1. Praise:

    One of our greatest sources of encouragement in our walk with God is watching Him fulfill His Word. This is often seen most clearly as we look backward and say like Peter did on the day of Shavuot, this is that which was spoken of by the prophet… (Acts 2:16) Shabbat's prophetic portion contains a prophecy which was filled only 74 years ago, yet it ushered the world into the final stage just before the return of Israel's King, the Lord Yeshua. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? Yet as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her sons. (Isa. 66:8)

    • Lord, we bless You for bringing us into Your kingdom for just a time like this (Est. 4:14b).

    • We declare with great joy that You are building Jerusalem and gathering its outcasts (Psa. 147:2).

    • Thank You for opening our eyes to see these wondrous things in Your Word (Psa. 119:18).

    • As we see the signs spoken of in Scripture coming to pass, we have a deep sense of Your peace knowing that You are working out Your foreordained purposes today (Mark 13:6-27; John 14:27).

    • We praise You for revealing the larger picture to us, and as it comes together, we rejoice in having a more sure word of prophecy [or: "the word of prophecy made more sure"] (2 Pet. 1:19).

    • Watching Your pre-ordained plans come to pass, we again proclaim that You reign (Psa. 103:19).

    • We trust in You Lord, thanking You for never leaving or forsaking us (Matt. 28:20b; Heb. 13:5).

    • We bless You for Your patience with us and for loving us enough to discipline us (Heb. 12:4-15).

    • Abba, what a joy to know that in Your Son, both Jew and gentile are now one (Eph. 2:11-22).

  2. Government:

    On November 1st Israelis go to vote, and we are asking for a miracle. We are praying for a right-wing, Bible-honoring government that helps to heal the divisions of the pro-Bibi Netanyahu vs. anti-Bibi camps. That day is All Saints Day and it would be miraculous to see only righteous people voted into office, and so we pray to God who is the ultimate Miracle Worker.

    • Lord, work in the hearts of Israelis now so that they vote in line with Your will then (Prov. 19:21).

    • Use the upcoming high holyday season to show Israelis that they already have a King (Isa. 33:22).

    • By Your grace, speak to Israel's politicians, especially those on the right, to do all they can to heal relationships and to humble themselves before each other in respect and love (Prov. 3:34; 1 Pet. 5:5).

    • Lord God, as we have asked You repeatedly, please clear out the dross from Israel's political scene and raise up people whom You see as righteous to lead this nation at this time (Isa. 1:25-27).

    • Control all political negotiations which are still ongoing over the next few weeks (Prov. 16:9).

    • Expose all unrighteousness and prevent any political alliances that are not of You (Eccl. 12:14).

    • Anoint with Your Spirit the people who will be ministers in the new coalition (Num. 3:3).

    • Prepare godly counselors for each Israeli minister and let the ministers listen (Prov. 11:14; 15:22).

    • Let the next government deal with the ungodly overreach of Israel's Supreme Court (Isa. 60:17b).

    • Lord, enable those who will be in charge of dealing with Israel's cost of living, inflation and housing costs to be people to whom You can speak with answers to solve these serious issues (Psa. 45:7).

    • Remove from all aspects of Israel's society every form of corruption (Prov. 14:34).

    • Watch over the current negotiations between Israeli teachers and the finance ministry for much needed better wages for those who teach (Deut. 25:4; 1 Tim. 5:18).

    • Keep out of the next government politicians who think that allowing the creation of a Palestinian State on Your land is the only way for Israel to have "peace and security" (Lev. 25:23; Prov. 22:28).

    • Specifically, do not allow current Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and current Prime Minister Yair Lapid to be ministers in the next coalition (Dan. 2:21).

    • Promote government leaders in Israel who will rebuke America and the EU when they try to dictate to Israel what to do and where to build and what to investigate, etc. (Num. 23:9b; Prov. 28:1b).

  3. Internal security:

    We again asked God to press Israel to spread its sovereignty over all of the land restored to it after the 1967 Six Day War, which is all the area west of the Jordan River. At present, this is the best God-given security internally for Israel until King Messiah returns.

    • In Shabbat's Torah portion: When YHWH your God shall enlarge your border, as He has promised you… (Deut. 12:20a) Amen! Thank You for having done this since 1948.

    • Let more Israelis see the land as their inheritance from You as in the Torah reading (Deut. 12:9-10).

    • With deep concern of what might need to happen, still we ask You to arrange circumstances so that Israel has no choice but to possess its possessions at this time (Obad. 1:17).

    • [Israel helps the Palestinians whose society is built on "Death to Israel and death to the Jews."] Lord, let the next government stop supporting Your enemies, and instead teach Your nation how to relate to a society that continually honors terrorists who kill Jews (Psa. 35:20; 55:20; 83:13-18).

