1. Praise and Thanksgiving: This Shabbat's Torah portion includes Genesis 22, where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Besides the lessons that are learned from the story itself, this is a wonderful picture of God the Father's love for and willingness to sacrifice His Son Yeshua.

    • Thank You Abba, for Your love for us as shown in our Messiah Yeshua (John 3:16).

    • We trust You – even when we do not understand what You are doing (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    • You are faithful and powerful enough to watch over Your Word to see it come to pass (Jeremiah 1:12).

    • "Give thanks with a grateful heart…"

    • Thank You for the new life we have in Messiah Yeshua (2 Corinthians 5:17).

    • I will sing to YHWH as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My thoughts of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in YHWH.

      Psalms 104:33-34

  2. Water: Israel's water situation concerning its ecology and agriculture are in dire need. The Sea of Galilee is at dangerously low levels and the underground aquifers are drying up.

    • Thank You Lord, for the rain here and there that Israel has already received this year (1 Kings 18:44a).

    • We ask for a miraculous outpouring of water – not because Israel deserves it, but because You are a Father who sends the rain on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

    • Let the water fall in exactly the right places – like over the Sea of Galilee.

    • Let it snow in exactly the right places as well – especially on Mount Hermon and the rest of the Golan.

    • Thank You that Israelis have become more conservative in their use of water.

    • May the millions of tourists – especially Christians and Jews – be aware to not waste water as well.

    • The poor and needy seek water, and there is none…I YHWH will hear them, I the God of Israel will not leave them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant…in the wilderness [all sorts of trees] …that they may see, and know, and look on, and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

      Isaiah 41:17-20

  3. Unity: Israeli society is seemingly becoming more fragmented as shown by one particular ultra-Orthodox sect's riots against having their boys register with – not even join – the IDF. Yet today this is a global phenomenon, as prophesied by Yeshua to be one sign of the end, as ethnic group rises up against ethnic group (Matthew 24:7 where nation is ethnos, and can also be translated as ethnic group.]

    1. Government: Since unity should start at the top and then flow down on the rest of the nation (Psalm 133:1-3), we prayed for the government first (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

      • Lord, You see how divided the government is – even the ruling coalition. Please draw them into a closer relationship with You and with each other (Song of Songs 1:4a).

      • As often outside danger creates a sense of unity, if You choose to answer this prayer that way, have as much mercy as possible as well (Judges 19:29-20:1; James 2:13b).

      • We ask for a miracle, a hedging in of the words that flow out of our politician's mouths (James 3:1-8).

      • Impact deeply the hearts of all of Israel's governmental leaders (Proverbs 21:1).

    2. Society: A secular counter-demonstration against the ultra-Orthodox riots against the police and the IDF's policy is being organized for a future date. As it is labeled as a "day of rage," it will only exacerbate the already tense situation.

      • Lord, dampen the rage and hurt of the people's hearts against each other (Hebrews 12:15).

      • You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

        Leviticus 19:18

      • We ask that this counter demonstration will be cancelled completely (Proverbs 16:9).

      • Raise up righteous ultra-Orthodox leaders who will speak peace to the rest of society and take responsibility for the extremes in their communities (Jeremiah 23:3-4).

      • Equip the Israeli Body of Messiah to be part of the solution (Romans 12:9-10; Ephesians 4:15).

      • Help us all to deal with division in a godly manner (Romans 12:18).

  4. There is a call for massive demonstrations in America tomorrow (4th of Nov), organized by Antifa – the extreme leftwing, anti-Trump, anti-Israel, anti-conservative group, with the goal being an end of Trump's reign in office. We prayed about it because what happens in America, especially with the potential impact that this could have, impacts the rest of the world – especially Israel.

    • Lord, rise up against the spirit of anarchy that has been loosed on the earth – unless this is 101% in line with Your will before the return of Messiah Yeshua (Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3).

    • Enable the American Body of Messiah to first hear what You are saying and then be led by Your Spirit in intercessory prayer (Revelation 1:7a, 11a, 17a, 29; 2:6, 13, 22; Romans 8:28).

    • Give them explicit instructions on how to intercede for the current administration (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

    • Show them that despite all the nice words from Trump towards Israel, he still views a lack of an Israeli-Palestinian peace as the main obstacle towards a real peace in the Middle East for everyone else. Also, he, and/or his advisors, still want to create a Palestine – and that is bad news for all Americans (Joel 3:1-2).

    • Let them see that while the Kingdom of God does not depend on America, yet Messiah's Kingdom wants to impact and use America for God's glory (Psalm 115:1-3).

