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  1. Praise:

    In Shabbat's Torah portion God, from the burning bush, declares to Moses His name by which He will be known for all eternity – and it is not I am that I am! And throughout the rest of Scripture, His name – or portions of it – is what people call our God.

    • God said to Moses, '…Thus you shall say to the children of Israel… YHWH, God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.Ex. 3:14-15

    • We praise You that on Mt. Sinai, You revealed Your essential characteristics to Moses, saying that You are merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth (Ex. 34:6).

    • We believe that because of John 1:18, this was You, Lord Yeshua, who was speaking to Moses.

    • We praise You Almighty God the Son, for humbling Yourself to be incarnated as a man, knowing You would die on the cross, and be raised from the dead – all for Your Father's glory (Phil. 2:5-11).

    • King Yeshua, what a encouragement to read that we are to look to – and trust in – You as You complete the miraculous work of salvation which You started in us (Phil. 1:6; 2:12b-13; Heb. 12:2).

    • Lord, You experienced our infirmities through Your humanity, and then became our great High Priest, so that today You intercede for us to be utterly saved (Heb. 2:17-18; 5:8-9; 7:25).

    • Abba, in the beginning You shined Your light on the chaos (Gen. 1:2-3) and Your light remains available to us today both through Your Word and in Your Son (Psa. 36:9; John 8:12).

    • Lord Yeshua, Simeon was right as You have been a light to give revelation to the gentiles, and are soon to return as the glory of Your people Israel (Luke 2:32).

    • We rejoice to see so many prophetic fulfillments today, and we say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (Matt. 23:39), and add, Come, Lord Yeshua (Rev. 22:20).

    • We look forward to Your fulfillment of these verses from Shabbat's prophetic portion: Thus says YHWH who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall no longer be ashamed, neither shall his face wax pale, but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify My name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. (Isa. 29:22-23)

  2. Government:

    Since Israel's current governing coalition hangs on by a thread it avoids many of the current biblical issues that we believe God wants them to deal with. Therefore, we do ask Him if it is time for that thread to be cut and to raise up another government with a biblical vision for the Jewish people and for the land of Israel. And if so, that He would reveal it to us (Amos 3:7).

    • Lord, let this government accomplish all that You desire to further Your will now (Matt. 6:9-10).

    • If You have plans for this government that it is not considering, shine a light on them (Prov. 16:9).

    • Yet hinder it from doing anything that interferes with Your current will for Israel (Prov. 19:21).

    • Intervene with PM Bennett's coronavirus demands as he seems to be in panic-mode (Prov. 8:20).

    • Again we ask You to allow all coronavirus guidelines that are of You concerning the protection of Your people – and any others that are from man – Lord, disallow (Psa. 103:19).

    • May the government not be so corona-focused that they miss any vital issues (Prov. 8:16).

    • Only You know if Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra'am Arab-Israeli Islamic party in the coalition was speaking from his heart when he said Israel is a Jewish state and will remain so (Jer. 17:9-10).

    • May his words become truth to him – if they are not so already (Prov. 22:20-21).

    • Let many Israeli Arabs rally around Abbas and declare that he is speaking for them (Num. 10:29, 32).

    • Lord, please block Foreign Minister Yair Lapid from ever becoming prime minister (Psa. 75:5-7).

    • As opposed to what You did with the prophet Samuel, may all of Lapid's words that are not in line with Your will fall to the ground (1 Sam. 3:19).

    • Deal with Defense Minister Benny Gantz and force him to decide if he is a left-winger who leans towards the creation of a Palestinian State – or a right winger who truly sees the danger of that move.

    • Lord, cast out from the Knesset – Israel's parliament – the spirit of Humanism (Psa. 118:8-9).

  3. Internal Security:

    Israel's security forces quickly captured Islamic Jihad terrorists who killed an Israeli father in a car in Samaria last week. It is of God that Israel often repays terrorists swiftly by either capturing or killing them. Thank You as this is also another answer to our intercessions.

    • Thank You God for creating out of Israel's dry bones an exceedingly great army (Ezek. 37:10).

    • Yet we trust You, not the IDF, to place a shield of protection over Your nation (Psa. 3:3; 91:4-6).

    • Send angels to guard the IDF soldiers and to stop any successful kidnappings (Psa. 68:17; 91:11).

