1. Praise: This Shabbat's prophetic portion reminds us that God watches over His word to do it.

    • The Word of YHWH came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? I said, I see a rod of an almond tree [Heb: shaked]. YHWH said to me, You have seen well; for I will watch over [Heb: shoked] My Word to perform it.Jer. 1:11-12

    • Thank You Lord, that we see this happening in our lives, in this nation and in the world.

    • We wait for You to watch over Your Word – in Your timing – in all these things (Hab. 2:3).

    • We bless You for giving us both the Living and the written Word (John 1:1-4; Heb. 4:12).

    • Thank You for Your unchangeableness, which we stand upon during these chaotic times (Mal. 3:6).

    • At all times, Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. (Psa. 119:105)

    • Thank You for teaching us how to trust in Your word even without a full understanding (Psa. 119:18).

  2. Elections: The Israeli election campaigns are in full swing. By Wednesday July 31st all parties or coalitions have to submit their lists to be eligible to run in the September 17th elections. So there is a lot of jostling for positions and agreements/disagreements happening at this time.

    • God of order (1 Cor. 14:40), create order out of this chaos by next week for the Israeli electorate.

    • Bring together the smaller parties whom You want to be in unity (Ezek. 37:17).

    • Forbid an unholy alliances or coalitions (Prov. 11:21; Amos 3:3).

    • Lord, watch over Your promises to give Israel shepherds after Your heart (Jer. 3:15; 23:3-4).

    • Also, deal with the wicked shepherds and remove then far from Your sheep (Ezek. 34:1-10).

  3. The electorate: Many Israelis are running on summer-mode. We surmise that most are not paying attention to the campaigns or are so burned out by all the political shenanigans that they just do not care. While we understand both these mindsets, still this can be dangerous when election day arrives.

    • Do not allow election-fatigue to keep people away from voting (Prov. 16:33; 18:18).

    • Lord, we ask that You remove apathy from Your people (Rev. 3:16).

    • May the Body of Messiah take on its responsibility to pray into the political arena (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

    • Guide first time voters on how to vote by Your Spirit and forbid them from voting based on tradition or religious affiliation.

    • Block all manipulation from inside or outside of Israel from interfering with this election (Num. 23:23).

    • Thank You that the polls in Israel have been consistently wrong (Psa. 64:1-10).

    • Lord, have mercy and give Israel conclusive results this time so that a government can be formed through whom You can be glorified (Hag. 1:8)!

  4. Iran: The increase of aggressive moves by Iran is a great concern for us who live in Israel – and it should be a great concern for the rest of the world. Yet Europe, like it was in the 1930s, seems to be deaf and blind to Iran's bullying tactics. Yesterday, Iran tested a ballistic missile. It has harassed and captured a number of ships in the Arabia/Persian Gulf. It has gone past the agreed percentage in enriching uranium – yet other than America and Israel – the rest of the world is dumb (both silent and stupid) about Iran's aggressive moves. One Israeli minister said this past week, Israel is the only nation to confront Iran militarily recently and it has done so successfully and will continue to do so.

    • Lord, thank You for the strong stance Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu and the rest of the Israeli security establishment have taken against allowing Iran to set up militarily in Syria (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • May they continue – even in this election campaign – to hold Iran to Israel's stated redlines (Matt. 5:37).

    • Continue to impart Your plans to Israeli leaders as to what to do and not do re: Iran (Prov. 21:31).

    • Concerning Iran's plans to annihilate Israel, Lord, thank You for watching over this word: YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plots of the people. The counsel of YHWH stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. (Psa. 33:10-11)

    • Abba, please release the archangel Michael to fight for Israel against the spirit of Persia (Dan. 10:13).

    • May all IDF plans that are from You be approved by the security cabinet (Prov. 20:18).

    • Continue to use Netanyahu to influence Trump, Putin and the UK's Boris Johnson more than they influence him when it comes to Iran and its Islamic lies and open threats (1 Kin. 4:34).

    • Impart Your priorities to Israel's security leadership, and remove all blind spots from their vision. Give us help against our enemies, for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies. (Psa. 60:11-12)

  5. Hezbollah: Iran's proxy in Lebanon and Syria is Israel's most immediate and dangerous foe.

    • As they desire to wipe Israel off the face of the map, we cry to You, Arise God and scatter Your enemies! Yes, scatter them who delight in war (Psa. 68:1, 31).

    • Mix a huge dose of confusion into all of their demonic plans (Psa. 35:4-8).

    • Reveal to the IDF all of Hizbullah's hidden weapons caches and tunnels (Job 12:22).

    • Lord, with the better than 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel from Lebanon, we ask You to say to this nation once more, Do not fear. Stand still and see the salvation of YHWH, which He will prepare for you this day. For [Hizbullah] whom you see today, you shall never see them anymore. YHWH shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. (Ex. 14:13-14)

    • Mess up their rockets and missiles by all sorts of "miraculous" ways, like rust, or water, computer viruses and miscommunications, etc. [This is what most of the plagues on Egypt were – nature under His control doing that which He ordered his creation to do. See Exodus 14:21 as one example]

    • Provide Israel with accurate actionable intelligence and show them how to act with what they receive.

