It’s a new year, and we are excited to be reaching out somewhere new for our first outreach of 2024! We are heading to a new Ethiopia location for us, a beautiful and mountainous region in the south that is known for its hospital. However, the people we’ll serve cannot afford the medical care they need, and we will hold our Medical Clinic in a government facility.

Breaking new ground requires ground-breaking prayer. We have every expectation that this will be a wonderful Outreach, but we truly need a strong prayer covering, especially considering all that’s going on there in the nation. Here’s how you can engage in prayer:

• You can pray along with us through the Outreach. Below are detailed DAY-BY-DAY Prayer Points
• You can commit to a specific time slot to pray for us from home during the Outreach.  SIGN UP HERE on our Prayer Schedule, according to the Outreach dates below

Day-by-Day Prayer Points

Here is a list of ways you can pray for us, day by day, on the Jewish Voice Ministries Medical Outreach to a new location in southern Ethiopia, February 29 –March 10, 2024.

Before the Outreach

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

— Isaiah 43:19

Wednesday, February 21 – Saturday, March 2

• That all preparations come together fully in place, such as VISAS, medical supplies, site readiness, team unity and community relationships to come together
• Protection, health, safety and favor as our team and partners prepare and travel
• Effective training for all areas of the Outreach

• The Lord to prepare the spiritual atmosphere and people’s hearts and cause spiritual forces of darkness to flee, making way for the King of Glory to come with salvation, healing and deliverance

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

SPECIAL REQUESTS

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

— Jeremiah 33:3

• This is the first time the Zehra Kids Program in Ethiopia will be run entirely by indigenous leaders – may the Lord help them work together to get the program up and running right away
• Almost simultaneous with the Outreach, some of our JVMI leaders will visit congregational leaders in Africa and also do some scouting for future Outreaches. Please pray for their protection and success
• Last year, we noticed a definite and positive expansion of the spiritual nature of Outreaches in terms of prayer, worship, and experiencing the presence and joy of the Lord. Pray for an ongoing increase in 2024!

Sunday, March 3

• An effective first day of ministry as the Clinic opens mid-morning
• Word to get out, which is so essential in a new location, and many to come for treatment and care
• Hired local workers to be fully aligned with Jewish Voice’s desire to bless their community

Monday, March 4

• Favor from local leaders before, during and after the Outreach
• The National Zehra team to minister to the children with great unity, spiritual power and effectiveness
• The Lord to move powerfully through the Gospel and the ministry of the Holy Spirit

Tuesday, March 5

• Healing through effective medical and dental care and also supernaturally, as testimony to the Lord’s power and love
• The Living Waters team to leave a lasting and eternal impact on the community through salvations, love, and provision
• A special grace upon the Messianic Jewish congregation providing prayer and spiritual care for those who desire it

Wednesday, March 6

• A refreshing time in worship and prayer this evening – may the forces of darkness flee and the joy of the Lord overtake the team
• The Lord to bring our team wisdom, favor, discernment and protection regarding any local or unique factors regarding this location, conditions or timeframe
• Spiritual strength and stamina for our team, renewed by intimacy with the Lord and powerful daily group prayer times

Thursday, March 7

• 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 and the patient lines are closed, marking the end of the Clinic
• Safety and efficiency in closing the Clinic and packing up equipment and supplies

Friday, March 8

• Protection and ease on the trip back to Addis Ababa
• A relaxing day celebrating all the Lord has done and ending the week in fellowship with one another
• A blessed Erev Shabbat dinner with testimonies of the Lord’s goodness

After the Outreach

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

— John 8:31-32

Saturday, March 9 and beyond

• Safe travels home for all local and international participants
• The Lord to continue working in this region, bringing a great movement of His Holy Spirit among these dear people
• Effective and timely follow-up to all who want to hear more about Yeshua (Jesus) while the Lord continues establishing His Kingdom in Ethiopia and developing healthy congregations

Let’s Pray Now

Lord, we start this year with renewed amazement that You have called us to take the Good News of Jesus to the Jewish people scattered in the nations. This town in Ethiopia would be unknown to us except for Your sovereign guidance. Even though it is new ground for Jewish Voice to bring the Gospel, may it be fertile, prepared soil for many to receive Jesus. And may You use the Messianic Jewish Believers already in Ethiopia to gather the new Believers into congregations, disciple them in the Word and raise them up into healthy, godly leaders in their own families and communities. Use us to glorify Your name throughout 2024! In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.

