1. Praise:

   If we did not believe in the absolute truth of the Bible, we would be like ships without rudders, blown about by every wind and wave that passes, never knowing where we are going – or even how to get there! Yet we do have His Word to guide us and for that we give thanks.

   • What a joy it is to know that Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psa. 119:105).

   • We bless You for Your Word giving us true knowledge of the reality of this world (Psa. 119:130).

   • Thank You that fulfilled prophecy is the ultimate proof that the Scripture is Your Word – the Word of the only Eternal God (Isa. 42:9; Acts 15:18; 2 Pet. 1:19).

   • We thank You for declaring that Your Word is truth (John 17:17) and that it is eternal (Mark 13:31).

   • We praise You for continuing to use Your Word to teach us and guide us daily (Psa. 32:8).

   • We rejoice that as we call on You based on Your Word – You promise to be near us (Psa. 145:18).

   • You desire for us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), and we are so blessed for when we do that – often we can look back and see that You were with us each step of the way (Matt. 28:20b).

   • As the world moves deeper into darkness (Isa. 60:1-2), we take comfort and are greatly encouraged to know that in Your light we see Your light (Psa. 36:9a).

   • Thank You for telling us that our work which You direct us to do is never in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

   • We are so grateful for how You have guided us to use Your Word in prayer (1 John 5:14-15).

2. Government & society:

   God said that the second time He brings His people home from their captivity among the nations – will be the last time (Isa. 11:11-12). We are living in that day and as we pray for Israel, we need to intercede in agreement with what we know is His will, as revealed in His Word. This obviously includes Israel's current government and its society.

   • Guard over Your people from being deceived by the humanistic spirit of this world which aims to erase You (Psa. 10:4; 14:1) and destroy Your Word (Psa. 119:89; 152-160).

   • Let more Israeli Jews accept that, as You state in Shabbat's Torah reading, You have called them to be a holy nation – a nation set apart – and to stop resisting Your calling (Deut. 14:2; cp. 7:6; 26:18).

   • Yet Lord, let not that calling feed their pride – but use it to humble them before You (2 Chr. 7:14).

   • Thank You for restoring the readers' comments in the Jerusalem Post, as most of them are much more in line with Your will than the JP's reporters and opinion pieces (Job 34:35; Jer. 8:9).

   • God, cast out all spirits of pride which are trying to divide Israel today (Prov. 13:10; 28:15a).

   • Convict Israeli doctors and IDF reservists of how wrong they are to decide to serve their patients or guard over their nation based on a political stance of Israel's government (2 Chr. 35:3b).

   • Block Israel's High Court from handling cases which are not part of their judicial responsibilities (2 Chr. 19:5-11; Psa. 9:19-20).

   • Deflate the anti-government demonstrations and remove all of its financial backing (Ex. 23:1-2).

   • Lord, cause good to come out of the chaos and anger and fear of these demonstrators (Rom. 8:28).

   • As long as PM Bibi Netanyahu remains in office, continue to direct and anoint him in Your will and override anything he attempts to do that is not Your will for Israel at this time (Prov. 21:1; Jer. 10:23).

   • When he travels over the next few months, use him to bring Your Word forth from Zion (Isa. 2:3a).

   • Let Israel's governing coalition accomplish all You have raised them up to fulfill (Prov. 16:1, 9).

   • Make Foreign Minister Eli Cohen even more of an effective vessel in Your hands (Ex. 4:11-12).

   • Continue to integrate the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] into the IDF and into society and teach both them and secular Israelis to work with and respect one another (Lev. 19:18b; Prov. 20:3; Rom. 13:9).

   • Bring forward the time mentioned in the Torah portion by giving great wisdom to those responsible for Israel's economy, enabling them to win the war against poverty (Deut. 15:4).

   • We bless You that what the Torah portion says has already begun today: For YHWH your God will bless you as He has promised, and you shall lend to many nations, but not borrow… (Deut. 15:6a)

3. Internal security:

   God continues to have us pray for Israel to extend its sovereignty over all of the land west of the Jordan River. As this is in line with His revealed will in His Word, we press on. Yet most voices in the world are dead set against this, including unfortunately in the Western Church.

   • Lord, make this happen as soon as possible as by obeying You, Your people will abide safer than if they disobey You and instead submit to the dictates of the world (Deut. 26:15; Prov. 29:25).

   • Let Deuteronomy 12:10 and 12:20a in the Torah portion convince Israelis that this truly is their land.

   • Open the minds of Israeli leaders to understand that this land is really Your land (Lev. 25:23).

   • Lord God, raise up people, including believers, to declare publicly the truth of Israel's right to all of Your land – both biblically and based on international law (Prov. 8:7a; 12:17; Acts 26;25).

