1. Praise:

   The Shabbat Torah portion read outside of Israel includes a verse that impacts all of our prayers: God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent; has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good? (Num. 23:19)

   • Lord, we praise and bless You for being so faithful to do that which You have said (Isa. 55:11).

   • What a joy it is to worship a God who is faithful from one generation to the next (Deut. 7:9).

   • We thank You for fulfilling Your Word both in Israel, and in our lives (Jer. 1:12; Phil. 1:6).

   • Thank You for giving us divine promises which are yes and amen in Messiah in order to encourage us as we walk through this confusing and often frightening world (2 Cor. 1:20).

   • We rejoice to know that You are purifying us in Your truth – which is Your Word (John 17:17).

   • You are never taken by surprise (Isa. 46:9-10), so when we are – which is more often in these days – we joyfully rest in You, knowing that Your ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isa. 55:9).

   • We praise You for warning Balaam that Your people Israel (in context this refers to all of the tribes), are blessed and that he dare not curse them (Num. 22:12).

   • Thank You for giving us a revelation of how important Israel is in Your sight (Zech. 2:8).

   • Lord, we bless You because You reign – regardless of whether we understand it or not (Prov. 3:5).

2. Government:

   This past week Israel was "blessed" with the visit of US President Biden. In our prayers during his visit, we asked God to block Biden from pressuring Israel to do anything which was not in line with His will, and we also asked Him to strengthen Israel's transitional Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his left-leaning transitional government to "just say no" as and when needed.

   • Lord, warn the nations, especially Israel's "friends," with Balaam's declaration from the Torah portion: How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom YHWH has not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: behold, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. (Num. 23:8-9; cp. Isa. 8:9-10)

   • Lord God, anything that Israel's transitional government agreed to with President Biden that is not in line with Your will, we ask You to toss it overboard and let it sink (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • You said through Balaam that there is no divination or witchcraft against Israel that will succeed – so we ask You to watch over this word for Your nation during this pre-election season (Num. 23:23).

   • Erase all the delays in building in Judea and Samaria for Jews which were in place during Biden's visit and let their communities in Israel's biblical heartland be built (Isa. 44:24-26; Jer. 31:3-5).

   • May the approvals for many of the illegal Palestinian buildings in Area C which have been agreed on – again as a good-will gesture during Biden's visit – be overturned (Isa. 7:7).

   • Lord, why do nations never ask the Palestinians for good-will gestures (Lev. 19:35a; Rom. 1:18)?

   • Abba, we ask You to guard Israel in all of its foreign relations dealings while under the left-leaning Lapid who is both prime minister and foreign minister until a new government is formed (Lam. 3:37).

   • Deafen Israel to demands from "friendly" Western nations to divide Your land (Joel 3:1-2).

   • Lord, hover over any alliances that are being negotiated at this time between Israel and Arab nations, and allow those that are in Your will while preventing any that are not (Gen. 1:2; Isa. 14:27).

   • Do not allow daily polls being taken in Israel to influence our prayers – but by Your Spirit guide our intercession in all things involved with Israel's November 1st election (Prov. 16:3; 19:21).

   • Pour out a huge dose of Your love for Zion into the hearts of all Israelis who will vote on November 1st – which "coincidentally" is also Aliyah Day in Israel (Psa. 2:6; 9:11; 14:7; 48:2; 69:35; 87:2; 99:2).

   • Expose the true heart intent of Israelis politicians so that the people will not be surprised by what they do after the election (Prov. 15:11; Jer. 17:9-10).

   • We again ask for You to fulfill Isaiah 1:25-26 and remove the dross from Israel's political scene.

   • Lord God of Israel, convict all Israeli politicians who will be part of the new government with this word from Shabbat's prophetic portion: He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what YHWH requires of you – but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you God? (Mic. 6:8)

   • Humble the right-wing parties and their leaders – especially as the High Holydays are observed just before the elections – to be able to work together for the good of Your nation (2 Chr. 7:14).

3. Internal security:

   Open the eyes of all "peace-now" adherents in Israel and in the nations to see how angry the Palestinians are with any Arab nation which is willing to have relations with Israel, whether openly or under the table. We thank You for doing this with many Arabs whose nations have supported the Palestinians with billions of dollars as well as diplomatically, and now perceive how untrustworthy and selfish this people has become.

   • We rejoice that there is still no "Palestine" on the land which You swore to Israel (Num. 11:26b).

