1. Praise: Isaiah 60 is the prophetic portion for this Shabbat. The first couple of verses reveal to us what God's will is for Israel's restoration today.

    • Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of YHWH is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but YHWH shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon you.Isa. 60:1-2

    • Thank You Lord that Israel's restoration is about Your glory being revealed to the world (Mal. 1:5).

    • Ah, Lord YHWH, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm. Nothing is too difficult for You. (Jer. 32:17) Amen, we believe it.

    • Lord, thank You for being our light and salvation and strength (Psa. 27:1).

    • We bless You that Your ways are not our ways and in the face of the Israeli election results, we place our trust in You (Prov. 3:5; Isa. 55:8-9).

    • King Yeshua, we declare that You are Lord of all (Acts 10:36), and that all authority in heaven and on earth now reside in Your hands (Matt. 28:18).

    • Yeshua, Messiah, blessed are You who comes in the name of the Lord (Psa. 118:26; Matt. 23:39).

  2. Election results: As expected, the results from this past week's national elections are similar to the outcome from the elections held in the spring. Coalition negotiations are already starting and unless some of these politicians humble themselves, we could face another election early next year! At this time, it falls into the hands of President Rivlin to talk with all the parties and then pass the baton on to the person whom he thinks has the best chance to form the next government coalition.

    • Thank You Lord that Israel is a democracy with elections and not revolutions.

    • Help President Rivlin to make a wise and godly choice (Prov. 21:1).

    • Enable Rivlin to lay aside all past personal dealings with Netanyahu when he makes his decision (Prov. 18:19).

    • Surround him with all the godly counsel that he needs (Prov. 11:14).

    • Protect him from all spirits of manipulation – especially from the Israeli media (Num. 23:23).

    • Abba, You brought us back for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:32), so we ask for You to have mercy on this nation during the normally hectic negotiations to form a coalition.

  3. Election results: As of this morning, Benny Gantz's center-left Blue & White party won two more seats in the Knesset than Bibi Netanyahu's Likud party. While there is talk of a unity government – some of the demands by Gantz [Likud but without Bibi; no religious/Haredi parties] and from Avigdor Liberman [no Haredi or Arab parties] whose party, Yisrael Beitainu, gained nine seats, will only further to divide this nation. This situation requires God's intervention – and that requires our continued intercession.

    • Lord, please provide the ladder that many of Israel's politicians to climb down from their arrogant remarks and demands (Prov. 29:23).

    • Give them a desire to seek what is best for Israel and not just for their own careers (Heb. 11:24-26).

    • Expose all hidden agendas as the various parties negotiate (Job 12:22).

    • Reveal to Israel's politicians the very real dangers Israel is facing today (Psa. 120:6-7; 124:1-8).

    • Forbid the media headlines from manipulating the political negotiations (Psa. 62:4; 63:11).

    • Raise up true voices in the media (Isa. 59:14-19).

  4. Next government: One of the ways we prayed for the next government on election day was to specifically ask God to watch over His Word concerning all issues He has led us to pray into.

    • Lord, we ask for You to give us a government that will make aliyah [immigration of Jews from exile to Israel] a priority (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Lord, give us a government that will actually prepare for massive aliyah (Ezek. 39:27-28).

    • Lord, give us a government that will put its money where its mouth is concerning the high cost of living and lack of housing in this land (Luke 16:10).

    • Lord, give us a prime minister who will appoint ministers based on who is most qualified and not one who hands out portfolios as political payback (Deut. 16:19).

    • Lord, give us a government that sees the security issue as foundational to all other issues.

    • Lord, give us a government that will not divide Your land (Lev. 25:23; Ezek. 36:5; Joel 3:1-2).

    • Lord, give us a government that will openly accept Christian Zionist support (Isa. 60:3-10).

    • Lord, give us a government that honors Your Word – like Bibi has so often done (1 Sam. 2:30).

    • Lord, give us a government that walks in righteousness (Prov. 14:34).

    • Lord, give us a government that deals with Israel's minorities fairly (Isa. 56:1).

    • Lord, give us a government that makes it harder for abortions to be performed (Jer. 7:5-7).

    • Lord, give us a government – through whom You can be glorified (Psa. 115:1-3)!

  5. Security: Until the new government is formed, Netanyahu is still prime minister – as well as defense minister. We note with interest how Iran was distracted from its goal of destroying Israel by the recent attack on Saudi Arabia's largest oil facilities. Yet only someone ignorant of Shi'ite Islamic eschatology would think that Iran is not the main existential threat to the Jewish State today. It is imperative to pray for Israel's current temporary government to maintain its high security alert.

    • Lord, do not allow Netanyahu to be so distracted by all the political issues that he lets down his guard on watching over Israel's security (Psa. 44:4-5).

    • Remove from him all discouragement and exhaustion when it comes to security issues (Psa. 80:17).

    • We bless You for protecting Israel during this election week by the Iranian, or Iranian proxy's, attack on the Saudi Arabian oil facilities (Psa. 83:16-18).

    • Continue to confound all those who hate Sion (Psa. 129:5).

    • Protect IDF's Chief of Staff Kochavi from being sucked into Israel's political quagmire (Zech. 12:6).

    • Allow him to have extraordinary wisdom at this time to know what Israel needs to do (1 Chr. 12:32).

  6. Security: we focused on Gaza, Judea and Samaria today.

    • Continue Lord, to guard and guide all of Israel's security forces (Psa. 140:7; 144:1).