   • Let that truth pierce the hearts of Israel's political and military leaders as well (Psa.85:1; 105:5-11)

   • Turn more Israeli leaders away from humanistic thinking (Jer. 17:5), and instead to have a godly fear of, and to trust in, You and Your Word (Psa. 2:11; 56:4; 119:42; Prov. 30:5).

   • Warn Israel, especially Netanyahu, that extending sovereignty over more of Your land is much more important than "normalizing relations" with Saudi Arabia (Jer. 6:14; 8:11; Joel 3:1-2).

   • Put Your fear in Bibi and block him from trying to build a legacy by this US-led plan (Prov. 8:13).

   • Use the "vigilantism" of a few settlers to stir up the government and Israeli security forces to be even more determined to protect all Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria (Rom. 13:3-4).

   • Lord God, help Israel to totally destroy the efforts being made today by Palestinian terror groups to develop and fire rockets against it from inside Judea and Samaria (Psa. 46:9; 68:30).

   • Use today's increase of terrorism and the danger of rockets from inside Israel to impress on Your nation the absolute need to extend sovereignty over more of its land (Psa. 37:9, 22; 47:4; 105:11, 44).

   • Use Palestinian Authority President Abbas' firing of most Palestinian governors in Judea, Samaria and in Gaza to bring division in the midst of this implacable enemy of Israel (Psa. 55:9; Jer. 17:18).

   • Lord God, fulfill this promise in the prophetic portion to Israel as soon as possible: You shall be established in righteousness and shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear: and from terror, for it shall not come near you. (Isa. 54:14)

   • Yeshua Lord, save many Palestinians and use them to impact their society (Prov. 14:34).

   • Cleanse Palestinian believers of all Jew-hatred and replacement theory (Psa. 51:2; 119:9; Jam. 4:8).

4. External security:

   Israel's enemies are salivating over its internal crisis. Yet with God in total control, we again ponder on Micah 4:11-13 and Zechariah 12:2-3 as examples of how God said He would use Israel as bait to trap His enemies, thus gaining much glory to Israel's King Messiah.

   • Lord, if You are setting up Micah 4:11-13 today, please guide us as we pray (Psa. 10:17; Amos 3:7).

   • Help Israel to once again aim for total victory over its enemies (Deut. 33:26-27; Psa. 44:4-6).

   • Lord God of hosts, release Your angelic armies to guard all of Israel's borders (Psa. 46:7, 11; 59:5).

   • Abba, let the boasting of Your enemies lead to their destruction (Psa. 83:1-2; Ezek. 35:11-13).

   • In line with Isaiah 54:17 in the prophetic portion, Lord condemn all who judge Israel wrongly, and shut the nations' mouths who routinely denounce Israel whenever it defends itself (Dan. 6:22).

   • Yet use this constant backstabbing criticism to turn Israel away from trusting in any nation (Isa. 31:1; Jer. 17:5), while turning them to trust in You alone (Psa. 20:7; Jer. 17:7).

   • Prepare Israeli society for a likely war against Hizbullah in Lebanon which is projected to have tens of thousands of rockets falling throughout Israel, along with increased terror attacks in Judea, Samaria and from Gaza (Josh. 1:11; 1 Chr. 12:39; Psa. 23:4).

   • Prepare Israel's security forces to deal with any internal uprising from disloyal Israeli Arab citizens during a major war with external enemies (Prov. 14:5; 25:19).

   • Impart wisdom to Israel's government and military about dealing with Hizbullah (Prov. 21:30-31).

   • Guide all of the IDF's military strategists in a similar manner to how You guided Joshua, Gideon, David, and others (Josh. 4:13-5:6; Judg. 7:1-18; 2 Sam. 5:23-25).

   • Increase Israel's skill in gathering accurate intelligence, and in deciphering what is true, what is false and what is disinformation (Job 28:11b; 34:21-22; 42:2; Eccl. 8:5b).

   • Arise and scatter Your enemies – Iran's current Shi'ite rulers (Psa. 68:1; 83:1-5; Jer. 49:38b).

   • Shake that nation physically, socially, financially and spiritually (Job 9:4-6; 38:12-13; Isa. 2:19).

   • Build Your Body in Iran and let it mightily influence that nation (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

   • Teach our Iranian family how to pray for their nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and for Israel (Psa. 122:6).

5. Aliyah:

   Is it any wonder that there is so much resistance to this in the spirit realm as this is repeatedly declared to be for God's glory's (Isa. 43:5-7; Ezek. 36:22-24)? Most of that spiritual resistance is aimed at blinding the minds of the Jews in the captivity so that they are not able to see how their "comfortable and secure" situation is racing to a bloody close, like Germany in the 1930s!

   • Awaken the Jews in captivity to recognize that "anti-Zionism" is only a politically correct term for "anti-Semitism" – which is in essence "Jew-hatred" (2 Kin. 6:17a; Isa. 35:5).

