1. Praise:

   In Shabbat's prophetic portion God once again affirms that what He says is exactly what He intends to do. Moreover the word of YHWH came to me, saying, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I said, 'I see a rod of an almond tree.' And YHWH said to me, 'You see well, for I will watch over [+ hasten] My word to perform it'. (Jer. 1:11-12)

   • Thank You that what You say above applies to Your covenant with David as well (Psa. 89:34-37).

   • Lord, we are very grateful to You for teaching us how to use Your Word in prayer as it is Your words, and not ours, that You declare will accomplish Your will (Isa. 55:11).

   • We praise You for revealing Your will throughout Your Word, helping us to pray with confidence, especially as we pray concerning those issues about which Your Word is very clear (1 John 5:14-15).

   • We bless You for reminding us that Your word is fulfilled in Your timing and not ours (Hab. 2:3).

   • As the darkness in this world increases (Isa. 60:2), we thank You for Your Word which gives us light in order to live in a way that pleases You (Psa. 36:9; 119:105).

   • We bless You for telling us that answered prayer brings You glory (Psa. 50:15; John 15:8, 16).

   • Lord Yeshua, while exactly what this revelation means is a mystery to us, still we believe that You are the Word of God manifest in flesh – and we praise You (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1-3; Rev. 19:13).

   • Also, we are amazed that in You dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9; cp. John 14:9).

   • Thank You that You, Abba Father, working through Your Living Word and Your Spirit, enables us to see what is of You and what is of us in our lives (Heb. 4:11-13).

   • We rejoice in the truth that our God reigns on earth today (Psa. 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; 103:19).

2. Government & society:

   In the Torah portion, God reminds Moses that he will not lead Israel into the Promised Land. Moses then prays: Let YHWH, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation… who shall lead them out, and bring them in, that the congregation of YHWH will not be as sheep which have no shepherd. (Num. 27:16-17)

   • Lord, as PM Bibi Netanyahu reads this over Shabbat, let him set himself to mentor whoever it is that You show him will be the next leaders of Israel (Ezra 7:25; Prov. 9:9; 2 Tim. 2:2).

   • Do not allow his personal issues to block him from doing this (Rom. 2:21a).

   • God, anoint Bibi to bring forth fruit in his old age – for Your glory (Psa. 92:12-14; 2 Cor. 4:7).

   • Aid Israel's current coalition to move ahead with Your will for Israel today by fearing You more than they fear the nations (Ex. 1:17; Psa. 25:12; 118:6).

   • Expel the spirit of disunity, which You hate, from all internal coalition deliberations (Prov. 6:16-19).

   • Show them when and how to compromise in order to do what is best for Israel (Prov. 19:21).

   • Lord, let the coalition continue to pass other God-directed legislation without huge fanfare while most of the media and the anti-government forces focus on the judicial reforms (Psa. 31:20).

   • Use the judicial reforms to fulfill Isaiah 1:25-27 – in Your timing and in Your way (Ezek. 12:28).

   • Lord, drain both the energy and the finances from the anti-government demonstrations (Rom. 11:8).

   • Reveal to more Israelis that the demonstrations are in fact against the current democratically elected right-wing-government and not just against the judicial reforms (Mark 4:22).

   • Deal with the leaders of this rebellion against Israel's elected leaders (Num. 16:1-3).

   • Send spirits of division among the demonstrators – letting them reap what they sow (Gal. 6:7).

   • Yet in mercy prevent the demonstrations from leading to a civil war (Zech. 4:6-7; Mal. 2:10).

   • Vaccinate Your nation against that very contagious spirit of anarchy (Ex. 8:22; Psa. 121:4).

   • Show the police how to stop all demonstrators' activities that are illegal and dangerous (Eccl. 8:11).

   • Lord, let more hospitals be built and multiply the medical professionals in Israel (Jer. 30:17; 33:6).

   • God, guard Israel from the anti-biblical homosexual [LGBTQ+whatever] spirit and instead please embolden more Israelis to draw a line on what is acceptable behavior and what is not (Isa. 5:20-21).

3. Internal security:

   Israel has to extend its sovereignty over all of the land west of the Jordan Valley. This is the only way it has a chance of truly defeating the growing terrorist threat which is being armed and financed by Iran through its proxies especially in Samaria, Gaza and Lebanon.

   • Thank You for the IDF operation against terrorists and their infrastructure in the northern Samarian city of Jenin (Prov. 21:31).