The Ministry Journey — Praying for All the Steps

Do you know the first of Jewish Voice Ministries’ three-part approach to transforming lives and seeing all Israel saved? It’s “Proclaiming the Gospel to the Jew first,” based on the priority set forth in Romans 1:16. But we don’t stop there.

The Lord has given us a multi-phase process for long-term ministry as it relates to this part of our ministry — from first reaching out to a new-to-us Jewish people group to connecting new Believers in fellowship, raising up leaders, and equipping them to carry on ministry in their area.  We would love your prayers about the various steps of reaching and ministering to Jewish communities around the world, as, even right now, we are in different phases with a number of communities.

Please pray for exponential growth and multiplication throughout this process: as Believers come to know the Lord one by one, indigenous leaders are raised up, congregations and ministries form, and these Messianic Jewish faith communities expand and network to impact nations.

Inspired by the eight steps of our ministry process, here are some ways you can pray for us as we follow our roadmap to reach Jewish communities throughout the world.

• LEARN. Pray for the Lord to help us continue learning of communities worldwide that claim Jewish origins.

• EXPLORE AND VALIDATE. Ask the Lord to give us favor and discernment as we interview, look at historical connections, and use other means to verify the legitimacy of each community’s claim of Jewish origins.

• DISCOVER. Once we have confirmed the community as a good location for reaching out to Jewish people, we ask the Lord to help us discover a particular need that He can use us to help meet, such as medical/dental care, clean water, and so on. Ask Him with us!

• MEET THE NEED. Pray for the Lord’s help in executing His strategy to meet the need, which opens the door to sharing the Gospel.

• DETERMINE. We also need prayer for the Lord’s help in determining if there will be an ability to plant local faith communities in this area after an initial sharing of the Gospel.

• IDENTIFY, TRAIN and EMPOWER. Our desire is that the Lord use us to identify, train and empower indigenous leaders, both national and local. Pray for the Lord’s ongoing help as this long-range process requires building and sustaining relationships and providing discipleship, leadership training and other resources.

• RELEASE. As leaders mature and Believers grow strong in their faith, we establish and release their potential for indigenous ministry. Pray for this phase and that local Believers and ministries will have a powerful impact on their communities and nations.

• CONNECT. As local Messianic Jewish ministries and congregations are released, pray for the Lord to connect them with the Church at large and the international Messianic Jewish community, allowing them even further reach and impact.

It’s a big process and an ongoing vision. But we have seen and continue to see the Lord work through it. He is moving! There is so much opportunity — and opposition. Please continue to pray for Jewish Voice and the Jewish people groups around the world that the Lord leads us to and enables us to engage with in this process.

Let's pray!

Lord, You are the one who calls Jewish people and their neighbors to Yourself. You’re the one who leads them into fellowship with other Believers and equips them to go into their communities and all the world to share Your message and love. You have given us such an inspiring vision, and we want to be fully used by You to see it come to pass — for Your glory and the blessing of Jewish people and the body worldwide. Lead us through each phase of this process with every community of Jewish people that You direct us to. Thank You for Your leadership and help and for our incredible partners who faithfully pray. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

When Paul talks about the “one new man” in Ephesians chapter 2, it can be tempting to believe that every Believer is to worship in the same way. In the context of Scripture as a whole, specifically Galatians 3:26–28, we see the idea of “unity with distinction” between Jewish and Gentile Believers emerge. Paul tells the Galatians that “there is neither Jew nor Greek,” which at first glance appears to support a homogenous sameness. However, it’s important not to overlook the very next phrase of verse 28, which says there is also “neither male nor female.” A husband and wife are “one” but maintain their distinct identities, each with different abilities and contributions to the marriage.

Unity between Jewish and Gentile Believers in Jesus doesn’t eliminate the distinctness of the other. We each have separate God-given identities and roles, and we cannot do or be that of the other. This removes the idea of either group claiming the other should look like, act like or practice their faith “like us.”

