Israel
Israel lies on the eastern Mediterranean land bridge connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe. In the biblical record, this land is the setting for the patriarchs, the history of Israel, the ministries of the prophets, and the earthly life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The modern State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, following the end of the British Mandate. There have been a number of wars and conflicts surrounding its establishment and continuing existence, which have brought challenges to daily living to both Jewish and Palestinian Arab communities. Today, Israel is home to a Jewish-majority population alongside Arab citizens, including Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin, immigrants, and foreign residents. It is a land of extraordinary biblical significance, remarkable national resilience, and continuing security challenges. In its short existence, Israel has made notable advancements and achievements in science and technology, agriculture, education, medicine, engineering, military strategies and arms, and global trade, among other things. Scripture reminds believers that God remains faithful to His covenant purposes, while the church is called to pray for Israel’s salvation, the peace of Jerusalem, the protection of the innocent, the strengthening of Christ’s church, and the faithful proclamation of the gospel throughout the land.
9,517,000
People live in Israel, a highly educated and modern society where most identify as Jewish - ranging from deeply Orthodox to entirely secular - in the historic homeland of the Jewish people and the land where much of God’s redemptive work unfolded throughout Scripture. Most Jewish Israelis do not yet recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah, and many communities still await a clear and faithful gospel witness. Yet God has preserved both a Messianic Jewish remnant and a historic Arab Christian presence, demonstrating His continuing work among every tribe, language, and people.
Prayer points
Spiritual Openness
Jesus was Jewish, his disciples were Jewish, and the earliest church was born in Jerusalem — yet fewer than 2% of Israelis follow him today. The Jewish people carry deep wounds from centuries of persecution by people who called themselves Christians, making the gospel feel like a foreign religion. Pray for that veil to lift — for Jewish Israelis to encounter the Jesus of the Hebrew Scriptures, not the Jesus of the Crusades. Ask God to move in dreams and visions, as He has been doing across the Muslim world and among Jewish seekers, opening eyes to their own Messiah. "Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him." (Luke 24:31)
Peace Between Peoples
Jewish and Arab communities in Israel live in proximity but often in mutual fear and grievance, the wounds on both sides running deep. The Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian communities occupy a unique position — called to demonstrate in their own relationships the reconciliation that Christ makes possible. This is not easy, and it is not cheap. Pray for believers to be genuine peacemakers — not glossing over injustice, but refusing to accept hatred as the final word. Ask for the courage to build friendships across every dividing wall and give the watching world a glimpse of the kingdom. "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one." (Ephesians 2:14)
Growth of the Local Church
There are an estimated 15,000–25,000 Messianic Jewish believers in Israel today — a community that has multiplied tenfold in fifty years. Arab Christians bring their own ancient witness alongside them. Pray for these communities to be strengthened in faith, rooted in Scripture, and courageous in witness to their own people. Ask for genuine unity between Jewish and Arab believers, whose shared worship across every historical dividing line is itself a prophetic sign to a watching nation. Pray for the next generation of Israeli leaders who will love their Messiah and their neighbors together. "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)