WHY TRAVEL TO THE HOLY LAND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER?

Simply put, the sooner you experience the benefits of a tour to Israel, the longer you’ll enjoy the benefits for the rest of your life.

I can promise you, you won’t come home from Israel the same! But there’s something else you need to know. Your visit will enable you to have a:

1. Sharper comprehension of the Bible
2. Clearer understanding of biblical application
3. More effective communication of truth to others
4. A framework for better memory of biblical events
5. Greater confidence in the Word of God—having seen the places the Bible speaks of
6. More vibrant spiritual life and deeper love for God (99% of those who go affirm this)
7. Learning the Word of God with all your senses
8. Seeing the Bible when you read it for the rest of your life
9. Experiencing a dimension of authenticity and history to your faith you could gain no other way

Mental Preparation for a Holy Land Tour: Learn Some Basic Geography

This may seem academic and even unnecessary, but believe me; it will make a huge difference.

• If you determine to know where you are, you will better appreciate (and remember) the sites and their biblical significance.
• Not only will that, but your Bible reading make more sense for the rest of your life.

Basic Israel Geography. If you don’t have one already before your trip, use your atlas and learn the names of Israel’s geographic areas as well as their locations:

• Galilee (including the Golan Heights)
• Samaria (Including the Jezreel Valley)
• Judea (including the Shephelah)
• Negev and Wilderness

Physical Preparation for a Holy Land Tour

Get in Shape. Every tour I lead has stragglers. Some lag behind because they’re physically unable to climb stairs, walk briskly, or navigate uneven terrain. You’ll enjoy the trip much better if you’ll get used to walking a lot before you go.

Prepare for Jet Lag. It will take your body a couple of days to adjust to the new time zone.

Spiritual Preparation for a Holy Land Tour

A tour to Israel is far more than a vacation. It’s a spiritual journey. I interviewed hundreds of people for my doctoral research, and I discovered that 99% of those who participate in a Holy Land tour will have their spiritual lives affected.

Here are a couple of ways to prepare for your trip spiritually.

1. Ask God to make you sensitive to what He will teach you and to help you retain it. Pray for your guide, driver, and Bible teacher. Pray for your group to be free of injury, to have no lost luggage, and to have a spirit of unity. Also for good weather.
2. Use Your Itinerary at Your Quiet Times. Before your trip, devote some weeks to connecting the sites you’ll visit with their biblical significance. Here’s how:

• Look over the sites for each day, and make a list of them. Get a good devotional book with a site index and read a devotional about each site. Jot notes and Scriptures down on the list you’re making.
• Make this list and its devotions during your quiet times before your trip—and each day on the trip. Live in expectation of the truths you will re-experience each day.