In the early Church, faith in Jesus as the Messiah was clearly a part of Judaism. Peter required a vision from the Lord to assure him that God was calling him to speak about the Messiah to Cornelius and his household, who were not Jewish. All of them believed and received the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 10.) As the Gospel spread to the non-Jewish world, the apostles and elders met to discuss whether or not Gentile Believers needed to first convert to Judaism. This “Jerusalem Council” decided no and outlined only a few things non-Jewish Believers should abstain from as requirements to worship alongside of the Jewish people. (See Acts 15.)

As the body of Messiah grew to be composed of mostly Gentile Believers, the situation changed.

In the third century, which by then the body had become composed of mostly Gentile Believers, the ruler Constantine adopted a form of Christianity. He believed that because, by and large, the Jewish people had rejected Jesus as Messiah, God had rejected them in favor of the Gentile Church. (This is known as Replacement Theology.) Constantine rejected the Hebrew calendar in favor of the Gregorian and reassigned different dates to holidays honoring Jesus’ life and ministry, emphatically separating faith in Jesus from its Jewish foundation. That’s why Passover and Easter (Resurrection Sunday), which the Bible reveals are divinely connected, oftentimes don’t line up on our calendars.

Sadly, today, the question addressed at the Jerusalem Council has been reversed. Many Christians believe – or at least expect – that a Jewish person who comes to believe Jesus is the Messiah should set aside their Jewish identity and assimilate into the modern Church. The biblical principle of unity with distinction says otherwise. In fact, the Bible indicates that God has given each group – Jewish and Gentile Believers – specific and different assignments.

In Genesis 12:3, God told Abraham that, through his descendants, all the families of the Earth would be blessed. God gave Israel this role to play on Earth – to be a blessing to all. This prophecy is epitomized in the coming of Yeshua, the Messiah who came from the Jewish people. Likewise, the Holy Spirit, now available to all who confess Yeshua as Lord, was first poured out on the Jewish followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. We also see evidence of Jewish people’s contributions to society. Representing only two percent of the world’s population, Jewish people account for 22 percent of all Nobel Prize winners.

In Romans 11:26, Paul informs the Gentile Believers of Rome that they have been grafted into the faith of Israel like a wild olive branch is grafted into a natural tree and have been given the particular role of provoking Israel to a holy jealousy over their relationship with the God of Israel.

One might wonder if these assignments were only for the early Church. No. Paul says it plainly in the same chapter of Romans: “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” They don’t change over time. (See Romans 11:29 NKJV.)

Yeshua (Jesus,) the Messiah, brings us together, united in our faith in Him, as part of the family of the one true God, yet retaining distinct heritages and responsibilities. We each have our roles to play in the world, sharing the love and salvation of the God of Israel who “so loved” the whole world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him – Jewish or non-Jewish – would not perish but have eternal life (See John 3:16.) And we each have our roles to play in relation to one another.

For more on this topic, watch Jewish Voice Vice President of Global Ministry Affairs Ezra Benjamin’s conversation with David Blease, Teaching Pastor of Gateway Center for Israel.

A Familiar but Critical Prayer Request

If you are one of Jewish Voice Ministries’ Prayer Partners, you know we frequently ask for prayer to receive wisdom and guidance from the Lord.

Why do we do that so often? Because we know we need it! We need it in terms of where to go on each Outreach, when to go, and how to conduct the Outreach. The Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) is the same, but different times, situations and locations require different methods.

More than ever, as we head into 2024, we are sobered by our need for the Lord’s perfect wisdom and plan.

We need Him to guide us into divine connections and appointments, lead us through open doors, and show us when doors are closed rather than just an obstacle we should try to overcome. We need help knowing which Jewish populations the Lord calls us to serve and share Yeshua with in this season. We need the gift of the discerning of spirits to tell good connections and situations from those that only seem good. We need help finding the right supplies and vendors. We need help during the Outreaches, handling various situations that might arise, and how to prevent them in the first place. We need God’s wisdom in every detail!

