1. Praise: This Shabbat's Torah portion starts with God's calling of Father Abraham. God's initial promise to the patriarch includes the gospel to the gentiles (Gen. 12:3b, cp. Gal. 3:8).

    • Lord, thank You that You called Abraham so that through him a nation might produce a Seed that would be the Savior of the world and the glory of Israel (Luke 2:32).

    • We bless You that gentile salvation was always part of Your plan when choosing Israel (Eph. 1:3-5).

    • Since You exist outside of time, Your Word is also eternal (Psa. 119:89).

    • What a joy that in Israel's King, Messiah Yeshua, Jew and gentile are made one (Eph. 2:15).

    • To see You doing that which You ordained even before creation is incredible (1 Pet. 1:2, 18-20).

    • While we live in a chaotic and confusing time – we still give You praise (Heb. 13:15) for bringing us into Your kingdom for just a time like this (Est. 4:14b).

    • We trust You, our God who knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-10).

    • For I am YHWH, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6) Amen!

  2. Government: In line with First Timothy 2:1-4, we continue to pray for Israel's government.

    • Lord, You are the One who gave Israel this government and only You know how long You want it to remain (Dan. 2:21). Lead us as we pray.

    • If and when it is Your timing for new elections, please show us (Amos 3:7).

    • Raise up leaders who will walk in line with what You showed King David: He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. (2 Sam. 23:3b)

    • Come upon and guide the current government by Your Spirit – for Your name's sake (Jer. 3:4).

    • We \ thank You for all current ministers who are working in a righteous manner today (Prov. 14:34).

    • Pour out a tsunami of godly wisdom on all of them (Prov. 2:1-9).

    • Bring humility to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Yamina [a right-wing religious Zionist party] head Naftali Bennett and let their personal conflicts be resolved (Prov. 13:10).

    • Warn them both to not do what is best for their political careers at Israel's expense (Ezek. 34:9-10).

    • Lord Yeshua, show these men that Israel already has a King (Psa. 2:6; Isa. 32:1; Matt. 2:2).

    • Shield Netanyahu from all attacks against him that are based on lies (Psa. 121:3).

    • Let a budget be passed – if it is in Your perfect will, and can be a righteous budget (Lev. 19:36).

  3. Covid-19 & society: So far the results of Israel's second lockdown have been positive. Now Israel's leaders are battling over what is the best way to exit the lockdown. Yet after the virus crisis is over, the divisions that it, and the government guidelines, have uncovered in Israeli society will take much longer to heal.

    • Lord Yeshua, You who are the Son of Man, make this nation one in Your hand (Ezek. 37:19).

    • Use this crisis to prepare the way of Your return and show us how to pray for that (Isa. 40:3-11).

    • Lower the tension between the health and finance ministries as they battle against each other over what they perceive is the best for this nation (Prov. 15:1).

    • As the response to this crisis is fraught with much that is uncertain and unknown, give lots of grace to the decision makers, as well as to us for whom they are making decisions, to allow for mistakes without igniting fury (Prov. 16:32; 19:11).

    • Thank You for the new corona-czar who takes over Gamzu's role in November, Prof. Nachman Ash.

    • As Ash has been a surgeon general in the IDF, protect him from all political games and guide him to help Israel win this battle against Covid-19 – in Your way and timing (Prov. 19:21).

    • Thank You for the drop in morbidity. Keep Your people from getting infected (Psa. 43:5).

    • Please lead Israel as it moves forward – especially in the areas of education and business (Psa. 32:8).

    • Make local municipalities who run their own exit programs very successful (Eccl. 11:6).

    • Use this disruption in the educational system to wipe out as much humanistic teaching as possible and bring in more Bible teaching along with the teaching of Zionistic principles (Deut. 4:9-10; 6:7).

    • Help parents' frustrations in dealing with this major disruption to the school system (Luke 21:19).

    • Lord, step in and teach our children (Isa. 54:13).

    • Take advantage of the masks to move people away from just an outward acceptance or rejection of others to a more godly approach of looking on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

    • May the Body be an example of trusting in You while walking in the shadow of death (Psa. 23:4).

