Jul 21: Israel
Israel
State of Israel
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 20,700 sq kmA further 7,540 sq km of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights have been controlled by Israel since 1967.
Population: 7,285,033 Annual Growth: 1.71%
Capital: Jerusalem
Urbanites: 91.7%
HDI Rank: 27 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 53 (75% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Hebrew, Arabic. Numerous immigrant languages from all over the world are spoken Languages: 48 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Jewish| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 148,615 | 2.04 | 0.5 |
| Evangelicals | 31,045 | 0.4 | 5.6 |
| Jewish | 5,492,915 | 75.40 |
Answer to Prayer
Within Israel, interest in the gospel is increasing, notably among Jews, and especially in the last few years. The hard shells that surround Israelis are beginning to crack open to the gospel. The numbers of Messianic Jews are rising rapidly, now up to 12,000 or possibly even higher. Some of these even come from aHaredi background. Messianic Jews are becoming a recognized part of Israeli society, but greater growth has intensified persecution.For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
The Jewish mindset toward Christianity, often characterized by animosity and part of a long and painful history, is a barrier to be overcome. “Christian” nations are seen to be destroyers of the Jewish nation whether by persecution (as in the Holocaust) or by proselytization. Pray that the gospel may be understood as a fulfilment of their Jewish heritage, and pray that a widespread turning to their Messiah might come. Those who oppose the gospel are more active than ever; pray also that all attempts to restrict religious freedom and to deny the Jewish identity of Messianic believers may ultimately cause even more Jews to come to faith.For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
