July 1‒7 Prayer for Israel
Israel’s Arab Citizens
Approximately 21 percent of Israel’s citizens are Arab. A slim majority of them profess to be proud citizens of Israel even if they reject the idea of Israel as a Jewish State. With a general climate of tension in the Middle East between Arabs and Israelis, let’s pray for Israel’s Arab citizens, some of whom appreciate Israel and others who may be hostile toward the State based on their family heritage.
Father, we lift up Israel’s Arab citizens to You. We ask that You enlarge the favorable view of Israel in their eyes and turn the minds of those who hold animosity toward Israel. Cause them to see the freedom and prosperity available to them in this place of opportunity. For those caught between two worlds, enjoying Israel’s democracy but who also have family or friends who see Israel as an “occupier,” help them to have a positive influence on their antagonistic fellow Arabs. Open all Arab hearts to hear the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus). May there be peace in Jerusalem, Lord, and in all Israel.
July 8‒14 Prayer for Israel
Believers in Israel
Only 2 percent of Israel’s 9 million-strong population identify as those who believe in Yeshua (Jesus). That amounts to approximately 200,000 people. With significant resistance to the Gospel in Israel, Believers are often subjected to opposition and even hostility. Sharing one’s faith in Yeshua must be done with great care and sensitivity, and it generally requires a long process formed through caring relationships.
Lord, please cover Believers in Israel with Your blessing and favor. Strengthen and encourage them through Your Word and the fellowship of other committed Believers. Protect them from any animosity from their neighbors or co-workers. Move in their lives to build in them stellar reputations as people of kindness, generosity and integrity. Make them stand out as people who love and serve like no others. Use them to draw those they know into curiosity about Yeshua.
July 15‒21 Prayer for Israel
Israel’s Relationship with the United Nations
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meets three times a year in regular sessions that use a permanent agenda. In Agenda Item 4, they address all human rights violations of nations around the world ‒ except those involving Israel. The examination of Israel has a specific and permanent place on the docket. Agenda Item 7 requires that the Council address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict specifically at each and every session. Very seldom are abuses and resolutions brought against Palestinians – who continue to spend millions on attacking Israel rather than improving conditions for their own people. But Israel is highly scrutinized, regularly receiving a vastly disproportionate number of resolutions against her.
Father, it is so hard to see the unfairness which the Land of Your people endures, especially by an organization in place to ensure fair treatment of all. Lord, please open the eyes of all UNHRC member nations (and the entirety of the United Nations) to an accurate understanding of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians who continue to invest their efforts into destroying Israel and her citizens over caring for their own suffering people. Turn their minds to look favorably upon Israel. Bring to light the injustices and offenses done against her and bring an end to the forced scrutiny of Israel – like no other nation endures – that is required by Agenda Item 7.
July 22‒28 Prayer for Israel
People Praying at the Wall
The Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is as close as Jewish people can get to the place where God’s Temple once stood. The Wall is open for prayer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and hosts many millions of visitors annually. At any given time, you can find Jewish people representing many branches of Judaism, Believers in Yeshua and tourists praying at the Wall. Many people also tuck prayer requests into the crevices between the large golden blocks.
Lord, so many people come to this holy site near where Your Temple once stood. They come to connect with You. Many are hurting, looking for answers, or laying their desperate needs before You. We ask that each person praying at the Wall would have a profound experience of Your presence. For those who do not know Your Son Yeshua, may they be powerfully drawn to Him and come to saving faith in Him. For those who come merely because it is an ancient historical site, may they be moved by Your Spirit so dramatically that they diligently pursue knowing You through Yeshua Messiah. For Believers praying at the Wall, we ask that You meet each one of them in beautifully personal ways, speaking to their needs and their spirits.
July 29‒31 Prayer for Israel
Israel to come to know the Messiah
When respected people in positions of authority come to faith in Yeshua, the Gospel reaches even further as these influencers draw others to faith. Focused prayer for leaders – whether they are in governmental, religious, business or even entertainment circles – can have an impact that lasts long into the future.
Father, we pray that you would draw key influencers in Israel to Yeshua. Rabbis and other religious leaders, politicians, CEOs, celebrities, doctors, professors, and other people who have gained the respect and trust of people in their arenas – Lord, please soften their hearts to the Gospel and Yeshua. Bring Believers into their lives who will share Your Word with them and reveal Yeshua as the Messiah You promised to Israel so long ago. May they come to faith in Him and draw many others to Him in the future.
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.
Vasyl could only watch . . .
Staring at the black and white photos flashing across the giant screen on the Festival stage in Ukraine, he was suddenly transported back to the hatred and the fear of Nazis who seemed to be taking over the entire world.
And when he saw a photo on the screen of himself as a young boy, he felt the fear all over again.
Vasyl had spent a lifetime trying to forget the horrors of the Holocaust.
