1. Praise:

    Regardless of what we read in the headlines, it is God's lines in which we must place our faith and hope. In Shabbat's Torah portion Abraham sends his unnamed servant to his family back in Ur of the Chaldeans to bring back a bride for Isaac. Abraham cautions his servant, I'll make you swear by YHWH, the God of heaven, and the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: (Gen. 24:3)

    • Hallelujah, the Lord God Almighty – our God – has reigned, is reigning and will reign (Rev. 19:6b)!

    • Lord Yeshua, thank You for affirming what Abraham said about God the Father – as You prayed to Him, addressing Him as the Lord of heaven and earth (Matt. 11:25).

    • We praise You Lord Yeshua, as this title now applies to You, as after Your resurrection You were given the Lordship over all of creation (Dan. 7:13-14; Matt. 28:18; Acts 10:36b).

    • We rejoice for You have set Your throne in heaven from where You reign over all (Psa. 103:19).

    • Lord, we are so blessed that nothing whatsoever takes You by surprise (Isa. 45:21; John 13:19).

    • Regardless of what happens, You already know what You're going to do (Mark 13:23; John 6:6).

    • We rest assured knowing that You have the final say in Israel and the nations (Psa. 33:10-12; 99:1).

    • We rejoice as we watch You fulfill Your prophetic word in the earth today (Isa. 55:11; 2 Pet. 1:19).

    • Thank You for revealing to us that our prayers bring delight to You (Prov. 15:8).

    • Truly, Your grace is amazing (Psa. 84:11; Prov. 3:34; Jer. 31:2; Acts 4:33; Rev. 22:21).

    • Blessed be YHWH God, God of Israel. He alone does wondrous things, and blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen.Psa. 72:18-19

  2. Government:

    Bibi Netanyahu has been given the baton to form a coalition government and thus become Israel's next Prime Minister [PM]. This is an answer to our prayers as Israel will have a much more right-wing leaning, Bible-honoring government. Yet as we have said in previous prayer alerts – if Bibi succeeds, Zechariah 12 draws that much closer.

    • We praise You Lord because if we see Zechariah 12:2-3 coming closer to fulfillment, that means Israel's salvation (Zech. 12:10) and Your glorious return, are coming closer as well (Zech. 14:2-4).

    • With the Israeli media reports on the coalition negotiations being quite discouraging, we ask You to lead us to intercede based on Your lines and not the headlines (1 John 5:14-15).

    • Guide Bibi's thinking when it comes to appointing ministers for each of the ministries (Prov. 21:1).

    • Let him follow Ezra of old and be wise when setting up Israel's next leadership team (Ezra 7:25).

    • Throughout this whole process, carry Netanyahu between Your shoulders (Deut. 33:12), and lead him to frequently come to You asking for Your wisdom (1 Kin. 3:7-9; Psa. 50:15).

    • Thank You for Netanyahu sending a message to his supporters that basically said, "Have patience. With God's help we will form a right-wing government." Lord, we say "Amen!"

    • Guard over the negotiations and prevent any manipulation from impacting the process (Num. 23:23).

    • May the fear of God fall on all politicians involved so that they will actually be very concerned to not demand positions that do not line up with Your calling for them (Prov. 1:7; Heb. 10:31).

    • Deal with the pride in these politicians which always leads to contention and strife (Prov. 13:10).

    • Prepare us to know how to pray in detail for the new coalition that will be formed (Psa. 10:17).

    • We ask that the same spirit that was on "the sons of Issachar" will be poured out on Israel's new leadership and have a huge impact on their decisions (1 Chr. 12:32).

    • Create a new government that will bring You much glory (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • Create a government with less dross and more righteousness than the previous ones (Isa. 1:25-27).

    • Deafen Netanyahu and the rest of Israel's new leadership to the world's and media's intense criticism of Israelis' democratic choices (Psa. 38:12-15).

    • Lord, silence the hypocritical US government from trying to influence Bibi's choices, confronting them with how they said nothing as the Bennett-Lapid coalition joined hands with an Islamic Muslim Brotherhood party whose ultimate goal was Israel's destruction (Isa. 9:7; Matt. 7:1-5).

  3. Aliyah:

    Some of the parties who will likely make up the next coalition want to change the Law of Return and to also redefine what conversions are "kosher" for the purpose of making aliyah. Since the current law of return defines Jews based on how Hitler defined them – anyone with either a Jewish grandfather or grandmother was to be murdered – maybe redefining this might be God's will. We are not sure, but as aliyah is very much at the forefront of what God is doing today (Jer. 32:41), we are praying that He allows or limits both of these goals, so that only His will prevails.

