Avinu Malkeynu – Our Father, Our King

From Genesis to Revelation, we see that God loves us and wants to be with us. We were created to live in a perfectly harmonious relationship with our God, but when we chose to distrust and deny Him, our sin utterly alienated us from Him. Only through Yeshua (Jesus) can we be sure that our atonement has been made, our sins forgiven, and that God’s purposes for Israel and all nations will triumph, whatever plague, persecution or problem may befall us.

With the increasing incidents of antisemitism around the world, with the ongoing effects of Covid, and with the continuing need for peace and security in Israel, the chanting of the Avinu Malkeynu prayer (Our Father, Our King) will have special relevance this High Holiday season.

This prayer strikes at the heart, calling on God to have mercy, pardon our sins, and bring us healing and salvation. For many people, these holidays are valued mainly as traditions that keep us connected to the story of our people and our heritage. The idea of a personal God who wants us to know and enjoy His presence throughout each day is far less common among most Jewish people than you might think. This is why Aaron Lewin, our Germany Director, always shares with his Jewish contacts about his personal experience with the gospel. In his recent conversation with young Israeli man Yoni*, Aaron explained that he still has sin and hypocrisy in his life and therefore he regularly confesses, repents, and asks Jesus to forgive him. Yoni was stunned. Then he said, “That’s beautiful.” Please pray for Yoni as he continues to restlessly seek peace in his own life.

* name changed for privacy