   • Show the West that "Palestine" is no longer a central issue with the "moderate" Middle East Arab nations as they now recognize the Palestinians' lies and betrayals (Obad. 1:2, 7, 15)

   • Lord God, please raise up a new Israeli government that is willing and able to extend its sovereignty over all the territories You restored to Israel after the 1967 Six Day War (Obad. 1:17).

   • Increase Israeli communities in Judea & Samaria both numerically and geographically (Isa. 54:2-3).

   • Guide many of Israel's new immigrants [olim] to settle in the so-called "occupied territories," which is what You in Your Word call "the mountains of Israel" (Ezek. 36:8-12).

   • Continue to use the IDF to break the recent wave of terrorism by being pro-active (Eccl. 8:11).

   • Protect every Israeli asset – spies and collaborators – among the Palestinians (Psa. 17:8; 143:9).

   • Purge the Palestinian Church of any deception that has taken root concerning Israel (Mark 13:5-6).

   • Dry up all the finances and drain the support of the extreme left-wing Jewish groups who want to see Israel labeled as an apartheid nation (Num. 24:9b; Job 12:15).

   • Turn back the spirit of humanism that continues to invade Israel from the West and let Your Body in the cities along the Mediterranean seacoast lift up a banner for Your truth (Psa. 60:4).

4. External security:

   In the Torah portion, God expands His protection promised to Abraham and his seed to the whole nation of Israel. Blessed is he that blesses you [Israel], and cursed is he that curses you. (Num. 24:9b) This verse is still valid as many nations in history who cursed Israel and the Jews have been cursed in return, disappearing from the stage of history. We see the same dynamic at work today, as nations wanting to divide Israel are now divided – like the UK and the US.

   • Lord, let Your Body in nations like Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and EU nations who still do much business with Iran, as well as nations like America who desire to divide Your land, understand that how they treat Israel is one of the foundational reasons why their nations struggle so much today (Joel 3:1-2).

   • Then let Your Body stand in the gap for their nations and let them also bless Israel (Ezek. 22:30).

   • Escalate the division inside Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and destroy them (Psa. 55:9).

   • May a spirit of paranoia increasingly invade the minds of Iran's leaders, causing them to make major geo-political mistakes (Job 34:24; Eccl. 9:3; Zech. 12:4).

   • Dry up all the funds that Iran uses to spread terror and destruction (Job 15:29-31).

   • Completely break apart the relations between Iran and Russia and China (Psa. 2:9; 72:4).

   • Anoint Israel's leaders who declare that they have complete freedom to act against Iran if and when needed – to be able to walk their talk (Matt. 5:37).

   • Support Israel's new government to be even stronger and stricter in dealing with Iran and its various proxies (Rom. 13:1-4).

   • Wake up the West to Hizbullah recently stating that the Lebanese government has no say over them.

   • Use Hizbullah's arrogant boast to bring this Iranian proxy to nothing (Psa. 12:3; 31:18).

   • Enable Israel's current and future governments to be wise as serpents in its diplomatic relations with all nations anywhere that are in the main under the Spirit of Islam (Matt. 10:16b; 1 John 2:22).

   • Bless and continue to use Aviv Kochavi in his role as the IDF's Chief of Staff (Gen. 12:3a).

   • Oversee the choice of his successor with one who will have a smooth transition and with goals that are complimentary to those of Kochavi (Josh. 1:3-6).

   • Give the IDF's Iran Command intelligence and timing in its strategy against Iran (2 Sam. 5:17-25).

   • Grant rapid advances in the ongoing development of Israel's laser and cyber weapons (Prov. 8:12).

   • Give wisdom to the commanders of the new IDF recruits to be able to place them in the units best suited for their strengths (1 Chr. 12:32-37).

   • As Israel's "friends" turn their backs to the Jewish State more often, and its enemies turn their faces in rage against it, Lord, turn Israelis to look to You and You alone (Psa. 80:3, 7, 19).

5. Aliyah:

   The return of God's scattered people back to their land is of great importance to Him. It demonstrates that His Word does not return empty (Isa. 55:11) and Israel's restoration also sets up the return of Messiah Yeshua. Both of these realities contribute to God's glory being seen globally.

   • Open the eyes of Your Body to see how central aliyah is to what You are doing to wrap up this age: When YHWH shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. (Psa. 102:16) Amen!

   • As You are planting Your people in Your land with all of Your heart and soul (Jer. 32:41), how can any born-again believer say they love You and yet resist this? Convict them, Lord (Rev. 3:16).

