Heading Into an Area of Hardship — We Need Your Prayers

As we reach out to Jewish people, the Lord often sends Jewish Voice Ministries into areas experiencing hardships such as drought, poverty, and tribal conflicts. The people there have lived, and are often still living, through the impact of traumatic events. We are humbled that He entrusts us to bring love and care to those in such heart-breaking circumstances.

We’re heading to one such location in Northern Ethiopia very soon, where waves of violence and the ensuing problems have taken great tolls on the people there for the last several years. We need your prayers for the Lord to light our path with His protection and enable us to be a light and testimony to His abundant love and salvation through both word and deed.

Your prayers will be crucial and key to our team’s safety and effectiveness and for the transformation of those we go to help!

Ways to Pray

Here’s how you can make a difference with your prayers:

• Use the detailed DAY-BY-DAY Prayer Points below to pray along with us before, during and after the Outreach
• You can also commit to a specific time slot to pray for us from home during the Outreach. SIGN UP HERE on our Prayer Schedule, referring to the dates below.

Here are ways you can pray regarding this 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, May 22 – Saturday, June 1

• That all preparations come together and fall entirely in place, such as VISAS, medical supplies, Clinic site readiness, team unity and community relationships
• Protection, health, safety and favor as our team and partners prepare, travel, serve throughout the Outreach week and return home
• Effective training for all areas of the Outreach
• Spiritual forces of darkness to flee, making way for the King of Glory to come with salvation, healing and deliverance as God prepares the spiritual atmosphere and the hearts of the people

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

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.

— Isaiah 40:1

Sunday, June 2

• An effective first day of ministry as the Clinic opens mid-morning
• Word about the Clinic to spread, which is so important in a new location, and many to come for treatment and care
• Local workers hired to be fully aligned with Jewish Voice’s desire to bless their community
• The presence of unity, humility and effective communication throughout the week
• Comfort for our team members and partners as they hear about and see evidence of the trauma people in this area have endured

Monday, June 3

• Favor from local leaders and community members before during and after the Outreach
• That we would bless not only those who come for care but also that the Believers in the area will be refreshed and encouraged in their faith by our visit to their region
• The Lord to move powerfully through the Gospel and the ministry of the Holy Spirit
• Holy-Spirit-led healing from trauma in a region where everyone has experienced so much

Tuesday, June 4

• The Lord to bring our team wisdom, favor, discernment and protection regarding any local or unique factors regarding this location, the conditions or timeframe
• Spiritual strength and stamina for our team, renewed by intimacy with the Lord and fellowship with one another
• Effective medical and dental care and healing to take place, including supernaturally as a testimony of God’s power and love

Wednesday, June 5

• The local congregation we are partnering with to have a wonderful spiritual impact on everyone in the region
• LifeStraw® water filter distribution to make a real difference in people’s health
•  The Lord to work powerfully, bringing about the transformation of hearts and communities in Ethiopia

Thursday, June 6

• Many salvations and healings and the ability to treat as many patients as possible on the last day of the Outreach
• Order and shalom to reign as local workers are paid, the patient lines are closed and the Outreach ends
• Safety and efficiency in closing the Clinic and packing equipment and supplies

After the Outreach

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 1:6

Friday, June 7 and onward  

• The Lord to minister to our team and partners and bring them comfort as they leave this hurting region
• Effective follow-up by the local congregation for those who want to learn more
• The Lord to continue mightily working in this troubled region, building up the Believers and bringing ongoing healing, salvation and deliverance
• May a new congregation be established, protected, and become a beacon of light and life to the region

Let’s Pray

Abba, our hearts are crying out to you for the Jewish people to whom you are sending us in Northern Ethiopia. They and their neighbors have been through so much. May desperately needed medical care to heal their bodies, but – Oh, Lord! – may the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) and the ministry of the Holy Spirit bring salvation and deep healing to their whole lives. Heal their wounds and heal their land, in Yeshua’s name, AMEN.

Where in the World is Chatikobo and How Can You Pray for It?

Our second Outreach of 2024 will be in Zimbabwe. We are heading to a new location, Chatikobo, in a region we have been before, Masvingo. Since October 7, the landscape in many of the places we serve is changing, and that is true in Zimbabwe. So even though we are doing what we have done there many times before, we are doing it under new circumstances in a world that is shaking. We are taking nothing for granted. We’re doing everything we know to prepare and are asking the Lord to do the rest.

One of the most strategic things we do regarding our Outreaches is to ask you to pray.

Ways to Pray

• Pray through the detailed DAY-BY-DAY Prayer Points below during the week
• 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. This helps you make a commitment and remember to pray, and it encourages us to see how many of you are praying!