   • Yet we ask You to raise up Israeli political and military leaders who aim for "victory" against its Palestinian enemies and replace those who just want to "keep the peace" (2 Sam. 23:9-12).

   • We give You the glory for providing accurate, actionable intelligence which made this operation possible and we ask that You would continue to do that for the IDF in all of its battles (Job 12:22).

   • Help Israel to track down and neutralize all terrorists who fled from Jenin (Judg. 4:17-24).

   • Comfort the family and friends of the one soldier who was killed in Jenin and of the soldier who was murdered in Samaria yesterday (Psa. 23:4; 86:17; 119:50).

   • Pour out total chaos, massive confusion and Your fear on Israel's enemies (Psa. 35:1-8, 25-26).

   • Clear away the confusion that has taken hold of many political and military leaders who perceive the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority [PA] as part of the solution for Israel's overall security (Isa. 36:6).

   • Help them to see reality that the existence of the PA blocks Israel from extending its sovereignty, as well as from taking full responsibility to defend itself – the PA is the problem concerning Israel's very dangerous security situation today (Jam. 4:4).

   • Lord, is it not time to fulfill Jeremiah 12:14-17 in relation to the PA.

   • God, rebuke every media outlet, in Israel or outside, which distorts the truth by comparing Israel's defense of its civilians with the terrorists who slaughter them (Prov. 17:15; 24:24; Isa. 5:20-23).

   • Shut the mouths of the nations' politicians and UN officials who have severely criticized Israel for its Jenin operation – yet stay quiet when Jews are slaughtered in their biblical homeland (Psa. 31:18).

   • Release angelic protection over Israel's roads against terror attacks and traffic accidents (Psa. 121:8).

   • With Western nations insisting that Israel has no right to build in Judea and Samaria, let Your people be the stiff-necked Jews we read about and to build those 13,000+ approved houses (Isa. 54:2-3).

   • May Ramat Arbel, a newly approved Israeli town in the Galilee, be built where it used to stand and make it grow prosperous in population and in economic investments (Ezek. 36:36).

4. External security:

   Jeremiah 2:3 in the prophetic portion is mistranslated in many English versions so that Israel is seen as having been – past tense – holy to the Lord when in fact both His covenant with them, and His promised protection over them, are everlasting (Jer. 31:35-37).

   • This is a closer translation of the Hebrew: Israel – holy unto YHWH, the first-fruits of His increase; all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, says YHWH. (Jer. 2:3; cp. Num. 24:9b)

   • As this describes Iran and its proxies today, we ask You to fulfill Your threats in such a miraculous way that they end up being totally shamed and at least some seek Your face while the rest of the world understands that Israel's God – He is God (Psa. 83:16-18).

   • With Israel being surrounded by Iran and its proxies, we ask You to watch over Psalm 124:1-8.

   • God, enable Israel to destroy the Hizbullah outpost which is set up in Israeli territory and which they refuse to dismantle despite Israel's foolish appeals to the UN (Josh.10:9-10; Psa. 10:16).

   • End the growing relationship between Iran and Russia and Iran and China (Prov. 11:21; 16:15).

   • Until that happens, give Israel wisdom in knowing how to navigate these relations, especially as at this time neither Russia nor China are Israel's enemies– while Iran definitely is (Job 12:12-13).

   • Let Iran's bragging about her connections with Russia and China be its downfall (Prov. 16:18).

   • Build the Iranian church and destroy Iran's evil leaders as per Your declaration in Jeremiah 49:38.

   • We thank You for the report of a steep increase of trade between Israel and the Arab nations who are partners with it in the Abraham Accords (Gen. 12:2; Isa. 19:24; 66:12a; Zech. 8:13).

5. Aliyah:

   The regathering of the Jews who are still scattered in captivity is a very high priority in God's plans today. It is needed in order that all Israel will be saved and that His Son can return.

   • Yes I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land most assuredly with all of My heart and with all of My soul.Jer. 32:41
     Lord, since this is the only time in Your Word where You say You will do something with all of Your heart and soul, it is obviously extremely vital to You – and we thank and praise You for being able to see it happen today.Isa. 32:3; Matt. 13:16

   • We bless You also because the aliyah confirms Your prophetic words (2 Pet. 1:19).

   • Messiah Yeshua, please in Your mercy warn all believers and preachers who are fighting against Israel's restoration to its land that they are actually fighting against You (Acts 5:39; 23:9).

