Pray with us!

Dear Prayer Partners,

Israel narrowly avoided another military conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip last month. The hotly contested Flag March on Jerusalem Day, plus the ultra-high tensions between Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Arabs in East Jerusalem made for a stressful May. This coming month, we celebrate Shavuot (Pentecost), as well as the end of the school year for Israel’s students. Summer is in the air! There is always much to be in prayer for, and we ask that you intercede on behalf of Israel and Hope for Israel this coming month.

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR:

Shavuot

The “Feast of Weeks”, Shavuot, begins June 4^th at sundown. This marks the 50 days since Passover, where Jewish tradition teaches that God gave the Torah to Moses and the children of Israel on Mt. Sinai. It is also the day when Yeshua’s disciples received the Holy Spirit in the way of tongues of fire. It is a joyful holiday in Israel and we are praying it will be a peaceful one!

Please pray for:

peaceful celebrations throughout Israel and abroad
protection over Israeli civilians from any terror attacks during this time
for a revelation of Messiah through the Holy Spirit, for all of Israel

Jerusalem Tensions

The security situation in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, is still precarious. Tensions are high in the Old City, and at the Temple Mount, especially. Police are working overtime to ensure the safety of all people, Jew and Arab alike, and are actively patrolling flashpoint areas.

Please pray for:

calm between all people in Israel, Jews and Arabs alike
wisdom for Israeli officials in restoring calm to Jerusalem
advances in security cooperation & peace negotiations with the Palestinians

Israeli Government

The government continues to face instability. With such a narrow majority, the current Knesset under PM Bennett is quite fragile. This is a time when the Israeli government needs to be unified, especially considering the internal and external challenges the country faces.

Please pray for:

wisdom regarding Israel's security, particularly the pressing Iranian issue, and the terror from within certain Israeli Arab communities
a unified Knesset (parliament)
practical ways to help Israel is to recover from the pandemic,
building more diplomatic ties with Muslim nations in the region,
establishing an equitable system of checks and balances to keep the government from overreaching,
lowering the extremely high cost of living in Israel, and getting more families out of poverty.

Israel's Security

Concern remains very high regarding Iran and its nuclear ambitions.

Iranian-backed militia groups that can easily attack Israel from just over the borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza continue to be of concern. Iranian-backed Hamas continues to be an imminent threat to Israel. Israel also faces security concerns from within.

Please pray for:

the Lord's wisdom for Israeli military officials if diplomacy fails and a military attack on Iran becomes necessary,
preparation for possible conflict with Hamas at any time, and for the protection of civilians in both Israel and Gaza,
protection over Israel's soldiers who protect God's Land and people every single day,
revival in the hearts of all Israel's enemies, that they would see they are fighting the God of Israel and come to know Him through Messiah Yeshua

Israeli Youth

More and more youth are engaging in destructive and dangerous behavior throughout the country. Many childhood experts are concerned that this recklessness is partly fallout from the pandemic, as well as the high stress of Israel’s security situation. The general level of uncertainty that Israelis face is quite high, and many youth are struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and other mental health disorders.

Please pray for:

increased access to mental health wellness professionals for the youth
higher level of parental involvement in the lives of their children
wisdom for school administrators and teachers who are overwhelmed by the situation
a breakthrough in the lives of Israel’s youth

HFI Prayer requests:

We continue to prayerfully seek the Lord’s wisdom and guidance to implement a renewed vision for 2022.

Please join us in praying for:

Moran

This month, Moran continues to oversee other ministry activities in the office. He will also be traveling towards the end of the month for a 6-week summer ministry trip. His family will join him as well!

Please pray for:

wisdom regarding all areas of the ministry, that he would receive clear direction in making important decisions
implementation the vision God laid on his heart for both ministry and family for 2022
peace, patience, insight, & clarity in his day-to-day responsibilities
a fruitful and renewing summer trip for he and his family
health, rest, and renewal for him, his wife, and children
sustainance for studying & writing his weekly Scripture commentaries

HFI Board Members & Staff

Please pray:

for a blessing over our board members and staff who devote much time and energy to executing our vision for the ministry,
for protection over their families while they serve,
for two of our board members who have lost their wives this past year, for comfort and strength
for wisdom for the board members as they will make decisions that impact the ministry in tangible ways,
for Bill Katz, our U.S. representative, for health & traveling mercies; for protection over his wife and daughter while he is traveling; for fruitful meetings and speaking engagements
for God to bring us an Operations Manager in our Jerusalem office to oversee the daily operations of the ministry in Israel

Threefold Vision for Empowering the Future Generation of Believers

Please pray for:

overall cohesion among Moran, Tigist, and the team: Emunah, Ro'i, Sapir, & Anavah
as the academic year comes to an end in June, for wisdom for the staff as they plan the summer schedule
effective development and training for the staff and volunteers in the various departments
unity in the hearts of the team
volunteer counselors for next year’s program

NerYah Youth Group:

for a fruitful and blessed end-of-year party on June 22nd
for the youth as they struggle with fear from the current tensions in Jerusalem
for the youth to form deep, meaningful connections with one another
for transparency among the youth to share their struggles, doubts, and concerns, and they would not feel they need to "perform" their faith to impress others
for wisdom for the counselors, as they guide the youth through some difficult things in this season

Believing Soldiers:

Spiritual, physical, and mental protection for our soldiers who are at various bases in the country, especially in the wake of the tense situation in the country.
Wisdom for the soldiers' coordinators to know how we can streamline our monthly meetings.
That God will encourage the soldiers and speak to them even while they are at the base detached from any believing framework.

Post-Military & University Students:

for grace and strength for the students as they enter their last month of the academic year.
for Anavah, our coordinator for the students, for wisdom and focus as she works on developing workshops and lectures that will give the students tools to deal with real life issues that are relevant to them,
for the students to believe in themselves and in what God has given them, and be a light in their universities,
for young professionals to influence their workplaces and enter very important places of influence in the country such as organizations, government ministries, and more.
For wisdom for the coordinators as we are changing the scholarship format for next year.

HFI Media Projects

Our various media projects - visual, written, or otherwise - not only keep people connected to HFI, but also help educate people about Israel's spiritual and historical significance. In a day and age where many people oppose Israel, we see advocating for both Israel and what the Word of God says about Israel as top priorities.
Please pray for:

wisdom for Elad, Moran, Nate, Lior, & Melissa as they seek to produce innovative and creative material for social media and the website,
increased engagement with our target audience on various social media platforms
professional, up-to-date, and aesthetic platforms,
increased engagement & greater exposure for videos, especially our "Beyond the Headlines" project,
creating a grassroots movement of Israel advocacy via YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram,
informative & interesting articles and other original material that will educate our audience and encourage their spiritual development,
updating our website and messaging.

Tours

One of the main objectives of our tour operation is to cover ministry overhead, so that a higher percentage of donations can go to projects. We are so grateful that Israel is fully opened to all travelers, regardless of vaccination status!
Please pray for:

wisdom for Moran as he continues to make challenging decisions regarding the tour operations,
BJ for wisdom, flexibility, and patience as she handles the complex coordination of these tours from the USA
a strong candidate to fill the position of Tour Coordinator in our Israel office,
continued provision to sustain the tour operations in 2022, if it is God's will
for the Pastors’ Solidarity Tour in Feb 2023 & Experience Israel Tour in March 2023 to fill up

Ministry Finances

God has been so faithful in providing for the ministry's operating and project costs! We ask that you pray that He will continue to do so in 2022, and that we will be able to bless more Israelis than ever this coming year!

In His Service,

The Hope for Israel Prayer Team