[Please note that some years a few of the weekly Torah readings in Israel differ from those in exile. We use the readings from exile as that is where most of you reside.]

  1. Praise:

    In Shabbat's prophetic portion, Israel's rejection of God as their King by demanding of Samuel a human king is seen as great wickedness (1 Sam. 12:17). God confirms this by sending thunder and rain out of season at the wheat harvest. Israel confessed its sin and asked Samuel to pray for them (1 Sam. 12:18-19). He responded, Fear not. You have done all this evil, yet do not depart from following YHWH, but serve YHWH with all your heart…YHWH will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, since it pleased YHWH to make you His people. (1 Sam. 12:20, 22)

    • Lord, we are greatly encouraged: You have chosen both Israel and us for Your great name's sake, and so we are secure in You (John 10:27-30), although You do discipline us as needed (Heb. 12:5-8).

    • We bless You that Your faithfulness is being seen openly in the sight of all the nations through the restoration of Israel – which is in line with Your Word (Psa. 89:8; 119:90; Jer. 1:12).

    • We bear witness that You are restoring Israel for Your holy name's sake today (Ezek. 36:21-24).

    • What joy to understand that You are God the Creator who still rules over Your creation (Psa. 89:11-12; 104:30-32; Isa. 41:20; Amos 4:13; Rom. 1:20; Rev. 4:11; 10:6).

    • We believe that since You know the end from the beginning – nothing surprises You (Isa. 46:10).

    • It is overwhelming and awesome to read that You have known us and planned for us even before we were created in our mother's womb – so that nothing we do surprises You (Psa. 139:16).

    • Hallelujah! Regardless of how we feel, or whatever our circumstances may be, we can trust You to remain faithful because Your essential nature never changes (Mal. 3:6).

    • While we often do not understand what You're doing in today's world, and even in our lives, still we can trust You (Prov. 3:5) because You are good and Your covenant-love endures forever (Psa. 118:1).

    • We confess that You, Lord Yeshua, are our King (Psa. 5:2; Isa. 33:22; Zeph. 3:15; Matt. 2:2; 27:37).

    • Lord Yeshua, thank You that today You are interceding for us to be totally saved (Heb. 7:25).

    • Come quickly Lord, as the Almighty God, the Lion of Judah (Joel 3:16;; Rev. 5:5; 19:11-16).

  2. Government & society:

    We continue to intercede, asking God to overrule the minds and hearts of Israel's political leaders – making His priorities their priorities.

    • There are many plans in a man's heart – yet YHWH's counsel is what shall stand.Prov. 19:21

    • Fulfill that verse Lord, as well as Proverbs 21:1, in PM Bibi Netanyahu's current government.

    • Bring to nothing any plans of Israel that are not of You and fulfill Your plans alone (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • Grace Bibi to be very effective as Israel's leader until it is Your time to replace him (Psa. 68:27).

    • Lord God, please prepare today Israel's next prime minister after Netanyahu (Psa. 75:5-7).

    • Use the current coalition to keep Bibi leaning rightward, towards Your revealed will (Eccl. 10:2).

    • Thank You for leading the coalition to advance the judicial reforms, and watch over it so that it is accomplished in a way that is in line with Your will and Your timing (Prov. 16:9).

    • Miraculously move on the Haredi – the ultra-Orthodox – parties in the government to see that what is best for them will be that which makes all of Israel stronger and more unified (Jer. 32:17, 27).

    • Hedge in the rebels in the Knesset – both in the coalition and the opposition (Psa. 66:7; Isa. 1:23a).

    • Direct the thoughts of every person who is trying to bring down Israel's high cost of living so that they are very successful in the near future (Jer. 10:23).

    • We bless You for the new law against Israeli business monopolies having control over imports that was passed this week, and we ask that You would make sure it is implemented (Prov. 11:28).

    • Guide and guard Israel in all of its development and use of Artificial Intelligence [AI] (Prov. 8:33).

  3. Internal security:

    Only by obeying God's will and extending sovereignty over all the land west of the Jordan River will Israel be able to experience even a partial peace and security before the Lord Yeshua returns. Meanwhile, the terrorist war against Israelis has heated up with deadly terror attacks against civilians and soldiers this past week.

    • Lord, let the law pass and be put to immediate use that will decrease approval time for building new homes in Judea and Samaria dramatically – from the current six steps of approval to two (Isa. 54:2-3).

    • We thank You for the recent approval of 4,500 new housing units in Judea and Samaria, as well as an additional 1,000 in Eli near where terrorists murdered four Jews, and ask You to make sure that this leads to Israel actually building them quickly (Isa. 44:26; Jer. 31:4-5, 10-12, 23-25).