    • Guard the IDF's elite units operating in Judea and Samaria, and grant them success (Psa. 121:7-8).

    • As terror attacks increase, increase the alertness of Israel's security forces and citizens (Neh. 4:7-9).

    • Expose all intelligence that will enable Israel to pre-empt many of these terror attacks (Jer. 11:18).

    • Keep Israel's undercover agents covered, and guard them from being deceived (Psa. 91:4; 140:7).

    • Thank You that more than 100 Hamas members were arrested in Judea over the last few months.

    • May the information pried out of these terrorists lead to the capture of others (Psa. 57:6).

    • Undo all networks and communication lines of Israel's enemies anywhere in Your land (Psa. 35:4).

    • Give Israel more effective methods of deterrence against terrorism (Psa. 37:10).

    • Thank You for the IDF revising its rules of engagement in dealing with Molotov cocktail and stone throwers and with thieves (Eccl. 8:11).

    • As IDF lawyers examine these changes, prevent the rules from being watered down (Rom. 13:1-4).

    • Do not let this government distinguish between Israelis attacked in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from Israelis who are attacked in Judea and Samaria (Isa. 5:20).

    • Place Israel in a situation, like You arranged in 1967, where it has no choice but in order to survive it must conquer more if its land – and extend its sovereignty over more of it (Judg. 2:1-5; Psa. 44:1-8).

    • Once again, America has publicly supported a two-state solution – thus backing the grievous sin of dividing God's land (Joel 3:1-2). Lord, let the believers in the US stand in the gap before their nation is driven even further into Your valley of judgment (Ezek. 22:30-31).

    • From Shabbat's prophetic portion: In that day shall YHWH of hosts be for a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people, and for a spirit of justice to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. (Isa. 28:5-6)

    • Over this holiday weekend, protect all the Christians in Israel – especially those who live, or will be celebrating Your birth, in Jerusalem's Old City (Isa. 31:5).

  4. External Security:

    As talks with Iran in Vienna about curtailing their nuclear ambitions drag on, the advantage swings to Iran's favor. This is dangerous as Iran openly states that their goal is to extend their Shi'ite Islamic regime's control over the entire world. Iran has also recently increased its verbal threats against Israel, yet in the Middle East, this is often a sign of a bully being scared, and so raising his voice, promising destruction. There is a good chance that the Iranian leaders are terrified of an Israel attack at this time which would be their personal and political demise.

    • Use Iran's delay tactics in the negotiations to backfire, and to turn to Israel's benefit (Gen. 50:20).

    • Lord, turn the hearts of Russia and China's leadership from being allies with Iran to being very suspicious of Iran's intentions (Job 17:5; Prov. 16:28; 21:1; 22:24).

    • Wake up Western world leaders to understand that there are still people in the world who are serious about what they believe – even to the extent to kill and be killed for their god.

    • Abba, we believe only Israel will have the courage and Your backing to deal with Iran militarily (Jer. 51:19-24). If this is true, lead us as we prayer about it.

    • As Israel prepares for war with Iran, impart to it Your strategy and timing (Psa. 31:15; Prov. 21:31).

    • Enable Israel to possess all current accurate intelligence on Iranian plans and activities (Dan. 2:22).

    • Impart the wisdom to correctly interpret it, along with Your plans on how to respond (Prov. 3:32).

    • Download Your out-of-the-box thinking to the IDF's military strategists (Isa. 55:8-9).

    • We ask You to hide Israel's plans and its real capabilities from Iranian intelligence (Psa. 27:5).

    • Create unity between the military and politicians in all decisions that are from You (Eccl. 4:11).

    • Wake up many of Israel's leaders – political and military – to see that Israel must no longer depend on America, but must reach out and trust in You alone (Psa. 20:7-9; Isa. 31:1).

    • Abba, You hear Iran daily threatening to destroy Israel. Arise and scatter Your enemies (Psa. 83:1-4)

    • Create confusion, disunity and hatred between Iran's top leaders (Psa. 40:14-15).

    • Let Iran's leaders reap to themselves what they are planning against Israel (Psa. 37:12-15).