Here’s how you can make an impact in Chatikobo through your prayer:

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 8–Thursday, May 16

• All preparations fully in place, such as 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 the spiritual atmosphere and the hearts of the people are prepared – please pray for this throughout the Outreach!

Friday, May 17

• Safe arrivals in Zimbabwe’s capital and the Lord’s help in acclimating to the new time zone, culture and food, including the ability to sleep well at night
• Good fellowship and bonding between JVMI staff, medical professionals and Outreach Partners
• A wonderful start to the week ahead through experiencing Shabbat dinner with the Lord and each other

Saturday, May 18

• A safe journey to Chatikobo, our Outreach location
• Effective orientations for the medical professionals, Clinic operations and the campsite
• The word to get out to the surrounding areas so that many people come every day for treatment and care
• The Lord to oversee the process of hiring local workers who will fully align with what the Lord has called us to do

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 19

• The Clinic site to be fully prepared to receive patients
• Training and spiritual preparedness for the Spiritual Care Team and for freedom in the Spirit that leads to changed lives and a transformed community
• A smooth opening of the Clinic at 10:00 a.m., including for the Zehra Kid’s Program

Monday, May 20

• First time Outreach Partners to be equipped, energized and encouraged during tonight’s meeting just for them
• Favor and engagement from the national, regional and local leaders and community
• Wisdom, favor, discernment and protection from the Lord regarding any local or unique factors regarding this location, conditions or timeframe

Tuesday, May 21

• Effective medical and dental care and healing, including supernaturally as a testimony of God’s power and love
• The Spiritual Care Tent, Zehra Kids program, and Living Waters team to leave a lasting and eternal impact in the community through salvations, love, and provision
• Special anointing on the Living Waters team, visiting several villages; the Zehra Kid’s team, led by indigenous leaders; and unity and spiritual effectiveness for the Spiritual Care team

Wednesday, May 22

• Ongoing impact from the Lord as the Kingdom of Light overcomes darkness
• Physical health, strength and stamina for the whole team
• Spiritual renewal as well, through intimacy with the Lord, the daily prayer times and Wednesday worship service

Thursday, May 23

• Miracles, signs and wonders to accompany the Word and testify to Yeshua (Jesus), the Living Word
• The ability to see and care for all who come today, the last day
• Fellowship and protection in closing the Clinic, and that the Lord would continue to minister to those who came for care

After the Outreach

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 1:6

Friday, May 24 onward

• Safety for everyone as they travel home, and that each one who served and ministered would hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
• The Lord to continue to work mightily in this region and among the Lemba Jewish people of Zimbabwe, bringing healing, salvations and deliverance!

• Effective follow-up by the local congregation with those who want to learn more

Let’s Pray

Lord, we are overwhelmed with gratitude at the chance to GO and watch You at work in the lives of the Lemba Jewish people and their neighbors. We ask for Your extreme shalom and protection over every aspect of this Outreach and that it would reap the eternal fruit that only You can bring. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

There’s no question that world opinion about Israel is strongly divided these days. It was easy to stand with Israel immediately after Hamas attacked and committed thousands of heinous acts of violence against Israelis. And recently, after Iran fired over 300 missiles targeting Israel, public and international support for Israel has seen a bit of a resurgence. During the months between those two attacks, however, as Israel pushed on, fighting a war to eliminate the terrorist organization Hamas, supporting Israel became more controversial.

Israel has come under scrutiny for its military actions in Gaza, with many in the world claiming its responses are disproportionate to the October 7 attack by Hamas. The devastation in the Gaza Strip as the war drags on has turned some minds against Israel, believing it not possible to have compassion for suffering Gazans while at the same time respecting Israel’s right to defend herself. Many people gravitated to a black-and-white, either-or stance toward Israel. Feeling compelled to choose sides and be all in with the choice, it appeared that you could either support Israel or stand in solidarity with Gazans, but not both.

That’s a false choice. It’s an unnecessary, unrealistic choice many people may want to force. The truth is that it is possible to have a firmly rooted position in support of Israel while at the same time questioning or even challenging some aspects of how Israel’s leaders are leading or its military fighting.

However, consider your thoughts toward your own country – whether that’s the United States, Canada, Britain or elsewhere. Most likely, you don’t agree with everything your government does, and because leaders disagree among themselves, you can’t possibly agree with all of them. But you stand with your nation, wanting the best for it. You believe in your country’s right to exist. You want to see it safe from foreign and domestic threats and any attempts to undermine or destroy it. And you almost certainly support your nation’s right to respond if and when external terrorist attacks occur. In the same way, you can be a solid supporter of Israel without agreeing with every political leader, every decision the government makes, and every action the military takes.