    • We are amazed at how You are using Israeli-Arab and Palestinian construction workers to physically build up Zion and thus to fulfill portions of Your prophetic Word (Isa. 60:10a; 61:4-5). Thank You.

    • Do not allow the negative feedback from most of the nations, including America, stop Israel from going forward with that which is clearly in line with Your will (Psa. 33:10-11; Obad. 1:17-20).

    • As clashes in Samaria increase, reveal the role of Iran behind this (Job 12:22).

    • Give insight and increase the IDF's wisdom to learn whatever lessons it needs to learn from the major battle in Jenin this last week (Psa. 144:1; Prov. 1:5; 9:9).

    • Bring the political and military leaders into one accord as to what should – and what should not – be done to break this tsunami of terror that is hitting Israel at this time (Eccl. 4:12).

    • Show them that a weak response only leads to more vigilante actions by frustrated Jews who live in those areas and have had friends and loved ones slaughtered by terrorists (Eccl. 8:11).

    • Lord, if it is Your will and Your time for Israel to destroy the terrorist infrastructure in Samaria via a major IDF operation – then direct it and send hosts of angels to aid Israel's army (Psa. 35:1-8).

    • Let them aim for total victory over Israel's internal enemies, and not just for a weak ceasefire which only puts off the inevitable war further down the road after more Jews are slaughtered (2 Sam. 23:10).

    • Guide the IDF in the use of drones and helicopters in its war against internal terrorism (Isa. 31:5).

    • Silence the hypocritical nations and NGO's who compare the IDF's righteous war against terrorism with the terrorists' unrighteous, murderous attacks against Israel's civilians (Psa. 9:19-20; Isa. 5:20).

    • Continue to guard over the gathering of accurate actionable intelligence, while also protecting the sources and giving discernment to those who analyze it (2 Kin. 6:12).

    • Prepare Israel for the day after PA President Abbas goes to his eternal destiny (Isa. 41:10-16).

    • Light a spark within Palestinian believers, giving them an urgency to pray for the salvation of their fellow Palestinians and also to bless Israel (Num. 24:9b; Acts 18:9-10).

    • Do the same with all Israeli-Arab believers and use them to provoke Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).

  4. External security:

    US President Biden's administration seems hell-bent to make some sort of "deal" with Iran's terrorist leaders. A Western official recently said their goal is to prevent Israel from attacking Iran. Yet this is an outright betrayal of Israel and the rest of the US allies in the Middle East. It is also a betrayal of Ukraine as Iran is supplying Russia with weapons at this time.

    • Arise, God, and forbid this US-Iranian pact from ever being completed (Job 5:12; 12:19-21).

    • Also halt all attempts by the EU to restart any form of nuclear deal with Iran (Prov. 11:21; 16:5).

    • Use these attempts to deal with Iran to wean Israel off of depending on any other nations (Isa. 31:1).

    • Guide the IDF's Iran Command to know exactly how to prevent Iran's from obtaining or developing nuclear weapons regardless of what happens between Iran and the US (Prov. 21:31).

    • If Israel needs to attack Iran, reveal to it Your methods and timing (2 Sam. 5:17-25).

    • Impress on Israel its need to develop all of its own armaments and munitions.

    • Speed up Israel's advanced weapons development programs – specifically its laser, cyberwarfare, and Electro-Magnetic Pulse [EMP] offensive and defensive weaponry (Prov. 8:12; Isa. 28:29).

    • As You did in the Torah portion, swallow up all of Iran's nuclear facilities (Num. 16:28-35).

    • Alternatively, we ask for Your fire to fall and "eat up" all of these evil places (1 Kin. 18:38-39).

    • Use Iranian believers, through prayer and preaching, whether they are in Iran or scattered among the nations, to help fulfill Your Word to destroy Iran's current king and princes (Jer. 49:38).

    • Abba, help Israel to destroy Hizbullah's military outpost which they have set up in Israeli territory on Har Dov – and to do it suddenly with total success (Josh. 10:9; 11:7).

    • Remove the desire from Israel to want to be like the nations (as in Shabbat's prophetic portion), and by grace let them accept that You have called them to be holy, that is a nation apart (Num. 23:9b).

    • Show believers in the West how You are judging their nations today (Rom. 1:21-32) – based on their treatment of Israel (Gen.12:3a; Joel 3:1-2) – and then lead them in prayer (Psa. 106:23; Ezek. 22:30).

    • Anoint all of Israel's diplomats with wisdom, and protect them as they represent Israel throughout the world and especially in the UN (Mic. 4:1-3).