God promises in James 1:5 to give wisdom to those who ask, and we are so grateful. But we also realize that a key component to receiving His wisdom lies in the capacity to perceive what He is saying. Hearing clearly from the Lord and obeying accurately and quickly is critical in these times, and it is truly crucial in many places around the globe. We are waiting on Him for that.

Please join us in praying for our ability to receive and perceive wisdom from the Lord. Ask the Lord for wisdom along with us and on our behalf, praying for:

• Faith to proceed when the Lord says go, trusting Him for all the details. That the Lord would shine His light for us to follow, making even difficult places and situations smooth
  — Isaiah 42:16
• Us to seek the Lord’s counsel in everything and that He would give us success in all He calls us to do — 2 Chronicles 26:5
• Pinpoint accuracy in knowing His will, timing and direction about where to explore opportunities, build relationships, and bring the Good News — Isaiah 30:10
• For divine appointments with trustworthy partners in the gospel in new areas who can help open doors and enable us to navigate new territories safely and well — Philippians 1:4–5
• Discernment to navigate cultures and locations that are against the Gospel and the Jewish people — 2 Timothy 2:7
• Us to discern the Lord’s guidance and follow Him accurately for His name’s sake — Psalm 31:3

Let's pray!

Lord, we know we cannot rely on ourselves. We must have Your specific and detailed guidance. We must know how to hear and navigate when You say “GO NOW” and when You say “WAIT for now.” We are trusting You to lead us to trustworthy partners in difficult places and situations. Lead us to the specific Jewish people groups and locations where You want Your light to shine, places that desperately need salvation, healing, and deliverance from darkness. You say that You will lead us, guide us and help us, and we trust You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures show us that God set apart the Jewish people. He chose them as the people to whom He would reveal Himself and give His Word. He charged them with obeying and preserving His Word throughout all their generations. The Lord selected the Jewish people to be “a light unto the nations” (the Gentiles), bearing testimony of Him to the world (Isaiah 42:6). It was from Israel that God sent the Messiah for all mankind – to the Jew first (Romans 1:16). That’s quite a role for the Jewish people in relation to the Gentiles. But what is the role of Gentiles in the Church in relation to the Jewish people? Here are several.

Understand that God has not rejected Israel
God’s covenant with Israel is everlasting, and He is faithful to keep His promises. The apostle Paul boldly clarifies that God has not rejected Israel, even though we as a people have failed to keep His commandments and in large part have rejected His Messiah. In fact, Paul emphasizes that the Gospel of Jesus is for the Jew first. (See Romans 11:11, Romans 11:1 – 2a and Romans 1:16). 

Love, bless and stand with Israel and the Jewish people
Standing with Israel means to agree with what God says in His Word about the Jewish people – that He chose them as a people for Himself, He dearly loves them, is faithful to His everlasting covenants made with them and desires each Jewish person to place their faith in Messiah Jesus. Blessing Israel includes praying for the State of Israel and Jewish people everywhere, respecting and speaking well of them, and helping those in need. Sharing the Gospel is an essential, irreplaceable component of blessing Israel and the Jewish people.

In Genesis 12:3, God spoke His heart to Abraham, saying He would make him a great nation and would “bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” Gentile Believers who want to be in alignment with God’s heart, loving the things He loves, must love, bless and stand with the Jewish people and Israel. 

Understand that Jewish people do not have another way of salvation apart from faith in Jesus
The New Testament is emphatic that there is only one way to receive salvation from our sin, and that is through Jesus the Messiah. Jesus identifies Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life,” adding that no one comes to the Father but through Him. The writer of Acts confirms there is no other to salvation but through the name of Jesus. (See John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.)  

Pray for the Jewish people and Israel
Psalm 122:6 calls all Believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Part of the role of Gentiles in the Church as it relates to Israel is to follow this instruction. What does that mean? The Hebrew word translated as peace is shalom, and it encompasses a broader spectrum of blessings than the English word peace captures. It includes tranquil circumstances and also the ideas of welfare, soundness and completeness. 

Embrace the Jewish roots of faith in Jesus while loving Jewish people more than Jewish things
The New Testament rests firmly upon God’s intentionally developed foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures. When Gentile Believers recognize these connections and understand the Jewish roots of faith in Jesus, it greatly enriches their relationship with God and His Word. But there is a danger of valuing Jewish elements of faith without possessing and nurturing a love for Jewish people. Paul so longed for the salvation of his fellow Jews that he was almost willing to give up his own eternal condition if they would believe in Jesus. (See Romans 9:1 – 3.) 

