Prayer Guide
PRAYING FOR JEWISH STUDENTS ON CAMPUS
This contextualized prayer guide prepared by Jews for Jesus.
Hi! Thank you so much for deciding to journey with us through this prayer guide. It is so important and vital to pray for students who do not yet know or understand the Gospel. This particular prayer guide is designed for you to pray for campuses with a high Jewish population, so that you are better able to pray for them.
Prayer Walk a Campus and See How God Moves
Download a PDF version of the contextualized prayer walk guide for Jewish students and campuses here.
We are part of a ministry called Jews for Jesus. We relentlessly pursue God’s plan for the salvation of the Jewish people. We do that through evangelism and ongoing discipleship. We are so excited to be creating this prayer guide in partnership with the EveryCampus Initiative! We hope that through this guide, you will feel better equipped to pray for Jewish students on the campus of your choosing. Even more so, it is our prayer that through this prayer walk, your heart will be opened to take a step of faith and share the Gospel with your Jewish friends and neighbors.
The amazing thing about the university or college campus is that it really is the launching place into the work world, where you will without a doubt encounter Jewish colleagues. Through praying for the campus, we have the opportunity to pray for the world. Secular education is important to many in the Jewish tradition. Many Jewish people hope to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, have good paying corporate jobs, or pursue a career in the arts. By praying for Jewish students on your campus, you are able to pray for the world that they will enter into after they graduate.
Ziggy is a Jewish believer in Jesus who studied mathematics at the doctoral level. Being Jewish was quintessential to who he was, along with his studies. One of his friends at university often had conversations with him about God. He began investigating the claims of Jesus. He says, “I have always been able to see life as a series of equations. Mathematics has always made sense to me; being Jewish has always been the most important thing to me. Now I can see that being Jewish plus believing in Messiah does equal faith in Jesus.” Read more here: https://jewsforjesus.org/our-stories/you-dont-need-a-phd-to-figure-out-this-equation/
Through his friend on campus, Ziggy was able to discover that Jesus was in fact his Messiah. It is our hope and longing that Jewish students on campus would be able to meet and interact with other students who can come alongside them in their spiritual journeys. It is our prayer that as you walk through campus, the Holy Spirit would guide you in prayer. The prompts to follow are simply that, prompts, for you to take and pray as you feel led. We are so excited that you have chosen to walk through this prayer guide, and we hope that many others will feel called to pray for the Jewish populations on their campus.
WHY PRAY FOR JEWISH STUDENTS ON CAMPUS?
During the Jewish holiday of Tishah B’av, which occurs in the summer months, the congregation recites together Lamentations 5:21 — “Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old—”
This holiday is a sad one. Jewish people spend the day mourning the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and fasting. Jewish people all over the world today are living in spiritual exile, away from the Lord who no longer dwells strictly in Jerusalem. The first word in this verse from Lamentations in Hebrew is “Hashivenu,” which means “turn us back.” God waits for his people to say “hashivenu” and turn back to Him. God, in all His mercy and grace, awaits with open arms for His people to come back.
This prayer guide has been created so that you are equipped to pray for the Jewish people on your campus. It is our prayer that Jewish people worldwide would return to their God. We hope that the university/college campus is the perfect place to pray for this return. We know that we no longer need to go to the Temple to worship and sacrifice to God. Jesus is our perfect mediator and is our ultimate sacrifice. Let’s pray for a revival amongst the Jewish people on our campuses, that they would know the price Jesus paid for them because they are His people and He is their God.
So, why pray for Jewish students? They need to hear the truth of how their God became flesh and died for them. Jewish students come from a variety of backgrounds — secular, conservative, reform, and maybe even orthodox. Either way, they are taught that believing in Jesus is not an option for them. They believe that faith in Jesus means they give up their Jewish identity. We need to pray that they would turn to the Messiah of Israel, Jesus, and be transformed by the life-changing message of the Gospel.
Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. (Romans 10:1 NLT)
- Say a quick opening prayer for you (and your team if you are walking with one) for the Lord to guide you as you walk and pray: Lord I pray that as I/we walk through this campus, I/we would rely on you to lead us through. God, I pray that through my/our prayers on this campus, a spiritual revival would occur, especially among the Jewish students here. God direct my/our steps and teach me/us what the spiritual need is on this campus and how I/we can partner with your Spirit. I pray for openness and willingness to engage. Thank you for your Jewish people, God.
THE PRAYER WALK
Perhaps there are places on the campus you are going where Jewish students hang out, eat, or gather. Look at a map or the campus’s website before you go to check out the scene and plan where you may pray. Many campuses have an organization or cultural center called Hillel, which many Jewish students participate in. Or maybe there are historically Jewish sites on the campus of your choosing. Scope out the scene and choose where you will go and then map out your route.
PRAYER PROMPTS
Pray for these various things as you go through your prayer walk.
1. To see the spiritual need on campus.
God, I pray that as I/we go through this prayer walk on campus, you would open my/our eyes to the need and spiritual climate here. I pray that your Holy Spirit would guide me/us in prayer.
