1. Praise:

   The verse in the Bible that everything else is built upon is exactly where you would expect a foundation to be: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen. 1:1) After all, if the God of Israel is not the Creator, then we had better look for another god who is, or agree with atheists that there is no God. Yet if He is the Creator – He can do whatever He wills.

   • We praise You Lord, our God, because You have made the heaven and earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and therefore nothing is too difficult for You: (Jer. 32:17; cp. 32:27)

   • Thank You for revealing to us that everything which exists was made through Your Word – God the Son, our Messiah Yeshua (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Psa. 33:6; Jer. 27:5; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2).

   • To know that we serve You, the Creator of space and time, is something beyond our understanding. Yet we still can praise You, trusting that our life is in Your hands (Psa. 91:1-2).

   • Again, we take great comfort that nothing can happen which will take You by surprise (Isa. 42:9).

   • We rest in this confusing chaotic world, trusting that nothing even confuses You (Prov. 3:5).

   • For YHWH most high is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.Psa. 47:2; cp. 95:3

   • Not only did You create everything, but You also chose Israel – and us – from before time began because of Your love for Israel – and for us (Deut. 7:6-9; Psa. 90:1-2; Eph. 1:3-5; 1 John 4:10, 19).

   • We glorify You because You are good and Your covenant-love endures forever (Psa. 118:1, 29).

   • Hallelujah! You guard us as You would the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:7-8).

2. Aliyah:

   The report that Russia is trying to shut down the Jewish Agency which helps Jews to make aliyah is a shocking development in Israel and among the Russian Jews. Whether it actually becomes a reality or not, we asked God to use the "suddenness" of this move to wake up all Jews in exile to see that today is the day when they need to come back home to the land of their forefathers.

   • Lord, You hear all the excuses that Your people make in order to remain in exile. Use this Russian move to punch holes in every one of them and bring Your people home (Jer. 51:9-10).

   • Whatever the outcome of Russia vs. the Jewish Agency, let this situation send shockwaves of fear to Jews in exile that, as we have already experienced with coronavirus, the gates to leave their nations of birth can be closed – suddenly (Job 5:3; Psa. 69:14-15; Prov. 24:21-22; Eccl. 9:12).

   • We ask that You would keep the gates open for the Russian Jews, especially those who have made preparations to come to Israel at this time (Isa. 22:22; 45:1; 60:11).

   • Lord, if transitional Prime Minister Yair Lapid is not the right person to deal with Russian President Putin to try and resolve this issue, let him humble himself and ask for help from Bibi Netanyahu who has had a good relationship with the Russian President (Prov. 29:23; 1 Pet. 5:5).

   • Use Israel's Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shata to warn all other politicians that their bickering with each other at this time could end up costing Jewish lives (Prov. 13:10; 17:14).

   • Let the godly wisdom that is coming from Israel's President Herzog, telling Israel's leaders to lower the flames of outrage against Russia, be heeded and let it have a positive impact (Prov. 2:1-2).

   • For Jews who want to make aliyah, but are being held back by their nations or other circumstances, Abba please remove every stone of stumbling (Ex. 5:1; Isa. 42:16; 57:14).

   • Establish highways and safe houses for Your people on their return to Zion (Isa. 11:16).

   • Use the results of the November 7th USA mid-term elections to cause many American Jews to set their eyes on Zion and come home quickly (Isa. 11:12; Jer. 3:18; 51:6-10).

   • In fact, Lord God, use the political upheaval we see in almost all Western nations to shake the Jews out of their false comfort zones (Job 7:13-14; Psa. 119:50).

   • Lord, move upon the next Israeli government make aliyah and the issues surrounding it – like the settling of Your people in all of Your land – as much of a priority as You do (Jer. 32:41-44).

3. Government:

   Israeli Prime Minster Lapid's transitional government tends to pursue policies that are not in line with God's will. Consequently we continue to seek God to hedge them in – and only allow that which He Himself wills for this time.

   • Turn the hearts of Israel's current transitional leadership toward Your will (Prov. 21:1).

   • God, block all attempts by this government, whether big or small, to prepare the way for the creation of a Palestinian State on Your land (Lev. 25:23; Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Pull up every stone they try to set for a "Palestine" and toss those stones into the abyss (Eccl. 3:2).

   • Lord, aid Israel's transitional government to accomplish all that is in line with Your will (Prov. 19:21).