Help the Body of Messiah and non-believing Jewish people understand that Jewish faith in Jesus as the Messiah is not a switch to a new religion
It’s a common misconception among Jewish people that believing in Jesus means abandoning their Jewish heritage and faith in the God of Israel to join another religion. Likewise, Gentile Believers run the risk of deepening that perceived division – among themselves as well as with Jewish people they’re trying to reach – by not understanding the conveyed implications of phrases like “convert to Christianity” and “become a Christian” when spoken concerning Jewish people and faith in Jesus. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Far from forsaking Judaism, a Jewish person placing their faith in Jesus as the Messiah fills full their Jewish identity as designed by God and revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures through Moses and the prophets. Part of the role of Gentiles in the Church relating to Jewish people is to help communicate this.

Let Jewish Believers maintain their Jewish identity by not asking or expecting them to assimilate into a Gentile Christian expression of faith and worship
God called the Jewish people to specific practices and customs to be observed throughout the generations. Many Jewish Believers have strong convictions to worship Yeshua (Jesus) in an outwardly Jewish way in keeping with the Torah and Jewish heritage. Many feel more comfortable in a Messianic Jewish congregation than a typical Gentile church service. Messianic Judaism allows Jewish Believers to do just that. It also casts a spotlight on Acts 4:12, revealing to both Jew and Christian that salvation is only through faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

Kindle jealousy for God in Jewish people
Paul's ministry to the Gentiles was twofold. Not only would taking the Gospel to them bring many of them to salvation, but, as he wrote in Romans 11:14, it also served to provoke jealousy in his own people. God chose the Jewish people to bless the world through the gifts of His Word and the Messiah. What the Lord designed for the Jews first (Romans 1:16) – an intimate relationship with Him – is open to Gentiles too. 

The early Church was composed primarily of Jewish Believers, but by the 3rd Century, it included more Gentile Believers than Jewish. Paul explains that Gentile Believers are like branches grafted into the “olive tree” of Israel. In this way, Gentiles partake in the “fatness of the olive tree,” which includes the adoption, glory, covenants, giving of the Law and the service of God that Israel enjoys. (See Romans 9:3 – 5.)

“This is supposed to poke something in the Jewish community,” says Ezra Benjamin, Jewish Voice Vice President of Global Ministry Affairs. “The message is that the people not from a Jewish background have come into the blessings and the faith in the messiahship of the Jewish Messiah.” 

There are many essential aspects of the role of Gentiles in the Church as it relates to Israel. However, this kindling to jealousy is perhaps the most profound. God uses Gentile faith in the God of Israel to prompt Jewish people toward their Messiah, Jesus, and the fulfillment of their God-given Jewish identity. “The role of Gentiles,” says Ezra Benjamin, Jewish Voice Vice President of Global Affairs, “is this inextricable connectedness with the people of Israel – carrying the faith of Israel through the Messiah of Israel to provoke the people of Israel to jealousy.” 

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Insofar as I am an emissary to the Gentiles, I spotlight my ministry if somehow I might provoke to jealousy my own flesh and blood and save some of them.
– Romans 11:13 – 14 (TLV)

Did you know that prayer is one of the most significant ways our partners engage with Jewish Voice Ministries? That’s thanks to you and so many others like you!

We so appreciate you praying through the Prayer Points emails every other week. Now we have a quick, easy way for us all to be reminded to pray for Israel and the Jewish people every single week — via short text messages.

We hope you’ll continue engaging with the Prayer Points emails — because they contain timely and detailed requests that would be too long for a text. We also hope you will sign up for the Pray for Israel text messages. It’s exciting to think that at the same moment you receive your weekly prayer reminder via text, hundreds, even thousands of others, will too, and we will all be praying in unity for Israel using the same short prayer request.

