Among Israel’s most prominent supporters are Evangelical Believers. Still, much of the Church remains indifferent or even opposed to Israel today, unaware of important biblical truths about God’s chosen people and their own relationship to them.
A vital part of the mission of Jewish Voice Ministries International is to educate the Church about God’s ongoing covenant with and plan for Israel. New Covenant faith in Yeshua (Jesus) is rooted in the Jewish faith of the Old Covenant Scriptures. Upon this foundation, God sent Yeshua to usher in the promise of Jeremiah 31:31-33. He declared that one day He would write His law upon the hearts of His people and put His Spirit within them. This prophecy was fulfilled through Yeshua the Messiah and the gift of the Holy Spirit given to all who place their faith in Him.
Scripture reveals ample reasons for Believers to pray for and support Israel today:
God will bless those who bless Abraham’s descendants and curse those who curse them (Genesis 12:2)
God instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6)
God’s covenant with Israel is everlasting (Genesis 17:7, 19)
The Land of Israel belongs to God (Leviticus 25:23, Joel 2:18)
God gave His people the Land of Israel as an eternal possession (Genesis 15, 17:7‒8, Genesis 48:4, Psalm 105:7‒11)
God’s judgments on Israel at various times of her history do not void His covenant (Ezekiel 37).
God has not rejected Israel (Romans 9‒11)
There is only one way for anyone, including Jewish people, to be reconciled to God (John 14:6)
The Gospel is for the Jewish people first (Romans 1:16)
In 1948, the United Nations may have granted Israel the right to “be,” but it is God who validates her existence. He chose the Jewish people for His own, for His purposes and for eternity.
The country Israel today represents only a portion of the Land God gave the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance. About the size of New Jersey, it’s sometimes difficult to even locate Israel on maps. She is a tiny nation in a hostile neighborhood of Arab countries who consider her mere existence an offense. The region swarms with people, terrorist groups and nations single-mindedly committed to eliminating Israel today.
Israel needs our prayers.
The Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (DPPJ) has become the largest Israel-focused prayer event in history. At least 175 nations and 500 million Believers participate. The event began in 2002 and now has the active support of more than 1,400 evangelical leaders. It takes place annually on the first Sunday in October.
According to the DPPJ website, it is a day set aside each year “to raise global awareness and intercession for God’s purpose in Israel.”
“Though we pray every day for Israel,” the organization explains, “we seek on this day to unite Believers around the world in raising a cry to Heaven on behalf of this troubled but strategic Land and its people.”
The 2018 Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem is Sunday, October 7. Join people all over the world in praying for peace in Jerusalem, for Israel today as a nation and Jewish people everywhere.
For more information about the Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and how you can encourage your congregation to participate, visit www.daytopray.com.
Below are 10 specific ways you can pray for Israel today. For a complete list of suggested prayer topics, explore the resources available on the DPPJ website.
1. Restoration and Reconciliation – Pray for:
Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world to be restored and reconciled to God through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah
God to continue restoring the Land of Israel and that the nation will recognize that this is from His hand, not their own efforts
Reconciliation between Jewish and Christian people, Jewish and Arab people – in the Land of Israel and all over the world
2. Watchmen - – Pray for:
God to raise up “watchmen” in each nation of the world who are dedicated to praying for Israel and the Jewish people
Houses of prayer worldwide to develop a heart to pray for Israel and the Jewish people
Growth in strategic prayer for Israel today around the world
3. Peace and Protection – Pray for:
Guidance and wisdom for Israeli and world leaders pursuing peace for Israel
Protection from the plans of Israel’s natural and spiritual enemies
All involved would recognize that true peace will only come from God
4. Fighting Terror, Radical Islam and Jihad – Pray for:
All terror plots to be exposed and stopped
The terror groups themselves to disintegrate from within and people trapped in them to encounter the true and living God who loves them
Guidance for Israeli police, military and security forces in their efforts to stop the violence
Emotional, psychological and physical healing for victims of terrorism
5. Fair and Honest Media Coverage – Pray for:
Clarity for the media to report fully and accurately about Israel today and the Middle East conflict
