1. Praise:

   The biblical megilah [scroll – little book] that the rabbis have chosen to read during Sukkot is Ecclesiastes. Sukkot is a harvest festival and Israel rejoices in the abundance of the harvest God gives to it, yet the writer of Ecclesiastes wants us to know that without the fear/awe of God, life turns out to be vanity – total emptiness. Let us hear the conclusion of the matter; Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Eccl. 12:13)

   • We bless You that obedience to Your Word coupled with a biblical fear/awe of You, Lord our God, makes life worthwhile and enjoyable (Eccl. 2:24; 3:11-13, 22; 5:18; 8:15).

   • Thank You that through Your Spirit's leading we do fulfill the law's righteousness (Rom. 8:4).

   • Lord, Your creation is so marvelous and as Your Word declares that it displays Your glory, this makes it even more special to us (Psa. 19:1; Rom. 1:16-21).

   • What a joy to know that in Messiah Yeshua, we have already passed from death into eternal life (Prov. 12:28; John 5:24; 17:2-3; Rom. 5:21; 8:2; 1 John 3:14).

   • We praise You for being a God who is alive and desires to be in relationship with us, Your children (Deut. 5:26; Psa. 42:2; 84:2; Prov. 15:8b).

   • Hallelujah! In Messiah Yeshua all Your promises – including all Your Tanach [Old Testament] promises to Israel – are yes and amen, unto Your glory (2 Cor. 1:20).

   • We rejoice as we watch You fulfill so many of Your prophetic promises before our eyes – such as Psalm 147:1-2; Isaiah 60:12; Jeremiah 31:3-10; 33:10-11; Ezekiel 37:10 – and many more.

   • Regardless of what we see, hear, read or how we feel – You reign (Psa. 103:19; Isa. 52:7)!

2. Salvation:

   Many Jews spend lots of time in their sukkah, the temporary booth that they put up for this feast. We prayed for them to truly face the emptiness and fragility of life without God and to use this time to genuinely seek for a relationship with the Almighty, the King of Israel.

   • During this season of rejoicing in a fragile sukkah, draw the attention of Your people to the fleeting nature of life and lead them to seek for a foundation that is eternal (Matt. 7:24-27).

   • Lord, as many Jews and Israelis have lost loved ones over the past year by various means, let them take this time to recognize that life without You is ultimately meaningless (Psa. 144:4; Eccl. 1:2-3).

   • We ask the same for Jews who have lost their loved ones and so much of their belongings to natural disasters or wars (Psa. 119:37).

   • Show new immigrants [olim] celebrating Sukkot for the first time in Israel that Israel's God is known and worshipped throughout the world because of Yeshua (Psa. 48:10; 65:5; 67:7; 72:8; 98:3).

   • Show Israelis from the prophetic reading that what You are doing in Israel is for Your holy name's sake – both for them and for the gentiles (Ezek. 39:7).

   • As they read in the Torah portion the revelation of Your name – Your essential nature – to Moses, let it light a fire in them to want to know You as personally as Moses did (Ex. 34:6b-7a).

   • Increase the holy dissatisfaction in any Jew who is seeking a deeper spiritual life in ways biblical or unbiblical, and lead them to find Your rest in Messiah Yeshua (Jer. 29:13; Matt. 11:28-29).

   • Thank You that their seeking is an indication that You are already touching their hearts (Jer. 31:3).

   • Remove all false worship from Your people – including from Orthodox Jews who at times worship at dead rabbis' graves in Israel and elsewhere – warning them of Your decree in Exodus 34:14.

   • Humble all Israeli politicians to know that Israel has a King today (Isa. 6:5; 33:22; Matt. 2:2)!

   • Finish the initial act of salvation in every Jew whom You touched over Yom Kippur (Psa. 138:8).

3. Aliyah:

   For Jews who live outside of Israel and who spend time in their sukkot – if in fact they are courageous enough to do this openly – we asked God to have them question why they are still stuck in the wilderness where they often have to hide their Jewishness.

   • Confront all Jews in exile with the dangers facing them now and tomorrow, especially all who can return but refuse or make excuses in order to stay in the captivity (Psa. 137:4-6; Isa. 60:8-9).

   • Lord, by Your Spirit, ask them if this fragile existence as a Jew in exile – in particluar in the West – is what they really want for themselves, their children and grandchildren (Deut. 28:64-66; Jer. 31:17).

   • Send forth Your angels and pull out a "lot" of Jews from modern Sodom (Gen. 19:15-16).