    • Watch over this word – especially at this season: Do not fear; for I am with you; be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will make you strong; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all those who are incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded; they shall be as nothing, and those who fight with you shall perish. You shall seek them, and shall not find them…For I, YHWH your God, will hold your right hand, saying…Do not fear, you worm of Jacob and men of Israel; I will help you, says YHWH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I make you a new sharp threshing instrument, a master of teeth; you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and a tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in YHWH and shall glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isa. 41:10-16)

    • Thank You for protecting this nation by making the IDF that new sharp threshing instrument.

    • What a miraculous fulfillment of Your prophetic word to see the IDF as an exceedingly great army, especially directly after the Holocaust (Ezek. 37:1-10). Thank You for being so faithful.

    • Shepherd of Israel, protect Your regathered flock as per Your word in Jeremiah 31:10.

    • Keep all the soldiers alert and undistracted (Neh. 4:9).

    • As IDF active soldiers are young, protect them emotionally, mentally and physically (Psa. 121:4).

  7. Security: Our prayers for Israel's intelligence capabilities are being answered. We have also seen how Israeli leaders have used that intelligence to pre-empt many of the enemy's plans.

    • We bless and thank You for the many recent intelligence victories, exposing especially Iranian bases and weapons caches as far away as in Iraq (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • We thank You for the report that Israeli intelligence has helped to prevent over 50 terror attacks in over 25 nations worldwide (Isa. 60:3).

    • Lord, continue to protect all of Israel's undercover operatives (Psa. 91:1-4).

    • And continue to keep them sharp so that they are not deceived by disinformation (Job 12:16).

    • Protect and guide Israel's technical intelligence gathering devices, like its satellites and submarines.

    • Let those who watch social media know what is dangerous and what is just junk (Jer. 9:5).

    • Protect all patrol and information gathering planes flying on Israel's borders (Isa. 31:5).

    • Enable all gathered intelligence to get to the right people who have the ability to decipher what is actually going on (1 kin. 3:9; Prov. 28:2).

    • Thank You for the recent successful attacks against Iranian bases in Syria and Iraq (Mic. 4:1-13).

    • Continue to give the government and the IDF courage to pre-empt as needed.

    • May Israel have plans in place to deal with an all-out war against Iran's proxies in Lebanon and Gaza in case a war between the US and Saudi Arabia against Iran starts (Prov. 20:18; 21:31).

  8. The fall feasts of the Lord – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succoth – start at the end of this month. Already all of the holiday goodies and paraphernalia are being displayed in most Israeli shops. This is also a time of introspection and the word "repentance" is often heard. What a great time to pray for Israel's salvation.

    • For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but YHWH shall rise on you, and His glory shall be seen on you.Isa. 60:2

    • Lord Yeshua, rise up and reveal Your glory to Your people (Luke 2:32). [We prayed for specific groups in Israeli society to come to know the Lord during this season. Please add those groups that the Spirit lays on your hearts as well].

    • Save many of the emotionally, mentally and physically handicapped Israelis (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

    • Lord, open the eyes of all patients who are close to death (Ezek. 18:21; 33:11).

    • Pour out Your Spirit on all the Holocaust survivors (Ezek. 37:11-14).

    • For the religious Jews, who pray at the Western Wall each morning, and go to synagogues to repent, Lord, give them that new heart and spirit that You promised to Your people when they returned to this land (Jer. 32:37-40; Ezek. 36:26-27).

    • Touch many secular Israelis – especially those who believe in You but not in a Rabbinic Judaism type of way (Luke 15:1-7).

    • Interrupt all rote prayers of repentance and send a spirit of conviction of sin on many (John 16:9).

    • Anoint the Messianic Body to know when and how to speak about You and when to be silent.

    • As archaeologists continue to dig up proof that the Bible is true, may the truth of who You are also be received (Psa. 85:11).

    • Send Your truth upon university students, their professors and many scientists (Prov. 3:7; 26:12).

    • Lord, we ask You to send out laborers into the harvest fields (Luke 10:2).

    • For those seeking comfort because of the death of a loved one this past year, reveal Yourself as the Comforter of Israel (Acts 13:15; 2 Cor. 1:3).

    • Abba, please unveil Your Son to the unsaved family members of Messianic Jews (Acts 16:31).

  9. Since when all Israel gets saved, they are in the Land (Jer. 32:37-42; Zech. 12:10, etc.), this is also a wonderful time to pray for aliyah.

    • Hear the Word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the coastlands afar off, saying, He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd keeps his flock. (Jer. 31:10) Amen!

    • Make Israelis living in exile exceedingly abundantly homesick during the feasts (Jer. 50:4-5).

    • Remove the fears of moving from Your people, replacing it with a sense of adventure.

    • Use the increase in anti-Semitic attacks to drive Your people back home (Jer. 16:16).

    • Lord, give us a government that will open wide the doors for all Jews – regardless of their skin color or finances or jobs or languages – to be welcomed home (Isa. 62:10).

    • Abba, turn the rabbis to Ezekiel 34:11-16 and let them lead their flocks back to Zion.

    • Instead of trying to heal the world [tikkun olam], may the Jews in exile read and understand this word: We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her and let us go, each one into their own land, for her judgment reaches to the heavens…YHWH has brought forth our righteousness; come and let us declare in Zion the work of YHWH our God. (Jer. 51:9-10)

    • Lord, we ask for You to do whatever it takes to wake up the Jews in exile in the following nations from which we have come: America, Britain, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan. [Please add your own nation to this list.]

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team