Exposure of imbalanced reporting, and coverage of the true Palestinian refugee story and misconceptions about “Palestine”
6. Fighting Anti-Semitism – Pray for:
Exposure of anti-Semitism whenever and wherever it occurs and that it would no longer be tolerated or minimized
Believers throughout the world to speak up against anti-Semitism and to defend the Jewish people
Increased growth and engagement in pro-Israel prayer initiatives on college campuses
7. Israel’s Leaders – Pray for:
Wisdom and integrity for all of Israel’s leaders including Prime Minister Netanyahu, members of the Knesset (ruling body) and Israeli Defense Forces
God’s guidance on how to specifically address relations and situations arising with the Palestinians, neighboring Arab nations, Iran and other countries with radical Islamic ideology
8. Israel’s Children and Youth – Pray for:
Strengthening of families in Israel today to guard children against the world’s temptations
Young people in Israel – both male and female – to turn to God as they prepare for their mandatory military service, cope with terror incidents, and heal from loss
9. The Needy, Forgotten and Vulnerable in Israel – Pray for:
Care and healing for the broken, vulnerable or needy in Israel – including elderly Holocaust survivors, struggling immigrants and the homeless
Aid, sustenance and wholeness for the forgotten, overlooked, discarded or misjudged
10. Strong Alliance between America and Israel – Pray for:
Continuing support of U.S. leaders to courageously stand as allies with Israel and speak out to protect Israel’s rights
Increased support for Israel among members of Congress and the general public
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
The almighty, all-powerful God of the universe has communicated to us. The One who created all things, loves us perfectly, and sent His Son Yeshua (Jesus) to bear the penalty for our sin, has spoken to us! We have a whole book of His words!
Simchat Torah is a day set aside to celebrate this wonder.
Simchat Torah means “joy of the Torah.” Each week throughout the year, Jewish people around the world read a weekly Scripture portion from the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures. This parasha (par-a-SHAH) unites them together as they each read the selected passages, week-by-week, from Genesis to Deuteronomy.
Simchat Torah marks the completion of these annual Torah readings. During the morning service of Simchat Torah, worshipers read the last parasha of the year in Deuteronomy. In the evening, the annual cycle begins again with the first reading from Genesis. Simchat Torah includes festive dancing and singing while as many people as possible take turns carrying the Torah scroll around the synagogue or public squares. It is truly a joyous celebration of God’s Word to mankind.
While the Torah is specifically the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, the word means “instruction” and is also applied to the remainder of the Holy Scriptures in the Tanakh or Old Covenant. As Messianic Jews, we understand God’s instruction encompasses the New Covenant Scriptures as well, and ultimately Yeshua Himself (Hebrews 1:1‒2), who is the Word made flesh (John 2:14).
Simchat Torah calls our attention to the precious value of the Scriptures and reminds us that God’s Word given to us is the reason for great joy.
In the West, nearly every store selling books also carry Bibles. Many Believers own more than one, and if you visit any thrift store, you’ll likely find free Bibles donated by people who have more copies than they need. The Bible is on the internet, and we can even download it to our phones ensuring that we always have it with us.
A 2016 survey by LifeWay Research revealed that 87% of American households owned a Bible. Yet, of the Evangelical Believers surveyed, only 49% read God’s Word each day. In many parts of the world, persecuted Believers don’t have the privilege of owning a Bible. They can’t afford one, don’t have the internet, or Bibles are banned in their regions. They can’t read for themselves what God has said ‒ and they have an insatiable hunger to know His Word.
When we hold the Bible in our hands, we hold a miracle. God’s Word is inspired. It is “God-breathed” and alive with His Spirit.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword – piercing right through to a separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
―Hebrews 4:12
“All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed.”
―2 Timothy 3:16
God’s Word meets us in our need. It reveals that we have an eternal inheritance waiting for us to which this world cannot be compared (Ephesians 1:18, 1 Peter 1:4).
It tells us God loves us (Romans 5:8) and we can do all things through Yeshua who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
God’s Word lifts our spirits when life is hard, reminding us that God has overcome the world (John 16:33).
It assures us He is with us always (Matthew 28:20).
It instills hope and reminds us God has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and He is for us (Psalm 56:9, Romans 8:31).