Acknowledging the Complexities

At the time of this article, Israel is observing its Holocaust Remembrance Day, called Yom HaShoah in Hebrew. Throughout history, the Jewish people have repeatedly endured attempts to destroy them as a people. None was so systematic as the Holocaust when six million Jewish people were rounded up and executed by a regime that believed they should not exist. Today, Israel faces the same calls for extinction by various terrorist groups. In fact, the Hamas attacks on October 7 were the largest loss of Jewish lives in a single day since the Holocaust itself.

Is Israel trying to destroy Gaza or the Palestinian people? No. Israel is trying to destroy Hamas, a terrorist organization that has taken political control of Gaza and whose primary aim is to eliminate Israel. Hamas’ stated purpose is to destroy Israel and the Jewish people in the region. Therefore, as long as Hamas exists, no Israeli is safe, and the State of Israel will never be free of the threat to its very existence.

Is it tragic what the Gazan population is enduring, many of them innocent with no ties to Hamas or its beliefs against Israel? Absolutely. And it’s our duty as Believers in Yeshua (Jesus) to pray for them even as we pray for the protection of the IDF and the Jewish State. With Hamas hiding among civilians, willing to sacrifice innocent Gazans to protect its objective of destroying Israel and hurting Israelis, Israel’s military faces an incredibly complicated task to defend itself against future threats from Hamas.

Both-And vs. Either-Or

You can stand with Israel and have compassion for what innocent Gazan citizens are suffering as a result of the heated conflict while Israel struggles to root out Hamas. Communicating this when confronted by those who challenge your support for Israel opens the door for conversations. In such a complicated situation, there’s room for both conviction and compassion.

Here’s the key: Be able to articulate why you stand with Israel and also your compassion for those suffering because of Israel’s attempts to ensure its safety by eliminating Hamas.

Reasons for standing with Israel may include some of the following, for example:

• Israel has a right to exist as the modern State of Israel
• Israel has a right to defend itself against aggressors who are intent on harming its people or destroying or eliminating its existence
• Israel has a right to the Land given to her by the United Nations. You could go so far as to say Israel has the biblical right to the Land given to her by God, which is much more land than is within the current borders of the State of Israel
• Israel is beloved by God as a people, a nation and a Land
• For those who are open to a biblical perspective, the Land of Israel has been promised by God to the Jewish people as an everlasting inheritance (Genesis 17:8)

As Jewish Voice Vice President of Global Ministry Affairs Ezra Benjamin said in a recent episode of the A Jew and A Gentile Discuss podcast (Is Standing with Israel Safe?), when we adopt a “This is true… and this is also true…” stance, it can open the door for a dialogue with those who believe that all supporters of Israel are unsympathetic to Gazan suffering. You can say, “Yes, I stand with Israel, and yes, it’s tragic what’s happening to the people of Gaza.” Hopefully, the result is that others see the complexities of the situation and that an either-or position is unrealistic.

In just a few days, Israel will celebrate its 76th anniversary as the reborn State of Israel. This anniversary comes amid much worldwide scrutiny while the country continues to be attacked from Gaza in the south, Hezbollah in the north and Iran and its proxies from the east.  World opinion often leans on daily headlines without considering all the facts and issues. No one knows what the outcome will be or the toll along the way. One thing we do know is that God has promised that as long as the sun rises and sets, Israel will not cease to be a nation before Him (Jeremiah 31:35–36). God is faithful to His promises that Israel is His chosen nation, His Chosen People. He has delivered them and preserved a remnant time and again and will continue doing so.

Of all the matters facing the Jewish people – in Israel or elsewhere – the most consequential, the most eternally significant is that of their salvation. Join us in praying for God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from sin and death as He opens their eyes to faith in Yeshua (Jesus), the promised Messiah sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Through your gifts to Jewish Voice, you help share the Good News with Jewish people in Israel, Ukraine, Africa and around the world. You become a part of transforming lives and the fulfillment of the apostle Paul’s words in Romans chapter 11:26 that one day, all Israel will be saved.

Deliverance

God designed Passover as a time for His people to remember and reflect on His deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt. It was a miraculous event retold in an annual celebration, full of imagery and liturgy recounting the Lord’s power and faithfulness to hear and respond to His people’s cries.

This year, the message of deliverance and release from captivity is all the more poignant as we reflect on the enemies that surround Israel and the hostages that are still not released.

