1. Praise:

    In the Torah portion God gives the pattern of the tabernacle to Moses and in the prophetic portion Solomon starts building the temple. God had Israel build both sanctuaries so that He could dwell with His people. He knew they would sin and break His law, yet His ordained blood sacrifices atoned for [Heb. covered] their sins, allowing a holy and righteous God to abide with His people. All this was a foreshadow of His grace and of what God's greatest gift – His Son – would do for us in dealing with our sins.

    • Let [the children of Israel] make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.Ex. 25:8

    • You are such an awesome God, wanting to dwell with Your children, and making sure that through the New Covenant our sinful tendencies will not interfere with that (Isa. 59:1-2; Jer. 31:34).

    • We are so grateful as we see that You now abide in us through Your Spirit (John 14:17, 20).

    • We bless You for making us living stones in Your living temple (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16).

    • Yeshua, we declare that You are both the foundation stone and the headstone – so that all of God's temple is centered in You and is filled with Your glory (Psa. 118:21-22; Matt. 27:42; Eph. 2:20).

    • We are encouraged with an assurance that just as You had a master plan for both the tabernacle and the temple, so You have a plan for us – Your dwelling place today (1 Pet. 2:5).

    • Lord Yeshua, we praise You for telling us that You will never leave nor forsake us (Matt. 28:20a).

    • Precious King Messiah, with so much death and destruction today, we thank and bless You that Your Words are spirit and they are life (John 6:63), as well as a light for our paths (Psa. 119:105).

    • Thank You God that You are our refuge in times of trouble today (Psa. 9:9; 46:1; Prov. 18:10).

    • Ah Lord YHWH, behold, You have made the heaven and earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard [+wonderful] for You:Jer. 32:17; cp. 32:27

  2. Government:

    At times it seems that our prayers for Israel's coalition government have no impact. But we dare not stop as Yeshua teaches us to pray and not to give up (Luke 18:1).

    • As You have allowed Israel's coalition government to rule in Your nation today, please anoint Israel's rulers to deal with all of the issues challenging Your nation (Jer. 27:5; Dan. 4:17).

    • Remind them to rule for the good of the people and not for their own profit (2 Sam. 23:2-4).

    • Guide this government to enact wise and righteous guidelines in dealing with the economy.

    • Grant Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman wisdom, discernment and good relationships with his colleagues  as he faces the challenges of the soaring cost of living in Israel (1 Kin. 3:9).

    • They promised to lower housing costs, so let their words of building more houses and cities in the Golan Heights, the Jordan Valley and in the Negev come to pass quickly (Jer. 32:42-44; 33:12-14).

    • Let wise and righteous guidelines be enacted in all issues concerning the coronavirus (Psa. 32:8).

    • As some hospitals are being overloaded with the latest corona wave, strengthen, reinforce and protect Israel's health care system and all involved in working within it (Isa. 35:3).

    • Anoint the government's efforts to stimulate the tourism industry (Isa. 60:11).

    • Encourage any Israeli who is discouraged by the current coalition to look to You (Psa. 121:1-8).

  3. Foreign relations:

    Israel has good diplomatic relations with America, Russia and China. Some of these relations outweigh others, yet Israel resides in the Middle East. With the US decreasing its presence there, and Russia and China rushing to fill in that vacuum – Israel needs godly wisdom in dealing with each of these powers, as well as with all the other nations.

    • Show us how to pray into today's very complicated geopolitical situation (Psa. 10:17; Luke 11:1).

    • Raise up modern day sons of Issachar – in both Israel's political arena and as intercessors in Your Body – who will know the signs of the times and what Israel needs to do (1 Chr. 12:32).

    • Lord, we pray for You to protect Your nation – for Your holy name's sake (Psa. 115:1-3; 125:2-3).

    • Do not allow Israel to follow other nations' leads, but let it be a nation set apart (Num. 23:9b).

    • God, we question whether Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has the wisdom and experience to oversee Israel's foreign policies. If not, please flood him with Your wisdom – or replace him (Isa. 45:1).

    • Protect Israel from deception as it maneuvers between Russia, China, and America (Matt. 10:16).

    • Guide Israel in its relations with America – its strongest ally – yet a nation that can change its policy toward Israel 180 degrees every four years – as we see happening today (Psa. 118:8-9).

    • Give Israeli leaders courage to reject the Biden administration's pressure to act against Your revealed will in pushing Israel to allow the creation of a Palestinian State on Your land (Prov. 21:1; Joel 3:1-2).