His Word speaks to our hearts inviting us to rest in His love (Matthew 11:28, 1 John 4:18) and know that with Him, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) – even getting through our present difficulty with peace (Philippians 4:6‒7).
God’s Word sustains us (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4).
Let’s rejoice and thank God for this amazing gift. Celebrate by diving into the Word of God and rededicating yourself to feasting on it daily. You will find encouragement, wisdom and hope for each new day. You will find God Himself there.
Study the Torah the first five books of the Bible through the eyes of a first-century disciple. “Teachings of the Torah” invites you into the questions, stories, and interpretations that prove the Bible is a living book.
The story is told that King Frederick the Great of Prussia once asked his physician to give him proof for the existence of God.
His physician replied, “Your Majesty, the continued existence of the Jews.”
It’s true. The Jewish people are the most persecuted people in history. From the Book of Esther, down through all the centuries, there have been repeated attempts to destroy them.
No other group has been so persecuted. Yet still the Jewish people miraculously survive.
Before 1948, almost no one was convinced the Jewish people, after centuries of wandering, could return to Israel and reclaim their ancient homeland. But they did.
Then, almost no one believed the new State of Israel, surrounded by enemies, would long survive. But survive it did, amazingly winning a long series of wars and conflicts that continue today.
Few people initially had faith God would fulfill His ancient promise to reestablish the Jewish people in Israel.
But today, many Christians understand and support the State of Israel and the Jewish people as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy – and an important step towards the eventual return of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
But despite this enthusiasm and support, most Christians still know very little about what life is like in modern Israel, or the hunger for the Messiah that God has placed in the hearts of the Jewish people there.
You see, I – and all of us here at Jewish Voice Ministries – have realized that God’s miraculous plans for the Jewish people go well beyond the reestablishment of the Jewish homeland in Israel.
I believe God has placed a desire – a deep hunger – in the hearts of Jewish people, especially in Israel. And that desire is to meet and come into a loving relationship with the Messiah, the one we know as Jesus of Nazareth.
We see the evidence of this every day in our work among Jewish people in Israel.
Recently, we were ministering through one of our partner agencies along a beach in Israel, when our team was approached by a young Israeli man. Interested in what our team was doing, he said he was a “secular Jew” (that is, non-religious), but he often came to the beach to think about spiritual things.
Clearly, he had a hunger for God. It’s just that he didn’t know what to do with that hunger.
Our team welcomed him and said they, too, thought often about God and spiritual things. And they began to tell him about Yeshua.
After a while, the young man said the Good News seemed like what he had been looking for – as though the puzzle pieces had begun to fall into place for him.
Praying right then and there, the young man accepted Yeshua as his savior. We were able to connect him with one of the Messianic Jewish congregations in the area.
This is just one story of how Jews in Israel are hungry – desperately hungry – to find answers to their spiritual questions. We see examples of this kind of openness to Yeshua every day!
But spiritual hunger by itself is not enough. We must make the effort to tell the Jewish people of Israel what they so desperately need to hear.
As the Apostle Paul wrote:
How then shall they call on the One in whom they have not trusted? And how shall they trust in the One they have not heard of? And how shall they hear without someone proclaiming? And how shall they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15, TLV)
Paul is very clear here. No matter how much spiritual hunger the Jewish people have, they still cannot and will not accept Yeshua unless we who believe go to them, share the Good News and introduce them to God’s Son.
That evangelistic mission is at the core of everything Jewish Voice does, in all our ministries around the world.
And right now we see tremendous opportunity to bring Jewish people to Yeshua in Israel, among the many secular Jews living there.
We clearly see the spiritual need in Israel. And every day we see the blessings that come from sending ministry workers there, to befriend and share hope with the people – to “proclaim good news of good things.”
But the need is great. And right now the workers are too few.
Jewish Voice has committed almost $1 million to support the efforts of Messianic congregations and ministry organizations in Israel. Working alongside these committed Believers, we see every day the blessing they are bringing to spiritually seeking Jews.
But we are only able to support these efforts in Israel, and to see the Jewish people there coming to Jesus, because of the prayers and gifts from you and our many other Jewish Voice partners.
So I’m bold to ask: Will you give now to help share the Good News with Jewish people in Israel?
