1. Praise: This Shabbat's Torah portion includes the Aaronic benediction.

    • Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, In this way shall you bless the children of Israel, saying to them, 'YHWH bless you, and keep you; YHWH make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; YHWH lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace'. And they shall put My name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.Num. 6:23-27

    • What an incredible revelation, that You, the Creator of all, wants to bless us – Your creation!

    • Thank You for Your everlasting love and renewed care for us day by day (Lam. 3:22-23).

    • We bless You that as Your children in Messiah Yeshua, while we often experience Your discipline, in Him, we have escaped Your judgment (Prov. 3:11-12; 1 Thess. 1:10).

    • It is only by Your amazing grace that enables us to see how our personal testimonies so perfectly lined up with what You declared about drawing Israel back to Yourself in Jeremiah 31:3.

    • We give You thanks for You are good and Your covenant-love endures forever (Psa. 106:1; 136:1).

    • We stand amazed seeing Your mercy and grace on Your land and Your people today (Psa. 98:3).

  2. Government: From the Wisdom of the Fathers, a non-canonical Jewish book: "Pray for the welfare of the government; if not for the fear thereof men would swallow each other alive." Is this what we are seeing as anarchy explodes in the streets of American and other nations? If so, might the Church be at least partly at fault for refusing to talk about – or worse, pray about – politics?

    • I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.1 Tim. 2:1-2

    • As there is a definite shortage of that "quiet and peaceable life" today, Lord please forgive those brothers and sisters in Messiah who refuse to take Paul's exhortation seriously (1 Tim. 4:16).

    • Encourage all the family of Messiah to either start, or to press on, in praying for their respective governments – and their nations relationship with Israel – in line with Your Word (1 John 5:14-15).

    • We thank You for the government You have raised up in Israel to have at this time (Dan. 2:21).

    • Make the government ministers' priorities to be in line with Your priorities (Prov. 19:21).

    • Continue to help PM Bibi Netanyahu to lead Israel – until Your time for him is over (Job 32:8).

    • Guard his mind and thoughts and turn him to Your will in all of his ways (Prov. 21:1).

  3. The spirit of anarchy: Seeing what is happening in America this past week, this spirit is now prowling its streets and spreading to other nations. While this may not be directly from God, He is allowing it for whatever His reasons are. We need His wisdom to know how to pray about it!

    • Lord, as You are a God of peace and not confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), why has this been released now?

    • Abba, have mercy on all the innocent people worldwide – protecting them from the destructive forces of anarchy which are basically running unchecked (Psa. 55:9-11).

    • Please Lord Yeshua, give the American church wisdom on how to pray into this (Luke 11:1).

    • Messiah Yeshua, we know that You are the answer. Forbid that we be ashamed of the good news that in You we are reconciled to God and then we can truly love one another (Rom. 1:16; Lev. 19:18).

  4. The spirit of anarchy in Israel: We prayed against this spirit wreaking havoc in Israel.

    • God, set a barrier around Israel to prevent this spirit from infiltrating Your nation (Zech. 2:5).

    • Lord, remove the foundational issues as to why this spirit could cause havoc here (Zech. 8:16-17).

    • Strip away from Israelis all racism and discrimination (Ex. 12:49; Num. 15:15).

    • Forbid Western and Russian immigrants from bringing any inbred racism into Israel (Lev. 19:17).

    • Give grace to Ethiopians to forgive all racism that often comes against them in Israel (Num. 12:1).

    • Use the new Ethiopian minister of Aliyah – Pnina Tamano-Shata – to make all Israelis proud to have her represent this nation (Prov. 31:10, 26, 28).

    • As You promised, make this nation one in Your hand (Ezek. 37:18-19).

    • Continue to use the IDF as a melting pot for Israelis of all backgrounds to be united(Psa. 133:1).

  5. Covid-19: This past week, as Israel was trying to unlock and unload from its lockdown, there was a steep spike in Covid-19 cases, especially in schools. We have prayed for Israel's leaders to know when to release the restrictions and will continue to ask Him to guide them in this situation.

    • Abba, we see that part of the problem is Israelis not walking in the government guidelines. Please deal with these people to recognize that this plague is far from being over (Psa. 66:7).

    • Israelis have a reputation for not being patient – yet since patience makes one mature, use Covid-19 to mature Your people (Jam. 1:3-4).