    • Prepare Israel for the time when PA President Abbas is no longer in charge (Isa. 42:9).

    • Thank You for the success of the IDF's aggressive nightly raids and arrests of terrorists (Eccl. 8:11).

    • Give the next IDF Chief of Staff an understanding that the best defense is a good offense and show him how to implement this policy at all times – against all of Israel's foes (Deut. 7:23-24; Psa. 44:5).

    • Download Your strategy for how Israel can retake Gaza permanently (2 Sam. 5:19; Neh. 9:24).

    • Do not allow Israel to deal with its enemies more mercifully than You want them to (Psa. 59:10-13).

    • Show Israel how to handle its Palestinian security prisoners in a biblical manner (Rom. 13:1-4).

    • Shield Israel's soldiers and security forces mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually against the demonic forces of Islam and against the pure hatred that they face daily (Psa. 3:1-8; 140:7).

    • Give many Jews, both Israeli-born and new immigrants [olim], a desire to settle in Judea, Samaria, the Golan, the Negev and in the Galilee and to dig deep roots in all these places (Isa. 35:1-2).

    • Increase the grants that are available to new olim to settle in some of these areas (Amos 9:14-15)..

    • Lord God, guide the new government to provide housing and infrastructure so that all of Your land can be filled with Your people accompanied by songs of praise (Jer. 33:10-14).

  4. External security:

    It seems clear that the West is dealing with Iran in fear and weakness and essentially begging Iran to say yes to a nuclear deal with no teeth. Israel will need to remove this nuclear threat from the planet as it did with Saddam's and Syria's nuclear programs. Of course, then the West and most other nations will condemn Israel for any deaths and destruction to Iran that will result from Israel's attack. (Yet we imagine that many Iranians will rejoice!)

    • Lord, stop this deal unless it is Your will to use Israel as Your weapon of war today (Jer. 51:20-25).

    • Bring down the nations' counsel and establish Your counsel concerning Iran (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • You hear the constant threats against Israel by Iran's current leadership, and so we ask You to do that which You threaten in Jeremiah 49:38 and destroy Iran's leader with all of his henchmen.

    • Teach the growing body of believers in Iran how to pray concerning their leaders cursing of Your nation and let them bless Israel instead (Gen. 12:3a; Ezek. 22:30-31; Luke 11:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-4).

    • Increase the fear of Israel's God in the hearts of Iran's leaders – political and military (Josh. 2:11).

    • Lord, use the reports that Israeli F-35s have overflown Iran without Iran knowing they were up there to increase that spirit of paranoia in Iran's leadership of Israel being able to do whatever it wants.

    • Guard over the IDF's Iran Command, allowing it to retain all plans and strategies that are from You, while blowing away everything that is not (Prov. 21:30-31).

    • If there is any intelligence that Israel does not have about Iran or its proxies that it needs to have in order to protect itself, please reveal it as soon as possible (Psa. 139:12; Dan. 2:22).

    • Protect all of Israel's various intelligence units from deception and misinformation (Psa. 91:4).

    • When Israel attacks Iran's nuclear infrastructure, go with it so that this is done with the most amount of destruction (Jer. 51:56-57), yet with a minimal amount of damage to Iranian civilians (Hos. 2:23).

    • Encourage Israel to continue attacking Iran's attempts to set up bases or to transfer weapons in and through Syria – despite Russia getting more vocally upset about Israeli attacks (Psa. 144:1; Isa. 31:4).

    • Abba, reveal to Israel what Hizbullah, Iran's #1 proxy who is in Lebanon – and who in fact controls Lebanon – is planning as its threats against Your nation over the Israeli-Lebanon maritime border dispute have increased recently (Job 12:22; 28:11b; 34:21-22).

    • Lord, remove Nasrallah, Hizbullah's head, and let the organization implode (Isa. 19:2; Matt. 12:25).

    • Give Israel great discernment in its renewed relationship with Turkey (Job 12:16; Psa. 51:6).

    • Regarding Israel's security, deafen Israel's leaders to all negative global feedback (Psa. 38:12-15).

    • Wake up the Church in America and the EU to how wickedly arrogant their nations have become in opposing Israel's right to defend itself against terrorists and terror organizations (Isa. 34:1-8).

    • If America and several EU nations give billions of dollars to Iran to sign the nuclear deal, touch their finances in such a drastic way that at least believers will see the connection (Num. 24:9b).

    • As Russia and China have supported Iran economically and now find themselves in grave economic straits, raise up prophetic voices in both nations to declare the connection between this and their aid to Your enemy who is openly planning on destroying Your people (Gen. 27:29b; Isa. 41:11; 54:17).