   • Also, Abba, confront all Jews who live among the gentiles and who refuse to return to Israel that they are also fighting against Your declared will (Psa. 137:4-6; Jer. 31:10).

   • Use the unrest and rioting in France to stir up more French Jews to make aliyah (Jer. 16:16).

   • Use what is happening in France to scare the "captivity" out of Jews in the West (Zech. 8:7-8).

   • Prevent Jews from moving from their birth nations to any other nation – except Israel (Isa. 43:5-7).

   • May Israel extend her tent pegs – all of the infrastructure that will be needed – in anticipation of an increase in aliyah from all over the world (Isaiah 54:2-3).

   • Remove all obstacles to aliyah from Israel's Ministry of Interior and from all of its other diplomatic missions throughout the world (Isa. 45:1; 57:14).

   • Smooth out the way for the aged, the young and those Jews with disabilities to return (Jer. 31:8).

   • Change the Law of Return to reflect Your Word, and not just rabbinic tradition, so that those with Jewish fathers are accepted as fully Jewish and are able to obtain their Israeli citizenship (Mark 7:9).

6. Salvation:

   The goal of Yeshua's death and resurrection was firstly that God His Father would be glorified (Phil. 2:6-11). One of the main ways He is glorified today is through us whom His Son has saved (John 12:23, 27-28; 14:13; 17:1-5). And all Israel coming to salvation in Messiah Yeshua will contribute greatly to our God's glory throughout the world (Psa. 115:1-3).

   • Use the persecution of Messianic Jews and Christians by extremist Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] groups to cause many Israel to seek out the reason for why they are so furious with believers (Rom. 8:28).

   • Lord, also use this persecution to cause more Messianic Jews to pray to You like the first Messianic Jews did after they were beaten by the Jewish leaders in their day (Acts 4:29-31).

   • Move on many of the young Haredi zealots and save them as You did with Saul (Acts 9:3-6).

   • Lord Yeshua, speak to hidden Israeli Jewish believers as to when it is Your time for them to come out of the closet and confess You before others – and then give them the courage to do it (John 10:27).

   • Walk among the anti-government demonstrations and save some (Luke 19:10).

   • O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel."(Jer. 31:7) Please save a huge remnant from the following groups: soldiers and officers in every branch of the IDF, and use Messianic Jews and Christians in the IDF to provoke their fellow soldiers to jealousy; politicians and their families and aides, both from the coalition and the opposition; Israeli diplomats; medical professionals; teachers and professors; students; scientists; archeologists; tour guides; tour operators; taxi and bus drivers; the very wealthy and the very poor Israelis; terrorist victims and families; Holocaust survivors and their families, as well as families of those murdered in the Holocaust; Jews in prison in Israel and in the nations; criminals; members of the gay communities; today's hippies; unsaved family members of Messianic Jews throughout the world and in Israel.

   • Continue to save multitudes of Muslims and turn them into lovers of Zion and provokers to jealousy of unsaved Jews (Psa. 78:68; 87:2; Rom. 11:11).

7. The Body of Messiah:

   The doctrine of 'election' seems to be avoided in many evangelical circles today. I can think of two reasons: first, it would affirm that Israel is still God's elect, still His chosen nation; second, this doctrine exalts God's sovereignty over man's free-will and for many believers in democratic nations that is close to being blasphemous. Yet in the prophetic portion God tells Jeremiah: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations [+ gentiles]. (Jer. 1:5)

   • Lord, please urge the Body to align their doctrines with Your Word and not to try and wrestle with Your Word to bring it in line with what they think is fair and just (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

   • We especially ask this in relation to the clear biblical teaching that Israel is still Your chosen nation today, and will remain Your chosen nation at least until the new heavens and earth (Jer. 31:35-37).

   • Challenge the Body to work out what this means: Boast not against the branches [the Jews]. But if you [gentiles] boast, know that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. (Rom. 11:18)

   • Also, challenge them with what Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Jesus in The Passion just said, that modern Christians are more afraid of Satan than they are of God (Psa. 19:9; 33:18; 34:11; 86:11)!

8. IFI:

   Obviously there are many other things that we could pray about regarding Israel today. Yet IFI needs to focus on those areas that the Lord has directed us to pray into. This is not easy, so we treasure your prayers to aid us to stand exactly in that place on Jerusalem's walls for which God has placed us (Isa. 62:6-7). Thank you again for your prayers, support and encouragement.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

2 Thess. 3:16