1. Praise:

   Shabbat's Torah portion reveals what Joseph finally understood about being beaten and sold into slavery by his brothers, then his years in Egypt – as a rich man's servant, then in jail and finally as second in command under Pharaoh. This is a great sermon illustration for we often do not know what God is doing with and through us – and we often do not enjoy what we are going through – yet as we look back, then we see His amazing grace at work.

   • Joseph tells his brothers: Now therefore do not be grieved, or angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. [He tells them of the 7 year famine, of which they are in year three.] God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant in the land, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me here, but God… (Gen. 45:5-8a)

   • Lord, we confess that You are good and Your covenant-love endures forever (Psa.118:1).

   • Thank You for reminding us to recall Your great works in our lives (Deut. 7:18; 8:2; Psa. 77:10-11).

   • What a comfort and encouragement to know that ultimately You are in control and are more than able to work in everything to bring about Your purposes (Rom. 8:28).

   • We praise You because even when we do not understand what You are doing – since Your ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9) – yet we can trust You (Prov. 3:5).

   • Bless You for always being with us, whether we are aware of Your presence or not (Heb. 13:5-6).

   • Lord Yeshua, we praise and thank You that in You we can be overcomers in this "fight of faith" that we were signed up for when we were saved (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4; 2 Tim. 4:7).

   • We rejoice as we see Your miraculous works in Israel today (Psa. 102:13).

   • We trust You that Your plan for Your creation will come to pass (Isa. 14:24).

   • We are so grateful that You reign – not man or Satan – but You alone (Psa. 2:1-6; 103:19).

   • Hallelujah – for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!Rev. 19:6; cp. Psa. 96:10; 99:1; Isa. 52:7

2. Government:

   Regardless of how long or short Israel's current government lasts, God has a plan for it and our duty is to co-labor with Him in prayer to see His plan come to fruition.

   • In faith, we trust that You, Lord Yeshua, have this government on Your shoulders (Isa. 9:6-7).

   • We again ask You to guide us as we pray for Israel's very troubling coalition (Luke 11:1b).

   • Please have mercy on the people by guiding Israel's government in righteousness (Prov. 14:34).

   • De-politicize all decisions, and make Israel's good be the government's goal (2 Chr. 19:7, 9).

   • Use this coalition to purge out political dross and restore a righteous rule in Israel (Isa. 1:25-26).

   • Confront all members of Prime Minister Bennett's Yamina party concerning their total betrayal of those Israelis who voted for them (2 Sam. 23:3, 6).

   • Forbid any spirit of panic from driving the government's coronavirus regulations (Prov. 21:1).

   • Again we ask You to guide the government as it comes up with regulations to protect this nation concerning coronavirus, as well as in all other areas of society (Prov. 19:21).

   • Encourage and refresh all medical personnel who have worked so hard recently (Psa. 27:14; 31:24).

   • Download wisdom from on high to all Israeli researchers who are working to develop vaccines and medicines to fight the coronavirus (Prov. 3:7-8).

   • Gift wisdom to the authorities to know how to lower the high cost of living in Israel (Prov. 14:23).

   • Hedge in Foreign Minister Yair Lapid as he goes to Egypt, and everywhere else he travels to, and prevent him from making promises or commitments that are against Your will (Num. 22:20).

   • Lord, have mercy! Prevent Lapid from being Israel's prime minister in August 2023 (Psa. 136:1).

   • Israel has signed the EU's Horizon Europe agreement for research and innovation even though the EU boycotts Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and the Golan Heights from the program. Lord, since this basically divides Your land, do not allow it to go forward (Lev. 25:23; Psa. 33:10-11).

   • In fact, use this anti-biblical decision to bring down Israel's government (Joel 3:1-2).

   • Show Bibi Netanyahu how to lead the opposition in righteousness and truth (Prov. 12:17).

3. Jerusalem:

   God is building up His city and regathering His outcasts (Psa. 147:2). Still, we know that Jerusalem will be the issue that will bring many nations against His people (Zech. 12:2-3).

   • Since You have said that You make Jerusalem a cup of trembling and a stone of stumbling to any nation foolish enough to try to determine its destiny, show us how to pray (Zech. 12:2-3; Luke 11:1).

   • Lord, rebuke everyone who tries to block the rebuilding of Your city (Psa. 147:2; Matt. 5:35).