As we consider God’s power and lovingkindness towards His people during this Passover season, we can look to His Word for inspiration about ways to pray for deliverance for the Jewish people in our day.

Join us in prayer for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. Please pray for their deliverance from:

• Evil and the evil one — Matthew 6:13
• Enemies, both human and supernatural, who plot against God’s people — Psalm 59:1
• Weapons, as well as words of propaganda and false accusation — Isaiah 54:17
• Trouble — Psalm 34:17
• Fear — Psalm 34:4
• Please pray also for: Deliverance of captives, release of all remaining hostages — Isaiah 61:1
• May Israel continue to experience the Lord’s deliverance, in light of Iran’s attack, Israel’s response, and the protection and wisdom needed in what yet might come in the days and weeks ahead. — Exodus 2:23-24
• May all of Israel and the Jewish people around the world know that their Deliverer has come and is coming again! — Romans 11:26

Let’s pray

Lord, You remind Your Chosen People every Passover of Your deliverance. We are praying Your Word and declaring Your truth on their behalf. As Psalm 18:2 says, You are Israel’s rock and fortress and deliverer. You are their refuge, shield, the horn of their salvation and their stronghold. May they call upon You and experience Your deliverance in every area, including being delivered through the salvation freely offered through Yeshua (Jesus), the Lamb of God, Saviour, Messiah. In His name, we pray, Amen.

From Region to Region and Nation to Nation

Jewish Voice Ministries International truly is international. Over the years, we have reached out to and ministered on five of the world’s seven continents: Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America. The Lord continues to open doors in nations we have previously visited, as well as giving us new divine connections in some countries we have never been to before.

We would love for you to join us in prayer for wisdom, favor and protection while navigating new nations and regions. The Lord has scattered the Jewish people into some very crucial places that will require a higher level of insight and a greater ability to truly discern and hear from the Holy Spirit. Some of these potential locations are not open to the Gospel, nor are they favorable to the Jewish people who live there. The spiritual covering that comes through united, heartfelt prayer will be vital to pursuing these opportunities and facing these challenges.

Here are some ways you can pray:

• The Lord to continue fueling and emboldening Jewish Voice Ministries with a passion for bringing the Good News to the Jewish people first in order to see all Israel saved (Romans 1:16 and 11:26)
• Power from the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses to the Jewish people and their neighbors, even to the remotest parts of the Earth (Acts 1:8)
• That everywhere we go, the Jewish people and their neighbors would know that the Lord is God and there is no one else (1 Kings 8:60)
• The Lord to be merciful to us, and bless us, that His way may be known in the earth, and His salvation known in every region and nation to which He sends us (Psalm 67:1–2)
• Psalm-91-protection over us in every place and circumstance. Please pray for the full armor over us as well, from Ephesians 6:10–18, and for the Lord’s blessing on our comings and goings as we travel between regions and from nation to nation (Deuteronomy 28:6)

• That we would clearly hear the voice of the Lord and follow with devoted, obedient hearts and great faith (John 10:27)

• Divine Kingdom appointments with men and women of peace, local and national authorities, and the Jewish people and their neighbors everywhere we go (Psalm 37:23, Proverbs 3:4)

Let's Pray!

Lord, we are soberly aware that we need the prayer covering of our partners as never before. Thank You for each one You have called to stand with us in prayer as we pursue reaching out to all the scattered tribes we can in the next 10 years. May our partners also be blessed in their lives, their comings and goings, and may You use us together to make Your name known throughout the Earth and see all Israel saved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A curious Jewish holiday occurs between Passover in the spring and Shavuot in early summer. It lasts seven weeks, has few customs, and involves neither fasting nor feasting. It’s called The Counting of the Omer, and it is traditionally a period of anticipation and expectancy. Here’s why.

Counting of the Omer

When outlining the biblical feasts (the appointed times God wanted Israel to observe throughout our generations), the Lord told the Israelites to count seven weeks, 49 days, between the Passover grain offering and the next grain offering on Shavuot. They were to start counting on the second day of Passover and make the grain offering on the 50th day. An omer is a biblical measure of grain used to make the bread of such agricultural offerings, so between Passover and Shavuot, we “count the omer.”

Anticipation

The Lord communicated a calendar date for most other appointed feasts. For Shavuot, however, He specifically asked us to count the days between one feast and the next. It’s as if He wanted to build anticipation in us for something that was coming. Aside from the next grain offering, our ancestors didn’t know what that was.

Shavuot

As the Israelites left Egypt, they didn’t know what to expect. More than once on the journey, they grew frightened and longed for what they knew versus the unknown ahead, even if it meant returning to slavery. But God has something beautiful planned for them. Fifty days after leaving Egypt, the Israelites found themselves at the base of Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave them the Torah, His Law. Thus, the ancient agricultural festival of Shavuot, which means “weeks,” became associated with the Jewish people receiving the Torah.

