1. Praise:

   All of God's promises are reaffirmed in Messiah Yeshua (2 Cor. 1:20). When Paul was writing there was no New Testament, so obviously he was referring to the Old Testament [Tanach] promises for both Jewish and gentile believers, as well as all of God's promises to Israel (Rom. 15:8-12). Please note that the goal of Yeshua's affirmation of these promises is God's glory. For all the promises of God in Him [Yeshua] are yes, and in Him amen, unto the glory of God through us.

   • We bless You Lord for reminding us that all You said and did was for God's glory (John 12:27-28).

   • Thank You for Your Holy Spirit helping us to glorify You in all that we say and do (1 Cor. 10:31).

   • We praise You for restoring Israel today – for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:21-23).

   • Thank You for being ever faithful to watch over Your word to fulfill it (Num. 23:19; Jer. 1:12).

   • We are encouraged to read what Jeremiah said when seeing his beloved city Jerusalem in ruins: It is of YHWH's covenant-faithfulness that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are renewed every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22-23).

   • There are not enough words to express our gratitude to You, Lord, as on the cross Your provided an eternal atonement for all of us who are part of God's elect (Eph. 1:2-7; Heb. 7:26-27; 9:26).

   • We trust You to not leave or forsake us, even when we do not sense Your presence (Psa. 46:7, 11).

   • Wherefore receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, through which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Heb. 12:28). We bless You for Your grace!

   • Lord be exalted and let Your glory be manifest over all of the earth (Psa. 57:5, 11; 108:5).

2. Government and society:

   Shabbat's Torah portion reveals God's laws for a righteous society. Most of what He says is no longer politically correct! Yet some of it is part of Israel's new coalition's goals. No wonder the enemy has so many people so outrageously upset!

   • Surround PM Bibi Netanyahu with men described in the prophetic portion: They reckoned not with the men to whom they gave the money to give to workmen: for they were faithful. (2 Kin. 12:15)

   • Be a barricade protecting this coalition for as long as You want them to remain in power (Isa. 26:1).

   • While reading the Torah portion, show the opposition and others in Israel how You specifically warn against cursing the leader of their people (Ex. 22:28b; cp. Psa. 140:11).

   • Also, caution them to not follow a multitude to do evil, as we already see some doing in the anti-government demonstrations (Ex. 23:2a).

   • Abba, we grieve over the destruction of a 20 year old vineyard in Samaria owned by Jews by the current government, and pray that out of this anti-biblical action against Your desire to plant Your people in the land (Amos 9:13-15) – You would birth something good (Rom. 8:28).

   • Straighten out the contentious relationship between Defense Minister Gallant and Finance Minister Smotrich who is supposed to have authority over civilian activity in Judea and Samaria (Prov. 13:10).

   • Give wisdom and courage to Justice Minister Levin and Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman Rothman to institute their judicial reform and to not compromise on the basic issue of Israel's need to halt the Supreme Court from having the final say in everything (Isa. 1:25).

   • If their reform needs modification, Lord we ask that You have the final say (Prov. 16:9; 20:24).

   • Hasten the passage of these reforms so that the coalition can deal with other issues as well.

   • We ask that the proposed judicial reform goes a long way to fulfill Amos 5:24.

   • May all Israelis, both those for and against the judicial reform, take seriously the warning that the current civil unrest could escalate to real violence, and lower the rhetoric (2 Sam. 22:3; Isa. 60:18).

   • Confront the hypocrisy of the opposition politicians who before Netanyahu's coalition proposed this reform actually spoke out about the need for exactly this (Job 34:29-30; Prov. 11:9; Matt. 7:5).

   • We condemn the media's constant incitement against most of the coalition's plans regardless of what they are – simply because this is a right-wing government run by Netanyahu (Isa. 54:17).

   • Keep most Israelis from being influenced by the media's outrageous anti-biblical lies (Psa. 109:1-3).

   • Lord, it is apparent that there is major spiritual opposition against Israel's current coalition and we ask You to arise and rebuke it and cast it out of Your land (Prov. 22:10; Zeph. 3:15; John 12:31).

   • Bless the government's efforts to create economic solutions for its high cost of living (Deut. 28:3-6).

   • As warned against in the Torah portion, please cleanse Israeli society from all bribery (Ex. 23:8).

3. Internal security:

   There is talk of whether a 3rd intifada [uprising in Arabic] has begun. Last Friday, a terrorist car ramming killed a 6 year old boy, his 8 year old brother, and a 20 year old man who was recently married. This week an IDF Border Guard was stabbed to death by a 14 year old Arab boy. The world foolishly talks about a "cycle of violence." This is a stupid lie. If the Arabs lay down their weapons, there would be peace. If the Jews did the same, they would be slaughtered.

