Daily Topic for April 25, 2012
Traditions! This is what the Orthodox Jews then and now believe are essential. Some of the traditions have their roots in the Old Testament, while others are rooted in certain 19th century European cultures. But quoting from Isaiah, Paul reminded the devout Jews of his time what God really wants from them: Don’t get distracted by traditions, spread His light and salvation to the nations!
Pray for Orthodox Jewish people in London to learn to put these words of Isaiah above their traditions.
by TP
Yesterday we prayed for the secular Jews. Today we will pray for religious Jews of which there are many different kinds. Each group seeks to be Torah-observant in its own way. There are subdivisions within these groups.
For instance, the Hasidim of London, Europe’s largest Hasidic community, number some 20,000 Jews. These ultra-orthodox Jewish people wear 19th-century Eastern European clothing, and the men wear their hair long with curls around their ears. They have 613 rules to help them keep the Ten Commandments! They have their own civil arbitration courts, and they maintain fish line boundaries to help them know how far they can walk on a Sabbath day. Some speak Yiddish. Theirs is a world within a world. Recently Jews for Jesus has reported that some Hasidic Jews are beginning to consider Jesus’ Messianic claims.
Pray that religious Jews will find in Jesus their Savior and Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5: 17). Pray that God will break down barriers of distrust and make Jewish people jealous of Gentiles who have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Rom. 11: 11-14). Pray that Jews for Jesus and similar ministries will find increasing openness among religious Jews who seek the truth. Pray for them to win Orthodox Jews to J’eshua and disciple them in His ways.
Next day: Bahá'ís in London
Previous day: Secular Jewish People in London