The “Lost Tribes of Israel” have captivated biblical scholars, historians and rabbis for centuries. When Assyria invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E., roughly 80% of the Jewish population of ancient Israel disappeared from recorded history.
While some members of the Northern Kingdom’s 10 tribes fled south to Judah, most were taken captive or dispersed to other nations where they assimilated into the various cultures. Due to persecution in their new lands, many of them hid their Jewish ancestry, practicing the customs of their faith in secret generation after generation for centuries. They appeared to have vanished as a people and became known as the “Lost Tribes of Israel.”
In recent decades, however, descendants of these ancient Jewish people have been discovered throughout the world – in China, Ethiopia, India, Zimbabwe, Somaliland, Afghanistan, South Africa and elsewhere.
Here are five ways you can pray for the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” The Bible says that “the effective prayer of a righteous person is very powerful” (James 5:16b). God will use your prayers!
1. Pray for them to receive Yeshua (Jesus)
Some Believers don’t understand that Jewish people need Yeshua the same as Gentiles do. According to Romans 1:16, not only is the Gospel for the Jewish people, it is “to the Jew first.” The Bible is clear that faith in Yeshua is the only means of salvation. In John 14:6, Yeshua said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Pray that God will:
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Create a deeper hunger for Him in members of the “Lost Tribes of Israel”
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Send Believers to clearly communicate the Good News of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) to them
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Prepare their hearts with an openness to the Gospel and that they will receive Yeshua as their Messiah
2. Pray for those who are persecuted
Many Jewish people in developing nations endure anti-Semitic attitudes from their neighbors. Deep-seated superstitions cause people to believe Jewish people have “the evil eye” and are capable of casting spells and curses on others. Because of this, Jewish people among the “Lost Tribes of Israel” are often shunned or even persecuted. In some communities, residents refuse to employ or do business with Jewish people ‒ even going so far as to destroy the wares of independent Jewish merchants trying to earn a meager living. Jewish people also endure violent assaults. They have been beaten, had their houses set on fire, and some have even been killed. Pray that God will:
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Protect them from harm, thwarting all plans for evil against them
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Dismantle the superstitions and hatred against the Jewish people
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Strengthen the hearts of His chosen people and encourage them
3. Pray that their needs will be met
In the developing nations where many of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” reside, the Jewish people are often the “poorest of the poor.” Unemployment is high and wages are low in many of these regions. The homeless are often consigned to begging. Even in the cities, many people live without running water. In rural areas, most families do without electricity as well. Pray for:
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Adequate employment for those in the cities and towns
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God’s favor upon the crops that sustain rural families
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Protection for the homeless adults and children
4. Pray for their access to clean water
In most of the areas where Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI) brings humanitarian aid, people in the rural communities use the same water source for drinking, bathing and laundry. Many times we’ve also seen animals walking in and drinking from those same pools and shallow streams. Much of the water available is teeming with disease. Chronic sickness is common in these communities due to water-borne illnesses, which can even be fatal. Pray for:
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Education about the dangers of water-borne diseases and the vital importance of clean water and general hygiene
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Clean, safe sources of water for drinking and cooking
5. Pray for their medical needs
With poverty comes a lack of proper medical care. In many places where Jewish Voice serves the “Lost Tribes of Israel,” medical and dental care is woefully inadequate or unavailable. Minor illnesses and injuries often lead to life-threatening infections or permanent disability. Trachoma – a painful eye disease – and cataracts are leading causes of preventable blindness. Pray for:
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God to provide for the medical, dental and eye care needs of these Jewish people
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Adequate nutrition to improve their overall health
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God to touch those who are injured or suffering illness right now with comfort, healing and a sense of His presence
Please also pray for…
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Jewish Voice Ministries as we continue to research and verify communities in need around the world that believe themselves to be from the “Lost Tribes of Israel”
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Our Medical Outreaches to be well-supplied with volunteer medical professionals, equipment, medications and everything necessary to conduct these five-day Clinics in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere
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The water education departments of these Outreaches – for clear communication about the importance of clean water and that we have enough LifeStraw® filters to distribute to the thousands who attend each Clinic
Other ways you can help:
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Sign up to become a Prayer Partner and receive twice-monthly Prayer Points for the ministry of Jewish Voice and the people we serve
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Help cover JVMI Medical Outreaches with round-the-clock prayer by signing up for a time slot on our Outreach Prayer Schedule
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Deliver humanitarian aid and the Gospel to Jewish people throughout the world through a gift to Jewish Voice Ministries. Discover ways to give here
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Come with us! We need non-medical people as well as medical professionals for each Medical Outreach. Click on the red button below to learn more!