  4. Peace: Israel and Sudan seem to be heading towards establishing diplomatic relations. This is different than the normalization of relations with the UAE and Bahrain, and in some ways it is even more dramatic. Israel and Sudan have fought a war and Sudan was an entryway for arms and terrorists to Hamas in Gaza, as well as an Al Qaida base of operations.

    • Lord, if this treaty is of You – and not just man's idea – then let Sudan approve it (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • If it is not of You, then let Sudan be the one to reject it (Prov. 16:1).

    • With all these new relationships, we ask You, the God of Israel, to impact these nations and their people more than their god Allah, or any other false gods, will impact Your people (Jer. 12:16).

    • Purge out the spirit of rejection that has been over Your nation and people for ages, making Israel willing to take the hand of just about anyone who reaches out to them, and replace it with wisdom and discernment to know who truly wants peace and who has war in their hearts (Deut. 20:12; Psa. 120:7).

    • Guard Israel from all bad fruit of these treaties, like advanced weapons to Arab nations (Psa. 121:4).

    • We thank You for the US Trump administration's support for Israel, yet we pray that You would not allow that friendship to pressure Israel into signing any treaties that are not in Your will (Isa. 30:1-2).

    • We declare You are Israel's QME – Qualitative Military Edge (Psa. 20:7-9; 44:1-4).

  5. Security – internal: As more Arab nations normalize relationships with Israel the Palestinians grow more furious and frustrated. So far there has been a slight increase in attacks from Gaza and Judea and Samaria although Israel usually battles against attempted attacks from these Palestinian-controlled areas daily. Still, Hamas has threatened to restart its attacks from Gaza this weekend.

    • From Shabbat's prophetic portion: Fear not [Israel] for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes I will help you…Behold, all that were incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded…They that strive with you shall perish…They that war against you shall be as nothing…for I YHWH your God will hold your right hand, saying, 'Fear not; I will help you'. Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel. I will help you, says YHWH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make you a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You shall thresh the mountains…and make the hills as chaff. You shall fan them…and the whirlwind will scatter them. And you shall rejoice in YHWH, and glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isa. 41:10-16)

    • Lord, thank You for declaring that You defeat Israel's enemies – using the IDF (Mic. 4:11-13)!

    • We bless You for the end result, which is You receiving the praise and the glory (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • Lord of hosts, prepare the IDF for the challenges they will face in the near future (Prov. 21:30-31).

    • Prevent Israel or the IDF from being more merciful to Your enemies than You are (Psa. 21:8; 68:1).

    • Thank You that despite rocket attacks, terror tunnels and terror balloons, the Israeli areas near the Gaza security fence are growing and prospering (Ezek. 34:28; Amos 9:15).

    • Keep Israel's intelligence gathering abilities accurate, timely and able to perceive the truth.

    • Let those who decipher this material be alert and sharp (Ex. 31:3).

    • All upgrades needed in Israel's intelligence communities – spies, collaborators, spy satellites or in the area of cyberwarfare – may they be downloaded directly from heaven (Jer. 17:9-10).

    • Anoint and quicken all those trained to spot danger in the realm of social media (Ezek. 44:23).

    • Yeshua Lord, since salvation is the only hope for the Palestinians, please walk again throughout Judea and Samaria and separate out the sheep from the goats among them (John 4:3-42; Acts 1:8).

    • We bless our enemies (Matt. 5:44), asking You to forbid all their anti-God, anti-Israel terror attacks from succeeding. Instead, let them see that there is a God in Israel greater than their god (Ex. 14:25).

    • May Your Spirit fall mightily on the Palestinian Church. Use them for Your glory (Matt. 16:18).

    • Appear in dreams and visions to many Palestinians – even their women and children (Joel 2:28-29).

  6. Security – external: Turkey has become as big a current threat to Israel as Iran is, yet the most immediate threat is still Hizbullah in Lebanon and Syria. One analyst opined that if Trump wins the elections next week, Iran might release Hizbullah to attack Israel!

    • Lord, we heard about Iran's new underground facilities to develop nuclear weapons. Show Israel what to do about this and when to do it (1 Chr. 14:8-17).

    • As we have asked for in the past, Lord physically shake the ground under these facilities (Isa. 2:19).

    • Quicken all of Israel's intelligence resources concerning this Iranian threat (Job 12:21-25).