    • We bless You for the very warm relations that have developed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and ask for Your wisdom to prevail so that a lasting peace is realized (1 Kin. 5:12).

    • Protect all Arab nations that have good relations with Israel from the wrath of Iran and its proxies.

    • Bless all the pro-Israel voices in the Arab world, allowing them to bear much fruit (Gen. 12:3).

    • Lord, show Your Body that their eternal destiny is linked with Israel – not with their birth nations – and have them put up a prayer-shield around the nation they are now grafted into (Rom. 11:17-18, 24-26; Eph. 2:18-19).

  4. Amnesty International [AI]:

    AI released a report this past week labeling Israel's dealings with its Israeli Arabs and the Palestinians as "apartheid" and recommending sanctions against it!

    • Lord God, deal with this lie and the curse that comes with it (Num. 24:9b; Psa. 33:10-11).

    • Thank You for America and Germany openly rejecting the AI report, but where are all of Israel's other "friends" as it is being blasted by this blasphemous anti-Semitic attack (Psa. 41:9; Prov. 17:17)?

    • Do not allow Israel to waste time or energy in fighting against this in the wrong arenas (1 Cor. 9:26).

    • [The Palestinians are overjoyed by the AI report and are planning to use it to sanction and boycott Israel, as well as to support their lawfare cases against the Jewish State.] Lord, raise up Israelis who will know how to cut off all these efforts even before they get going (Psa. 17:13; Isa. 14:29-32),

    • Abba, if this report is part of You preparing the way for Zechariah 12:2-9 to come to pass sooner than many expect, then guide us in interceding in line with Your will, Your plans and Your timing.

  5. Internal security:

    There are reports of strife in Palestinian President Abbas' Fatah faction over who will eventually take his place. This is partly a result of the PA leadership's cursing of Israel, and partly an answer to prayer. Still, Israel needs to know what to do on the day after Abbas.

    • Lord, continue to send confusion into the minds of all those who hate Zion (Psa. 129:5).

    • Prevent Israel from interfering with Your plans for these who are Your enemies (Psa. 83:1-4).

    • With Hamas – the terrorist rulers in Gaza – already adding to this chaos in Judea and Samaria, show Israel what to do and what not to do (Prov. 21:30-31).

    • If a Hamas takeover in Judea and Samaria is Your way to force Israel to extend its sovereignty over all of its biblical heartland, please do this with as much mercy and swiftness as possible (Obad. 1:17).

    • Protect all Palestinians who do not harbor hatred of the Jews or Israel (Gen. 12:3a).

    • With Jeremiah 12:14-17 in mind, we ask You to save multitudes of Palestinians and then cast the rest out of Your land (Psa. 10:16).

    • Anoint true believers among the Palestinians and use them for Your glory's sake (Acts 3:1-10).

    • Protect all Jewish residents in these areas while miraculously increasing their numbers (Isa. 54:2-3).

    • Provide angelic protection especially as they travel back and forth (Deut. 28:6; Psa. 121:8).

    • In the same way, guard over all the security forces that are guarding over Israel (Psa. 140:7-8).

    • Grant the government wisdom to know how to govern the land Israel currently holds (Lev. 25:23).

    • Hedge in Defense Minister Benny Gantz as he talks with leaders in the PA so that he does not interfere with Your current plans for Judea and Samaria (Prov. 19:21).

    • If Gantz really wants to see the creation of a Palestinian State in Your land – have mercy on him and on Israel and block this from ever becoming a reality (Ezek. 36:5-12).

    • Turn around all Israelis who despise their birthright and want to give away the land that You have restored to them for a false "peace" that is even less than a real bowl of lentil soup (Gen. 25:33-34)!

  6. External security:

    Any "successful" conclusion to the Vienna negotiations between the P5+1 (five permanent UN Security Council nations + Germany) and Iran will be dangerous. After all, if it is good for Iran, how can it be good for Israel? Any deal allowing Iran to remain on the path of obtaining nuclear weapons under its current radical Shi'ite regime is very bad news for Israel, for the Middle East and for most of the rest of the world.

    • Lord, please show us what You are doing and how You want us to pray as this could very easily be a part of the fulfillment of prophecy (Amos 3:7).

    • Prepare Israel to know what to say and do regardless of the outcome in Vienna (Job 38:36).

    • Break the "bow" of Iran, so that they cannot launch any of their "arrows" (Jer. 49:35).

    • As You have done with many of Israel's enemies in the past, let Iran be trapped by their own evil plans that they are plotting against Your people (Est. 7:10; Psa. 35:1-8).

