Many are putting up holiday decorations, buying presents and
planning festivities. Instead of that, I am wondering what my next steps are,
and I’m waiting on God to hear what His vision is for me in 2026.
As for the Israelis ministries, this is also a time spent thinking on
everything that took place in their ministries, and seeking God for the vision
to set in the coming year. We don’t know what is coming but He does. He has
a path for us all to continue to move closer in step with His vision for us.
December is also a month of
generosity. Let us be generous as we read the visions of each of the dear
Israeli ministries doing their spiritual ministry to their countrymen as so
many are desperate for the Answer for their lives. Forget
“Giving Tuesday” I am declaring the whole month of December
the exact right time for generosity towards the Israeli ministries covered
in these Israel prayer letters!
Arrows from Zion
Summarized
from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries
Israel Pochtar’s great word on the life of Samson is a so encouraging: “God works with real people — people who have strengths and weaknesses, moments of victory
and moments of failure, and yet remain part of God’s plan.” And it’s a word shared on VIDEO: You
have a Purpose |He
knew your story before you were born. He knew your personality, your strengths,
your struggles, and the challenges you would face. His purpose for you didn’t begin the day you “got serious” about faith;
it began long before…” | Pochtar has great purpose himself – “Building
Revival, Transforming Lives — What God
Is Doing in Ashdod & Jerusalem | We’re watching God open amazing doors across Israel
— in Ashdod,
Jerusalem, and beyond….VIDEO: A God Given Vision Coming Alive in Ashdod
and New Life Growing in Jerusalem Read about our discipleship followup meetings each week in Jerusalem…. One recent evening painted a
beautiful picture of just how powerfully God moves in these moments. Read here
Warriors - 50 Years Apart | by Reuven Doron | On my way out from seeing my doctor this week I stopped for a cup of coffee to shake off the pharmaceutical air. At the coffee shop outside the clinic I ran into this young warrior named “Or” (“light” in Hebrew). The insignia on his military T-shirt caught my attention since it was very similar to the insignia of the special forces unit I served with when I was in active duty (many moons ago) Naturally, I started a conversation which ended up in a heart-felt exchange, Bible study, and a Spirit-led discussion.
“Or” is serving in an elite IDF unit that is the equivalent to the American SEAL team, and is a very competent and highly trained young warrior. His heart was well connected to the intense reality of our days and to the personal commitment being required of him and of his comrades to serve and to sacrifice. Naturally, we had plenty of “war stories” to share. I was actually surprised that he was very familiar with the legacy of my old military unit that, for those who are familiar with Israel’s war history, had become the story of legends.
We talked about God’s calling for our Hebrew nation to serve the world as a divine witness of heaven’s heart (through good and bad). We talked about our turbulent and heartbreaking 4,000 year history from the days of Father Abraham until today. We talked about the inescapable necessity of war, and how our God calls each generation of Israelis to be willing and able to defend our calling and God’s promise to live in the land He gave us. We talked about the Bible and the urgent need for God’s Spirit to illuminate God’s Word and open our eyes.
We shared these ancient words of life as I “passed the baton” to this young lion whose turn has come to wage war in this generation, facing overwhelming odds and global disapproval. Israel is surrounded by 22 hostile Muslim nations who’s entire narrative for the last 75 years has been to annihilate us. It’s “God or bust,” and this young warrior, “Or”, knew it very well.
With about 50 years of age difference between us, we found ourselves bridging generations of Israeli warriors who answered the call and went to war to protect the promise. Within our combined 50 years of military history, Israel has had to fight eight defensive wars on seven fronts, and I assured “Or” that this will not change until the Lord returns to deliver the final victory and establish His Kingdom on earth.
Contrary to many of his generation who might be tempted to sell their soul for a “fake and compromising peace,” “Or” understood and embraced this truth as we looked into the scriptures together. The key verse of our “divine appointment” was the one quoted above from Judges chapter 3:1-4
The context of Judges 3:1-4 was Israel’s failure to conquer the entire Promised Land and cleanse it from Idol worship in the days of Joshua. By the time Joshua had died, only portions of the Promised Land were actually cleansed and occupied by the Hebrew nation. A new and compromised generation of Israelites had grown up who were more dedicated to enjoying God’s provision and the “good life” in the Promised Land rather than to keep on fighting for the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. Does this sound familiar?
As we wrote in the past, according to apostolic doctrine, Israel’s dealings are a “TYPOS,” a divine example for the elect of God around the world. Paul wrote to the Corinthian disciples concerning Israel, “Now all these things happened to them as examples (TYPOS), and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (I-Corinthians 10:11). Israel’s experiences become the TYPE and the PATTERN for the Church to learn from. Tragically, only a remnant seems to discern and understand this principle in order to internalize and learn from our examples, even today.
It was to that compromised generation of Israelites that the Word was given, saying, “… these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan. This was so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war…” The WARS OF CANAAN are still upon us, even as the war for the fulfillment of all of God’s promises is still upon the True Church who is engaged in the “good fight of faith” all over the earth. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and every born again child of God is in a battle over their destiny, their family, and their nation. Even you… Israel is your TYPOS.
We love peace and pray for it daily even as we pray for our enemies, but the Word of God cannot be nullified, twisted, or avoided. Trying to do so generates worse results than the hardships and pain of open conflict. Personally, I’d rather die in FAITH than live in DOUBT, and we pray the same for you.
Israel, according to the words of our prophets, was raised up to life from the graveyard of our long and difficult exile among the nations. We are Ezekiel’s Dry Bones, and God’s providence has gathered us from the four corners of the earth back to our desolated and abused homeland. Here we stand today, rebuilding the ancient ruins; restoring the age-old devastations; raising our little ones to keep the faith; training our young warriors to wage the necessary wars; and waiting on the Lord’s promised salvation.
“It’s a good life; difficult, but rich with purpose and full of meaning. We pray the same is true for you. Will you stand with us and share in the fight for the fullness of God’s promises?
The work of the Gospel in Israel is like plowing a tough and rocky ground that has been hardened over thousands of years of spiritual draught, rejection, persecution, and hardships. The VEIL that covers the heart of Israel from recognizing our Savior can be removed only by God’s Spirit.
Please pray with us to this end, and consider partnering with us in our witness to our people and in our labor of prayer, as we increase the creation and production of HEBREW OUTREACH PROGRAMS that are aired on social media platforms throughout Israel. If giving through an American church bank account isn’t convenient, contact us for other options . See our new website here.
Leon Mazin of Return to Zion congregation in Haifa wrote: “In October at the Return to Zion Center: "A team of believers from Texas came with willing hearts to help us cover the patio with a pergola. And on Shabbat, Pastor Greg shared a word of encouragement with our Congregation. A faithful team from Japan also joined us in the Shabbat gathering. We were likewise visited by a wind orchestra from the United States, together with worshippers from Paraguay, whose music poured out like a refreshing stream—bringing comfort, uplift, and delight to our souls. Yet above all these blessings, the most meaningful event of this season is the Alef Course for those who do not yet believe. Many recent repatriates who have come to Israel from the countries of the former Soviet Union consider themselves atheists, holding only the faintest idea of God the Father and His Son, Yeshua. God calls us to share this truth with them, and so we turn to you with a heartfelt request: please pray for the guests attending the Alef Course." Shaveitzion.org "Restoring & proclaiming the faith in Yeshua in Israel!" To donate
Cookie Schwaeber-Issan, our
prolific fellow Op-Ed writer in Israel: The 20 Congresspeople accusing Israel of
genocide | The Den of Iniquity Called the Oxford
Union | Flirting with Israel's Enemies | The handwriting is on the wall for
Diaspora Jews |Intifada merch – Depravity for sale |Pope Leo vs. God’s Word | What drives modern antisemitic
conspiracies | Why Israeli War Victims Were Never
Homeless or Hungry |
Revive Israel, which was formerly
Asher Intrater’s personal ministry, is now an independent ministry under the
leading of Youval and Valerie Yanay. They are majoring in discipleship programs that is carried out on their farm-to-market enterprise that is also an outreach
to the surrounding community as they
hold weekly farmer’s market. Outreach
and discipleship is the primary ministries, but they also serve other Messianic
ministries in Israel doing guest preaching, teaching, worship. This is a
full-time ministry! So it was good this week hearing that as part of their current
discipleship group they were able to retreat to the desert for “a place of quiet,
simplicity, and deep encounter with God.
We set aside intentional time for solitude, giving each participant the space
to meet with the Lord personally, and the testimonies that emerged were
powerful. One young participant shared: “I was nervous about being alone with
God, but He came and showed me His love.” Another said: “At first I thought it
would be a long time alone with God, but once He began to speak and I finally
stopped speaking, He didn’t stop. I realized I need to quiet down more often so
I can hear His voice.” Someone else shared: “God answered questions I forgot I
had even asked. He encouraged me in ways I needed and didn’t expect.” These testimonies are precious because they
remind us of a simple truth: only a real encounter with God can truly transform
a life….…. May we all remember His
faithfulness, even in dry seasons, and give thanks for His goodness, especially
when we feel like we are standing in the desert. Please continue standing with
us in prayer for the participants
and for the team. To give a year end donation click here
Tents of Mercy is led by
Avi and Hannah Tekel, the daughter and son-in-law of Ohalai Rachamim founder
Eitan Shishkoff, who passed the baton to Avi several years back, focusing
entirely on the equipping of youth he had pioneered years earlier with the
Katzir (Harvest) teen camps. Avi, who is an Ethiopian Jew, brought a new facet
to Tents of Mercy, which because of Eitan’s expertise in Russian, already had
become a great outreach to the many, many Russian Jewish immigrants in Israel. Avishalom
writes about the annual family Sigd Ethiopian Jewish holiday journey – Sigd being
much like the American Thanksgiving holiday, only 100 years older. This year
the family couldn’t go to Jerusalem but celebrated “on Mount Carmel - a high place. In fact, our favored spot is
Mukhraka, the site considered to be the location of the famous battle between
Elijah and the prophets of Baal happened…. While looking out over the vast valley and seeing the
surrounding mountain tops, we did the same thing generations of Ethiopian Jews
did before us, only in the reverse order - we acknowledged with reverent
thanksgiving the sovereign God of the universe for bringing us back to the Holy
Land of our Forefathers, and we prayed with longing and intercession for the
peace of Jerusalem!
May you also remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem as you come before Him
with Thanksgiving!” To give
Moti Cohen leads Tiferet
Yeshua in Tel Aviv. Their letter “Israel -
the Testing Stone of the Nations” is so accurate: “In the last two months we saw the
Trump-brokered “Gaza peace plan” bring the
active phase of the war in Gaza to an end and secure the release of our
remaining live hostages. For the first time since October 7th, Israelis are
starting to process what happened and where we are now. One thing has become soberingly clear: The
war is not over. In fact, it may be just now getting started. Battle lines are being drawn…over Israel
and the Jews. Thinly veiled antisemitism on the left is something we
have come to expect, unfortunately. But blatant Jew hatred on the right, from
professing Christians…this is a disturbing new trend that is developing
quickly, particularly in the US. Extreme anti-Jewish hate speech has
been normalized, on the left and right. In general, violent rhetoric is
being normalized too. Extremist ideas are raging in the under 30 demographic: If
you have children or grandchildren under 30, chances are they are regularly
exposed to or actively consuming extremist ideology. Christians who stand with Israel are in the crosshairs now too.
That’s why Katy and Tamar
decided to sit down and discuss these issues.” WATCH HERE Thank you for standing with us and
actively taking part - whether in prayer or financial support - in our labor of
love in the land of Israel. Support Tiferet Yeshua
here.
Tikkun
Global appears
to be undergoing a deeper baton-handover as recent photos of the Tikkun Global
ministry staff do not even have Asher Intrater in the picture. That speaks
loudly that Asher is letting go more and more to allow the younger generation
of leaders to step forward as “the face” of Tikkun. Now obviously Asher has not
“retired” and is still involved, but in a different way it appears to my eyes
than he has been in the past. Waiting to hear more about this. It is always a
touchy thing at the time of a baton pass because so much of the following and
reputation of a ministry is – at least in the mind of followers – all about the
person who they grew to love and cherish leading the ministry. But it is just
like parenting, you instill the values, ethics and vision of the ministry, and
at some point let them fly with it. As a parent, it doesn’t mean not getting
back into their business when you see a harmful divergence from those values.
Of course, we realize Asher is not the type to lie down in an EasyBoy and do
nothing. So it will be good to see what he does next too.
Friends Forever by
Asher Intrater "The
test of a real friend is whether he will stay with you in difficult
times." | VIDEO One
New Man: Jew and Gentile Becoming One with Ariel Blumenthal
Chaim Malespin writes: “Last week was incredibly challenging. Between serving in the army, in
multiple fronts, running both the Aliyah
Return Center and Faithful
Galileans, filming new content, supporting my family, and even receiving a surprise invitation to
speak at the Knesset, I’ve been feeling pretty stretched!.... I’m especially thankful for your prayers and support during this
challenging season of war. TODAH RABA! (Thank you very much in Hebrew) I pray that God will richly
bless you for partnering with us. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you! Watch my Knesset speech here in English. Consider Partnering with Faithful Galileans – I share our vision here.
Evan
Thomas of the Netanya Beit Asaph
congregation wrote: “ With each prayer report these past two
years we have emphasized how socially and politically divided the nation is.
Our enemies saw this as a sign of weakness and an opportunity to attack us. We
now know how that turned out for the peoples of the region! However, here is what we refer to as “divine irony.”
While the nation continues to suffer from social and political division, under
an intransigent government that openly tolerates very radical elements and the entire region continues to ‘boil’ in
spiraling conflict, the local Body of Messiah presents a very different
picture, a beautiful testimony of unity! In virtually every
aspect of spiritual and community life, Arabs and Jews, Palestinian and Israeli
Believers are ‘walking side-by-side’ at a level we have never seen before.
