Have you ever considered that God may have called you to a very specific ministry — one that doesn’t require a pulpit, a title, or even a stage? It’s called the Ministry of Comfort.
Right now, in the middle of one of the most difficult seasons Israel has faced in years, that ministry is needed more than ever. And the remarkable truth is that every believer has the opportunity to take part in it.
As another Shabbat approaches here in Israel, our nation continues to walk through days that carry a heavy weight. Ballistic missiles and rockets are being fired toward cities across the country, forcing families to run to shelters in the middle of the night. Parents gather their children and wait underground, listening for the distant explosions and hoping the next alert will not be closer to home. The reality of war has come uncomfortably close to many communities, and the uncertainty can feel overwhelming.
Yet in the middle of all of this, the Word of God speaks with a clear and gentle invitation: “Comfort, comfort My people,” says the Lord (Isaiah 40:1). These words from Isaiah were spoken thousands of years ago, yet they feel deeply relevant today. When God says, “Comfort My people,” He is inviting the Body of Christ to step into something powerful — a partnership of prayer, encouragement, and love.
In Hebrew, the phrase nachamu ami means to strengthen the heart and to remind someone that they are not alone. It is more than sympathy. It is standing beside someone in their hardship and declaring that God is still present, still faithful, and still working.
Right now, many Israelis are living with the constant tension of sirens and the threat of missiles aimed toward our homes and neighborhoods. Families are trying to continue daily life while knowing that at any moment they may need to rush to safety. These are sobering realities. And yet even in moments like these, God gives His people an opportunity — the opportunity to become vessels of His comfort.
Comforting Israel is not something complicated. It happens through simple acts of faith and love. Through your prayers lifted to God. Through messages of encouragement sent to friends in Israel. Through gratitude in your heart for what God is doing in this land. Through generosity, when the Lord moves your heart to help.
The Bible continues in Isaiah 40 and says, “Comfort Jerusalem. Speak tenderly to her.” When believers around the world choose to do this, something powerful begins to happen — not only here in Israel, but also in their own lives. Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit, and one of the names given to the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. In Hebrew we say Menachem — the Spirit who brings comfort.
Here is a powerful spiritual principle: you cannot give what you do not first receive. When you begin to pray for comfort over Israel, the Holy Spirit begins to fill your own heart first. He meets you in the places where you may be carrying burdens of your own. He brings peace into areas of your life that need encouragement and reassurance.
And then something beautiful happens — the comfort God pours into your life begins to flow through you to others. You begin to speak words that strengthen people. You pray for friends and family with new compassion. Your heart becomes more aware of the needs around you. In this way, the ministry of comfort becomes not just a moment of prayer for Israel, but a way of reflecting the heart of God wherever you are.
This Shabbat, I want to invite you to take a moment to pray for Israel. Pray for protection over families. Pray for wisdom for leaders. Pray for peace over this land. Speak words of blessing over Jerusalem. And as you do, pay attention to what the Holy Spirit begins to do in your own heart.
You may feel a deep peace come over you. You may experience renewed joy in the Lord. You may even find yourself moved with emotion as the presence of God reminds you how near He is. Because the same God who comforts Israel is the God who comforts every believer who calls upon His name.
May this Shabbat bring His peace into your home, His comfort into your heart, and His presence into every area of your life.
Shabbat Shalom,
Pastor Israel Pochtar