What’s prompted this prayer initiative at this time? Consider this. The Hebrew year 5784 began on September 15, 2023. We had no idea that just a few short weeks later, on October 7, Israel would be on the receiving end of barbaric attacks and plunged into war. Now we are at the threshold of 2024, and just as the Word says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth,” we don’t know what 2024 holds for Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. However, the Lord knows.

Especially now, with Israel at war, we desire to share short, specific ways that you can pray for Israel (the country, the Land and the people) and for our partner ministries who are serving others selflessly amid their own war-time difficulties.

Please pray with us about this new initiative. Please pray for:

• These text messages to increase the number of partners actively praying for Israel and the Jewish people
• The Lord’s guidance in wording these short prayer points to hit the mark
• Everyone to stop when they receive the texts, or shortly thereafter, and PRAY short prayers, and also refer to the texts to pray again later and throughout the week
• The ability to recognize the Lord’s answers to prayer and praise Him
• Expanded awareness that we are part of a large and growing community of Jewish Voice Ministries staff and partners who are uniting in prayer for Israel and the Jewish people globally

Let's pray!

Lord, we are grateful for prayer, our means of continual contact with You. Join our hearts together in prayer for Israel and the Jewish people during these crucial times. Use these simple text messages to call us to shoot up quick “arrow prayers” and even remind and inspire us to spend deeper, detailed times of intercession with You, hearing even more clearly what Your heart wants us to pray. We love You, we love Your people, and we long to see Your plans for them fulfilled in answer to our prayers. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Ministering to a grief-stricken Israel

Recently, I sat down with Esther, who is our Grants Administrator here at Jewish Voice Ministries. She is in ongoing communication with the ministries you help us support in Israel. As soon as war broke out in early October, she began inquiring how we could pray for them personally and their work in the Land.

I asked her what themes or specific areas for prayer she heard repeated in these communications. She shared them with me, and now I am sharing them with you for your ongoing prayers. It is so good to know that we are bringing these things to the Lord together, to the One Who watches over Israel continually. Here’s what Esther shares with us to inform and ignite our prayers.

MINISTRY TO SOLDIERS

Many ministries are providing encouragement and physical supplies to the soldiers risking their lives to ensure future generations in Israel live free of terror and hatred. These provisions range from daily necessities like toothbrushes. Some ministries will be providing longer-term trauma care for those who serve. In addition, some of the ministry and congregational leaders and members have been called into active military service. This, of course, impacts them and their families personally and their ministry responsibilities.

Ways You Can Pray

• Abundant provisions of all kinds (and their timely delivery) for those serving in the military
• Shalom for leaders and congregants who are fighting, that God would protect them and give them victory over the enemy (Psalm 91)
• Strength and grace for soldiers and their families at home (Isaiah 40:31)
• Boldness for Jewish soldiers who are Believers, that they would be a light and comfort to their comrades and have open doors to share miracles and testimonies with non-believing soldiers
  (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

HUMANITARIAN AID

It is estimated that over 200 thousand people have been displaced in Israel for some length of time since October 7th. This has precipitated a need for housing, food and basic provisions, as well as clean-up efforts and rebuilding in affected areas. “We are blessed,” one of our ministry partners said, “to prepare a meal with love to many who need daily bread. And we’re honored to show God’s love to those who need it.” Again, the need for trauma care and counseling is prevalent, from people affected by the news of the war to those physically and very personally impacted by it. Some of the ministries you help support through Jewish Voice are also providing help through financial recovery programs, training for small businesses and other areas.

Ways You Can Pray

• Wisdom and divine strategies for ministries to know how to collaborate with others and understand the evolving needs during this season of both hardships and divine opportunities
• The Lord to provide effective trauma and counseling care by qualified professionals and through the healing ministry of His Holy Spirit
• Financial recovery programs and help for specific areas like small businesses and the tourism industry
• Ongoing clean-up and rebuilding efforts and safety for those conducting them

STRENGTHENING THE BODY

We are continually lifting up the body of Believers in Israel, in particular the Messianic Jewish Believers who are under tremendous pressure from all sides. From the soldiers battling terrorists to the moms getting their kids to school safely, from the leaders of the largest ministries and congregations in the Land to the volunteers and participants in the smallest ministries, please pray for the Believers in Israel.