    • Encourage teachers to enforce the social distancing/mask-wearing guidelines in their classes.

    • Lord, anoint the new Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, with wisdom from above (Jam. 3:17).

    • Standing in the gap, and based on James 1:5-6, we ask for wisdom for all in the health and economic areas that need to give input and make final decisions, including Netanyahu and Benny Gantz.

    • Give courage to Israel's new Finance Minister Yisrael Katz to make all necessary decisions, even if they are not what this nation wants to hear at this time (Luke 16:11).

    • We thank You for all Israeli health workers and bless them with Numbers 6:24-26 quoted above.

    • We thank You for guarding Your people from the worst effects of this plague (Ex. 8:22; 9:6).

    • Almighty God, You have allowed this virus crisis for Your Kingdom purposes. May all that You have in Your heart be accomplished both here in Israel and globally (Psa. 103:19; Isa. 55:11).

    • Humble humanity. Let those who see themselves as "gods" realize that through a very little, unseen virus, You have turned the whole world upside-down (Psa. 9:19-20; 76:12; Isa. 31:3).

  6. Security – Iran: This week the IDF faced off against the Lebanese Army on the northern border. Yet whatever happens against Israel in Lebanon, or Syria, and to a large extent even Gaza, is Iran's anti-Jew/anti-Zion hatred being played out through its financially supported proxies.

    • Abba, enable the IDF Chief of Staff Avi Kochavi to focus on the existential threats to this nation and not be diverted and/or diluted by other issues that are not as important (Prov. 20:18; 24:6).

    • Grant to him and the IDF's Iran Command the depth of intelligence that enables them to pre-empt all of Iran's demonic schemes against Your nation (Dan. 1:17).

    • We thank You for today's report of another successful Israeli Air Force strike against Iranian missile depots in Syria (Isa. 31:5).

    • Make the communications between Defense Minster Gantz and all the top IDF commanders be very clear and precise (1 Cor. 14:8).

    • May Mossad's head share precisely what he is discerning to Netanyahu, Gantz and Kochavi.

    • With Iran's leaders under intense pressure – enable the IDF and Israeli intelligence to know how they will respond. Will they help their hurting Iranians or will they start a major war – in line with their Shi'ite Islamic end-time doctrine – to take pressure off of them and rally Iranians to battle (Isa. 42:9)?

    • With Lebanon's leaders under intense pressure – show the IDF what they will do (Isa. 44:7).

    • Lord God of all, please have mercy on the Iranian and Lebanese people at this time (Gen. 18:25).

    • We continue to ask for angelic protection for Israel – in line with Your Word (Psa. 35:5-6).

  7. Security – Cyberwarfare: This has become a major battlefield in modern wars. And again Bibi Netanyahu understood this and created a Cyber-warfare Division for Israel several years ago.

    • Thank You for Netanyahu's foresight and courage to follow through despite the cost (Ezek. 33:7).

    • Anoint Israel to always be on the cutting edge of this very complicated battlefield (Prov. 21:31).

    • Also provide all the finances and brain-power for the Jewish nation to do that (Ex. 31:3; 35:31).

    • Thank You for protecting this nation from Iran's cyber-attack of several weeks ago – in which they tried to release huge amounts of chlorine into Israel's water supply (Psa. 3:8).

    • Since the shields of the earth belong to You, we ask You to supply whatever shields Israel needs to protect itself in the cyber-realm (Psa. 47:9).

    • Give this nation wisdom to shield its computers in all its vital areas – the IDF, hospitals, shipping and transportation, stock market and banking, water, government ministries, agriculture, schools, etc.

  8. Security – Palestinian protests: This week a mentally challenged Arab approached a Border Patrol unit in Jerusalem with something in his hands. It turned out not to be a weapon but sadly when the security forces asked him to stop he ran away, and was shot and killed. Palestine leaders accused Israel of a war crime, and cries of revenge were heard at his funeral. Yet the truth is that his blood is on the hands of Palestinian leaders who continually incite their people to kill Jews.

    • Lord, as this unfortunate death would not have happened if Arabs were not ramming IDF soldiers with cars and attacking Jews with knifes, we ask that the truth of Israel's situation be made known.

    • Abba, please comfort this Arab family (Isa. 66:13), and reveal the true Jesus to them.

    • Lord, forbid that the policeman, who was only doing his job, become a scapegoat (Job 33:9).