   • Let the Israeli government take a united stance against America's pressure to open up a consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem (Neh. 2:20).

   • Prevent Israel's leaders from cowering before Biden – or anyone else (Isa. 51:7).

   • Replace all fear of men with a fear of You, Israel's King and God (Ex. 1:17; Eccl. 12:13).

   • Give courage to Israeli leaders to extend Israel's sovereignty over the E1 corridor to Jerusalem's east, Ataraot to the north and Givat HaMatos in the south – and to build homes in all these areas.

   • Miraculously bring down the housing costs in Jerusalem so that younger couples can make Your city their home where they can work and raise their children (Zech. 8:5).

   • Protect Jerusalem from the increase of terror attacks in the city at this time (Isa. 31:5; 37:35).

4. Internal security:

   America continues to criticize Israel for even talking about expanding areas for Jews to live in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. This is existentially dangerous to the US. Are believers in the US paying any attention to this critical issue?

   • Lord, if American believers are distracted by other issues, let at least some raise their voice to warn the Church that in Scripture the sin which gentile nations commit that unleashes God's full judgment is when they curse – or even interfere with – Your plans for Israel (Num. 24:9b; Joel 3:1-2).

   • If Israel's current government will not expand Israel's tents – end it and bring in courageous leaders who will do just that (Isa. 54:2-3; Obad. 1:17).

   • Lift up Your banner for truth, Your Word, against the propaganda machine of Iran and her proxies, which empower and sustain Hamas and Palestinian Jihad in Gaza (Psa. 60:3-5; John 17:17).

   • Vindicate and fight for Your nation against the avalanche of lies that try to overwhelm it which are being declared in many nations and from most global organizations, including the UN (Psa. 35:1-8).

   • For any Jews in Israel or in exile, and for any born-again believers who also believe any lie about Your nation, have mercy and reveal Your truth to them (Psalm 36:9; 57:3).

   • Thank You for the IDF completing its underground and anti-infiltration barrier which now takes the place of the Gaza security fence (2 Chr. 11:5; Psa. 31:2).

   • Yet prevent Israel from having a mindset of ghettoizing itself off from its enemies, and reignite the original offensive-minded defense of Israel that it once treasured (Ezek. 37:10; Zech. 9:15).

   • Lord, deal with Defense Minister Benny Gantz's very lukewarm Zionistic views of the land of Israel.

   • Stop him from making decisions that aid in the creation of a 'Palestine" on Your land (Isa. 14:31-32).

   • Guard over Israel as recently there has been a definite increase in terror attacks (Psa. 121:4).

   • Protect Israelis from stone-throwing, car-rammings and kidnap attempts (Psa. 59:1).

   • Continue to provide Israel's security forces with accurate and actionable intelligence to be able to pre-empt each one of the planned attacks (Psa. 44:4-6; Prov. 15:3; Dan. 2:22).

   • Increase the alertness on Israel's roads and at its security checkpoints (Psa. 18:46-50).

   • Comfort all survivors and families of terrorist victims, including those which occurred years ago, as all new attacks bring back such heavy emotional and mental issues (Psa. 86:15-17).

5. External security:

   Negotiations with Iran continued this week, yet there are rumors that the US, the UK, France, Germany, as well as Russia and China are frustrated – even shocked – with Iran's radical stance under its new leadership. If true, this is an answer to prayer.

   • Lord God, work on the Russian and Chinese leadership to understand that an Iran with a nuclear weapon is a threat to them as well (Prov. 16:5).

   • If the US is shocked by Iran's unreasonable demands, give them a backbone to not give in (Joel 3:9).

   • Lord, we still believe that only Israel has the determination to strike Iran militarily, so prepare Your nation to deal with its enemy in a way that brings You all the glory (Isa. 41:15-16).

   • Do not allow Israel to trust in any other nation to help them – but let them look to You (Isa. 30:1).

   • With Iran constantly threatening the existence of Israel, remember Your words in Psa. 9:19-20.

   • Whether through Israel or supernaturally, we ask You, Lord of hosts, to intervene and put an end to all of Iran's nuclear capabilities (Psa. 7:6a; Jer. 51:20-26).

   • Impart out-of-the-box thinking to the IDF's military planners (Prov. 20:24).

   • Make the arrogance of Iran's leaders to be their downfall (Psa. 12:3; 94:2; Isa. 13:11).