   • Open Your people's eyes to recognize the fishers as Your fishers and the hunters as Your hunters and then let them respond to the reality that it is You drawing or chasing them home (Jer. 16:16).

   • Open the gates for Jews who are trapped in exile by the nation in which they live (Psa. 118:19).

   • We especially ask that all Iranian Jews and their families be set free at this time (Isa. 43:5-7).

   • Maintain open pathways for the thousands of Russian Jews who want to come home (Isa. 42:16).

   • Wake up Western Jews to the hardships that have fallen on Russian Jews who now want to flee their birth-nation and return to Israel – yet today it is much harder to do than last year.

   • Provide those agencies that assist with aliyah – both Jewish and Christian – all that they need in the way of finances, manpower and wisdom (1 Kin. 4:27; Phil. 4:19).

   • Open the hearts of many in the Church to repay their debt to the Jews by financially paying for many Jews to make aliyah and to be settled in Your land (Rom. 15:27).

   • Give Israel's current government, and its next one, a heart to encourage and help in both the aliyah and the settling of the new olim in Your/their land (Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 32:41-444).

   • Remove all obstacles in Israel and in Israeli organizations to making aliyah and remove those who place these obstacles in the way of Jews who desire to immigrate (Isa. 57:14).

   • Yet guard Israel's gates and keep out anyone whom You do not want to be in Israel (Isa. 22:22).

4. Government:

   The elections are less than three weeks away. The polls still indicate a tight race and this means that our votes cast before the throne of God are extremely important.

   • Lord, we are confident that You want to raise up a government that rules in a righteous and biblical manner (2 Sam. 23:1-4), and therefore we ask You to do just that (1 John 5:14-15).

   • Give Israel leaders who honor Your Word and treasure Your land (Psa. 119:140; Isa. 62:4-5).

   • Raise up politicians with a faith-filled spirit like that of Caleb and Joshua (Num. 14:6-9, 24).

   • Continue Your work of removing the dross from the government, and create a place for righteous leaders who will lead Israel in a biblically righteous path (Isa. 1:25-26).

   • Remove any politician who wants to see "Palestine" created on Your land (Lev. 25:23; Joel 3:1-2).

   • Give Israel courageous leaders who know that the nation is not to be like the world's nations, but it is called to be a separate people – in order to be a blessing to the world (Ex. 33:16; Num. 23:9b).

   • Anoint Israel's new leadership to be courageous and to "Just say 'No'!" to any and all unbiblical advice or pressure from other nations – especially from its "friends" (Psa. 118:9; 146:3-5).

   • Promote leaders who will tackle the very high cost of living, making it easier for both Israelis and new olim to thrive in Israel (Amos 9:13-15).

   • Let them cooperate with other leaders who have wisdom to solve the housing shortage (Prov. 24:3).

   • Teach the Israeli electorate Your will and then guide them to vote in line with that (Psa. 32:8).

   • May the report that there is something different in the way Bibi Netanyahu is conducting himself be true and may it be a sign that You are drawing him nearer to Yourself (Psa. 69:18; Prov. 28:25).

   • Let this change lead to reconciliation between Bibi and other right-wing leaders (Matt. 5:24).

5. Internal security:

   The internal terror war has intensified. There are now daily attacks using guns and other weapons, resulting in injuries and at times the death of innocent Israelis or Israel's security forces. Also, areas in and around Jerusalem have become a battleground in the last week. Yet Israel's security forces are actively taking the battle to the enemy.

   • God, fulfill this word concerning Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot: For I will cast out nations before you, and will enlarge your borders: and no man shall desire your land when you go up to appear in the presence of YHWH your God three times in the year. (Ex. 34:24)

   • Lord, we ask for a new "Jesus movement" to sweep through and save many Palestinians – especially the brain-washed younger generation, and even some terrorists (Matt. 5:44).

   • Yet for all the rest, is it not time to cast them out of Your land (Psa. 10:16; Jer. 12:14-17)?

   • Increase the infighting between various Palestinian terrorist groups (Psa. 35:1-8, 26).

   • Make this verse true again concerning Israel's enemies in the land: Truly YHWH has delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us. (Josh. 2:24)

   • Protect spiritually, physically and emotionally all who are protecting Israel (Psa. 121:3).

   • Lord, be that crown of glory to all Israelis who turn the battle to the gate (Isa. 28:5-6).

   • Show Israel when and how to use its new crowd control methods against the riots occurring today.