    • We praise You Lord, for You prophesied that You who scattered Israel, will gather and guard it, and that is exactly what we see You doing today (Jer. 31:10).

    • What a joy to read of You bringing over 60,000 immigrants [olim] to Israel so far this year – a 200% increase over last year (Eph. 3:20-21).

    • We also bless You for the 400% increase in Russian Jews [32,000] so far in 2023, as well as 14,000 olim from Ukraine (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Yet as this is the result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we are in great trepidation as to what You will allow so that multitudes of Jews in the West flee to Israel. O Lord, have mercy (Heb. 3:2).

    • Lord God, use the terrible events of our day, the anti-Semitism, wars, pandemics, famines, financial troubles, etc., to shake Your people out of their birth-nations back to Israel (Jer. 16:16).

    • Make ways for the Jews to make aliyah from Russia, Ukraine, Iran and any other nation which has closed the doors against them leaving (Isa. 49:11; 62:10).

    • Hover over all possible changes to the Law of Return, forbidding anything not of You (Prov. 19:21).

    • Use even the possibility of changes to shake up many Jews in exile to return now (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Lord God, be the final arbitrator on the question of who really is a Jew (Ex. 8:22-23; Isa. 43:21).

    • Forbid Israel from hindering Jews who want to return based on their finances, age or health, skin color or belief – for all Israel will be saved in Your land (Jer. 33:6-9).

    • Please make the new Interior Minister and the new Minister of Aliyah and Absorption to be sold-out Zionists who will keep the gates of Israel wide open for Your people (Psa. 75:6-7).

    • Abba, push the new government to plan ways to reduce the cost of living and housing so that new olim will be helped to be successful in their settling into Israel (Jer. 24:6).

    • Lay the burden of aliyah and absorption into Israeli society on Gentile believers, so that they will help support the Jewish exiles in prayer and with finances as they come home (Isa. 60:3-10).

    • Bless all the Jewish and Christian agencies and ministries that facilitate aliyah and the successful settlement in the land with abundant finances and the wisdom on how to use them (Matt. 6:19-24).

  4. Internal security:

    In the Torah portion, Abraham buys the Machpelah cave and Hebron, the area around it, for a burial site for Sarah (Gen. 23). This is the oldest title deed in the Bible and it clearly indicates that this city in Judah belongs to Abraham's descendants – the Jewish people.

    • Lord, we again read in the Torah portion of You swearing to give all of the land to Abraham and His seed (Gen. 24:7b), and we again ask You to use the new government to bring this closer to fulfillment.

    • In line with the stated aims of the potential members of the new coalition, enable Israel to extend its civil law, if not its total sovereignty, over all of Judea and Samaria (Obad. 1:17).

    • If need be, arrange circumstances so that Israel has no choice but do this (Jer. 33:12-14).

    • God, hasten the day when we can proclaim, YHWH will be magnified from [+ on, or beyond] the border of Israel. (Mal. 1:5)

    • Empower the IDF, as descendants of Rebekah, to fulfill the blessing spoken over her in Genesis 24:60b: …let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.

    • Restore law and order in the Galilee and Negev areas, and if that means a revising of the current rules of engagement, then let it be done in line with Your Word (Rom. 13:1-4; 1 Cor. 14:33).

    • Bless Hertzi Halevy as he transitions into his new position as IDF Commander in Chief (Psa. 28:8).

    • Anoint him for this job and surround him with wise and godly counsel (Prov. 20:18; 24:6).

    • Protect all IDF soldiers in body, soul and spirit against all enemy attacks (Deut. 33:29).

    • As deadly terror attacks continue, increase the IDF's success in its Operation Break the Wave until all terrorists are either caught or eliminated (Psa. 44:5-6; Eccl. 8:11).

    • Lord, show the IDF how to prevent the theft of ammunition and weapons from its army bases as this seems to be a continuous and very dangerous problem (Matt. 24:43).

    • Lord Yeshua, send out laborers into the harvest among the Palestinians (Jer. 12:14-17; Matt. 5:44).

    • Strengthen and use Palestinian believers to influence their Muslim neighbors (Matt. 13:33).

    • Abba, turn some radical Islamic terrorists into radical followers of Messiah Yeshua (Acts 9:1-6).

  5. External security:

    Chaos still reigns in the streets of Iran. Even as more demonstrators are being arrested, it appears that more Iranians are saying "Enough" and partaking in the anti-government riots. Yet Iran's regime is still threatening Israel and helping Russia in its war against Ukraine.