   • Pour out a deep abiding homesickness on Israelis who live in exile today (Jer. 50:4-8).

   • Draw Jews home through Your covenant-love (Jer. 31:3) or by increased persecution (Jer. 16:16).

   • Stir up Your zeal over Zion, and bring them home from the East and the West (Zech. 8:1-8).

   • Draw Jews home who already have relatives who live in Israel (Jer. 3:14; 31:8-9).

   • We thank and praise You for the secret operation this past week which rescued 200 Ethiopian Jews and Israelis from a war-torn area in that nation (Dan. 6:26-27).

   • Plant them and all new immigrants firmly in Your land and let them bear fruit (Isa. 27:6; 37:31).

   • Remove all barriers to Jews returning and getting their citizenship from any Israeli official – whether they are diplomats in the nations or bureaucrats in the Interior Ministry in Israel (Isa. 62:10).

   • Encourage Your Body that today is the day to not only share the gospel, but also to share aliyah with the Jews in their nation, and in their neighborhood (Zech. 8:16; Acts 26:25; Gal. 4:16).

   • Then let them offer financial and other help to encourage aliyah (Isa. 49:22; 60:3-12; Rom. 15:27).

6. Salvation:

   The vital importance of "all Israel" being saved, which in the context of Romans 11 means a remnant (cp. Jer. 31:7b), is because this is a major step towards the knowledge of God's glory being known throughout the world (Psa. 72:18-19). It will also prove that His Word is the Word of the Living God who is faithful to His covenant promises (Deut. 7:9; Isa. 25:1).

   • For Your holy name's sake – save a huge remnant of Israel this very day (Psa. 115:1-3).

   • Sprinkle believers as light and salt in all areas of Israeli life and culture (Matt. 5:13-16).

   • Send forth a holy dissatisfaction on Your people who try to follow Your Law (Rom. 10:1-3), yet who also understand how often they fall short (1 Kin. 8:46a; Eccl. 7:20; Luke 18:19; Rom. 3:23).

   • As Isaiah 55:3 is read as part of the prophetic portion, cause many Jews to ask You to fulfill this word in their lives: Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make [lit: cut] an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies [+ covenant-love] of David.

   • Also, as in Isaiah 54:13 in the prophetic portion, save and grant great peace to many Jewish children.

   • Pour out Your Spirit on Haredi communities; Israelis who see themselves as traditionally Jewish; Israeli politicians and their families; IDF soldiers and officers; Jews residing in Judea and Samaria; Jewish criminals, prisoners, drug dealers, drug users; sex-traffickers and sex-addicts, atheists and agnostics; Jews in the occult and new age; many from the LGBTQ+ communities; Jews in all areas of the medical and teaching professions; Israeli judges and lawyers; high-tech people; Jews married to believers; and unsaved family members of Messianic Jews. (Joel 2:28-29).

   • Let many Jews start to desire to know You and not just to know about You (Jer. 29:13; 31:31-34).

7. Body of Messiah:

   As we recognize the truth of what was written above to introduce the topic of salvation, we can see that Israel's restoration and salvation is vital for the coming of God's kingdom. For this reason alone it should be of great interest and effort by the Body. Yet, is it?

   • Let this verse in the prophetic portion wake up many gentiles to see the truth that their salvation is intimately linked with Israel: Behold, you [Israel] shall call a nation whom you do not know, and gentiles that did not know you shall run to you –for the sake of YHWH your God, and for the Holy One of Israel – for He has glorified you. (Isa. 55:5)

   • Lord Yeshua, show Your Body the truth that the foundational doctrines of New Testament theology have all been already revealed in the Tanach [Old Testament] (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

   • Then show Your Body that God's land is promised to Israel more than 200 times, and that You also promised to restore them from captivity more than 150 times in the Tanach (Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1).

   • Reveal to the Body that Israel is not an optional topic for them – especially today (Rom. 11:16-18).

   • Lord, turn all "New Testament" Churches into "Bible" Churches by pouring out upon them a fresh hunger and thirst for all of Your Word (Jer. 15:16; Matt. 22:29; Luke 24:27, 32, 45).

   • Messiah Yeshua, prepare believers, especially in the West, to receive You as their King and Lord, and not as if You were only their President or Prime Minister (Psa. 24:7-10; Rev. 19:11-16).

   • As You warned Israel in the Torah portion (Deut. 13:3), let believers continually test the spirits to avoid being deceived (1 John 4:1).

   • Purge the Body from all idolatry (1 John 5:21), false doctrines (Eph. 4:14; Heb. 13:9), and lukewarm attitudes to You (Rev. 3:16) and to what You are doing with all of Your heart and soul in today's world (Jer. 32:41-42).

8. IFI:

   Thank you for continuing to cover us through your prayers. May the Lord bless you greatly for that and give you His abiding peace in these days (John 14:27; 16:33).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Prov. 14:26