1. Bless the Lord, O my soul;

    And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

    Bless the Lord, O my soul,

    And forget not all His benefits:

    Who forgives all your iniquities,

    Who heals all your diseases,

    Who redeems your life from destruction,

    Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

    Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

    So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

    Psalm 103:1-5

    • Thank You, Lord, for all Your benefits with which You bless us. We exhort ourselves to remember them and not to forget.

    • Thank You that You choose to forget our sins and iniquities and that every day we can begin afresh. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

    • Everything changes but You remain the same. The heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

    • You are a faithful, covenant-keeping God. He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy (Deuteronomy 7:9)

    • With our hands lifted up and our mouths filled with praise we will bless You, O Lord!

    • Thank you for crowning us with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

  2. UNESCO resolution

    This week the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation approved a resolution which condemned Israel and undermines any Jewish historical connection to the Temple Mount, seeking to rewrite history and redefine it as a purely Moslem site. The Palestinian Authority now intends to take the matter to the higher bodies of the UN such as the Security Council.

    • In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

      2 Chronicles 33:7

    • Thank You that Your word stands forever and whatever the world says, Your word and Your truth will not fail. (Isaiah 40:8)

    • Hedge in and confuse the Palestinians so they are unable to take the matter further.

    • Give Israel’s leaders wisdom to know what to do.

    • Empower Israel’s efforts to confront these lies with good “hasbara” (explanation, public relations, diplomacy).

    • Cause the nations which abstained in this vote to repent of their cowardice and lukewarm-ness and to support Israel in the future.

  3. Jerusalem

    international resolutions can provide encouragement to Israel’s enemies to rise up against us. One reaction is extra tension on the streets of Jerusalem as hatred is turned to violence on the streets. We have seen two people murdered earlier this week and need to pray for protection for the citizens and the thousands of visitors flocking to Jerusalem for the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) which begins on Sunday night.

    • Give wisdom for the security services as they seek to protect the people and preserve peace in the city. Give them accurate intelligence regarding any plans to stir up violence.

    • Comfort the bereaved families from the recent attack.

    • Bring joy and laughter in Jerusalem, indeed in all Israel at this festive time.

    • And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

      Leviticus 23:40

    • I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.

      2 Chronicles 6:6

  4. Sukkot

    the children of Israel were commanded through Moses to build temporary shelter and dwell in them for the week of the festival as a reminder of their time wandering in the desert and also that life on earth is a transient thing.

    • Lord, meet with Your people during this feast of Sukkot.

    • You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days.

      Leviticus 23:41-42

    • Thank You, Lord, that our citizenship is in heaven and that this life is only a passing phase. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. (Philippians 3:20)

  5. Rain

    this is also the time of year when we can expect the rains to begin. The land of Israel has experienced several years of low rainfall and, while we are grateful for alternative sources of water through desalination technology, we continue to need rainfall to replenish the natural water sources.

    • Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.

      Jeremiah 5:24

    • And He will cause the rain to come down for you — the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

      Joel 2:23

    • Please, God, open the heavens and cause the rains to fall upon this parched land.

    • Bring the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) up to full in this season.

    • You promised to make this land like the Garden of Eden (Isaiah 51:3). It needs water. You have been transforming the land. Thank You. Please continue this work this year.

    • The land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.

      Deuteronomy 11:11-12

    • Thank You for Your care for Your land!

  6. Russia

    the Russian “bear” is continuing to flex its muscles as it re-establishes the prominent role it craves on the world stage. They appear to be preparing for the possibility of war, moving their missiles around to more aggressive positions, engaging in civil defence exercises for their own population, strengthening and bolstering the confidence of their proxies such as President Assad of Syria.

    • Lord, keep us watchful and give us wisdom how to pray about this dangerous situation in the world today.

    • Give discernment to the believers in Russia to know how to pray for their nation.

    • Hedge Russia in and prevent her from moving outside the boundaries You have set for her in Your plans. Nothing outside Your timing, Lord!

    • Protect us all against accidents which might cause events to spin out of control.

    • Give Israel’s leaders wisdom and strategies for every possible turn of events.

    • David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear [Russia?] came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.”

      1 Samuel 17:34-35

  7. Israel’s Foreign Ministry

    Dore Gold resigned this week from the role of Director General of the Foreign Ministry. As a close ally and confidant of Binyamin Netanyahu there is much speculation of a breakdown in their relationship – speculation which Gold has been quick to refute, saying he wants to have more time for his family. Yuval Rotem has been appointed as his successor.

    • Thank you, Lord for the good job which Dore Gold has been able to do in the Foreign Ministry. We bless him in his continuing influence through other roles and also as a father and grandfather in his family.

    • Bless and strengthen the relationships between Netanyahu and Yuval Rotem and also with Michael Oren, Deputy Minister for Diplomacy. Use them together as an instrument in Your hand.

    • Show Netanyahu whether now is the time to appoint an actual Foreign Minister (he currently holds the portfolio himself as well as being Prime Minister).

  8. Binyamin Netanyahu

    the Prime Minister’s enemies are using this latest resignation as a weapon against him. He does have a history of broken trust in working relationships with those around him in leadership.

    • Lord, we pray for healing for these relationships with others in leadership or who were previously in leadership.

    • If there is any wound or weakness in Bibi’s character, please heal him.

    • Bring an atmosphere of trust and confidence in these working relationships for Bibi.

    • Give him openness to godly counsel and discernment regarding the counsel he receives from many sides.

    • Bless the Netanyahu family. Give them peace in their home (shalom bayit) and in their sukkah.

    • Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand [Binyamin means “son of the right hand”], Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.

      Psalm 80:17

  9. US elections

    the run up to the Presidential election is getting more and more dirty and nasty, highlighting the worst in the characters of both candidates. Let’s continue to pray, crying out for mercy upon America, if there is still a role for her in God’s purposes on the world stage.

    • Lord, have mercy on America. Can it be that she still has a major role to play in Your plans?

    • Let Your chosen person be the next President.

    • Drive the Church in America to their knees and then to the voting booths to cast their votes on November 8th.

    • Bring good out of this situation for Israel.

  10. Chuck in Germany

    IFI Director Chuck Cohen is in Germany for a prayer assignment alongside IFI-Deutschland and Ebenezer Emergency Fund Deutschland praying for the release of the Jews in Germany to make Aliyah to Israel.

    • Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones! Lift up a banner for the peoples!

      Isaiah 62:10

    • Give discernment and vision to Chuck and the other leaders of the team. Keep them in unity. Inspire them. Give them Your weapons of warfare and victory in Yeshua’s name.

    • Protect them physically as they travel from city to city around Germany.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

Psalm 147:2

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sukkot Sameach (Happy Feast of Tabernacles),

from the IFI team!