But no amount of time would ever be enough to erase the images that had been branded into his mind . . .
A dancer in a striped costume bearing a yellow star glided across the stage. The movement brought Vasyl back to reality. The pain he felt, even after all these years, shocked him. And Vasyl couldn’t stop the hot tears streaming down his face.
Vasyl must have wondered:
I’m writing to you now with an unprecedented opportunity to reach Jewish people, like Vasyl, in the most extraordinary way.
The Messianic Jewish Family Bible is the first and only of its kind. This exciting new Bible translation unites Old and New Covenant with a consistent Hebraic perspective.
This endeavor is the first ever of its kind for Jewish Voice in Poland.
And it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time . . .
This year marks 80 years since Nazi forces invaded Poland, that resulted in torture, death and many more gruesome actions against the Jewish people in Poland that common decency prevents me from even describing in writing.
We must seize this precious moment in history!
Poland has such a rich and vibrant Jewish history. And it was nearly erased by Hitler and his evil regime. Today, a Jewish heritage still remains.
This Festival brings more opportunity to celebrate the miracle of God’s work among His people. And it also shares the life-transforming message of Jesus, and the truth of His Messiahship!
Through dance and song, the Gospel will be demonstrated in word and power.
Thousands of Jewish people will experience what the Scriptures describe: “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16 NIV)
We must do everything we can to ensure as many Jewish people as possible in Poland encounter Jesus the Messiah.
And there’s no better time. Our Hear O’ Israel! Festival of Jewish Music & Dance is scheduled for December 13-23, 2019, during the season of Chanukah – a season of God’s presence and miracles.
That’s why I’m writing to you now to ask for your help in making a difference in eternity in such a practical and special way. I’m praying you’ll give quickly and generously.
For just $40, you can give one Jewish person the once-in-a-lifetime, eternity-changing opportunity to experience and encounter Jesus.
A group of Jewish Voice partners has put together a $100,000 Matching Grant to DOUBLE every dollar you give between now and July 31. That means, every $40 you give will give two Jewish people this incredible experience.
Whatever you can give by July 31 will DOUBLE through the $100,000 Matching Grant.
When you send a gift of any amount today, we’ll send you a special Hear O’ Israel bookmark, that includes the words of Deuteronomy 6:4 in gold foil on the front, as a thank you for your support.
If you can send a gift of $100, we’d like to bless you with the bookmark, our Hear O’ Israel journal and our Hear O’ Israel plaque. The journal will be especially meaningful with 400 pages where you can record your personal thoughts, Bible study notes or prayer requests.
The Hear O’ Israel plaque would make an inspiring addition to your house decor, sharing the words of Deuteronomy 6.
These are small tokens of our appreciation for you and your generosity to help more Jewish people experience and encounter Jesus, the Messiah, through our Hear O’ Israel! Festival of Jewish Music & Dance in Poland.
The green and white bus lumbered over the bumpy dirt road as it eased to a stop. Through its windows, the passengers could see that the Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI) Medical Outreach in Ambo Meda, Ethiopia, bustled with thousands of patients. There were people everywhere – inside tents in makeshift examination rooms, under canopies in waiting areas and in lines that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Inside the bus were our special guests – the Beta Israel Jewish people from nearby towns who had no other way to get to the Clinic. We hired several coaches to bring Beta Israel patients from places too far away to otherwise access the no-cost medical, dental and eye care we offered.
The green and white bus that arrived on Tuesday of the Clinic week held about 60 Beta Israel from the city of Birra, situated on top of the mountains outside Ambo Meda. These people couldn’t afford to use public transportation to make the trek, and it was just too far for them to walk. It would have taken a couple of days to get to the Clinic on foot, and, frankly, “a lot of them wouldn’t have made it because of their illnesses” said Ezra Benjamin, Vice President of Global Outreach at JVMI. The Outreach team expedited service to these busloads of patients so they wouldn’t have to wait in the hot sun all day long.
God has called JVMI to go “to the Jew first,” as Romans 1:16 describes, and the Beta Israel are the reason we went to Ambo Meda. As always, we were thrilled to also treat their neighbors in the region. As we intentionally bring our Medical Outreaches to places where Jewish people live, we bring blessing to the entire area. And this adds a vital element to our ministry.
Many of the Jewish people living in Ethiopia endure prejudice and persecution from their neighbors. In some places, they are forced to live outside the larger communities because of centuries-old hatred and superstition held by the general public. Jewish people are often denied the services and resources available to other citizens. When we go to an area, the broader population sees that they are blessed with humanitarian aid from our Clinics specifically because of the Jewish people. This fact confronts anti-Semitic attitudes and elevates the Jewish people in the public’s opinion. In Ambo Meda, we met a man who experienced the difference first hand.