    • Unless it is Your will, do not let Bibi be enticed to visit Ukraine at this time (Prov. 1:10; 16:29).

  5. Aliyah:

    As Ezekiel 36:21-24 declares the aliyah today is basically for the sanctification of God's name through the fulfillment of His prophetic promises in the eyes of the world. Thus our prayers for this are in line with how Yeshua directed us to pray: Our Father in heaven – sanctified be Your name; Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth… (Matt. 6:9b-10a).

    • Lord, open the eyes of many more born-again believers to see that the aliyah is one way in which You are answering this 2,000 year old prayer of Your Body (Ezek. 36:9b; 43:3a).

    • By Your Spirit, teach believers the prophetic relationship between aliyah and the salvation of all Israel (Jer. 32:37-42; Ezek. 36:24-29; Zech. 12:10).

    • Lord, as the above requests requires believers to know and believe Your Word found in the Tanach [Old Testament], we pray You would open their minds to the truth that it contains the foundational doctrines for the New Testament (Luke 22:27, 45; Acts 17:11; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).

    • Abba, please replace the word "diaspora," which most Jews use to describe where they live outside of Israel, with the more accurate biblical term – "captivity" (Psa. 14:7; 85:1; 126:1; Jer. 30:3, 10)!

    • Draw more Jews back from their captivity through Your covenant-faithfulness and love (Jer. 31:3).

    • If that does not work, use hunters to chase them out of captivity and bring them home (Jer. 16:16).

    • Remove the blindness from all of the Jews who decide to remain in the West against the real threats facing them in today's Babylon (Jer. 51:9-10).

    • Then reveal to them that they and their families will be much safer in Israel (Psa. 121:4; Jer. 31:10).

    • As pressure rises against Your people, focus their sights on Israel as their home (Jer. 50:4-5).

    • Stir up the Israelis who have left Israel to return home as soon as possible (Deut. 30:3-5).

    • We ask You to oversee all changes in the Law of Return which are being pushed by some parts of Jewry, and have the final say in who is Jewish and who is not (Prov. 16:1; 20:24).

    • Remove all obstacles in Israel making it a struggle for Jews to obtain their citizenship (Isa. 62:10).

    • Bring many new immigrants [olim] from Central and South America, from nations that have blocked Jews from leaving and from India and other nations where they are persecuted (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Settle new olim throughout all of the land of Israel – including Judea and Samaria (Jer. 32:43-44).

  6. Salvation:

    No one is saved except through God's grace. We plant seeds and water them, but unless God gives the increase – those seeds will not bear fruit (1 Cor. 3:5-6).

    • Lord of the harvest, we ask You to send forth laborers into the harvest field of the Jewish people today – whether they are at home in Israel or still in captivity (Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2).

    • Anoint gentile believers to know how to provoke Your people to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).

    • Anoint Messianic Jews to know how to provoke unsaved Jews to jealousy as well (Rom. 11:14).

    • As per Your command, we again pray, Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel (Jer. 31:7).

    • We lift up the following groups asking for You to save many of them: Holocaust survivors and their families; terrorist attack survivors and their families; families of terror victims; Jews living in Judea and Samaria; soldiers and officers in all of the branches of the IDF; sex addicts; drug addicts; sex traffickers and their victims; alcoholics; prisoners and prison guards; the homeless and the beggars; Haredi Jews and their leaders in all of their various sects; political leaders, their families and aides; Israeli diplomates throughout the world; medical professionals; hi-tech businessmen; teachers and professors; tour guides; archeologists; and all recent olim (Rom. 1:26a).

  7. Body of Messiah:

    Believers are described in the New Testament as a holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5; cp. 2:9). In the Torah portion God tells Israel's priests You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them: I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel'. (Num. 18:20)

    • Lord, help us to work out exactly what this means for each of us personally (Phil. 2:12b-13).

    • Show many more believers how vital intercession is to Your work (1 Sam. 12:23a; Jer. 27:8).

    • Remove from Your Body that defeatist attitude that says things are so bad that the only thing left to do is to pray – yet, as Oswald Chambers has said, prayer is the work of God (Psa. 50:15)!

    • Encourage intercessors to not be weary but to persist in prayer (Luke 18:1; Gal. 6:9).

    • Teach the Body how to use scripture verses when they prayer – trusting that Your Word does not return to You empty (Isa. 55:11).

  8. IFI:

    As hinted at above, reading today's news headlines can be very discouraging, but reading God's lines in His Word encourages us to press on in prayer for His kingdom purposes. Thank you for standing with us in this work of intercession.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Israel in the name of Messiah Yeshua

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

1 Cor. 1:9