1. Praise:

    We again read of God's total sovereignty over heaven and earth in Shabbat's Torah portion. While Satan is the god of this "age" (2 Cor. 4:4), we take great comfort that our God reigns (Psa. 99:1; Dan. 4:35) and the devil, while dangerous, is limited because he is a created being.

    • Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that YHWH – He is God in heaven above, and on the earth beneath – there is none else.Deut. 4: 39

    • We praise You Lord God because You reign from Your throne in eternity (Psa. 103:19), which being outside of time means there can never be any emergencies in heaven (Isa. 42:9; 48:5-7)!

    • What a joy to know that today all authority in heaven and earth belong to You, God the Son and Son of Man, Yeshua our King Messiah and Redeemer (Job 19:25; Dan. 7:13-14; Matt. 28:18).

    • We praise You that Your Word is firmly established in eternity (Psa. 119:89-90; John 1:1).

    • We bless You that based on Your foreknowledge we have been written in the Lamb's book of life from before the foundation of the world (Acts 15:18; Eph. 1:4; Rev. 13:8).

    • We thank You for choosing Israel and us to be part of Your kingdom (1 Kin. 16:13; Psa. 135:4; Isa. 41:8; John 15:16, 19; Acts 9:15; 1 Cor. 1:27-28; Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 17:14).

    • As we look on a world in increasing turmoil, we rejoice that we can place our confidence in You, because Your Word reveals that nothing is impossible with You (Jer. 32:17, 27: Luke 1:37).

    • Who is he that speaks, and it happens – if YHWH has not commanded it? (Lam. 3:37) Amen!

  2. Government & society:

    Last Monday the coalition passed the first part of the judicial reform package. This limits the Supreme Court's use of rejecting certain government decisions based on its being "unreasonable" to these unelected, and for the most part left-wing, judges. The response from the anti-reform crowd was so over the top that it seems their real goal was the dissolution of Israel's current democratically elected government and the final removal from office of PM Bibi Netanyahu.

    • Thank You for this step in restoring balance between the judiciary and the legislature (Prov. 14:34).

    • Use it to bring Your prophetic word in Isaiah 1:25-27 that much closer to fulfillment.

    • We rejoice that You heard our prayers and the coalition did not surrender to the mob violence and anarchy in Israel's streets – and we give You all the glory for this (Psa. 50:15).

    • Impart to the coalition members and their aides the wisdom of the men of Issachar (1 Chr. 12:32).

    • Protect each one of them both physically and spiritually (Psa. 121:3-4).

    • Lord God, help Israel's coalition members to move in unity and to accomplish all that is Your will for Israel today – and to not be deceived or distracted by that which is not of You (Prov. 19:21).

    • Continue to use Netanyahu as Israel's prime minister until he completes all that You have ordained for him to do – and please by Your grace, save him and his whole family (Psa. 75:5-7; Eph. 2:10).

    • God, we ask You to rebuke all spiritual entities who are trying to divide and destroy Your nation today (Psa. 17:13; 119:118-119; Isa. 59:19b; Zech. 3:2).

    • Warn those who are organizing this current rebellion against Your ordained leaders (Prov. 8:16) that they are doing the things that You said You hate (Prov. 6:16-19).

    • Help the police to know how to quickly deal with all illegal and/or dangerous actions of the anti-government ant-Bibi demonstrators, yet to deal in mercy whenever possible (Eccl. 8:11; Isa. 26:10).

    • Guard over Israel from the anti-God "suggestions," manipulations and condemnations that regularly come against it from US President Biden and most of his administration (Num. 23:23; 24:1).

    • We thank You that the government did not give in to the pressure from many "friendly" nations and even the UN – but did pass the first part of the judicial reform (Psa. 56:11: Isa. 51:12).

    • Create in Israel an independent foreign policy which makes decisions based on what is best for Your nation – especially when hard decisions like the above need to be made (Psa. 32:8-9; Prov. 16:9).

    • Expose any other foreign influence in Israel's internal affairs and then cut it off (Luke 12:2).

  3. Internal security:

    Moses says in the Torah portion that the goal God had in mind in setting Israel free from Egypt was to give them His land. And He did this based on love! Because He loved your fathers [Abraham, Isaac & Jacob], He chose their seed after them, and brought you out of Egypt in His sight by His mighty power, to drive out nations before you who are greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day. (Deut. 4:37-38)

    • Lord to raise up many, both in and out of the Church, to proclaim the truth of Israel's right to all of Your land – biblically and based on international law (Gen. 13:15; 15:18; Psa. 105:5-11).

    • Call forth more intercession from Your Body, revealing to them that the fight over the physical land of Israel is much more of a biblical and spiritual issue than a political one (Psa. 105:8-11; Isa. 34:1-8).