  5. Aliyah:

    This is declared as one way for God to receive glory in these days (Isa. 43:5-7, 21). So since most of the Church is at best lukewarm about helping the Jews come home, this is a sign of either ignorance of God's whole counsel, or of wanting what is best for "me" rather than willing to work for what will further the advancement of God's will on earth.

    • Abba, may Your name be sanctified by the return of Your people to Your land (Ezek. 36:21-24).

    • Wake up more believers to see what is really at stake in the aliyah so that they too can be part of the fulfillment of Your Word and co-labor with You (Isa. 49:22; 60:3-11; Jer. 31:6-9).

    • Open the eyes of Western Jews to see the fishers and hunters and then to return to Zion (Jer. 16:16).

    • Show rabbis in exile the failure of their efforts at tikkun olam – the "healing of the world" – and then clearly tell them it is time to lead their flocks home (Jer. 51:9-10).

    • Lord, release Iran's 8,000-10,000 Jews to be able to return all together (Isa. 11:11; 43:5).

    • Release more Ukrainian Jews to rejoin with their families who have already come home (Jer. 3:14b).

    • May Jews who have family in Israel receive a good report of the land and then Lord, draw them with cords of Your lovingkindness (Jer. 31:3; Hos. 11:4).

    • Change the default thinking of Messianic Jews to see that it is Your declared will for them to make aliyah – unless You show them otherwise (Isa. 35:10; 51:11).

    • Please let the next government see aliyah as one of Your top priorities today (Jer. 32:41-44).

  6. Salvation:

    Jews in Israel and worldwide are preparing for the high holidays. Elul, the month of repentance before the high holidays, begins on August 28th this year. This is a great time to pray for the Lord Yeshua to reveal Himself to His people as this is often a season of deep introspection and of a desire to make things right with God and with their neighbors.

    • Lord Yeshua, during Elul we ask You to double the number of Messianic believers in Israel and then show them Your ordained place for them in the Body (1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 4:11-16).

    • Use Your Body to plant seeds that will bear fruit quickly (1 Cor. 3:6-8; Eph. 4:11).

    • Allow the verses directly from Your Word, which are quoted throughout the holyday prayer books, touch many Jewish souls in a deep manner (Isa. 55:11; Heb. 4:12).

    • Place upon many Jewish hearts a deeper hunger to know You intimately (Jer. 29:13).

    • Give unsaved Jews, especially the ultra-Orthodox, a holy dissatisfaction with their relationship with You and let them cry out to You for mercy (Psa. 27:7-8).

    • Place upon believers' hearts throughout the world to pray for the salvation of Your people, especially at this season (Jer. 31:7; 1 John 5:14-15).

  7. Messiah's Body:

    In context, the rebirth of Israel as mentioned in Isaiah 66:8-9 precedes the return of the Lord which is prophesied in 66:14-16. Are we ready? Are we looking up? Are most of our brothers and sisters even aware of the connection between Israel's return and the return of Messiah Yeshua (Psa. 102:13-16)?

    • When you see this [Israel reborn and Jerusalem reestablished], your heart shall rejoice, your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of YHWH shall be known toward His servants, and His anger toward His enemies. For, behold, YHWH will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, bringing His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will YHWH judge all flesh: and the slain of YHWH shall be many.Isa. 66:14-16; cp. Rev. 19:11-21

    • During Ellul, lead Your Body to repent over not honoring and reading and believing the Tanach, the only Bible that You and the early believers honored and read and believed in (2 Tim. 3:15-17)!

    • Lord, pour out a renewed call to watch and pray upon Your Body today (Mark 13:32-37).

    • Yeshua, stress to Your people the need to always pray and not to give up (Luke 18:1).

    • God, in Shabbat's Torah portion You warned Israel that You would send false prophets into their midst to test them (Deut. 13:1-5). Wake up the Church that You have done this, and are still doing it, in the Body as well (Matt. 7:15; 24:24; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Pet. 2:1).

  8. Water:

    There was a freak rainstorm in northern Israel this past week that only lasted a brief time but actually caused a bit of flooding in some streets and roads.

    • Please prepare the dry ground to receive the rains that will come shortly (Job 5:9-10; 12:15).

    • Open the heavens over Israel and may Your people bless and praise You for the water (Psa. 68:9).

  9. IFI:

    Praying into basically the same areas week after week – and often not seeing immediate answers – is very stressful and can be very discouraging. Yet your support in all sorts of ways is a real source of encouragement from God to us – and we thank and bless you for that.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Israel

For the IFI team

Isa. 66:10-13