Ways You Can Pray

• Solid grounding in Believers’ relationships with the Lord, looking to and abiding in Him daily
• A growing unity among Believers in the Land including between Messianic Jews and Arab Christians.
• An ongoing supply of strength in doing good and in prayer, and that they would not grow weary
• That they would declare and be comforted by God’s character and His promises in His Word

Let's pray!

Lord, we know the needs are so great in Israel right now! But You are greater still. Thank You for these focal points of prayer for the soldiers, for humanitarian aid, and for the encouragement of the body. Lord, as we pray for those in need of care and ministry, help us remember to pray for those doing the ministry. We believe You are working and moving in ways we can’t even imagine, and we continue to ask You for miracles of salvation, healing, deliverance and protection. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name, AMEN.

Chanukah starts tomorrow!

During this season of the eight-day Festival of Lights, we can reflect on Chanukah’s origins and how it’s celebrated in our day. For the purpose of prayer, however, let’s reflect on some of Chanukah’s themes as a way to ignite our prayers.

Here are some themes that will feel very familiar to you, considering our world today, and some related prayer points. Please pray for the following:

LIGHT TO OVERCOME DARKNESS: Pray for God’s truth and light, especially in the Person of Yeshua, to overcome the rampant deception and darkness currently being unleashed and exposed.

• Those trapped in the deepest and darkest of false ideologies and demonic deception to be overcome by Yeshua’s (Jesus’) Gospel light and freed into truth and new life
• The media, society, the Nations, and even churches, to be freed from whatever ways they’ve been swept up into false narratives and outright lies regarding God, Israel and the Jewish people
• Believers in Israel and around the world to be salt and light to their family members, friends, and others they encounter
• Divine encounters with Jewish people in this time when they are so troubled by what’s happening around them. May the truth of the Messiah and the light of His love be apparent through Believers, lighting the way to salvation for thousands upon thousands

ANTI-SEMITISM — Yes, that is one of Chanukah’s biggest themes!

• The world to see anti-Semitism for what it truly is and stand against it
• The Body Body of Messiah to understand that anti-Semitism is not just an ideology or form of prejudice, but it is an expression of the anti-Messiah (anti-Christ) spirit operating against God’s Chosen People
• PROTECTION of Jewish people everywhere, including during Chanukah when there are celebrations and observances both at home and in public
• PROVISION — Just like the oil that lasted eight days, pray for the Lord’s provision of all necessary resources for those fighting against terrorism and evil in whatever forms it takes
• MIRACLES on the front lines, in the trenches, for those serving and ministering. May we see miracles in Israel and even on a global scale beyond what we could imagine

OIL represents the Holy Spirit, and in the miracle of Chanukah, it didn’t run out. Pray for Believers to be:

• In the Word, in prayer, and continually seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit
• Like the five wise virgins, fully prepared for what’s ahead and not found sleeping

WAGING WAR WELL — The Maccabees were a small group waging war against a huge anti-God force. In our time, it can feel as if the world has gone mad and turned against God en masse:

• May we not rely on our own power or might but rely on the Holy Spirit
• May we remember we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness
• May we “suit up” daily in the armor of God and allow Psalm 91, Psalm 27, and other equipping Scriptures to go down deep into our spirits, building our faith and making us strong in the Lord and the power of His might

DEDICATION — At the time of the Maccabees, the Temple had been horribly defiled, and they were committed to its cleansing and rededication. As the Lord’s temple ourselves, pray for Believers to:

• Continually examine and guard our hearts, as well as our thoughts and actions, purposing again and always to follow the Lord
• Count the cost — of being a whole-hearted follower of Yeshua, of speaking out on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, of supporting Believers in the Land and getting the Good News out to as many Jewish people as possible — and rededicate ourselves to Him

Let's pray!

Lord, even during this wonderful Festival of Lights of Chanukah, we know we live in such dark days. May we continually remember that the darkness will NOT overcome the light. May we be faithful to pray the Light of the World, Jesus, into every dark corner of the globe. And Lord, would You shine the Light of the Gospel into the hearts of people everywhere, including and especially Your Jewish people. May those throughout the world who are walking in darkness truly see and receive the great Light of the world, Yeshua, this Chanukah season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.