1. This Shabbat's regular Torah portion is Deuteronomy 32. We read some verses as we began.

    • Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain; my speech shall distil as the dew…and as the showers upon the grass, because I will publish the name of YHWH. Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are just – a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.

      Deuteronomy 32:1-4

    • When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the people according to the number of the sons of Israel. For YHWH's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.

      Deuteronomy 32:8-9

    • We bless You that because of Messiah Yeshua, "His people" now includes both Jew and non-Jew.

    • What a joy and a privilege to serve a God of truth whose work is perfect and all whose ways are just.

    • Hallelujah! He who guards Israel never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4)

    • In this time of global shakings, we rejoice in You – our Rock, the Unshakable Shaker!

    • Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.

      Psalms 61:1-2

  2. Starting just before sunset today and ending just after sunset tomorrow night, Jews around the world and in Israel will be observing Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, a full day fast, as they pray and seek God for forgiveness of their sins. What a great time to pray for them to find what they are seeking for – the true Salvation whose name is Yeshua haMaschiah.

    • Lord Yeshua, reveal Yourself to many rabbis throughout the world, who will be leading these services.

    • As Your people go without bread and water, show them that You are the bread from heaven (John 6:33, 50) and the water of life (John 4:14).

    • We ask for the Body of Messiah to increase greatly over Yom Kippur (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

    • Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) As they do whatever they can to draw near to You, we trust You to do what You have said in this verse.

    • God, Your Word is in the prayers that are said over Yom Kippur. Please watch over Your Word, forbidding that it comes back to You void (Jeremiah 1:12; Isaiah 55:11).

    • Lord Yeshua, You said salvation comes out from the Jews (John 4:22). We are asking You to bring it back to many of them at this time (Luke 2:32).

    • May at least a partial of this verse happen this year: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look unto Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him… (Zechariah 12:10a)

    • Lord, we ask for the salvation of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and his family.

    • We lifted up the following groups for salvation by name: the Har Adar community which was shocked by a deadly terror attack this past week; Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jews who will try to be as earnest with You as they know how during this time; Holocaust survivors; IDF soldiers – especially those on duty, guarding this nation so that the rest of us can seek You in peace and safety; new immigrants for whom this is their first Yom Kippur in Your land; all those involved with abortions; the Ethiopian Jewish community; Russian-speaking Israelis; the Israeli gay community; children or parents of family members who are Messianic Jews.

    • For thus says YHWH; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.

      Jeremiah 31:7

  3. Aliyah– the immigration of Jews from exile to Israel – was our next prayer burden. At the end of the Yom Kippur service Jews again, like at the end of the Passover reading, say "Next year in Jerusalem."

    • We say, "Why not? Draw them to Your land Lord." (Psalm 147:2; Jeremiah 3:14)

    • I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the gentiles, which you [Israel] profaned in the midst of them. And the gentiles shall know I am YHWH…when I shall be sanctified in you [Israel] before their eyes. For I will take you [Israel/the Jewish people] from among the gentiles, and gather you out of all nations, and will bring you into your own land.

      Ezekiel 36:23-24

    • Abba, for Your holy name's sake, we ask for a tremendous increase in aliyah – starting today.

    • You have created in many animals a homing instinct that shows them it is time to return to their place of origin. Lord, turn on that "homing instinct" in Your people that cries, "Now is the time! Return!"

    • In those days…the children of Israel shall come with the children of Judah …weeping, they shall seek YHWH their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, 'Come, and let us join ourselves to YHWH in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten'.

      Jeremiah 50:4-5

    • God of Israel, enable whole families of several generations to take this step together.

    • May all Israelis who live outside of this land have an increased sense of homesickness at this time.

    • Lord Yeshua, rid Messianic Jews of all excuses – except if it is You asking them to stay in exile for this time. Remove all fear of being rejection and let them set their hearts towards Zion.

    • Speak out of this verse to them: How shall we sing YHWH's song in a strange land? (Psalms 137:4)

    • We prayed for the following specific groups of Jews come home: families in exile of "lone soldiers" serving in the IDF; Jews who only come to Israel for the holidays; Jews in the West – with Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, America, New Zealand and Australia mentioned; Spanish and Portuguese speaking Jews.

  4. We have interceded for the Iraqi Kurdish referendum, and our prayers have been answered: the referendum happened; many Kurds, in spite of various threats, courageously voted; and they voted overwhelmingly for independence. Now the world is furious with them. Does this sound familiar?

    • Thank You Lord that the referendum happened and it happened in peace (Psalm 50:15).

    • We bless You for the results and ask that You bless the Kurds, especially as they have been historically, and even today, a blessing to Israel and the Jews (Numbers 24:9b).

    • Concerning what happens next, may Your will be done in and with Kurdistan (Matthew 6:10).

    • If this is Your way to put that proverbial "cat among the pigeons" – show us how to continue to pray.

    • Bring the various Kurdish groups into unity and deal with their pride (Proverbs 13:10).