    • Lord God, deal with Iran in such a unique manner that all will know it was You (Num. 16:29-30).

    • Use Iran's overextension of its resources and its pride to lead to its downfall (Prov. 16:18; 17:19).

    • Stir up strife between Iran's leaders and their Taliban neighbors to its east (2 Chr. 20:16-17, 22-23).

    • Stir up great distrust between Iran, and China, and Russia and all of Iran's proxies (Psa. 55:9).

    • Destroy the Iranian regime from internal strife as most Iranians are furious with it (Jer. 49:38b).

    • Destroy Hizbullah in Lebanon as most Lebanese are furious with it as well (2 Kin. 9:30-33).

    • Divide Hizbullah's house and let this terrorist group dry up suddenly and completely (Matt. 12:25).

    • Anoint the IDF's Iran Command as it creates strategy and tactics against Iran and all of its proxies, and download to them anything that they are missing which is of You (Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • Protect all who are involved with gathering intelligence for Israel – whether spies, collaborators, spy satellite operators, etc. – and bring to them accurate actionable intel (Job 12:22; 42:2). 

    • If Israel attacks Iran and its proxies, let the victory be so overwhelming that the fear of God will fall on all of the rest of Israel's enemies – including Turkey (2 Chr. 17:10).

    • Continue to bless and build Israel's military industries so that Israel will not need to depend on any outside help in the midst of a war.

    • Thank You for the advances in Israel's laser weaponry development (Job 25:3; Psa. 44:3-4).

  7. Aliyah & salvation:

    Most places where the Tanach talks about the climax of this age – just before the return of Messiah Yeshua – center around Israel's restoration and its people's salvation. As we pray for aliyah, we are also in a real sense asking for all Israel to be saved; and as we pray for Israel's salvation, we are asking for God to bring His people home. Here is a perfect example:

    • For there shall be a day that the watchmen [notzrim = Christian in today's Hebrew]… shall cry, 'Arise, let us go up to Zion to YHWH our God'. For thus says YHWH 'Sing with gladness for Jacob, shout among the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, "O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel". [God's answer to the prayer for Israel's salvation is aliyah:] 'Behold, I will bring them from the north, and gather them from the coasts of the earth…Hear the word of YHWH, you gentiles, and declare it in the far off coastlands, saying, "He that scattered Israel will gather him, and guard him, as a shepherd does his flock"'.Jer. 31:6-10

    • What a blessing to live in these days when we see You fulfilling so many promises (Zech. 8:1-8).

    • Continue increasing the pressure on the Jews in exile to come now with their wealth and families with them – and not to wait until they have to escape with none of these things (Isa. 60:9).

    • May the prospect of large numbers of Ukrainian Jews coming in the near future – and may it come to pass – not hold back the olim [immigrants] from anywhere else (Isa. 43:5-7). 

    • Use the increase in global antisemitism to wake up Jews living among the gentiles to the urgent need to return home as soon as possible (Jer. 16:16).

    • Lord, reveal to Your Body how central aliyah is to Your heart and plans for these last days (Psa. 147:2; Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 32:37-42; Ezek. 39:27-29).

    • Challenge believers to provide financially for the provision for new olim in order to see Your will be done on earth as it already is set in heaven (Isa. 49:22; Matt. 6:10; Rom. 15:26-27).

    • Bless Israel's Minister of Aliyah and Absorption, Pnina Tamano-Shata, with wisdom, resources and determination so that the promised aliyah – especially from Ethiopia – will take place (Jer. 32:37-38).

    • Lord, save many of the new olim from the past two years during 2022 (Psa. 14:7; 53:6; Rom. 11:26).

    • Aid the Israeli Body to have all that is needed to bring in the harvest (Matt. 16:18).

  8. Water:

    There have been periods of much rain throughout Israel, and for that we praise Him.

    • Thank You for the rain and snow that have fallen over the last week (Psa. 65:10).

    • Continue to send it until the Kinneret and all the aquifers are full (Zech. 10:1).

    • Work with the local municipalities to improve and repair the infrastructure that deals with rainfall.

    • "Are there any among the vanities [+idols] of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give plentiful showers? Are not You He, YHWH our God? And we wait [+hope] for You, for You have made all these.Jer. 14:22

  9. IFI:

    We really do appreciate your prayers for IFI. Please pray with us for encouragement, strength and all that we need to complete the specific race He has called this ministry to complete – including health, wisdom, finances, and future leaders. Thank you.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

For the IFI team