Pentecost

The Feast of Shavuot also contains a prophetic picture fulfilled in the New Testament. After Jesus, the Messiah, died and rose again, He told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Father’s promised gift, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). Though the disciples had more information to go on about the Holy Spirit than the Israelites did about their Exodus into the wilderness, there were still uncertainties. Jesus had told them what the Holy Spirit would do for them, but how could they know what that would be like? How would a Spirit lead them, teach them and convict them of sin? It was another period of not really knowing what God would do.

When Shavuot (also called Pentecost, which is the Greek word for fiftieth) arrived ten days after Yeshua (Jesus) ascended to Heaven, His disciples were together in one place when the Holy Spirit came on them with a rushing wind and “tongues of fire.”

Counting and Anticipating

We count the omer for the seven weeks leading up to Shavuot, marking each night with a declaration of the day’s count and a blessing. It’s a perfect time to reflect on what God is doing in our lives and what more He wants to do.

What can we expect from the Lord? In the wilderness, He gave the Israelites the Torah, showing them more of who He is. At Pentecost, He first gave the gift of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every Believer, leading us and revealing the Lord, His truth, and our sin.

Scripture reveals that God is a giver of gifts (James 1:17). He has a purpose and a plan for each of us (Ephesians 2:10). He loves us with immeasurable love and longs for us to know Him (Jeremiah 31:3). The Lord has gifts He wants to give you. He has gifts He has already given you that, if you’re like many Believers, you’re still learning how to fully receive. Things like incredible and seemingly illogical peace; unwavering assurance of His love and grace toward you; wisdom to walk through this earthly life that’s full of sin and pain; and the power to follow Him in the Spirit rather than letting the old nature rule.

Ephesians 3:20 says that God can do so much more than we can even ask or imagine. What might He want to do in your life during this Counting of the Omer season? We may not know exactly what to expect, but we do know that God is in the business of transforming, guiding, and using the lives of those who are His.

Reflecting

Over the seven weeks of The Counting of the Omer, take some time to lay your life before the Lord, asking Him what He wants from you and for you. You can use the reflection questions below to help spark your prayer times. He may or may not have a specific gift related to your circumstances. Regardless, He certainly wants to draw you closer to Him through your situation. Listen to hear how He wants you to focus your heart during this season of anticipation and how you can receive more of Him.

• Lord, without my knowing what to expect, how do You want me to live expectantly?
• What do You want to give me, and what do You want me to give to You?
• Lord, at Mount Sinai and in Jerusalem at Pentecost, You showed up in mighty ways for Your people. How do I want You to show up for me in this season? How do You want to show up for me in this season?
• What have You already given me through Yeshua’s death and resurrection that You want me to learn to receive and experience in my daily life?

Click here to learn how to count the omer and mark this season of anticipation.

Praying Until…

We want to invite you into the theme of our 2024 Spring Week of Prayer and Fasting here at Jewish Voice Ministries. Each spring and fall, we take time to step away from regular work responsibilities for corporate prayer and fasting. Even though we have staff prayer times daily and weekly throughout the year, these extended times of prayer coupled with fasting are significant, and the Lord uses them in our personal lives and in this ministry.

The overarching theme for this spring’s week is “Until….” The scriptures and related prayer points below are central to our mission and near to our hearts. In times like the world is seeing today, the Lord is using them to encourage and energize us. Please pray through them on our behalf, and may they also encourage you in your life. May the Lord’s great and precious promises spur us on “until” He fulfills each one!

Let’s pray these “Until” prayers and Scriptures together:

PRAY FOR ISRAEL

Until Jerusalem is a praise in the earth | Isaiah 62:6–7

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of all the earth.”

PRAY FOR THE CHURCH

Until the fullness of the Gentiles | Romans 11:25 NKJV

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

PRAY FOR THE BODY

Until we are one | Ephesians 4:13

“Until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of [Messiah].”

PRAY FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE EVERYWHERE

Until all Israel is saved | Romans 11:26–27 NKJV

“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’”

PRAY FOR PERSEVERANCE

Until His glorious appearing and the restoration of all things | Titus 2:13, Acts 3:21

“while we wait for the blessed hope––the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus the [Messiah].”

“Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through  His holy prophets.”

Thank you for praying with us and for us. Your prayers are such a blessing, and we value them beyond measure. May we keep praying and working together for His glory and the blessings of the Jewish people – until He comes.