Of course, I’m not asking you to provide ALL of the $1 million we’ve committed to share our faith in Israel – although that would be another miraculous blessing!
All I’m asking is that you give as generously as possible, knowing your gift will translate into Jewish people hearing about Yeshua’s great love for them.
Sukkot (Soo-KOTE) is a seven-day feast commanded by God in Leviticus chapter 23. The Hebrew word sukkot and the word “tabernacles” both mean “booths.” So the holiday is also known as the Feast of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles. Because Sukkot is also a harvest festival, it is sometimes called the Feast of Ingathering. Sukkot is the only moad (MO-ehd), or “appointed time,” in which God commands His people to rejoice and celebrate. Therefore, the week-long feast is also called The Season of Our Joy (Leviticus 23:39‒44).
God instructed Israel to abstain from work and meet together in a holy assembly on the first day of Sukkot. On each of the seven days, the Jewish people were to bring various sacrifices and offerings as well as celebrate with the waving of branches from four species of plants. One of the most interesting aspects of Sukkot is God’s command to live in temporary shelters for the week.
During Sukkot, God instructs Jewish families to leave the comfort of their homes and live in booths “so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:43).
Rabbinic tradition says that a sukkah (SOUH-kah) can be three-sided with walls constructed of any material. The roof, however, must be made with organic matter, such as leafy branches.
The booths of Sukkot provide a tangible reminder of how our Jewish ancestors lived in the wilderness. Through the loosely woven roof, one can look up and see the night sky, remembering God’s promise to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars.
These booths also remind us of how God took care of the Israelites during their years of wandering. He fed them with manna from heaven, gave them sweet water from a rock and kept their shoes and clothing from wearing out for 40 years.
Today, Jewish people around the world build sukkot in their backyards or on balconies, taking their evening meals, relaxing, entertaining guests, and even sleeping there. Sukkot are often decorated by hanging fresh fruit from the ceiling as a symbol of God’s provision and care.
During synagogue services, special ceremonies and prayers are performed including waving a lulav (LOO-lahv) bouquet, a gathering of leafy branches made from the four specific species outlined in Leviticus 23:40. The grouping includes a citrus-like fruit called the etrog (ET-trog), lulav (palm branches), willows called aravot (AR-a-vote), and myrtle.
Discover the meaning and wonder of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot with this specially designed infographic.
As a harvest festival, Sukkot is also called the Feast of Ingathering and celebrates God’s provision in the present. It is one of three biblical feasts in which each physically-able Jewish male was to go to Jerusalem and present a harvest offering at the Temple. Bringing the first of one’s harvest displayed trust that God would provide enough to last through the season until the next reaping.
Sukkot is filled with reasons to rejoice. We remember God’s sustaining power toward the Israelites in the desert. We rejoice in His faithfulness to keep His promises. And we thank Him for His bountiful provision today. Still, there are more reasons for joy at Sukkot.
Sukkot also celebrates God’s presence with us. In the wilderness, the Israelites dwelled in tents. So too did God’s presence – in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and later in the First and Second Temples. God told Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). Moses, vividly aware of this precious and critical gift, replied, “If Your presence does not go with me, don’t let us go up from here!” (Exodus 33:15).
Messianic Jews and other Believers in Yeshua (Jesus) receive the Holy Spirit, God’s presence with us always, as a gift when they place their faith in Yeshua. Jesus promised that He would never leave us and be with us always through the “Comforter” and “Helper” sent by God (John 14:6, 26). Sukkot celebrates the incomparable gift of God’s presence with us in the Holy Spirit.
Additionally, each of the Lord’s feasts contains a foreshadow of prophecies of the Messiah. The prophetic pictures in the Spring feasts have been fulfilled by Yeshua’s first coming, and the Fall feasts will reveal their completion with His future return. Sukkot will see its fulfillment when God gathers the elect from all over the world into His kingdom to dwell with Him forever. (See Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 21:1, 3).
In 2018, Sukkot begins at sunset on September 23 and ends at nightfall on September 30.
May your Sukkot season be filled with all joy as you celebrate God’s provision, promises and presence in your life.
Discover how easy it is for you to celebrate the Fall Feasts that God prescribed in the Bible.