   • Abba Father, arise and scatter Your enemies who delight in war (Psa. 68:1, 30b).

   • Remove the hatred of Jews from many Palestinian youth by saving many (Zech. 9:7; Matt. 5:44).

   • Lord, watch over Your word in the Torah portion: I will send My terror before you and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come… (Ex. 23:27a)

   • Release Your hornets to drive all of the terrorist's hidden plans out into the open and then lead Israel in how to deal with them (Ex. 23:28).

   • Protect Israel's security personnel who are protecting Israeli citizens, hiding them under the shadow of Your wings from all physical, mental, emotional and spiritual harm (Psa. 91:4).

   • Shield all of Israel's undercover agents, plainclothes officers, spies and collaborators (Psa. 83:3).

   • Anoint Israel's security forces and armed citizens to discern who is innocent and who is a terrorist.

   • Use the government's legalizing of ten outposts and the creating out of them nine new settlements in Judea and Samaria as a partial fulfillment of Exodus 23:30 in the Torah portion where You said You would drive out the enemy little by little.

   • We bless and thank You for this very biblical and Zionistic decision (Deut. 33:26-29).

   • Let it stand despite the intense negative feedback from most of the nations (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • In Your timing, pull Israel out of the UN and many other international organizations (Num. 23:9b).

   • In line with the Torah portion, give the coalition courage to use the death penalty against terrorists, and against all other murderers who by shedding innocent blood pollute Your land (Ex. 21:12-16).

   • Thank You for the passage of a bill to revoke Israeli citizenship or residency from Israeli-Arabs who are convicted of terror attacks and then receive finances from the Palestinian Authority (Psa. 5:4).

   • We praise and thank You that Palestinian terror organizations are furious about this (Psa. 112:10)!

   • Lord, forbid Israel's Supreme Court from overturning this law for any reason (Psa. 82:2).

   • Let the move to extend Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley be successful (Obad. 1:17).

4. External security:

   Reports are that Iran has used the earthquakes which hit Turkey and Syria to transfer weapons through Syria to Hizbullah in Lebanon. Israel must not be distracted by any natural tragedies and take their eyes off the existential danger that comes from Iran's threats.

   • Protect and bless all Israelis who have gone to help in the earthquake areas (Psa. 91:5-6).

   • Positively impact all Turks and Syrians who were recipients of Israel's rescue and care (1 Cor. 13:8a).

   • Give the IDF accurate, actionable intelligence on what is happening in Iran (2 Kin. 6:12).

   • Increase the paranoia of Iran's leaders towards Israel's Mossad and other agents (Psa. 35:26).

   • Send massive amounts of confusion into – and between – Iran and all of its proxies (Psa. 129:5).

   • Do not allow Israel's current internal chaos to distract the IDF from the Iranian threat (Matt. 13:22).

   • Expose all plans by Iran to use these earthquakes to transport weapons through Syria (Psa. 64:5-7).

   • Use National Security Minister Ben-Gvir's plan to build up the police force by recruiting more people and increasing salaries to also help the IDF to focus on Israel's external threats and not on having to always be involved in warring against internal terrorist activities (Rom. 13:1-4).

   • Provide everything that the police and the IDF need to be able to do their respective responsibilities.

   • Use the IDF's Chief of Staff, Hertzi Halevy, to move the IDF on to the next stage of whatever is needed for Israel's defense – now and in the near future (Prov. 21:31).

   • Enable Israel to be on the cutting edge of cyberwarfare, and all other hi-tech areas, yet do not allow it to trust in any of them – but only in You (Psa. 20:7-9; Psa. 44:1-6).

   • Lord God, shield Israel against all electro-magnetic impulse [EMP] attacks (Psa. 121:4).

   • Guard over Israel's relationship with both Ukraine and Russia (Num. 23:23; Psa. 118:9).

5. Aliyah:

   We know God is today planting His people back in His land with all of His heart and soul (Jer. 32:41), therefore we also know that praying into this is praying in line with Yeshua's directive to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth (Luke 11:2).

   • God, in Your mercy bring all of the remaining Turkish Jews back home (Jer. 31:8-9).

   • Also enable the Iranian Jewish community to be able to leave that nation soon (Ex. 8:20-21).

   • Destroy all the chains which prevent Jews, especially in the West, from coming home (Psa. 68:6).

   • Shake them – financially, physically and through anti-Semitism (Jer. 16:16) – and set them free of their fears of moving to Israel in the face of the greater fear of remaining in exile (Jer. 51:6-10).