   • Show Israel how to deal with the big "champions" of Iran and of its proxies and then, when they are dealt with, let the fear of God and of Israel fall on all of their remaining warriors (1 Sam. 17:51).

   • We praise You for making Israeli attacks against Iran and Hizbullah in Syria as successful as they have been and ask for even more success in the immediate future (Psa. 18:34-40).

   • Prevent deception from distorting the intelligence that the IDF gathers (Psa. 121:4).

   • As You have often dealt with Israel's enemies in the past, set the Afghani Taliban against the Iranian Shi'ites, turning Iran's attention eastward and away from Israel (Judg. 7:2-22).

   • Forbid that these negotiations end up with Iran receiving large sums of money.

   • Dry up all other sources of its finances as well (Jam. 5:1-3).

   • Lord Yeshua, protect, multiply, strengthen and guide Your Body in Iran (Psa. 23:3b; Matt. 16:18).

   • Lead them in interceding for their nation in line with Your will at this time (1 John 5:14-15).

   • Let signs and wonders be very evident by that Church throughout Iran (Acts 2:43; 4:29-30).

   • In fact, as You did with Peter, miraculously release many Iranian Christians from jail (Acts 12:7).

   • Stir up the Iranian Church to provoke the Iranian Jewish community to jealousy (Rom. 11:11) and to help the Jews get out of Iran and return home to Israel (Isa. 49:22).

6. Aliyah:

   In Shabbat's prophetic portion God promises to restore His people to His land.

   • Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the gentiles where they have gone, and I will gather them from every direction, bringing them into their own land:Ezek. 37:21b

   • Thank You for bringing Your people home even in the face of all of the lockdowns and travel restrictions during the past two years (Isa. 60:8-9).

   • Speak to the Jews who are grieved over not being able to visit Israel today because of all these restrictions and show them that it would be better to be stuck in Israel than in exile (Jer. 50:5; 51:6).

   • Settle every Jew who has returned, never to be uprooted again (Isa. 27:6; 37:31; Amos 9:15).

   • Plant many of them on the mountains of Israel – Judea, Samaria and the Golan (Ezek. 36:8-12).

   • While Israel has more Jews than any other nation, a majority still live in exile. Lord, for You holy name's sake, may 2022 be the year when, as a result of increased aliyah, a majority of Your people will then live in Your land (Ezek. 36:23-24).

7. Salvation:

   The Torah portion tells the touching story of how Joseph revealed himself to his estranged brothers (Gen. 45:3). In many ways this is a prophetic picture of how Yeshua is doing that with many Jewish people today.

   • Thank You Lord Yeshua, for how often You save Jews without anyone else around (Gen. 45:1).

   • King Messiah, take advantage of this time in Israel when there is a lack of tourists and continue to unveil Yourself to Your people (Zech. 12:10; John 1:29-34; 47-51).

   • Show many unsaved Jewish people, especially as we enter the season when multitudes celebrate Your birth, that You are not a gentile – but You are their brother Yeshua (Gen. 45:3).

   • Show many Christians that Bethlehem's Baby was, and still is, Jewish (Matt. 2:2, 5-6; Rev. 5:5).

   • As per the prophetic portion, Lord, save many Jews who live on Israel's mountains (Ezek. 37:23).

   • Lord, give us who believe – both Jewish and gentile – opportunity to declare to "Jacob" how You are still being glorified among multitudes of gentiles today (Gen. 45:13).

   • Provoke many more Jews to jealousy as they see many gentiles obeying You by helping to bring them back home (Gen. 45:16-23; 25-28).

   • Save many unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews (John 1:40-41; Acts 16:31).

   • Yeshua Lord, build up Your Body in Israel to be able to receive new believers and to disciple them to know how to follow and glorify You (Matt. 28:19-20; 2 Tim. 2:2).

   • Lord Yeshua, walk throughout this land once again as You did in the days of Your flesh – healing, setting free, and revealing to many who You truly are (John 1:49-51; 2:11; 9:35-38; 20:28).

8. Water:

   Mount Hermon received its first snowfall this past week, and the Sea of Galilee is less than two meters below being full. Both of these items are another reason to praise our faithful God! Yet let's continue to pray for a full Sea of Galilee and for all of the rain Israel needs at this time.

We do thank you for praying about IFI's finances, and ask for that to continue.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Israel

For the IFI team