1. Praise: The last verse of Shabbat's prophetic portion reveals to us why God will not forsake Israel. The context is when Israel demanded a king from the prophet Samuel, so this proves that even in the midst of His people's sin – He will be faithful to fulfill His Word, for His great name's sake. It should be obvious that this is why He never leave or forsake us as well (2 Tim. 2:13).

    • YHWH will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it has pleased YHWH to make you His people.1 Sam. 12:22

    • Thank You for being faithful to keep all of Your promises in Your Word (Isa. 55:11; Jer. 1:12).

    • We rejoice to see that Your Word is as relevant to us now as it was in biblical times (2 Cor. 1:20).

    • To know that Your nature does not change, encourages us to trust in You (Mal. 3:6).

    • What a joy to know that Your covenant faithfulness/love [mercy] endures forever (Psa. 136:1-26).

    • We rest in Your name which is a strong tower into which we may run for refuge (Prov. 18:10).

    • Despite what we see, we in faith know that You are working out Your purposes (Isa. 14:24).

    • Thank You that nothing takes You by surprise; all Your purposes will be accomplished (Isa. 46:10).

    • Bless You for Your gifts and Your callings to Israel and to us, which are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).

    • We praise You for revealing to us that Israel remains the apple of Your eye (Zech. 2:8).

    • Hallelujah! Your throne, Your authority, is firmly established and cannot be shaken (Psa. 103:19).

    • Thank You God that the government of the world is upon Your Son's capable shoulders (Isa. 9:6).

    • Ah Lord YHWH, behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm, and there is nothing too hard for You: (Jer. 32:17) Amen!

  2. As of this writing, Israel's new government is to be installed Sunday. If so, the need to pray for Israel's government has increased as it will be a mixture of far-left and far-right parties who struggle to walk in unity in most areas. The issue that might keep them together is the fear of the right-wing parties that they will never again have the backing of the Israelis who voted for them because of their joining hands with extreme left-wing and an Arab Islamic fundamentalist party, all because of their personal disdain for Bibi Netanyahu. Shabbat's Torah and prophetic portions show what happened to Israeli leaders in biblical days that rejected God's anointed leaders – Moses and Samuel. The results were disastrous. The rebels were not the people but the heads of the tribes, like today's politicians. So whether it is Bibi's time to leave or not – which may very well be the case – the way it is being done by the right wing parties of Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar is very, very distressing!

    • Lord, as Shabbat's Torah portion starts with the rebellion of Korah and Dathan against Moses, show us how to pray concerning Israel's current political scene and its anti-Bibi leaders?

    • As in the chaos that existed at creation, let Your Spirit bring forth Your light today (Gen. 1:2-3).

    • We still believe You are doing a new thing, but God please prevent this nation from running in an anti-biblical direction as You do that (Isa. 43:19).

    • Give courage to all Israeli politicians who deeply question the viability and morality of this coalition to refuse to approve it when the Knesset [Israel's parliament] votes on Sunday (Isa. 5:20; Matt. 5:37).

    • Regardless of the composition of the next government, have mercy on Your people (Psa. 94:14-15)

    • Regardless of the composition of the next government, help the right-wing parties to support fully all the settlements in Judea and Samaria (Jer. 33:12-14).

    • If the Lapid-Bennett government will be hamstrung by its varied composition, bring it down quickly (Psa. 12:1-3; Eccl. 3:1-2)

    • If the Lapid-Bennett government is Your will for Israel for this season, grant a smooth transition to allow it to function effectively and in line with Your biblically declared goals (Num. 23:9b, 19).

    • Protect the leadership on all sides from any physical assassination attempts (Est. 2:21-23).

    • Bless all the potential new leaders of Israel with that spirit of humility which does not demand the place of honor, but waits to be exalted (Luke 14:7-11).

    • God, please install over Israel's many ministry portfolios, ministers and deputy ministers according to their abilities and Your grace, and not based on political favors (Dan. 5:21b).

    • Let government leaders care more for the good of Israel than for their own careers (Jer. 23:3-4).

    • Lord, hedge in Mansour Abbas of the Arab Ra'am party and prevent any Islamic influence from him infecting and cowing any other Israeli leaders (Deut. 33:29).

    • If Abbas is plotting against Israel, reveal it as soon as possible (Jer. 49:10).

  3. The ultra-orthodox [Haredi] are in shock and very angry at being removed from having any influence in the government and therefore in Israeli society. While we rejoice over this in some areas, we realize that the Haredi are often the only ones who hold back the tsunami of humanistic anti-God garbage from overflowing this nation.