    • Help American believers cry out for You, God, to be great again in America!

  5. Yesterday, November 2nd, was the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in which the British government looked with favor towards the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine. While it is a time to celebrate that major breakthrough for the Zionist movement, this Declaration is also being used by many to delegitimize Israel's very right to exist.

    • Thank You God that Israel's existence does not depend on Balfour, but on Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Moses, Abraham, Yeshua, etc.

    • Thus says YHWH, who gives the sun for a light by day and the laws of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who divides the sea when its waves roar; YHWH of Hosts is His name; if those ordinances depart from Me…then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever…If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be searched out, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says YHWH.

      Jeremiah 31:35-37

    • Lord, thank You for Balfour being an answer to the prayers of many British saints for almost 200 years.

    • Strengthen UK's Prime Minister Teresa May to refuse to apologize for this Declaration (Proverbs 21:1).

    • Yet she has definite misconceptions about all this. Please clarify her thinking (John 17:17).

    • Lord, we give You the glory for this Declaration – both its substance and its timing. You shall arise, and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come. (Psalms 102:13)

    • Lord, raise up in Israel and in the Church many more to stand against the onslaught of historical revisionism against Israel's biblical, moral and legal right to all of the land of "Palestine." (Genesis 12:7).

    • …Messiah Yeshua has become a servant of the Jews for the truth of God, that is His Word, to confirm, to establish and make more sure, the promises made to the fathers [which includes the many promises that the Land of Israel is given by the God of Israel to the people of Israel]

      Romans 15:8

  6. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu traveled to the UK to be part of the Balfour Declaration celebrations and will be there until Sunday.

    • Please protect him in all ways – especially against all assassination attempts (Psalm 3:3).

    • Give him wisdom to know what to say and what not to say (Exodus 4:11-12).

    • There are many purposes in a man's heart, but the counsel of YHWH shall stand.

      Proverbs 19:21

    • Allow him and his wife Sarah to enjoy a peaceful rest over the Shabbat.

    • When he meets with the British Chief Rabbi, let him speak about aliyah – the return of Jews in exile to Israel – to both the Rabbi himself and to all the hundreds of thousands of Jews still stuck in Britain.

    • Use Netanyahu's very presence in the UK to cause many British Jews to at least consider coming home.

    • Use the rising spirit of anti-Semitism to speak to them as well (Jeremiah 16:16).

    • Hear the Word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the isles afar off, saying He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep/guard him, as a shepherd keeps his flock.

      Jeremiah 31:10

    • Strengthen the already strong ties between Netanyahu and Israel's UK Ambassador, Mark Regev.

  7. Israel's security situation remains tense. This past week, Israel unveiled its terror tunnel detection technology by destroying an Islamic Jihad tunnel from Gaza into Israel – killing a number of their people, some of whom have yet to be recovered. Of course, they are threatening revenge. What else is new?

    • Lord, thank You for answering our prayers and giving Israel the ability to detect these demonic tunnels.

    • He discovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light.

      Job 12:22

    • While we trust in You, we do bless You for the chariots and horses You have given us (Psalm 20:7-9).

    • Thank You for protecting this nation from even before its modern birth until now (Psalm 121:4).

    • Abba, prevent any further successful kidnapping attempts.

    • Lord of Hosts, if Israel needs to pre-empt our enemies, impart Your courage and skill to do just that. O God, You are awesome out of Your holy places; the God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to the people. Blessed is God. (Psalms 68:35)

    • Continue to enable Israel to keep its red lines in Syria even in the face of Russia being there.

    • We give You the glory for the silence of Russian President Putin concerning Israeli attacks against both Iranian and Syrian attempts to transfer weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

    • Draw Your enemies into the trap that they have set for Your people (Psalm 7:15-16; 35:4-8; 57:6).

    • We are so grateful that Israel has basically won its war against the threat of internal terrorism. May all the nations that blasted Israel's attempts to defend its citizens, who are now coming to Israel, seeking help for their war against terror, at least have the courage to apologize to Israel for all the wicked things they accused it of.

    • We look to You to set the borders of this land on any particular day (Deuteronomy 32:8-9; Malachi 1:5).

Continue to pray with us as we seek God for IFI's prayer conference in January of 2018. May He bring all those who are supposed to be here and keep away all others. And may He lead the leadership team to know what to preach and how to lead in prayer.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

PS from Chuck Cohen: Thank you all so much for the prayer covering that you gave me while I was ministering in America and Germany. There was much fruit and much of that is because of your prayers. It is awesome when the Body of Messiah co-laborers with God – and with one another.