1. Praise:

   In Shabbat's prophetic portion, God says that His regathering and saving of all Israel is not because Israel is righteous or worthy – but it is for His holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:21-23, 32). This is also why He saves us, so that through us He can be glorified. Yes, He does love us and He loves Israel, but His ultimate goal was, and still is, His glory.

   • Thank You Lord Yeshua for giving us a very clear view of what a believer's goal should be: 'Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But I came to this hour specifically for this reason. Father, glorify Your name!' Then a voice came out from heaven, saying, 'I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again'. (John 12:27-28)

   • Lord, we bless You for glorifying Yourself in and through Israel at this time (Psa. 115:1-3).

   • We praise You that we can also glorify You, yet it is not by our might, nor by our power, but it is only though Your Spirit that this is accomplished in and through us (Zech. 4:6a; John 16:13-14).

   • Thank You that our salvation rests on Your faithfulness and not ours (2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:13).

   • We trust that You who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6; Heb. 12:2a).

   • Lord, even when You answer our prayers, it results in You receiving glory (Psa. 50:15).

   • Celebrating Purim this past week reminded us once again of how You are always working, even if most of the time we do not see it because You work behind the scenes (Est. 2:5-7; 6:1; Psa. 77:19).

   • We praise You for those times when You also work openly before the world (Psa. 147:2; Isa. 66:8).

   • Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the gentiles, I will be exalted in the land.Psa. 46:10; cp. Luke 2:32

2. Government and society:

   The demonstrations and incitement against Israel's Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and his coalition's direction are still occurring. The media is also exaggerating the demonstrations and often lie about what the judicial reforms hope to accomplish. Since Israel's current government is democratically elected, all who resist it from doing what it said it would do during the campaign are in fact rejecting the free-will choice of the majority of Israelis.

   • Lord, lead us as to how to pray into this very intense, divisive atmosphere in Israel (Luke 11:1).

   • It seems that Israel is revisiting the time when it had no king and everyone did what was right in their own sight (Judg. 17:6; 21:25), yet Lord, please reveal to more Israelis that they do have a King on His heavenly throne today (Psa. 44:4; Isa. 6:5; 33:22; Matt. 2:2; John 1:49; 12:13-15).

   • God, as in the Torah portion, we ask You to fill Israel's current leaders with Your Spirit (Ex. 31:3).

   • Continue anointing Netanyahu to lead Your nation until You deem his time is over (Dan. 4:17, 25b).

   • Let the current coalition accomplish all You have ordained for them, but nothing more (Prov. 16:9).

   • As in the Torah portion, use Israel's current leaders to tear down all golden calves that many Israelis in many areas, including in rabbinic thinking, have built and to which they submit (Ex. 32:19-20).

   • We have consistently asked You to fulfill Isaiah 1:25-26, and we continue to ask You to use the judicial reforms, modified in line with Your will (Prov. 19:21), to do just that (Jer. 1:12).

   • Expose the media's lies and exaggerations concerning the reforms (Job 12:22b; 34:21-22).

   • Prepare the coalition for the day after the reforms are passed as most likely both the opposition and the Supreme Court will reject them (1 Sam. 15:23; Psa. 66:7).

   • Deal harshly with all of the opposition leaders, reminding them that they lost a democratically held election and to humbly accept that (Rom. 3:10-14, 17-18; Eph. 4:31; Heb. 12:15).

   • Let them know that they are doing things which You said that You hate (Prov. 6:16-19)!

   • Enable Israel's coalition to do that which is best for Israel and not to bow the knee to the anti-biblical demands from most of the world's nations, especially its "friends" (Psa. 118:8-9; 146:3-5).

   • Help Finance Minister Smotrich to bring down Israel's high cost of living (Prov. 8:14-16).

   • Remind Israel's leaders from the Torah reading that the nation is to be "holy," or "set apart," from all other nations on the earth, and that this is only accomplished by Your grace (Ex. 33:16; Num. 23:9b).

3. Internal security:

   Ramadan, Islam's "holy" month, will begin towards the end of March. The fear of increased violence by Palestinian Muslims against Jews during this "holy" time is a reality for which Israel needs to be prepared. Yet an increase of terror attacks is already happening – as even last night there was a terror shooting against civilians in Tel Aviv by a member of Hamas.