   • Train the security personnel to not be trigger-happy nor to be too hesitant, but to have discernment from on high to know when to shoot and when to hold their fire (Psa. 144:1).

   • Continue to provide Israel's security forces with accurate actionable intelligence (Job 28:11b; 42:2).

   • [A report of the IDF being in danger of not being able to continue the war against terror because of a lack of food, equipment and decent barracks for the troops is very alarming.] God, the IDF is Your weapon of war, so we ask You to supply all it needs to do battle against You enemies (Jer. 51:20-23).

   • In the Simchat Torah reading, we again read of You telling Moses that You swore to give the land to Israel's forefathers, and we ask You to arrange circumstances so that the next Israeli government will have to extend its sovereignty over all of the land west of the Jordan River (Deut. 34:4a; Obad. 1:17).

   • Increase exponentially the population of Israelis living in Judea, Samaria, the Golan, the Jordan Valley and in the Negev, bringing many veteran Israelis and new olim to live there (Jer. 32:41-44).

6. External security:

   Iran has been massively bombing the Kurds in Iraq and yet the world has barely said a word against this. Meanwhile, riots and demonstrations in Iran have only intensified which is in many ways an answer to our prayers.

   • Guard the Iranian demonstrators, and use them to bring Iran's regime down (Jer. 49:38b; Rom. 8:28).

   • Lord, intensify the internal shakings and do not stop until Iran has leaders who desire good relations with Israel (Dan. 2:21; 4:17b)!

   • As honor versus shame is much more important in the Middle East than truth versus lies, bring the Iranian rulers to open shame and through this possibly save some of them (Psa. 83:16).

   • Throw Iran's leaders and the heads of all its terror proxies into a deep pit of confusion (Psa. 129:5).

   • With Iran accelerating its nuclear development, guide Israel as to what it should do (Psa. 32:8).

   • Forbid Israel from depending on the world to deal with Iran, but instead let it look to You (Isa. 31:1).

   • Shield the Kurdish people in Iran and Iraq and use Iran's attacks, which are killing dozens, to spurn on the various Kurdish factions to humble themselves and to start working together (Prov. 13:10).

   • We bless You for Your Body in Iran, and we bless them in the name of Yeshua (Psa. 134:3).

   • Aid them to grow in grace and favor and in knowledge of You (Jer. 49:38a; 2 Pet. 3:18).

   • Teach them how to pray for the government and their current chaotic situation (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

   • Lord, You see how the American administration's foreign policies are very negative towards Israel, pressuring it to make anti-biblical moves; arise and scatter this ungodly pressure (Psa. 9:19-20).

   • [It appears that Israel's transitional government will approve the US pressured deal with Lebanon about its maritime borders, although this is not really legal because it is a transitional government.] God, expose every detail of this deal to the parliament and to the public (Psa. 139:11-12).

   • Prevent Israelis from being deceived by the various statements that this will bring to Israel "peace and security" when in fact it will most likely not result in either (Jer. 6:14; 8:11; 1 Thess. 5:1-3).

   • Overrule everything concerning this deal – including Hizbullah's bragging that it was responsible for prodding – i.e., threatening – Israel into agreeing with it (Prov. 16:18; Matt. 6:10).

   • Lord, regardless of the deal's success or failure, let the outcome be that Hizbullah is finished from being a threat to either Israel or to Lebanon.

   • [Since the US and Lebanon are already seeing this as a done deal, if Israel reneges it will be seen as an enemy of "peace" and against Lebanon's prosperity.] God, this deal seems like a trap, so we ask to You to break it and set Israel free (Psa. 124:1-8).

   • Yet, if this is a Your trap, then lead us to pray without opposing Your will (Mic. 4:11-13).

7. Water:

   Cooler weather has arrived in Israel. We are even more encouraged to pray for rain.

   • We appeal to You for the early rains and for a winter season that will result in the underground aquifers and the Sea of Galilee being completely filled (Eph. 3:20).

8. IFI:

   One of the best ways to support this ministry is by sharing these prayer alerts among others who love Israel yet may not know how to pray for it other than by asking for Jews to be saved. While that is needed, yet for "all Israel" to be saved, they need to be in the land (Zech. 12:2-10), which means the land needs to remain under Israel's rule, which means having a government that will not divide God's land (Joel 3:1-2). Also, for "all Israel" to be saved they need to be alive, and that means having an army that defends this nation against its many enemies (Ezek. 37:10). So we pray for all of these things in order that all Israel will be saved. Thank you for praying for and supporting us.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

For the IFI team

Psa. 128:5