    • Let this shock cause the Haredi, especially their rabbis, to seek You (Isa. 26:9; 29:13).

    • Cleanse from this community all that does not please You and promote all that does (Psa. 19:12-14).

    • Let many Haredi see their need to be an integral part of Israeli society (Psa. 23:3b; Ezek. 37:21-22).

    • Show them the difference between their definition of who is a Jew and Your definition as found in Your Word (Psa. 51:6; Rom. 2:28-29).

    • Abba, please take advantage of this situation to reveal Messiah Yeshua to many Haredi (John 6:44).

    • Speak to all Haredi Messianic believers to come out of their closets at this time (Luke 12:8).

    • Lord Yeshua, as You did while on earth, touch many Haredi women and children (Mark 15:41).

    • We plead with You that all the anti-Christ spirits that want to invade Israel will be held in check by You, by Your Body and by many Jewish Israelis who do honor You and Your Word (Psa. 121:4).

  4. Hamas & internal security: While the war with Hamas was won on the ground, world public opinion basically sees Israel as the bad-guy. This attitude comes from the spirit of anti-Christ that is quickly growing throughout the world as we perceive the Lord's return draw near.

    • Lord, forbid Israel's government from letting Hamas get away with anything – not one rocket or incendiary balloon – but to strike back disproportionately to every attack (Eccl. 8:11).

    • While many Israelis wanted Netanyahu's government to have been stronger in dealing with Hamas, please do not allow the next government to be any weaker.

    • Lord, do not allow the next Israeli government to be deceived into seeing the Palestinian Authority [PA] as "peace-partners" or even as "moderate" Muslims (Psa. 35:20; 120:7).

    • When it comes to security, let all the Israeli political parties move as one.

    • Give the IDF a clear understanding of what Hamas is planning and impart Your strategy of how to preempt their plans (Psa. 140:1-8).

    • Let the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad leadership fall into any traps they have set for Israel (Psa. 57:6).

    • Set Hamas and the PA at each other's throats in Judea and Samaria (2 Chr. 20:23).

    • Watch over the truth of Psalm 124:6-8 with regard to protecting Israel from Hamas.

    • As a prisoner exchange with Hamas is being negotiated, guard over any agreement that will be made and prevent any disproportionate promises from Israel concerning prisoner releases (Prov. 16:1).

    • Anoint Israel's security forces to be able to protect all Israeli citizens who are settled in Judea and Samaria as per Your prophetic Word (Jer. 31:3-5; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 12:2-9).

    • Protect IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi from any and all political manipulation (Num. 23:23).

    • Enable the next prime minister, defense minister and Kochavi to be like a 3-fold chord (Eccl. 4:12).

  5. Security – Lebanon: The World Bank reports that Lebanon's economy is the worst they have seen in any nation in over 150 years! This does not surprise us as most Lebanese citizens despise Israel. Also, there is Hizbullah, Iran's largest and most dangerous proxy, who actually runs that nation and whose goal is Israel's destruction.

    • Lord, God, with Israel surrounded by so many demonically-backed enemies, show the IDF and the next government when and how to deal with each of them (Prov. 21:31).

    • Protect Israel from falling into any traps being laid for it, and turn all these attempts to destroy Israel into Your traps for Your enemies as You state in Micah 4:11-13.

    • Dry up Hizbullah's finances – whether from Iran, or their worldwide drug trafficking, or any other source, including their terrorizing the Lebanese people (Prov. 11:28a; Jam. 5:1-3).

    • Let the Lebanese people be set free from their hatred of Israel (Num. 29:9b).

    • Then let them to rise up and resist Hezbollah's wicked hold over their nation (2 Kin. 9:30-33).

    • Show all Lebanese believers that they have been saved by a Jew – Israel's King Messiah (Matt. 2:2)!

  6. Security – Iran: Every report shows that Iran is racing towards developing nuclear weapons and no one in the world – other than Israel – is willing to stop them. Israel freed the world from a nuclear armed Saddam Hussein when they bombed his nuclear reactor in the early 1980s, and did the same when they destroyed Assad's Syrian reactor that was being built with North Korean aid in the late 2000s. In these days, Israel's willingness to act is one more way in which Abraham's descendants continue to be a blessing to a terrorized world that is run by hypocritical, spineless leaders.

    • Abba, let Iran's leaders' rejoicing over Netanyahu's political demise hasten Your promise to destroy them and set the Iranians free (Psa. 35:19; Jer. 49:38).

