their School
• 3,703 People Heard the Gospel
• 645 People Received Yeshua 
• 347  People Requested Congregational Follow-up

You almost can’t imagine the bustle of a Jewish Voice Medical Outreach. Many thousands of people flow through the Clinic campus in just five days. Doctors and other medical professionals work tirelessly to provide quality care for as many people as possible each day. There is so much need, and they don’t want to leave anyone without the care they came for.

Typically, there are more people in line than we can treat each day. Some patients who couldn’t get into the Clinic by day’s end decide to stay right where they are and camp for the night to keep their places in line for the next day. At the end of the first Clinic day, however, when the dedicated medical professionals working at our Chiwena, Zambia, Medical Outreach looked up from seeing their last patients, they learned they’d attended to every last person who had come to us that day.

This remarkable victory occurred every single day of the Chiwena Outreach. More than 8,500 people in Chiwena received medical care they otherwise would not have. No one left this Clinic without receiving the care they came for. Your financial support sent us to Chiwena and enabled us to provide this care. You helped us every day to leave no one behind. Thank you!

A Healed Hand & A Smile

One day, our staff member Micheal saw a woman leaving the Clinic and noticed a large growth on her hand. With our Outreach medical director translating for him, Micheal asked her if she had been to the Clinic to see about this growth. “No,” she answered, “I saw a dentist today.” She’d had the growth so long that she considered other matters more important. 

Typically, our Clinics are organized so that patients receive care for one thing at a time. Another field of care would require another visit. But Micheal felt the prompting of the Lord and asked the doctor if he could remove this for the woman. “Yes, it looks to be a simple operation,” the local physician answered. 

They took the woman to the minor surgery department, and within minutes, the growth was gone, replaced by a fresh bandage on her hand and a new smile on her face. Did you know that you helped put this smile on her face?

Sharing the Good News in Chiwena

Chiwena was our third Outreach to the Lemba and their neighbors in Zambia. The people were incredibly receptive to the Gospel. More than 3,700 people heard the Good News, and 645 professed new faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. An additional 347 left their contact information for someone to follow up with them. This means even more opportunities for the Gospel as, typically, a home visit includes the privilege of sharing with a whole family. Through your support, you enable our indigenous partner congregations to make these visits as well as plant congregations where new Believers can grow in their relationships with the Lord.

Thank you so much for your support. It truly makes a huge difference. Here’s a glance at how many lives you helped change in Chiwena, Zambia.