No part of the world demonstrates the desperate need for the reconciliation that comes through Christ more than Israel and Palestine. Many Israelis and many Palestinians regard this small corner of the planet as theirs alone and see the fight as a holy war. Through the ages, no city has been contested more than Jerusalem. Israel, which has occupied Palestine since 1967, is home to 8.5million people. In the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, five million people squeeze into an area 1/3rd the size of Israel. Israel is 75% Jewish, 17% Muslim, and 2% Christian. Palestine is 88% Muslim, 9% Jewish, and 2% Christian. About half of all Jewish people live outside Israel, mostly in the USA. Their numbers are falling through low birthrate, emigration to Israel, mixed marriages, secularism, and conversion to other religions. Two-thirds of all Palestinians have lived in refugee camps for generations, especially in Jordan and Lebanon.
Father, we praise You for the increasing number of Jewish people turning to Christ. Some join ‘Messianic’ congregations; many more belong to mainstream Christian churches. We ask You for more Jews from the many groups in Israel – the ultra-orthodox, Soviet Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Arabs, and Druze, as well as children and young people who currently remain little reached by the Gospel. Father, we praise You for the thousands of Palestinian believers who remain tenacious witnesses to Christ. We pray for Palestinians with few opportunities to discover Your Gospel. Christians themselves are isolated and ignored even by the thousands of Christian tourists to Israel. Their numbers are falling through emigration. Father, we pray for reconciliation — a quiet revolution in relationships between Jewish and Arab Christians, despite their vastly diverse backgrounds and historical enmity, demonstrating how Christ can break down the walls that divide. We pray for a wider, Christ-centered reconciliation between Jew, Arab, Muslim, and Christian after centuries of hurt.
–Praying for the World www.lausanne.org/pray
Team Expansion Worker
Thank God for David and Tippi Duncan who serve as volunteer counselors with Team Expansion. Ask for continued wisdom and grace as they work for You.
Pray for More Workers
Lord of the Harvest, thrust out more laborers for Your harvest fields. Father, we pray for more workers among Jewish and Palestinian diasporas. We ask You to provide ministers of reconciliation for Jews, Arabs, Muslims, and Christians.
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