    • Meanwhile most other Arab leaders are not rejoicing – but are keeping very quiet about Bibi's end. Let the rest of the West understand that this indicates that they are more concerned about Iran today.

    • Send a spirit of division and confusion in to the midst of Iran's leadership (Psa. 55:9; 129:5).

    • Cut off the tentacles that Iran continues to insert into the nations around her (Psa. 75:10).

    • Curse and destroy all of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp's finances (Deut. 28:24-26).

    • Use the many "accidental explosions" in Iran's factories and on their ships, etc., make then paranoid of Israel's ability to attack everywhere and may Your name be feared (Josh. 2:9-11; 2 Chr. 20:29).

    • Let the accidents implant a deep distrust between Iran's leaders and intelligence services (Jer. 50:36).

    • Lord God of all creation, totally thwart all of Iran's cyberwarfare abilities (Psa. 44:4, 7; 89:18).

    • As in Shabbat's Torah portion, swallow up every Iranian nuclear facility (Num. 16:31-33).

    • Use the arrogance and pride of Iran's leaders against them (Jer. 50:29-30).

    • In the US-Iran negotiations, so harden the Iranian negotiators hearts that America, despite its best attempts, simply cannot rejoin the agreement. We give You the glory in advance (Rom. 9:17).

    • Wake up European leaders who are supporting and trading with Iran to the fact that they are digging their and their peoples graves (Josh. 9:16-18).

    • Lord God, confront all hypocritical EU leaders who say "Never again" concerning the Jewish people and yet who help Iran with finances, equipment and appeasement – all so Iran can say "Once again" as they attempt to destroy the Jews and the Jewish State (Isa. 59:4; Jer. 9:5; John 8:44)!

    • Continue to give courage to many EU intelligent services to expose what Iran is doing in Europe which furthers its race towards developing weapons of mass destruction (Zech. 8:16).

    • Lord Yeshua, build up and protect Your Body of believers in Iran (Matt. 16:18).

    • May they grow in grace and in the knowledge of You (2 Pet. 3:18).

    • We especially ask that You would teach them how to pray for their nation and for Israel (Luke 11:1).

    • Cast out from Iranian believers any and all spirits of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism (Luke 11:20).

  7. Antisemitism & aliyah: With an increase in antisemitism we are seeing an increase in Jews wanting to return to Israel. Israel's new president, Isaac Herzog, when he was the head of the Jewish Agency, had recently said that if Israel is prepared it could expect upwards of a half-million Jews to make aliyah over the next five years. Yes and amen!

    • Abba, impart Your heart for aliyah and klitah [absorption of the new immigrants, the olim] to the next government and make it one of the most pro-aliyah governments ever (Isa. 60:11).

    • Lord, if Ayelet Shaked becomes the head of the Interior Ministry, turn her into a "mother in Israel" who flings wide open the doors for Israel's children to come home (Jer. 31:15-17).

    • As moves will be made by the Lapid-Bennett government to recognize Reform Judaism as kosher in Israel, which is one of the Reform movements demands, then confront them that all of their excuses to not return are now removed, and lead them to return (Psa. 137:1-6).

    • Show politicians, and wealthy Jews, how to build affordable housing in Israel (Jer. 32:41-44).

    • Encourage the mayors of the smaller Israeli cities to know how to attract new olim.

    • Rise up against all the lies and blasphemies that are being spread against Your people (Jer. 50:34).

    • Use the increase in antisemitism to chase Your people out from the nations (Jer. 16:16).

    • Let the Jews in exile see that anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism come from the same root – a deep hatred and rejection of You, God, and of Your Word and Your people (Est. 3:6-9; Psa. 83:1-4).

    • Show Jews in the West that their sojourn in exile is coming to a sudden close (Jer. 51:6-10).

    • Bring home all types of Jews, including the elderly and the Holocaust survivors (Jer. 31:8-9).

    • Bring them home so that they can be saved (Jer. 32:37-40; Ezek. 36:24-27; Zech. 12:10).

    • Again we ask that the Body of Messiah worldwide would do whatever it takes to help carry Your people home and to see them be established here (Isa. 27:6; 37:31; 49:22).

In closing, the last verse from this week's prophetic portion, which was quoted above, is followed by an eye-opening statement on interceding for Israel by the Prophet Samuel: For YHWH will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it has pleased YHWH to make you His people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against YHWH in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way: (1 Sam. 12:22-23)

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem,

For the IFI team