    • Direct Israel to continue attacking Hizbullah and Iranian weapons bases in Syria successfully (Josh. 5:13-6:5).

    • Lord, dry up all of Hizbullah's finances that come from Iran (Jam. 5:1-3).

  6. Gaza: Hamas leaders have been in Iran this past week, planning for Israel's demise. Also, this is Friday and we can expect another demonstration along the Gaza security fence.

    • Lord, thank You for watching over Your Word in the face of all the threats from the Spirit of Islam to destroy Israel: 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… the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever. Thus says YHWH, 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… (Jer. 31:35-37)

    • Lord, how long does Israel need to put up with these demon-strations? (Rev. 6:10).

    • Abba, set Israel free or give Israel a way to escape this snare (Psa. 124: 1-8).

    • As with Hizbullah, so with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, dry up all their Iranian funds.

    • You see how they use children to fight against Israel – and yet the world is silent. Be not silent Lord, but watch over that word of severe warning You gave about children being used demonically (Luke 17:1-2).

    • Use these confrontations to enable Israel to develop new defense and offense weapons systems.

    • Forgive the sin of Israel in despising its birthright for a mess of "peace" when it left Gaza (Judg. 1:18).

    • Give Israel Your plan to retake Gaza – in Your timing (2 Sam. 5:24).

    • Guard over the IDF soldiers who are guarding over Israel at the Gaza fence (2 Sam. 22:3).

  7. In a few weeks, two US Congresswomen who are blatantly anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic, are coming to visit Israel and "Palestine". One is a Palestinian-American and the other is originally from Somalia. They're Muslims and "women of color" – both of which in our radical politically-correct world are supposed to give them protection from any criticism, especially from "white males"! Israel has said they will be allowed in yet because they are active in trying to legislate Boycott, Divestment and Sanction laws against Israel in the US, Israeli law allows the government to block their entry.

    • Lord, Israel is caught in another trap. Whatever it decides it will be harshly criticized, Speak clearly to Israel's leaders to know whether to put out a welcome mat or to bolt the door!

    • If it is Your will for them to come, arrange a situation where they can see how wrong the label of "apartheid" is when it comes to Jews and Arabs in this land.

    • Lord, does this verse give us direction to pray? You shall not bring an abomination into your house, lest you be a cursed thing like it. (Deut. 7:26)

    • If they do come, do to them as You did with Balaam: YHWH your God would not listen to Balaam, but YHWH…turned the curse to a blessing to you, because YHWH your God loved you. (Deut. 23:5)

    • Give wisdom to intercessors – especially in Israel and America – on how to pray into this (Jam. 1:5-6).

  8. Palestinian Authority President Abbas has threatened once again to stop all cooperation with Israel. The main area of concern would be if the IDF and the PA security forces stop working together as this would open a wide door for Hamas to infiltrate even more in to Judea and Samaria.

    • Abba, move on the hearts of the leaders of the PA security forces to see that it is far better to side with Israel than with Hamas (Num. 24:9b).

    • Thank You for the relative calm and cooperation there has been in Judea and Samaria between the IDF and the PA security forces (Prov. 16:7).

    • Prepare Israel to know what to do and what not to do on the day after Abbas dies.

    • Even in his old age (mid 80s) You are still able to reveal You Son to Abbas. For Your holy name's sake, save him, before he suffers eternally for his venomous attitude towards Your people (Psa. 79:8-10)!

  9. Aliyah: The immigration of the Jews from exile to Israel is a heavy burden on our hearts. It seems as if most Jews in exile are so comfortable that they do not really see the hateful handwriting on the synagogue walls or on the tombstones in Jewish cemeteries. The hunters are released (Jer. 16:16) and to ignore this is to ignore God's warning.

    • Lord, we thank You for bringing Your people home at this time (Jer. 31:8-9).

    • Forbid that the "leeks and onions" of Egypt/Babylon blind the Jews from the swift rise and acceptance of the Spirit of anti-Semitism in the world today (Jer. 50:17-20).

    • With the next government, remove the stranglehold of the ultra-Orthodox to determine who is a Jew and who is allowed to make aliyah (Isa. 62:10).

    • Marry all the young Jews who come on free tours to this land (Isa. 62:4-5).

    • We bless from Zion all those organization – whether Jewish or Christian – who are actively engaged in aiding the Jew to return (Psa. 134:3).

    • Lord, please provide all that they need for the honor and glory of Your name (Ezek. 36:23-24).

    • Lord Yeshua, please wake up more churches to see that helping a Jewish family make aliyah and then supporting them until they get settled is an end-time prophetic act (Zech. 8:1-8).

    • To the approximate one million Israelis living in exile, send a spirit of homesickness to them all – especially over the fall holy day season that is coming soon (Jer. 40:4-5).

Finally, this coming Tuesday the IFI leadership team will meet to pray about and discuss the way forward now that Eliyahu has graduated to glory. We would appreciate your prayers for us to hear the voice of our Great Shepherd sharing with us His will for the future of this – His – ministry. May He continue to lead us in paths of righteousness – for His name's sake (Psa. 23:3).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team