    • If the Iraqi Kurds are attacked – as they are being threatened by Iraq, Iran and Turkey – give courage to the Kurds in these nations to come to their aid.

    • If they are attacked, show Israel what to do and what not to do – as Israel has been the only nation to have openly supported the move towards Kurdish independence (Proverbs 20:18).

    • Soften the attitude of both Russia and America towards the creation of a Kurdistan.

    • Abba, may the fact that the Palestinians are against the Kurds having their own state open the eyes of the world to Palestinian hypocrisy – and be a huge deterrent to the creation of a "Palestine."

    • When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance…He set their borders according to the number of the sons of Israel. (Deuteronomy 32:8) We ask for You to set Kurdistan's borders today.

  5. Iran is attempting to build a highway from there through Iraq and Syria, ending at the sea in Lebanon. Iran is a Shi'ite Islamic nation and for all intents and purposes, controls the Iraqi Shi'ite government. It holds the leash on the Shi'ite terror group Hizbullah in Lebanon; has supported Syrian President Assad's war and has imported from other Islamic nations about 10,000 Shi'ite fighters into Syria whom they control. They have tightened the noose around Israel, whom they openly declare they want to annihilate. We prayed that this highway, this Shi'ite Crescent – would not be completed.

    • Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him… Rebuke the company of spearmen…scatter the people that delight in war.

      Psalms 68:1, 30

    • You hear Iran's blasphemies against Your people. Do not allow their demonic plans to be completed. YHWH brings the plans of the nations to nothing; He makes the plots of the gentiles null and void. YHWH's plans stand forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. (Psalms 33:10-11)

    • Continue to cause great confusion and animosity between the Sunnis in these nations and the Shi'ites.

    • Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

      Psalms 35:4; cp. verse 26; 129:5

    • God of Israel – we do not trust in anyone to save us other than You (Psalm 7:1). Yet You told us to make our requests known (Philippians 4:6), so we do that by praying for Russia and America as follows:

    • Lord, let Russian President Putin communicate very clearly his concern with Iran's plans – and may he be determined to make them pay a price if they will not listen to him (Proverbs 21:1).

    • Abba, wake up the American administration to how Iran's plans threaten all their Middle East allies.

    • Invade the Iranian leadership with such paranoia that they see everything that happens as a Zionist plot against them – just like they saw the Kurdish referendum! And then use that to press them to make major geopolitical mistakes in judgment (2 Chronicles 18:21).

    • Cut all ties between Iran and North Korea. Stir up enmity, dissention and confusion between them.

    • Shake Iran both physically and spiritually (Psalm 83:13-18).

    • Thank You for the growth of the Iranian Church. Give them great wisdom in prayer (Romans 8:26).

    • Impart to Israel's leaders – political and military – Your wisdom and guidance on how Israel should deal with this growing threat (2 Samuel 5:24).

  6. We interceded for security in Israel over these holy days.

    • Behold, He who guards Israel, neither slumbers nor sleeps.

      Psalms 121:4

    • Hear the word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the isles afar off, saying, 'He that scattered Israel will gather him, and guard him, as a shepherd does his flock'.

      Jeremiah 31:10

    • Thank You for all the security forces who are and will be guarding us over the feast days. Bless them, protect them and draw them to Yourself (Song of Solomon 1:4; Jeremiah 31:3).

    • Thank You for exposing and capturing the Israeli Arab terror cell who planned attacks from the Temple Mount (Job 12:22).

    • Continue to give Israel the upper hand in dealing with terrorism (Numbers 10:35; Deuteronomy 28:7).

    • Make all Israelis alert during this time (Isaiah 51:17; 52:1).

    • All intelligence that needs to come to Israel – let it come quickly and accurately – and help those who need to deal with it know what to do (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

    • Protect all synagogues – both in Israel and worldwide – over this weekend (Psalm 3:1-3).

    • As many of the security forces will also be fasting over Yom Kippur, grant them special grace to not be weakened or less than 100% alert.

    • Also, forbid all distractions via mobile phones or anything else.

  7. Finally, we prayed out for the Church to cry out at this time that Israel will find that for which they are seeking – the forgiveness of their sins.

    • For thus says YHWH, sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, 'YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel'.

      Jeremiah 31:7

    • Lord Yeshua, on this crucial day, wake up many in Your Body to seek You for all Israel to be saved.

    • Remove the veil over gentile believers' hearts towards Your people and Your feasts (Leviticus 23:2).

    • Wake up Your watchmen (Isaiah 62:6-7) to agree with You in prayer for Your will declared in 62:1-2 to be done: For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. And Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of YHWH shall name. (Isaiah 62:1-2)

    • May more gentile believers come to the understanding that Israel was – and is – chosen so that they can know the You: …and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3); The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the gentiles through faith, preached before the gospel to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all families of the earth be blessed'. (Galatians 3:8)

Shabbat shalom and may all your prayers for His kingdom purposes be anointed from on high,

The IFI team