    • You who are Lord of all the earth, please continue to shake Iran with so-called natural disasters – like its worst drought in 50 years, the many earthquakes and most importantly, use the massive demonstrations against that wicked regime to remove it (Psa. 96:10; 99:1; Jer. 49:38b).

    • Reveal to the Iranian Church the role You have ordained for Israel in their salvation (Gal. 3:8).

    • As Iranian believers celebrate the Savior's birth, remind them that this was a fulfillment of Your prophetic word to Israel (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7).

    • Raise up Iranian intercessors who know how to pray for their nation's leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

  5. Aliyah & salvation:

    The increase in the number of Jews who have returned to Israel in 2021 – more than 27,000 – is another direct answer to prayer. Yet we have more praying to do as while Israel has more Jews today than any other nation on earth, still the majority of Jews live outside the land of their forefathers.

    • As Jews in exile complain about a lack of freedom to come to Israel, which they feel is their right, use these coronavirus travel restrictions to wake them up to make aliyah (Rom. 8:28).

    • May all those who have had plans to move to Israel follow through at this season (Jer. 50:4-5)

    • Lord, speak to the nations who restrain their Jews from leaving, like Iran, saying to them what You said to Pharaoh in Shabbat's Torah portion: Thus says YHWH, 'Israel is My son, even My firstborn:' and I say unto you, 'Let My son go, that he may serve [+worship] Me…' (Ex. 4:22-23)

    • Use the very real and scary increase in global antisemitism to shake up the Jews in exile (Jer. 16:16).

    • Chile's new President has Chilean Jews concerned. Use this to bring them home (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Shake up all South American Jews, many of whom are very comfortable in exile (Deut. 32:11-12).

    • God, watch over these words that are in Shabbat's prophetic portion: And it shall come to pass in that day, that YHWH shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. (Isa. 27:12)

    • Move on the government to prepare the infrastructure that is needed to receive a massive aliyah, including somehow lowering the high cost of living in Israel.

    • Prepare the Body in Israel for a great ingathering of Jews into Your Kingdom (Zech. 12:10-14).

    • Use this season when so many believers celebrate Your birth – especially as at this time You are often proclaimed as the King of Israel – to provoke unsaved Jews to jealously (Rom. 11:11).

    • Thank You for the music of this season which often declares great theological truths (3 John 1:4).

    • As this music is often played and sung in many places in Israel, may the words, especially those taken from Your Word, draw Your people to Yeshua – their Messiah and King (Heb. 4:12).

  6. The Body of Messiah:

    As mentioned above, most of the global Church celebrates the birth of Messiah Yeshua at this time of the year. What an opportunity for more of our brothers and sisters in the Lord to see that they are in truth exalting the birth of a Jewish baby born of a Jewish mother in the very Jewish town of Bethlehem – the city of David (1 Sam. 20:6; Luke 2:4).

    • Lord, forbid that this celebration of Your birth would be turned into something totally non-kosher (Matt. 1:21-23; 2:2; Luke 1:68-23; 2:32; John 19:19; Rom. 1:1-4)!

    • We proclaim that You are still the King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2) and that You sit on the right hand of God the Father as the Lion of the tribe of Judah today (Psa. 110:1; Rev. 5:5).

    • Abba, let us learn the lesson that we read about in Shabbat's Torah portion that at times when we do that which You ask, things get harder but You are still very much in control (Ex. 5:22-6:1).

  7. Water:

    Israel was hit by "Storm Carmel" this past week and received much snow and rain.

    • Bless You for the abundant rain and the snow that has fallen on Your land (Isa. 55:10; Ezek. 34:26).

    • Protect Israelis from injuries and this land from damage, yet also use this weather to protect Your nation from terror and other attacks (Job 38:22-23).

    • Pour out enough rain to fill up the Sea of Galilee and all the underground aquifers, and let many Israelis know that this is from Your merciful hand (Isa. 41:17-20; Matt. 5:45b).

  8. IFI:

    Please continue to ask God to provide all that IFI needs financially to maintain this ministry as long as that is His will. Also, ask Him to bring forth the next generation of leaders who are willing to be mentored into leadership roles (2 Tim. 2:2). Thank You.

Shabbat shalom and blessings of peace and joy from Israel, the land of our Messiah's birth, ministry, death, burial, resurrection and the land to which He will soon return.

For the IFI team