The First Thing – Uniting in Prayer to Oppose Antisemitic Hate
The Jewish festival of Purim is this week. This remarkable true story of God’s behind-the-scenes sovereignty and protection of His people is told in the Book of Esther. It recounts a devious plot of antisemitic hatred and how one woman’s courage helped save her people in a time of crisis.
All around us, we see evidence of hatred toward Jewish people. We want to be brave and have influence too, like Esther.
But what can we do? The first thing we can do is pray. And, as we pray, we can ask the Lord to show us how He wants us to act and respond.
Here are some ways you can pray right now:
Jewish Voice Ministries’ Southern Ethiopia Medical Outreach, in its last couple of days. Ethiopian Jewish people have long experienced antisemitism and, at times, very real and harmful persecution, including physical violence. Pray for the Lord to use Jewish Voice’s ministry there to have a lasting impact, bringing the salvation, love, and shalom (peace) of Yeshua (Jesus) not only to the Jewish people but to their neighbors as well.
Our Upcoming Outreach in South Africa. May we develop and, by God’s grace, sustain favorable relationships with those in authority at every level. May Jewish hearts be open to the Gospel, and others be open to learning more about God’s love and plans for the Jewish people. Watch for our next Prayer Points email, which will have more details on how to pray.
Love Your Jewish Neighbor. JVMI launched Love Your Jewish Neighbor in response to the extraordinary rise of antisemitism since October 7th. Love Your Jewish Neighbor equips followers of Jesus and churches with spiritual and practical tools to actively combat antisemitism. Rooted in Jesus’ teachings, the mission is to put love into action and stand with our Jewish neighbors locally and worldwide. By embodying love and compassion, we aim to build bridges of understanding through education and storytelling. You can learn more at loveyourjewishneighbor.com. Here’s how you can pray for this movement:
- That it will have real and positive impact and be a blessing to the Jewish people
- For wisdom regarding new strategies and avenues of influence as Love Your Jewish Neighbor reaches out to educate and inspire
- That more churches will be educated on antisemitism and why it’s important to stand with our Jewish neighbors and pray for them
- For fruitful partnerships with like-minded organizations
- That allies to the Jewish people would become more courageous and visible in their local communities, letting their light shine through acts of love in Yeshua
- That many would visit the loveyourjewishneighbor.com website, become educated, make use of the resources, and make a real difference in the lives of Jewish people they know
Let’s Pray
Lord, You had Your hand on Esther all along. When the time came, she had to make a choice: whether to act or not act. Thank You that she rose to the occasion. May we seek You, trust You, and do the same through our prayers and actions, for such a time as this! In Yeshua’s name, AMEN.