   • Reveal to Your Body that Israel's restoration is ultimately for Your glory and Your holy name's sake (Isa. 43:5-7, 21; Ezek. 36:21-24; Zech. 14:16).

   • We thank You and bless all our brothers and sisters in the Body of Messiah who do have a burden for aliyah and help in whatever way they can (Psa. 134:3; Isa. 49:22).

   • Thank You for all the olim You have brought to Israel already this year. More, Lord (Isa. 60:8-9)!

   • Tear up the comfortable nests of Jews in captivity who resist Your call to come home (Jer. 16:16).

   • Use America's November 7th mid-term elections to shake many Jews loose from there (Jer. 51:9-10).

   • Expose the Western media's downplaying, or even ignoring, of most anti-Semitic events and open the eyes of Jews living there to the growing threat to them and their families (Psa. 25:5; Prov. 8:7).

   • Open the gates wide for Jews in all nations which refuse to let them freely leave with their families and their financial resources (Ex. 10:8-11; Deut. 30:3-5; Psa. 85:1).

   • Lord, give Israel's next government a sincere heart to gather in the outcasts of Zion (Psa. 147:2).

   • Enable the next government to develop a workable plan to build affordable housing throughout Your land – especially in the outlying areas and in Judea & Samaria (Jer. 32:42-44).

   • Simplify the process of making aliyah, removing the manipulation of any Israeli bureaucrat who loves having power over others (Isa. 62:10).

   • Restore to all Israelis a vision of aliyah and what it means to You (Isa. 43:5-7, 21; Ezek. 36:22-29).

   • Speak to the very wealthy Jews and Christians that You desire for them to support the return and settlement of Your people in Your land (Ezra 1:1-6; Isa. 60:3-12).

   • We bless You that the return of the Jews to the land is a prelude Israel's salvation (Jer. 24:6-7).

6. Salvation:

   That prophesied end-time revival which many in the Body are expecting before Yeshua's return is actually happening today! It started shortly after the First Aliyah of 1885 and has spread throughout the world since. Recall how God's Spirit fell at the beginning of the 1900s – in Wales, Topeka, Kansas, Azusa Street, and many other places. And today multitudes are being saved throughout the world – except in the West. Is this because Western Christianity is the main force proclaiming replacement theology and through this demonic doctrine curses God's people?

   • Lord Yeshua, we bless You that You are that prophesied Star to come out of Jacob that we read about in the Torah portion (Num. 24:17; cp. Matt.2:2-9; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 22:16).

   • Open the hearts of many Jewish people today to receive a revelation of this reality (Acts 9:4-6).

   • As aliyah increases, increase the number of Jews who believe until all Israel is saved (Rom. 11:26).

   • Lord Yeshua, show Muslims who come to believe in You that You are still a Jew, in fact the King of the Jews, and use this to replace their ancient hatred of Your people with a love that provokes many Jews to jealousy (Ezek. 35:5; Matt. 2:2; Rom. 11:11).

   • Lord, please save the unsaved loved ones of Messianic believers today (Acts 16:15, 31-32; 18:8).

7. The Body of Messiah:

   The Lord God of Israel cautions Balaam several times to only speak the word that He places in his mouth (Num. 22:20, 35, 38). Let us all take this very clear warning to heart, especially to those who call themselves prophets in Messiah's Body today.

   • Lord Yeshua, open the hearts of Your Church to see that if the God they worship and serve is not the Lord God of Israel – then they are worshipping a false God, and a different Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4).

   • Let them repent and be set free from an anti-Christ spirit which has invaded their lives (Gal. 1:8).

   • Strip Your Body from all false doctrines created by taking verses out of context (2 Tim. 2:15).

   • Strip Your Body from any doctrine which does not line up with Your Word (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

   • Convict Your Body of their arrogant rejection of the Old Testament (Psa. 19:7-9; 119:89).

   • Remove all fear from Your Body to proclaim Your truth (Gal. 4:16).

8. IFI:

   Our need for your prayers and financial support increases as we draw ever closer to the end of this age.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion,

For the IFI team

Psa. 121:5-8

From Chuck: I was asked by Intercessors for Uganda to teach on the topic of why we should pray for Israel. I dealt with why we should pray in the first place if God is totally sovereign? Then I taught on why we should pray for Israel? The total zoom session is about 40 minutes; it was recorded and can be seen here.