He was a Jewish police officer, and despite his authoritative role in the community, he endured the sneers and contempt of prejudiced others. Toward the end of the Clinic, he told us, “Before Jewish Voice came, I used to walk down the street, and people would call me accursed. Now, they call me sir.”
Seeing lives transformed is at the heart of Jewish Voice’s purpose. God touched hearts in the Ambo Meda community and changed mindsets held about the Jewish people. He also enabled us to treat a record number of patients during the 2019 Ambo Meda Medical Outreach in Ethiopia – 17,787. And we did so with the smallest team we’ve ever taken. God showed us that He is faithful to take what little we have to offer and multiply it like loaves and fishes to accomplish His purposes.
And He used the prayer and financial support of people like you to help make it happen. Thank you.
Please keep the Jewish people of the Ambo Meda area in your prayers. Please pray for:
Anti-Semitic strongholds to be entirely broken there
Unlock the “unsolvable” mystery and discover how the Lost Tribes and You are vessels for fulfilling biblical prophecy.
Yeshua (Jesus) said that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). When He said this, He was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 in which Moses shared with Israel God’s words about why He provided them with manna.
The Jewish Feast of Shavuot (SHA-voo-ote) celebrates God’s gifts of both food and His Word. Shavuot is one of the biblical Feasts that God commanded Israel to keep annually. It is the last of the spring Feasts and usually falls in May or June on the Gregorian calendar. This year, Shavuot begins at sunset on June 8.
Shavuot is also called the Feast of Weeks as its date is determined by God’s instruction to count seven weeks from the Sabbath after Passover. Because this marks 50 days, Shavuot is also known as Pentecost, from the Greek word meaning 50.
In giving the Torah to the Israelites, God distinguished them as His own people. He revealed Himself to them through His instructions and called the Jewish people into a closer relationship with Him. In receiving His Word, Israel received not only the Torah but God Himself as they committed to follow His commands.
As with all the Jewish Feasts, Shavuot contains a prophetic picture of a future biblical event. Acts chapter 2 describes the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks’ foreshadow as it recounts the giving of the Holy Spirit to dwell inside Believers.
The Holy Spirit first came on the Shavuot after Yeshua’s death and resurrection, when Jerusalem was filled with people from around the world making their harvest offerings. On that day, as Believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they began speaking in tongues they had not known before. Travelers miraculously heard their own language spoken by Galileans. Peter stood up with the other disciples and explained that Yeshua is the Messiah who died and rose from the grave. More than 3,000 came to faith that day.
Shavuot was one of three Jewish Feasts in which every physically able Jewish male was required to give an offering of the first fruits from their harvest. For these pilgrimage feasts, Jewish men traveled to Jerusalem to bring their gifts to the Temple. This firstfruits offering is in thanksgiving to the Lord for providing food. Giving from the first of the harvest also demonstrates trust that God will continue to provide.
Shavuot is also a time when Jewish people commemorate the giving of the Torah (TORE-ah). Fifty days after the Hebrew slaves left Egypt, they found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai while Moses met with God on the mountain. There he received the Torah, meaning “instruction or law,” from God.
Through this gift, God provided His instruction in a new way – writing His word on our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33) to teach and guide us into all truth (John 16:15). The Holy Spirit is God’s presence with us, giving us life and sustaining us with power to live according to His ways.
The Hebrew word for feast is moad (MO-ed), which means “appointed time.” God set the Jewish Feasts as His appointed times to meet with Israel throughout the year. At Shavuot, we center our thoughts on gratitude for God’s physical provisions of food, spiritual nourishment through His Word, and the sustenance of His Spirit. May we draw near to Him in thanksgiving, praise and a new appreciation for these gifts.
Fear has no place in the life of a Believer in Yeshua (Jesus). We know that the power of His Spirit lives inside of us, and we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. However, life’s challenges often seem overwhelming. Debt, sickness, and in some places of the world, persecution, can make us feel less than powerful, even vulnerable.
In a tiny village in Northern Ethiopia (you won’t even find it on a map), Beta Israel Jewish people know this vulnerability well. Each day in this place called Ambo Meda, they are threatened, persecuted, and, in some cases, beaten because they are Jewish. Growing up in this part of the country is extremely difficult for Jewish children. Even attending school is dangerous.
Jewish Voice Ministries International’s (JVMI’s) Congregation and Leadership Development team stepped in to make school a safer place for the Jewish children of Ambo Meda. Partnering with the Bet Avraham Messianic Jewish Congregation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we constructed a fence ‒ made using 500 sheets of aluminum ‒ around the school to protect the children from various threats. The wall was built in just a few weeks thanks to the immense help of people from the local community who donated their labor.
We also want to thank you for your support. Because of your help, these children can now learn in peace.
Please watch this message from Ezra Benjamin, Vice President of Global Outreach at JVMI:
