Did you know that The Bible commands us to pray for the welfare of the Jewish people?
Isaiah 62:6-7 says, “take no rest for yourself and give [Yehovah] no rest” until God accomplishes His desire for Israel. As followers of Yeshua, our hearts should be tuned to Yehovah’s heart and appreciate that which He says is important to Him.
Yehovah has commissioned the gentiles to pray for the Jewish people (Isaiah 62:6-7, Psalm 122:6, Romans 10:1). Scripture says that it is necessary to take The Good News of Yeshua to the Jewish people first (Romans 1:16, Acts 13:46, Acts 1:8), and that God has commissioned gentiles to do this (Isaiah 62:11, Romans 11:11).
Scripture is clear that the welfare of the Jewish people and the spiritual condition of each person's heart is of tremendous importance to Yeshua. He is “alive forevermore making intercession for us" (Hebrews 7:25), so praying and interceding for the Jewish people is very important.
First and foremost, we must pray for the salvation of the Jewish people. In Romans 10:1, Paul the Apostle writes, “My heart's desire and prayer for Israel is that they might be saved.” He is speaking of being saved from sin … which only happens through the atoning blood of Messiah Yeshua.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper that love you.”
– Psalm 122:6
We are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. True peace only comes from a right relationship with The Father through Messiah Yeshua.
With the constant turmoil in The Middle East, we must pray for resolution and peace. The Hebrew word for peace — shalom — does not mean a cessation of conflict; it means “health, completeness, soundness.” Paul said that we are complete in Yeshua (Colossians 2:10). When we pray for “peace” for Jerusalem, we should pray for the Jewish people to find salvation in Yeshua. Only He is able to secure and save in the midst of trouble.
We must pray for Yehovah to “establish” Jerusalem and “make her praiseworthy” (Isaiah 62:7). The only way anything or anyone is “established” is if it is established on Yeshua, The Rock of Salvation. The only way anything is praiseworthy, in Yehovah’s eyes, is if it has been cleansed by the blood of The Lamb.
The salvation of the Jewish people can only come through the work of Yeshua!
The widely trusted www.joshuaproject.net website reports the following in the U.S. -
#2 - VIETNAMESE - 1.7 million people - 1.8% Evangelical
#3 - HINDI - 1.2 million people - 1.0% Evangelical
Would any follower of Jesus reasonably deny that there is a need to reach cross-culturally and bring Jesus to these people groups?
Are there evangelicals espousing theology and reasons we should NOT work to evangelize these two people groups?
I don't think so.
Then may I please ask ... Why do I REGULARLY hear theology and reasons from evangelicals as to why we should NOT evangelize the #1 - LARGEST - Unreached People Group in the United States?
This largest group - according to www.joshuaproject.net has FAR MORE people than the #2 and #3 groups Unreached People Groups COMBINED!
The need is GREAT to reach this Largest Unreached People Group!
JoshuaProject.net puts the "percent Evangelical" of this Largest
Group at 1.6% although nearly all of us on the front lines of Jewish
work believe the number is closer to only 1/3 of 1% who know
Jesus, 99.7% do NOT!
As so - I've "let the cat out of the bag" - this respected website says there are 4.6 million English Speaking Jewish people in the United States - making this group BY FAR the Largest Unreached People Group in the United States. (Jewish community based statistical studies puts the Jewish population closer to 7 million.)
When we talk about "lists" - how often to we NEVER talk about the "#1" on that list?
If we were looking at a list of richest people in the world or cities with the largest population in the United States ... would we NEVER mention who sits atop those lists?
So may I please ask ... when is the last time you heard it discussed among Gentile Church Leaders that the Jewish people are the LARGEST cross-cultural people group with the greatest need of being evangelized?
To me, the silence is deafening.
Using the wording of Tim Crouch's report to Council 2023 ... wouldn't that mean the Jewish people register the highest on the "Unreached Peoples Avenue for Advance", and extremely high on the "Overlooked Peoples Avenue for Advance" ???