This testimony is visibly significant in our frequent gatherings and
conferences, in our manifold zoom prayer meetings week by week, in our public
worship events and outreaches and in our financial support and advocacy for one
another. We believe this is providing a powerful message of hope to our
peoples.
Please
pray that this testimony would only increase and spread. Pray too that our
opponents, seeking to divide us, would not succeed (including certain
elements within the Body of Christ! Donation information on website
Tree of Life PODCAST: (Ariel & Shayla Hyde) Unforgettable
Holy Spirit Weekend in Israel | A policeman wept in deep repentance, a
woman baptised after 15 years of darkness, a former New Age guru finally
connected to a Messianic congregation – God’s power is
bringing life to new believers. Listen
to our new podcast on your favorite audio platforms: On Apple, Spotify and on Amazon. Watch it
on Youtube,
Facebook and on Instagram.
And please share this video on all social media outlets!
Rania Sayegh of HOPE: House of Prayer & Exploits | Christian Arab prophetic intercessor in Nazareth writes: Could it be that in a
time of shaking, God is forming something new in Nazareth? Could it be that the prayer, unity, and worship rising from
this land are meant to echo far beyond it? We are standing at a defining moment, a moment to
strengthen the spiritual house in Nazareth that shapes nations through prayer,
worship, unity, and discipleship.
This DECEMBER, your partnership helps
us continue raising a house that reflects the heart of Yeshua in the land
where He walked. God is calling us to build a lasting home where His purposes
can flourish. Your seed helps us. This
is the VISION: Fully support our team who labor faithfully in the house.
Purchase a permanent building for prayer, training, and outreach. Equip
communities through prayer movements, worship gatherings, and prophetic impact.
We are building not just a ministry base, but a spiritual home where lives are
healed, callings are awakened, and unity shines as a testimony in this land. Donation INFO page
Aleksey Raikhstadt in Jaffa Beit Immanuel Congregation | December Giving will “help us because as we look toward the coming
year, our Vision for 2026 is guiding everything we do: To deepen our
roots in the love of Yeshua, grow in our devotion to serving the community, and
be light and salt to the world around us. Just last Friday, we spent time with Holocaust
Survivors, visiting, listening, praying, and simply being present. . . .
this is exactly where God calls us to shine His light. After two years of war
and uncertainty, our nation is entering a long season of healing. Trauma is
everywhere, seen and unseen. And now more than ever, the body of Messiah
must be a refuge of peace, prayer, and steady presence. . . .Whether through a one-time gift or ongoing partnership, your support
strengthens Beit Immanuel as a place of healing, faith, and restoration.
Dugit
Messianic Outreach Centre under the leadership of Avi Mizrachi gives a walk through of the “new Dugit ministry headquarters in the heart of Tel Aviv. In
this short video, I will show you the new home God
has provided—a place to gather, worship, and reach even
more people with the Good News of Yeshua. We are currently renting this space, but we are trusting the Lord to
purchase this facility in January, and your
gift today will help make that vision a reality…. For more than 30 years, DUGIT Outreach Ministries has been bringing
the Good News of Yeshua to the people of Israel.”
A Present from Succat Hallel:
Hebrew Youth Worship From Israel - Listen Now | One of the eight
mandates of our house of prayer ministry in Jerusalem is: “A Move of the Holy
Spirit Among the Youth of Israel” | Early on we began worship times
specifically for youth, with the focus on worship in Hebrew. This led us to an
annual conference we began in 2007, called “Elav”, meaning “Unto Him”. As
Israeli youth were writing new worship songs in Hebrew, in 2009 we released our
first collection of Hebrew worship from Israel. We are happy to announce that
this recording is finally available on streaming for the first time. Elav Vol. 1 is available on all major streaming
services: Spotify | YouTube
Speaking of Gifts –
Orna Grinman's gift is wonderful teaching from
the Word of God for emotional freedom and healing and her books on this will be
a great gift to give yourself or others who need solid biblical wisdom.
"Each book is a gift of truth, hope and transformation - perfect for friends,
family or small-groups’ members. Visit the links below to learn more about each
of the books, and to place your order, so your gift is ready just in time for
the holidays:
Who is
Knocking on My Door? (book + study guide) - a powerful tool for emotional freedom and
healing. Who is Knocking on Your Door? Available in English, Hebrew, Finnish,
Norwegian, Russian and Arabic. | The Hidden Faces of God. A profound exploration of a hidden
mystery and God’s character, that explains in simple words the role of Gentiles
in His amazing plan. “His Faces” | Also
available for purchase, a compilation of poems and drawings of Rivka Shechman,
a holocaust survivor we had the privilege to know and love. He is Always With Me To
place your order, email
us
at using the tag "book order" in the subject.