2. For the salvation of the Jewish people on your campus. That they would be given opportunities to interact with students and professors in a way that opens their mind and heart to the Gospel.
God, I pray that there would be many more students like Ziggy on this campus, who are curious and open to hearing the Gospel. I pray that you would equip Christian students and professors to be a witness. I pray that through their time on this campus their eyes would be opened, and their hearts would be softened towards you.
3. Pray that Jewish students would not feel attacked on their campus or scared of their identity.
4. That they would meet Christian friends who will share their faith, respect their cultural background and care for them as people.
PRAY AGAINST PERSECUTION/ANTI-SEMITISM
For many Jewish students, fear of being persecuted for their religion and ethnic identity is a daily reality. We see in the news today, still, many instances of anti-Semitic acts. No matter where these tragedies occur in the world, Jewish communities everywhere still mourn. Inherited trauma from the Holocaust is present in many students’ minds. There are also those that speak hatefully about the state of Israel on campus. They equate a homeland for the Jewish people with racism and apartheid thinking. Jewish students feel very threatened by this. Let’s pray that they can walk through their campuses without fear. Let’s pray that they would make Christian friends on their campuses who show them love. Pray for opportunities for Christians on this campus to stand with Jewish people in solidarity against anti-Semitism. Pray that they would feel protected and safe against all outside harm. And pray that in times of community suffering, that God would work in miraculous ways among them to lead them to Himself.
God, thank you for the people who do follow you on this campus. Help them to be bold and courageous in their faith. I pray that through their interactions and friendships with Jewish students, many Jewish students would come to know your amazing love for them shown through the person of Jesus.
5. Pray for students who may go on birthright (a free trip to Israel sponsored by the Jewish community).
God, I pray for students who may go on birthright during their time here. I pray that their experience in Israel would point them towards you.
6. Pray for students involved in Hillel and Chabad.
God, I pray that you would bless Hillel and Chabad. Thank you for the work that they do. I pray that students who are involved in these organizations would feel loved and accepted in their community. I pray that your name will be lifted high in these organizations and they would come to know the truth of the Gospel.
7. Pray for Jewish classmates, faculty and roommates by name (if known to you).
PRAYER: PSALM 130
Psalm 130 is a Psalm of Ascent, sung by Ancient Israelites on their way up to Jerusalem for either the celebrations of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), or Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). Think of it as the prayer walk of the Jewish people. The journey to Jerusalem was not an easy one. We have chosen this Psalm for you to pray through as you walk through campus to think about the journey the Israelites made. Remember the walk they made to the Temple and pray that they would recognize Jesus as the God who dwells in their hearts, and not solely in a Temple (John 2:19-22).
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities
Pray through each verse in this Psalm. Prompts are included below.
Verse 1: God, speak to us about the spiritual need on this campus. We pray for the Jewish students here who may feel hopeless, who may feel like you are distant from them. We pray that there would be a revival here and that students would understand that they can call out to you and that you listen.
Verse 2: Lord, I pray that you would hear our prayers for the Jewish students, but also that they would know that your ear is always inclined towards them. I pray that they would understand the great mercy you showed and continue to show through your Son.
Verse 3 & 4: God, our iniquities are great before you. We realize that we cannot stand before your righteousness and glory with our sins as filthy rags before you. But, thank you for the hope that you are a God of forgiveness. Thank you for Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. I pray that the Jewish students here would know and meet someone who is honest with them about the nature of sin but gives them this message of hope. We pray that hope, and not despair, would fill this campus.
Verse 5 & 6: Lord, we wait for you. We pray that your Spirit would move on this campus. Our hope is in you, Lord. We pray that Jewish people would turn to you and realize that your Gospel is the best news.
Verse 7 & 8: God, you alone will redeem Israel. I pray that Jewish students here would know that you are the God who has wiped away their sins through the death of your Son. You are a great Redeemer and your steadfast love is wonderful. I pray that all Jewish students here would one day put their hope and trust in you.
AFTER YOUR PRAYER WALK
- Reflect on what God revealed to you through journaling on your own or with your group.
- Continue to pray for Jewish students.
- Reach out and get connected!
We hope that your prayer walk was an enriching spiritual experience. Thank you so much for praying for our Jewish people on the university/college campus. Our hope and prayer for Jewish students on campuses within North America is that they would encounter Christians who are bold in their faith. And that could be you! Continue to be open to where the Spirit is leading you as He led you throughout the campus today. Your prayers are meaningful and impactful, and God will do big things in you through your prayers. Continue to join us in prayer for the Jewish people — that they would grow in their understanding and knowledge of the Lord to understand more deeply their need for a Savior.
Paul, the writer of much of the New Testament, was a Jewish man who persecuted Christians. That is until God met him on the road to Damascus and completely changed the course of his life. Even after this prayer walk experience, pray that God would continue to move and work in the hearts of Jewish students on campus. We have faith that God will do big things among this population!
As you close your prayer walk and time of reflection, meditate again on this verse:
Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.
Romans 10:1 NLT