   • Let nothing stop the recent approval to build new homes southeast of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:20).

   • Open the hearts of the Israeli electorate to be led by You in the November 1st elections (Psa. 32:8-9).

   • Reveal the true heart intents of all politicians to Israelis before they vote (Psa. 28:3; Luke2:35b).

   • Overrule the various maneuvers that some Israeli political parties are making to join hands with other political parties – unless some of these agreements are from You (Prov. 16:5, 7, 9).

   • Let Israel's political parties explain their policies instead of only attacking their opponents.

   • Lord, please work out the difficult disputes with Israel's teachers and their salaries (Jer. 32:27).

   • God, remove the bureaucratic stones which too often delay needed building projects (Isa. 62:10).

   • Show the next government how to improve the work conditions for the police and to help them to increase their recruitment and their salaries (Eccl. 8:11).

   • Raise up a government that is capable to deal with the exceedingly high cost of living in Israel (Lev. 19:35-36).

4. Internal security:

   The Torah portion contains several verses which explicitly declare that God has given all of the land of Canaan to His people, the nation of Israel. This is a truth that needs to penetrate the hearts and minds of all Jews – both those in Israel as well as those in the exile.

   • Raise up a new Israeli government that will proclaim sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, and will honor Your Word and Your land (Gen. 28:13; Num. 31:11b).

   • The Torah portion contains a very non-politically correct command to Israel: You shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. (Num. 33:53)

   • Lord, as Jews read in the prophetic portion, give them the revelation that this is Your land and Your heritage (Jer. 2:7).

   • We thank You for answering our prayers concerning US President Biden's visit with the Palestinians as their president Abbas just said that Biden's visit amounted to a "big zero" (1 John 5:14-15)!

   • Abba, we stand with You and proclaim "no" to a Palestinian State on Your land (Isa. 8:9-10).

   • Let the Palestinian attempt to have the UN Security Council affirm that the Palestinian Authority [PA] represents an already existing "the State of Palestine" be defeated (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Prepare Israel for the day after Abbas no longer leads the PA, and provide them all of the accurate intelligence they will need in order to know what is happening behind the scenes (Dan. 2:22).

   • Cover any gaps in the protection by the IDF with Your angelic army (Psa. 68:17; Dan. 12:1).

   • Use the IDF's very successful and very aggressive anti-terrorist action know as "Break the Wave" to convince at least some Palestinians that terrorism is just not worth it (Psa. 109:28-29).

   • Lord, protect Israel's young soldiers physically, emotionally, and mentally, as well as being shielded spiritually from that demonic anti-Semitic spirit of Islam (Psa. 3:3; 121:3).

   • Provide the IDF with all it needs in weapons and ammunition from Israel's Military Industries so that Israel does not need to depend on other nations in wartime – or any other time as well (Isa. 31:1).

   • Let the revelation of Your Son Yeshua fall on the Palestinians sparking a massive revival which will bring great glory to Your name (Luke 2:14, 32).

   • Yet for all Palestinians who reject You, remove them from Your land (Psa. 10:16; Jer. 12:14-17).

   • In fact, help Israel develop plans to encourage and aid Palestinians to emigrate to other nations.

   • Keep the residents of Judea and Samaria alert and prepared to be part of the frontline of defense for Israel and for Jerusalem (Zech. 12:6).

5. External security:

   Iran and its proxies constantly threaten to destroy Israel. Thus the IDF has to maintain a high alert and battle readiness at all times – and that is exhausting and dangerous.

   • We thank You Lord God that You constantly watch over and guard Israel – and never get weary or even need a nap (Psa. 121:4; Isa. 40:28-29; Jer. 31:10).

   • Continue to be a shield and a great reward to Abraham's descendants (Gen. 15:1).

   • Let the IDF's next chief of staff be chosen in Your timing and let the transition between him and Kochavi be so smooth that nothing Kochavi has worked towards that is of You is wasted (Prov. 16:9).

   • Reverse the trend of more Israeli youths trying to get out of serving in the IDF (Prov. 22:6).

   • Let the report that the IDF's ground forces are not ready for a major war stir up those responsible to turn this situation 180 degrees around (Psa. 18:34; 144:1).

   • Lord, turn it around quickly so that Israel can be used as Your battle axe against the potential axis of evil which we see growing between Russia, Turkey and Iran (Jer. 51:20-24).