    • Continue to guide Your nation as it fights the cyberwarfare battle against Iran (Psa. 44:4-8).

    • We give You glory for all the success Israel has had against Iran in Syria (Mal. 1:5).

    • We ask the same for all threats coming against Israel from Turkey (Psa. 124:1-8).

    • Lead Israel in its relations with Turkey's current anti-Christ, anti-Israel government (2 John 10-11).

    • Thank You that Israel only needs Your promised protection – and does not have to look to the world or any other nation for its ultimate security (Psa. 121:4; Jer. 31:10).

  7. US Election: This coming Tuesday, November 3rd, the US will hold its presidential elections. The difference between the two candidates' policies is stark. Trump's policies are closer to a biblical standard while Biden's policies are very humanistic, socialistic – and much more dangerous for Israel America, and the rest of the Western nations.

    • Lord Yeshua, speak to Your Church in America to pray and to vote (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

    • Lead them to vote based on policies and not personalities (2 Tim. 3:5; 2 John 1:10-11).

    • Let them consider that for America's good Trump has a proven track record of being pro-Israel – while Biden's record is questionable at best (Gen. 12:3a; Num. 24:9b).

    • God, if Trump, in pushing for advanced weapons sales to Arab nations for financial gain for America, is causing him to lose Your favor, we ask for Your mercy on him. Turn him from this (Prov. 21:1).

    • Abba, we ask for mercy on all Americans at this time (Hab. 3:2).

    • Spread Your peace over that nation during the days and weeks after the elections (Psa. 76:10).

    • God, prepare Israel's leaders to deal with whoever the next US president will be (Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • Whoever gets elected, speak to many American Jews that they need to come home (Jer. 51:9-10).

  8. Aliyah: The regathering of the scattered Jewish people continues even in the middle of this pandemic and all the chaos that comes along with that.

    • Lord God, You said that the return of the Jews was for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:22-24), as well as for Your glory and praise (Isa. 43:5-7, 21), therefore, we will continue to seek and knock, asking You to gather all those whom You have scattered (Psa. 147:2; Jer. 31:10).

    • If the current Israeli government is a stumbling block to Your people coming home – then lead this nation to new elections and raise up a government with aliyah as a very high priority (Isa. 62:10).

    • If this government is basically good for aliyah, please touch all areas that need to be fixed to make it even better.

    • Thank You for the 16,000 Jews who have returned home already this year (Isa. 60:8-9) More, Lord!

    • As You promised in Obadiah 1:20, build up the Negev and draw Spanish speaking Jews to that area.

    • Continue to make the desert and the Negev blossom as a rose (Isa. 35:1).

    • Lord, draw many more new immigrants to the Galilee and Golan [Bashan] areas (Jer. 50:19).

    • Provide Israel with all the water it needs to absorb all the new immigrants (Isa. 41:17-20).

    • Abba, miraculously provide for Israelis affordable housing (Jer. 33:10-14).

  9. Body of Messiah – in Israel and worldwide:

    • From Shabbat's prophetic portion: He gives power to the faint. To them that have no might He increases their strength… and they that wait upon YHWH shall renew [lit: exchange] their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isa. 40:29, 31)

    • In these days, strengthen us to walk in the everyday drudgery of life and not to faint (Psa. 23:1-3).

    • Since we are the sons of light, help us to not be confounded by these days (1 Thess. 5:1-8).

    • Increase the daily discernment of Your Body (Psa. 119:105, 130), as well as giving it the gift of the discerning of spirits as and when needed (1 Cor. 12:10).

    • Guide Your Body into true fellowship with each other, even with corona restrictions (1 John 1:3-7).

    • Provide support for all believers who find themselves alone at this time.

    • May many home fellowships be created to deal with the restrictions on large meetings (Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 1:2).

    • Cause the Body to grow exponentially just as You did when the Chinese Church was not permitted to meet in large groups under Communism and started meeting in home fellowships (Matt. 16:18).

    • Protect Your Body from the deceivers You said would come in these days (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24).

    • Pour out on all of Your Body a deep hunger for Your Word (Jer. 15:16).

We ended by praying for rain as now is the time and this land needs to drink in the gentle showers from God at this season to prepare the ground for the heavier rains that come in the winter.

Shabbat shalom, and blessings from Zion,
For the IFI team