    • Lord, use the chaos in Iran to fulfill Your Word in Jeremiah 49:38b and Ezekiel 32:24-25, and cause Iran's current evil regime to implode.

    • Prepare Iran's next leaders to be more like Cyrus than Sennacherib (Ezra 1:1-4; Isa. 37:21-35).

    • Use this internal rioting to bleed Iran of most of its financial resources (Psa. 52:2-7).

    • Give Israel the wisdom and intelligence it needs to nullify Iran's nuclear program (Prov. 21:31).

    • Thank You Lord for empowering Israel to continue to attack, and most times to succeed, in stopping Iranian and Hizbullah efforts to transfer weapons through Syria (Psa. 68:35; Zech. 10:5).

    • Show many Iranians – even some of their leaders – that You still fight for Israel (Ex. 14:25).

    • Abba Father, give Netanyahu godly wisdom in dealing with Russia's President Putin and Ukraine's President Zelensky (Job 12:13; Jam. 3:17).

    • As anti-Israel groups prepare a new flotilla to try and break Israel's internationally legal blockade on Gaza's seacoast, we proclaim that no weapon formed against Israel will prosper (Isa. 54:17).

    • Speed up the development and completion of Israel's new laser weapons system (Prov. 8:12).

    • Guide Bibi to choose Your ordained person to be Israel's next defense minister (Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15).

    • Enable this person to work well with Netanyahu and Halevy (Eccl. 4:12).

    • Anoint Israel's next foreign minister with an ability to confront the nations with a strong word from You coming out from Zion (Isa. 2:3b; Mic. 4:2b).

    • Anoint the new government to know how to fight against the increase of anti-Zionist moves by the UN, the US and many other nations and international entities (Deut. 33:29: Psa. 3:1-3).

  6. Salvation:

    Zechariah 12:10 indicates that all Israel will be saved by faith before the return of Messiah. The Hebrew indicates that they will look "unto" Me whom they have pierced, not "upon" Me. If Israel is saved after He returns then that means gentiles get saved by faith but Jews by sight – yet nowhere in Scripture does it say this. Also, if we understand that Matthew 24:30 [below], lines up with Zechariah 12:10, we have further proof that Jews are saved before His return, and then cry out to Him, Blessed are You who comes in the name of YHWH.

    • Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the land [i.e. Israel] mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30) Amen! Come quickly Lord Yeshua!

    • Continue to save multitudes of Jews throughout the world and especially in Israel (Psa. 14:7; 53:6).

    • Lord God, is it not time to remove the partial blindness which You placed over most Jewish eyes to prevent them from seeing clearly who Yeshua is – so that gentiles might be saved (Rom. 11:25)?

    • Erase the lie from Jewish minds that if you accept Israel's Promised Messiah – who was and still is a Jew – then you will no longer be Jewish but a born-again Christian (1 Cor. 7:18).

    • Pour out a deeper hunger on Your people to know You through Your Word (Jer. 15:16; 29:12-14).

    • Circumcise the hearts of Your people whom You have already brought back to Israel (Deut. 30:5-6).

  7. The Body of Messiah:

    In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his unnamed servant to bring back a bride for Isaac, the son of the promise. This is a beautiful picture of God the Father sending the Holy Spirit – who does not have a personal name – to gather in a bride for His Son – the true Son of the promise to both Abraham and to King David.

    • Raise up in Your Body in Israel shepherds after Your heart as per Your promise (Jer. 3:15; 23:3-4).

    • Expose all false shepherds and wolves in sheep's clothing in Your Body worldwide (Acts 20:27-30).

    • Anoint the Israeli Body to manifest that unity of Your Spirit that You encouraged believers to strive for, and then use that unity to help in the healing of the major divisions in Israel (Eph. 4:3).

    • Pour out Your peace that passes all understanding, as well as Your joy, to abide on every believer (Phil. 4:4-7) in such a way that they provoke many unsaved Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:14).

  8. Water:

    We are experiencing the blessed early rains in many parts of Israel. Let's continue to ask God to open His heavenly storehouse and pour out on His land an abundance of water this season, and to do it in a way that Israelis will see, and know, consider, and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isa. 41:20)

  9. IFI:

    Please continue to lift us up in prayer so that we are specifically led by God as to how He wants us to prayer. Also, pray for the next generation of IFI leaders to come forth as well as for God to supply all of our needs. Thank you for standing with Israel and with us.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

For the IFI team

Zech. 4:6-7