    • Cleanse Israel's political and military leaders from their humanistic thinking that the Palestinian Authority [PA] is advantageous to Israel's security and its war against terrorism (Num. 33:55).

    • Open their eyes to see how the PA actually stops Israel from possessing its possessions (Obad. 1:17).

    • Let them also see that trusting in the PA to deal with terrorism deters Israel from needing to gain a total victory over Islamic terrorists who love death and hate all non-Muslims (Job 21:30; Psa. 9:16).

    • Promote a new group of Israeli military leaders who reject humanistic thinking (Jer. 17:5), and who instead have a genuine trust in You and in Your Word (Psa. 18:30; 33:4; 56:4).

    • Lord God, prepare Israel for the chaotic days after PA President Abbas dies (Job 18:5; Psa. 31:17).

    • Increase the external and internal divisions in every Palestinian terrorist group (Psa. 7:9; 55:9).

    • Confound and confuse any plans for evil that these terrorists are devising (Psalm 40:14).

    • Guard over Israel's security forces as they guard over Your people (Psa. 140:7-8).

    • Arise and show Yourself strong on behalf of Your chosen nation (Josh. 23:10; Psa. 68:1).

    • Lord, show Israel's current coalition of the need to build the houses in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, especially those which have already been approved (Neh. 2:20; Psa. 15:4b; Isa. 44:24-28).

    • Fulfill Deuteronomy 6:10-11 in the Torah portion by giving to Israel all of the Palestinians' illegally built, EU financed, structures in Area C.

    • Provide increased protection on Israel's roads against terrorism and traffic accidents (Deut. 28:6).

    • Precious Lord, save many Palestinians and then use them for Your glory (Rom. 16:27; 1 Cor. 1:31).

  4. External security:

    With Israel's chaotic internal situation, there are reports of several of its enemies contemplating whether this is a good time to attack. This includes Hizbullah, Iran's main Lebanese proxy, Hamas and Islamic Jihad both in Gaza and in Samaria. Without God's promises and His previous acts to defend this nation – supernaturally and through the IDF – one might be tempted to think Israel is finished. Yet as God is not surprised by any of this, we continue to pray in line with His Word and not in reaction to the media headlines.

    • If You are setting up Israel's enemies to fulfill Micah 4:11-13, then please guide us in prayer.

    • Use the gloating and boasting of Your enemies to be their downfall (Prov. 16:18; Ezek. 35:11-13).

    • Use also their pride and arrogance to set them one against the other (Psa. 94:1-5; Mark 3:26).

    • Lord of hosts; release Your angelic hosts to guard over all of Israel's borders (Psa. 35:4-6).

    • We praise You for making the IDF a mighty army (Ezek. 37:10) – and ask that You would increase its effectiveness in guarding over Your nation and in defeating Your enemies (Psa. 83:1-5).

    • May Your wisdom prevail as Israel's military and political leaders consider what needs to be done to respond to Hizbullah's provocation and to deal with Hizbullah as well (Prov. 8:14; 11:14; 19:21).

    • Lord, please fulfill that which You said in Joel 2:17-21, that as we, Your priests, ask You spare Your people, one of the ways You would answer that is to destroy the enemy army on Israel's north.

    • Increase Israel's ability to gather accurate actionable intelligence, and to interpret what is true, what is false and what is disinformation (Job 28:11b; 34:21-22; 42:2; Eccl. 8:5b).

    • Pour out on the IDF a God-given ability to fight in any multi-front Iranian-backed war that Israel is likely to face in the near future (Lev. 26:7-8; Psa. 89:23).

    • Provide the IDF specific guidance for specific actions (Josh. 6:2-5; Judg. 7:16-18; 2 Sam. 5:17-25).

    • Enable Israel's technological weapons to develop with supernatural rapidity (Prov. 8:12).

    • Also, use the IDF as Your weapon of war to destroy the Iranian regime (Jer. 49:38b; 51:19-24).

    • As You do this, let the Iranian Church fill in the spiritual void that the destruction of Shi'ite Islam in Iran will create, and to become a major influence in that nation – for Your glory's sake (Jer. 49:38a).

    • Meanwhile, protect Iranian believers, helping them to grow to maturity (Eph. 4:11-16).

    • From the prophetic portion: All nations before Him are as nothing; and are reckoned to Him as less than nothing… He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth as vanity. (Isa. 40:17, 23) Amen! Lord, watch over these verses, especially in relation to the UN.

  5. Aliyah:

    Since Israel's restoration is ultimately for God's holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:24-28), it is at least a partial answer to the church's 2,000 year old prayer: Heavenly Father, sanctify Your name …on the earth, as it is already sanctified in heaven… (Luke 11:2).

    • We bless You for seeing prophecy being fulfilled and prayers being answered through the aliyah – this modern day restoration and regathering of the Jews to their land (Psa. 106:47).