   • In spite of all the internal and external struggles Israel has today, yet as aliyah is for Your glory's sake, we still ask for a huge influx of Jewish immigrants [olim] to return (Isa. 43:5-7).

   • Keep the gates open for all who wish to make aliyah, even if it must be supernaturally (Acts 5:19).

   • Let the new communities being established in Judea and Samaria be a place to which many olim are drawn and in which they settle (Jer. 32:41-44).

   • Speak clearly from Your Word to more gentile believers that it is Your declared will for them to help the aliyah and to help new olim get settled in Israel (Isa. 49:22; 60:10-12; 61:5).

   • Reveal to wealthy Christians that they are expected to help finance this end-time move of bringing Your people home and seeing them established in Israel (Isa. 60:3-9; Rom. 15:27).

6. Salvation:

   In the Torah reading, God warns Israel about His Angel who is more than just a messenger [another translation of "angel" in Hebrew], but sounds very much like God the Son.

   • Open the hearts of Jews as they read Exodus 23:20-23 to see that there is something very unique and fearful about this particular Angel.

   • Let them ask who is this Angel whom You have sent (Ex. 23:20a; Isa. 48:16; 61:1; John 17:18, 23).

   • Let them ask, Who is this that can forgive sins? (Ex. 23:21b; Luke 5:21)

   • Let them also ask, Who is this whose nature is so similar to God's that He declares that His name is in Him? (Ex. 23:21b; John 10:30; 12:45; Heb. 1:1-3)

   • Lord, cause Jews to wonder why You tell them to obey His [the Angel's] voice (Ex. 23:22).

   • Do not allow them who read this "Angel" section to just ignore its implications (Psa. 119:40, 105).

   • As they read Your Word, let it bring the light of revelation into their lives (Psa. 119:130).

   • Remove all false portraits that Your people have been taught over the centuries about You and Your Messiah, and replace them with a burning desire to know Your truth (Psa. 119:128, 163; John 17:17).

   • May every Jew who has been provoked to jealousy by the love of gentile believers be drawn fully by You to Your Son at this time (Matt. 11:27; Rom. 11:11).

   • Lord Yeshua, through Your grace remove from Your people that mountain of unbelief (Zech. 4:6-7).

   • Prepare the Israeli Messianic Body to receive and disciple many new believers (2 Tim. 2:1-2).

   • Separate from the Arab Church a few anointed evangelists with a burden for the Jews (Rom. 10:1).

7. Body of Messiah:

   Is the Body truly focusing on that which is most important to God in these days in preparation for the return of their Lord, Messiah Yeshua?

   • Lord, we know that we were saved by Your grace and we are kept by Your grace – and so we look to You to finish that which You started in us (Zech. 4:6-7; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 12:2).

   • Please show Your Body that it is Your Word that is the truth (John 17:17) and in and through Your Word we can know what is of You and what is not of You (Prov. 1:2; 1 Cor. 2:13; Col. 3:16).

   • Lord, deal with all "believers" who reject the Tanach as still Your Word for today (Jer. 8:9).

   • Replace "New Testament" believers with Bible believers (Acts 20:27; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).

   • Remove the fear of legalism from the reading of the Tanach, especially as the "law" is only a small part of God's total revelation of Himself in it (Gen. 1:1; 15:1; Deut. 32:3-4; Josh. 5:13-15; Psa. 27:1; 118:27; Isa. 9:6-7; 52:13-53:12; Zech. 2:10-12; 12:10; 14:16; Mal. 3:6) .

   • Drive out of Your Body every spirit of replacement theology and anti-Semitism (Eph. 5:27).

   • Let Your Body be zealous about the things You are zealous about (Jer. 32:41; Zech. 8:1-8).

8. Water:

   The cold weather continues to remain in Israel along with some rain and snow.

   • Lord, please send more than enough rain and snow so that the Sea of Galilee and all of Israel's underground aquifers are totally full (Amos 9:6).

   • Lord, let more Israelis see that You do this because You are a God of mercy and not because they deserve it (Matt. 5:45b).

9. IFI:

   The outrageous anti-biblical reaction by most nations to Israel's moves to fulfill God's will for it greatly frustrates and often infuriates us. So we treasure your prayers in order that we can pray in line with His Word and will and not according to how upset we are with the anti-Christ spirit that we see challenging God's will daily. While we know it will not succeed (Rev. 17:17), it is extremely hard while watching it to know exactly how best to intercede. We are very uplifted and comforted by your words of encouragement as well as by your faithful support through both your prayers and also your financial gifts.

Shabbat shalom and richest blessings from Jerusalem

For the IFI team

Num. 6:24-26