   • Confound all communications between them and all other haters of Zion (Psa. 55:9; 129:5).

   • Disrupt any Russian activity that hinders Israeli attacks against Iran in Syria (Job 12:23-25).

   • Dismantle Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, the IRGC which is the economic and political engine on which Iran's religious leaders depend – and do it from within (Psa. 59:10-13).

   • Increase the paranoia in Iran about Israel's Mossad activity in Tehran (Job 24:17; Eccl. 8:13).

   • Let this paranoia increasingly lead Iran's leadership into making major geo-political mistakes.

   • Lord, heed the increase in military threats against Your nation from Hizbullah's leader Nasrallah, and turn his threats back upon his own head (Psa. 7:10-16; Prov. 16:4).

   • God of Israel, deal with this terrorist group through confusion and deception (Psa. 35:1-4).

   • Have mercy on the Lebanese, setting their nation free from Hizbullah and Iran (Isa. 2:12-13; 29:17).

   • Provide Israel with accurate actionable intelligence concerning all Hizbullah missile and rocket sites, as well as all weapons caches in Lebanon and in Syria (Job 12:22).

   • Shield all those who provide intelligence for Israel and protect them from deception while revealing to them the real plans of Israel's enemies (Isa. 29:15; Jer. 23:23-24).

   • Reveal to the Church in Iran and in Lebanon that Israel is not their enemy but that Your promises to the forefathers of Israel are the root that supports and nourishes them (Rom. 11:16-18; Gal. 3:8).

   • Thank You for the great advances in Israel's weaponry (Ezek. 37:10).

   • Speed up the completion of Israel's Iron Beam laser system, its expansion of its anti-cyberwarfare protection shield and any other arms developments that we are not aware of (Prov. 8:12).

6. Salvation:

   God speaks openly of how Israel has gone astray in Shabbat's prophetic portion: For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that cannot hold water. (Jer. 2:13)

   • Yeshua, You are that source of living waters, enabling us to never thirst again (John 4:14; 7:37-38).

   • Abba, we bless You that, as it states in this prophetic portion, when You save a Jewish person, they then realize that You have always been there as their heavenly Father (Jer. 3:4).

   • Lord, as unsaved Jews read the following verse in the prophetic portion, open their eyes to see that because of Yeshua gentiles do worship and glorify You today. If you will turn, Israel, says YHWH, turn to Me: and if you will turn away your abominations from My presence, then you shall not flee [be exiled], and you shall swear, 'YHWH lives, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness'; and the gentiles shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory [+boast]. (Jer. 4:1-2)

   • Impart a holy dissatisfaction on every Jew who earnestly seeks to observe Your law, and give them a desire to seek something else in order to have a relationship with You (Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13).

   • Let a deep hunger for Your Word replace the study of man's words (Matt. 5:6; Mark 7:13).

   • Lord, we pray, open [Jewish] eyes, that [they] may see wonders out of Your law (Psa. 119:18).

   • Water and bring forth fruit from all gospel seeds that were sown this year (Eccl. 11:1; 1 Cor. 3:6).

   • Use Gentile believers – especially ex-Muslims – to provoke Your people to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).

   • Speak to many Jews who have been carried back to Israel by Christians – literally or financially or through prayer – that what they have experienced is a fulfillment of You Word (Isa. 49:2; 60:3-11).

7. Water:

   Israel is in fairly decent shape thanks to God's anointing on its desalination projects. Also Israel is the #1 nation worldwide in recycling waste water. Still, rains from heaven are a blessing which reminds Israelis that all water is a gift from God. Traditionally, it is early to pray for rain, but seeing how God is orchestrating climate changes, we decided to start asking Him now (Zech. 10:1).

   • Lord, only You can send rain and we ask for You to do it as a sign to Your people (Jer. 14:22).

   • Send the early rains to soften the dry and hard ground (Psa. 65:10).

   • Let the rains be showers of blessings and not destructive floods that we see elsewhere (Ezek. 34:26).

8. IFI:

   If Israel's restoration and salvation is central to God's plan to wrap up this age, then interceding for that becomes more important the closer we get to Messiah's return. And that means what we are doing is vital and the enemy knowing this, tries in various ways to distract and discourage us. Your prayers and notes of encouragement and financial support truly help us to stay the course and finish the race. We thank you for standing with Israel – and with us.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

For the IFI team

Num. 6:24-26