    • We praise You for the approximately 30,000 who have immigrated so far this year and ask You to at least double that before 2023 is finished (Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 31:8-9).

    • Do not permit the current strife in Israel hinder Jews who have plans to make aliyah (Jer. 23:3).

    • Let the truth be proclaimed that today's "anti-Zionism" is only a more politically correct term for "anti-Semitism" and "Jew-hatred" (Psa. 25:5; 43:3a; 51:6; 54:5; Prov. 8:7; 12:17).

    • For Jews who deceive themselves by stating, "It can never happen here," show them that it is already happening there and now is the time to flee "Babylon" (Jer. 51:6-10; Ezek. 39:28).

    • Again, we ask for a change in Israel's Law of Return, so that it is in line with Your Word and those who have only Jewish fathers are seen as Jewish as are those with only Jewish mothers (Mark 7:13).

    • Root out all bureaucratic roadblocks which hinder Jews from getting Israeli citizenship (Isa. 62:10).

    • Guide the government to develop programs to be able to plant the new immigrants throughout Your land – in Judea and Samaria, in the Negev and the Golan and in the Galilee (Jer. 31:3-5; 32:41-44).

    • Open more believers' eyes to see this astounding prophetic fulfillment (Psa. 146:8a; Prov. 20:12).

    • Lord, push more believers to encourage their Jewish neighbors to return to Zion (Zech. 8:16).

    • Show more gentile members of Your Body their responsibilities to help with the aliyah in whatever way is needed (Psa. 126:1-6; Isa. 49:22; Rom. 15:27).

  6. Salvation:

    The Torah portion has the Shema, the central focus of almost every Jew: Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one, and you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut. 6:4-5)

    • Lord, convict many Jews over Shabbat, especially the younger generation, by how impossible this is to do (Rom. 3:9-26) – and cause them to seek You for help (Psa. 9:10; 40:16; 63:1).

    • Reveal to them that Yeshua fulfilled Isaiah 53, and we can be righteous before You by putting our trust in Him – that He is indeed Lord and has risen out from the dead (Rom. 8-11; 2 Cor. 5:21).

    • Impart a holy dissatisfaction with knowing about You, yet not really knowing You (Jer. 31:31-34).

    • Destroy that devil-inspired lie in Jewish and Christian circles which states that if a Jew believes in the Jew "Jesus" – they are no longer Jewish (Acts 24:14-15).

    • God, fulfill Your word and save Your people who are back in Israel (Ezek. 36:25-28; Zech. 12:10).

    • YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel. (Jer. 31:7) Lord God, save a huge remnant from the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] men, women and even rabbis; Israeli politicians from both right and left; Jewish judges and lawyers; security forces – in the IDF, the police and Mossad; professors, teachers, scientists, doctors, nurses, hi-tech workers; many Israeli Ethiopians and Jews from India [the Beni Menashe]; Jews living in captivity – especially many from the thousands who are trapped in Iran; Israelis and Jews living in gentile nations; Israelis who are demonstrating against the government; unsaved loved ones in Messianic Jews families.

    • Speak from the Torah portion to all Jews who are in the land and those who remain in the captivity that they are Your inheritance and in gratitude they need to obey You: But YHWH has taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as you are this day. (Deut. 4:20; cp. 5:29)

    • Show more gentile believers that one of the reasons for which they are saved is to provoke unsaved Jews to jealousy by their close relationship with You, the God of Israel (Rom. 11:11).

    • Challenge both Jewish and gentile believers to be more of a part of the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:9-10 in Shabbat's prophetic reading.

  7. Body of Messiah:

    We have been praying for the Lord to heal the famine of the word that is apparent in many parts of His Body today – especially in the West. The prophetic portion has a great verse to use in prayer for this goal: The grass withers, the flower fades: but the Word of our God shall stand forever. (Isa. 40:8; cp. Matt. 24:35)

    • Lord, pour out a desire consume more of Your Word upon all of Your Body (Jer. 15:16).

    • Place in Your Body the heart of the Bereans who spent time studying Your Word (Acts 17:10-12).

    • Speak to the elders of Your Body that it is imperative to preach the full counsel of God at this time in history and Lord, please replace all elders who refuse to do that (Acts 20:26-27; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

    • Open the hearts of gentile believers to see that Isaiah 40:1-2 is speaking specifically to them, as they are the only non-Jews who know Israel's God as their God (Isa. 40:1-2).

  8. IFI:

    It has been another hard week here in Israel. Please ask the Lord to protect our thinking and to bring it more in line with His will and Word for today so that we are not deceived or distracted by the headlines, or the increasingly intense spiritual warfare. Thank you for your prayers. support and words of encouragement.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Acts 20:32