   • Lord, we hear that millions of Muslims in the Middle East are being saved and we ask You to save multitudes of Palestinians during Ramadan – which will also make life safer for Israelis (Matt. 5:44).

   • Messiah, use Palestinian believers as leaven to positively impact their sick society (Matt. 13:33).

   • Lord Yeshua, You once stopped Saul/Paul from terrorizing Your people, so please stop terrorists who are on their way to kill Jews and reveal Yourself to them (Acts 9:1-6).

   • You see Muslim terrorists murdering Your people; God, arise and defend Your own (Psa. 35:1-8).

   • Let the current government do whatever it takes to become a terror to the wicked (Rom. 13:3-4).

   • As with Haman, work behind the scenes and let many of these terrorists fall into the traps which they have laid out for the innocent (Est. 7:10; Eccl. 10:8).

   • Increase the accurate actionable intelligence which Israel receives (Job 12:22).

   • Also increase Israel's ability to discern truth from lies and all attempts at deception (Psa. 144:5-8).

   • Protect, as You did with Rahab, Israel's spies and collaborators among the Palestinians (Josh. 6:25).

   • Thank You for the nightly success of the IDF's Break the Wave initiative (Ezek. 37:10). More, Lord!

   • Continue to use the IDF to hunt down and neutralize terrorist and terror groups (Zech. 10:3-7).

   • Guard all of Israel's security forces – mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually (Psa. 121:4).

   • Provide them with all they need – especially complete government backing (Gen. 48:15; Phil 4:19).

   • Lord God, use the current government to extend Israel's sovereignty over all of the land which You swore to give to Israel's forefathers, as we read once more in the Torah portion (Ex. 33:1).

   • Impart great wisdom to the government, revealing to them how to stop all of the EU-backed illegal Palestinian building in Your land (Psa. 10:16; Jer. 12:14-17).

4. External security:

   The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency's head just said it is illegal for any nation to attack another nation's nuclear facilities. Netanyahu rebuked him, asking how it was illegal for Israel to defend itself against Iran's blatant threats to annihilate the Jewish State.

   • Prepare Israel for the day after it attacks Iran's nuclear facilities' as we already hear from a top UN official that it is illegal for Israel to do this (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Pull Israel out of the UN in Your timing and in Your way as it has become today a constant foe of Your nation (Isa. 40:15-17, 22-23; Zech. 12:2-3).

   • God, do not allow the internal strife over the judicial reform to distract Israel from the much greater threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon (Isa. 42:18).

   • Use the restrictions placed on Bibi by the Attorney General, forbidding him from interfering with the judicial reform, to help him focus on the Iranian threat (Rom. 8:28).

   • Anoint the IDF's Iran Command and lead them in this war against Iran (Psa. 32:8-9).

   • Refine its plans as needed so that both political and military leaders are in one accord (Psa. 133:1).

   • Guide the IDF's planners to think out-of-the-box when it comes to destroying the threat from both Iran and all of its other Middle East proxies (Judg. 7:19-22).

   • As we hear rejoicing from Israel's enemies over its internal turmoil, thinking that the end of Israel draws near, Lord watch over and fulfill Micah 4:11-13 which ends with You receiving the glory.

   • Lord God of Israel, we would much prefer that You would act sovereignly against Iran's nuclear facilities, and ask You to release many of Your nature agents – like rats and dust, computer viruses and worms and even earthquakes – to totally confound them (Psa. 18:7-15).

   • Also send confusion, fear, anger, paranoia and resentment, resulting in insubordination and division between the scientists, the military leaders and Iran's ruling religious leaders (Psa. 129:5).

5. Aliyah:

   It is very clear in Shabbat's prophetic portion that the return of the Jews from exile to Israel is for God's holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:22-24). God even says that Jews living in exile give gentiles a reason to blaspheme Him as they think He does not have enough authority and power to fulfill His promises to both plant and keep His people in His land (Ezek. 36:20-21).

   • Lord, show Your people that their choosing to remain in exile blasphemes Your name, and gives the gentiles an opportunity to do that as well (Ezek. 36:21-23).

   • Through the Purim story, show them that gentiles see them as Jews first and foremost (Est. 3:8).

   • Heal Jews of their identity dysphoria – where they see themselves as no longer Jews (Est. 4:13-14).

   • Let them hear Your desire to regather them unto Your – and their – own land (Ezek. 36:5, 24).

   • Stir up many Jews, especially in the West, to realize that they are not yet home (Psa. 137:1-6).

   • Awaken Your people to see the normalization and acceptance of the spirit of anti-Semitism under the guise of democracy and free-speech – and to flee Babylon today (Jer. 16:16; 51:6-10).

   • Burden Israel's government to reach out and help all Jews to return home (Jer. 31:10).

   • Lord, You have shaken up the Turkish Jewish community; now bring them home (Jer.3:18).

   • Arise and release the Jewish community from its chains under Iran's leaders (1 Chr. 16:21-22).

   • Reveal to the Iranian Church how they can help carry Your people home (Isa. 49:22).

   • Let the biblical truth of aliyah as a major way for You to receive glory in these days permeate Your Body worldwide (Isa. 43:5-7; John 17:17).

6. Salvation:

   As mentioned under the "praise" section above, the salvation of sinners is the main way for God to spread the knowledge of His glory in the earth. People see that through His grace believers are born-again into something other than rebellious sinners. This is a major reason for God restoring His people to His land so that in His grace they will come to know Him personally through His Son, their Messiah and King Yeshua (Zech. 12:10).

   • Lord, as Your people read Ezekiel 36:25-27 in the prophetic portion, show them that this is that which Yeshua referred to when He said, You must be born-again. (John 3:5-8).

   • And if they do not make this connection, let them ask You to do this to them anyway (John 4:10b).

   • As they read this passage – let them see that this which You promised is totally a work of grace, as they only receive and only after salvation is Your gift of repentance bestowed on them (Ezek. 36:31).

   • Do not allow these biblical passages from Ezekiel return to You empty (Isa. 55:11).

   • We ask that those Israelis who are very concerned about the demonstrations against the government would cry out to You for mercy (Psa. 86:7; 91:15).

   • Lord Yeshua, please walk in the middle of these anti-coalition demonstrations and pluck out a large remnant for Your name's sake (Matt. 4:19-22; 9:9; John 8:12).

   • Lord Yeshua, through Your Word burn up all false and distorted images of You that have been set before Your people by both the rabbis and most of the Church (Psa. 119:98-100, 130).

   • Let Your love, which has been poured out on many Jews through Christian-Zionists, provoke many Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).

7. Body of Messiah:

   Unfortunately in the West, many believers treat intercession as optional to their walk with the Lord. Yet intercession is basically what Yeshua has been doing since He was enthroned on His Father's right hand (Psa. 110:1; Isa. 53:12b; Heb. 7:25). In the Torah portion we read of Moses, the greatest intercessor in the Tanach, standing in the gap and changing God's mind about destroying His people after they built and worshipped the golden calf. Western nations today need intercessors as they too have constantly built and worshipped various "golden calves," and God is still seeking to find those who will change His mind about judging them unto destruction.

   • Lord Yeshua, stir up believers to not be discouraged to intercede for their nations even if they hear God tell them to not bother because their country has already gone too far (Ex. 32:10; cp. 32:14).

   • Show believers that God is seeking for people to stand in the gap so that He can deal in mercy and not in judgement (Psa. 106:23; Ezek. 22:30-31; Jam. 2:13).

   • Yet help them to pray, not focused on their nation's destiny – but focused on glorifying Your name through You having mercy on nations that do not deserve it (Luke 11:2).

   • Show Your Body that through the restoration of Israel today God's faithfulness and power are being displayed throughout the world (Ezek. 36:35-36).

8. Water:

   Israel is in need of rain, although we bless God that there is no impending water crisis in Israel's near future.

   • Open the heavens and let Your people see the gift of Your rain upon Your land (Deut. 11:12).

   • Thank You that the rain comes because of who You are and not because of how righteous Your people might be at that time (Matt. 5:45b).

   • We give You the glory for giving Israelis wisdom to develop the desalinization process (Prov. 8:12).

9. IFI:

   Thank you for your prayers which uphold us, as well as your encouraging notes and financial gifts that you send our way.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Israel

For the IFI team

Isa. 66:10-14