    • If in reality, this was just another of the many traps to blame Israel – reveal it (Psa. 140:8-10).

    • Stop Israeli authorities from apologizing before the whole truth is known (Isa. 38:19).

    • Allow Israel's security forces to feel that the government and people have their back (Deut. 1:38).

    • Give Israel's security forces discernment to know the "sheep" Palestinians vs. the "goats" who want to see all Israel destroyed (Psa. 55:21; 83:4; 140:2).

    • Also give the IDF discernment about the Palestinian security forces they work with (Psa. 41:9).

    • May the IDF and the security forces protecting the various Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria work as one (Psa. 44:5-7).

    • Aid Palestinian believers to know how to pray for their deceived neighbors (2 Kin. 6:17a).

    • According to Jeremiah 12:14-17, the only Palestinians who will escape Your judgment and remain in this land are those who know You personally. So Lord, please save many Palestinians today.

    • He makes peace in your borders… (Psalms 147:14a) Lord, watch over this word (Jer. 1:12).

  9. Extending Israeli sovereignty: The world wrongly labels this "annexation" – but annexing applies only to territories that were once under another's sovereign rule. And the areas Israel is looking to officially possess were never recognized as under any nation's rule since the end of WW I. Then, at the San Remo conference [1920], all the area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea was given to the Jewish people to create a Jewish State. Today's the global opposition to this legal move by Israel should alert us to how important this is both to God and to the enemy.

    • Lord, please push Israel to do this during this current window of opportunity (Deut. 9:3).

    • Bring all leaders of the Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley into one accord on this and let them support this being accomplished quickly (Judg. 1:1-3).

    • Overrule the map which will determine Israel's current borders under the Trump plan (Psa. 74:17).

    • Let Israel move ahead with this even if America might want to delay it (Eccl. 3:1).

    • Concerning whose land this is, let more Israelis perceive the truth and stand with it (Deut. 19:8).

    • God of Israel, give courage to Israel's leaders to use the Bible to back up their claims (Isa. 55:11).

    • Prepare the IDF for all demonstrations and possible riots that might be a fruit of this (Psa. 144:1).

    • In case of riots, may the security forces quickly pick out the leaders and deal with them (Zech. 12:6).

    • Be with the IDF against the inevitable flare-up along the Gaza border. For YHWH is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. (Psa. 89:18)

    • Anoint Israel's security forces abilities to obtain actionable accurate intelligence (Judg. 7:9-11).

    • Help Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi to comprehend the legal issues at the bottom of this extension of sovereignty in order that he can give clear directions to Israeli embassies on how to respond to the rejection from the nations on Israel possessing its God-ordained land (Obad. 1:17).

    • Let Israel's legal right to this land be shouted from the rooftops (Psa. 40:10).

    • Bring down all the counsel of the nations against this move (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • Help every born-again believer be totally convinced of Israel's right to this land (Psa. 105:8-11).

  10. Aliyah: Is the recent anarchy another hunter God is releasing to set His people free from their "way-too-comfortable" gilded cages in exile (Jer. 16:16)? Only by looking back will we know for sure, yet expectations of huge numbers of Jews coming home because of the coronavirus might be expanded by the anarchy-virus.

    • Thank You for the increasing interest of Jews in exile about making aliyah (Jer. 50:4-5).

    • As American Jews see a war zone outside their homes, turn their hearts to Israel (Psa. 137:4-6).

    • Bless You for the new Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (Psa. 75:6-7).

    • Use this Ethiopian woman as a bulldozer to clear away all stones of stumbling from Your people's return (Isa. 62:10).

    • Surround her with like-minded people to encourage her to make the way straight for Your people to be restored to their God-given heritage (Jer. 3:18; 50:19).

    • Return the Jewish Agency to once again fully support aliyah and stop it from diverting funds or efforts to make it easier for Jews to live in exile (Jer. 51:9-10).

    • Pour out fresh revelation on the Church to understand that this movement of Jews coming home is for Your glory (Ezek. 36:23-24) and in preparation for the return of Your Son (Psa. 102:16).

    • Then move on churches to open wide their financial treasuries to help (Isa. 60:5-11).

    • Warn them of the dangers of not helping: For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you [Israel in the day of your restoration] shall perish. (Isa. 60:12a)

    • Place a spirit of intercession upon more Christians for aliyah (1 Pet. 4:7).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

For the IFI team