Over 17,000 Israeli soldiers have been wounded in this war, many of them young men and women not even twenty years old yet. Hospitals are full, and serious injuries take weeks or months to heal, while other injuries require amputation or other permanent intervention to save a life. Our staff has been praying for the wounded and decided to do something about it. Therefore, the week before Passover started, one of our Israeli ministry staff who is a musician got permission to go with another musical believer to one of these hospitals to walk among the soldiers and quietly sing to and pray for them. Here is the amazing story God divinely unfolded:

“I had my guitar, and my friend brought his Greek bouzouki. Israelis love bouzouki with its Middle Eastern twang. My wife took a video on her phone, and we sent it to a couple of our Israeli friends including some military friends we met through delivering protective gear to soldiers.

An IDF (Israel Defense Forces) officer friend who is well-known and sponsors many barbecue events on army bases, saw our video and called us right away. He had been planning a big event for 250 reservists on a base near the Gaza Strip. His Greek band had just bailed on him! He asked, ‘Maybe you could help me solve a problem?’ We offered a way for ‘the show to go on.’

The Lord provided our equipment and a small team to join us. A couple days later we made our way along Highway 232 in Southern Israel, passing place after place after place where so many young people and residents had been murdered or kidnapped on October 7, 2023, and where so many rockets from Gaza have fallen for years. Finally, we were waved onto the base and parked our little sedan between giant Humvees.

A group of officers and some of our ministry’s War Relief funds had purchased high-quality meat for the celebration, as it was a special award ceremony for the reservists. While the meat sizzled on long barbecue pits, we talked with the reservists. Many were young-to-middle-aged dads with wives and children left at home. Some had been serving for hundreds of days since the beginning of the war. Some of the reservists who came for the ceremony were female soldiers, and they shared some of their struggles with families or friends back home, and their important work on the frontlines as women.

After lots of talking and eating, we played and sang for the soldiers. As we said, Israelis love Greek music, so our audience was sophisticated enough to ask for certain Greek songs. We also sprinkled in classic Israeli folk music, two Psalms I have put to music, and we even snuck in a Messianic praise song from the Psalms.

The officer who ‘sponsored’ or invited us made sure the other soldiers present knew the funds for this had come mostly from Christian believers in the United States. This means very much to Israelis who feel isolated. Since so much of the world is against Israel, it is wonderful to be able to say, ‘People who love you and are praying for you have given this money to help you celebrate and to help you serve. They are Christian.’ (Often in private conversations we say much more! Our officer friend also mentions his Christian friends who visit the country every year and who prayed for him when he was wounded.)

That night, under the open sky near the war front in Gaza, we were blessed to meet many soldiers and pray for them, to sing Psalms, to sing hope and protection over them! The wide smiles on people’s faces showed we made a big difference. Our sponsor told us, ‘You have no idea how much good you’ve done here tonight,’ and said he wants to ask us back for other events.”

Please pray for the Holy Spirit to move and continue the Lord’s work in these soldiers’ hearts, and pray for more opportunities for us to minster through music to weary, war-torn heroes who are simple, every-day young people and parents. Pray for their families. And pray for the release of our hostages and the end of Hamas in Gaza.

Scripture for meditation:
My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out . . .
I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders.
(Psalm 77:1–2a, 6)