1. Praise:

    Tonight is Erev Rosh Hashanah, as this feast of the Lord begins at sundown. There are not a lot of instructions in the Torah on how to observe this feast, which is also a new moon, so the rabbis made this day a time of worshipping God as Creator and King.

    • Lord Yeshua, we affirm that God the Father created everything through You (John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:9).

    • We are blessed to read that God's Spirit worked with You in creation (Gen. 1:1-2; Psa. 33:6).

    • We praise You for upholding all things through Your powerful word (Heb. 1:3a; cp. Col. 1:17).

    • Hallelujah! Because You are the Creator, absolutely nothing is too difficult for You (Jer. 3:17, 27).

    • We rejoice for opening our eyes to see how the wonders of creation glorify You (Psa. 19:1; 97:6).

    • We thank You for enabling us to know You personally through the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34).

    • As You are also the King of Kings, we cry to You, "Come quickly Lord" (Rev. 19:16; 22:17a).

    • Your patience with us is absolutely amazing and we bless You for it (Psa. 86:15; 2 Pet. 3:15).

    • YHWH is our Judge, YHWH is our Lawgiver, YHWH is our King; He will save us.Isa. 33:22

  2. Government & society:

    God's intervention is needed to prevent further divisions in Israeli society. Also we need Him to reinstate an understanding of the righteousness of Israel's cause as being a Jewish State that follows God's Word rather than the diktats of the world.

    • King Yeshua, as Your people declare God's kingship at this season, please extend more of Your rule over Israel today (Isa. 9:7; Matt. 2:2; 27:37; 28:18; Luke 1:32).

    • Arise God and scatter Your spiritual and physical enemies who are trying to divide and destroy Your regathered nation (Num. 10:35; Psa. 68:1; Jer. 31:10) – especially the spirit of humanism (Psa. 9:20).

    • Abba, speak peace to Your people and stop the words of hate from all sides (Psa. 85:8; Zech. 8:16).

    • Also shut the anti-government leaders' mouths who openly state that their goal is to destroy Israel's democratically elected government – in order to save democracy (Prov. 6:14, 16-19)!

    • Reveal for all Israel to see the opposition's Benny Gantz's true heart intent (Psa. 44:21; Prov.15:11).

    • God, You are just and love righteousness (Psa. 11:7), so we ask You to have the final say in all of the High Court's decisions and hinder those who are trying to rule Your nation unjustly (Zeph. 3:5).

    • As the court considers these divisive issues over the next several months, move sovereignly in the judges hearts and minds to bring forth a decision that is in line with Your will (Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • Again we plead with You to fulfill Isaiah 1:25-27 as soon as possible.

    • Lord God, respond to the blasphemous sign at last Shabbat's demonstration which called the High Court Elyon, which is a biblical term describing You – the Supreme or Most High (Psa. 9:19-20).

    • Almighty Creator, create good out of the anti-government chaos (Prov. 10:31; Isa. 45:8; Rom. 8:28).

    • Anoint and promote those Israelis who read and trust in Your Word to become the next generation of major influencers for the rest of Your people (Josh. 1:8; Psa. 1:1-3; 119:100, 126-128).

    • For as long as PM Bibi Netanyahu leads Israel, guide him to do all that is in Your will and stop him from doing anything else (Psa. 36:9; 119:105; Prov. 19:21; 21:1; Isa. 46:10).

    • Direct him to Psalm 68:27 and let that verse humble him, and cause him to ask You to watch over verse 28 so that his remaining time in office will bring You much glory.

    • Protect Bibi and his entourage when they travel to the UN General Assembly Meeting (Psa. 3:5-8).

    • Anoint his words and let him use Your Word when speaking there (Isa. 2:3b; Mic. 4:2b).

    • Let him only meet with US President Biden and Ukrainian President Zelensky if it is Your will.

    • Abba, in mercy, prevent Jack Lew, ex-President Obama's Chief of Staff and an author of Obama's evil Iranian deal, to be approved as the next US Ambassador to Israel (Psa. 75:4-7).

    • Support all Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] leaders who affirm their communities' oneness with the rest of the people of Israel, and give them much greater sway over their flocks (Psa.133:1).

    • Change the tribal mindset of Israeli-Arabs from vengeance and honor to forgiveness and humility by saving multitudes of them during the feasts (Ex. 18:9-12; 1 Thess. 1:9).

  3. Internal security:

    Israeli officials have warned Palestinians that terror attacks or rocket fire during the High Holydays will be met with deadly force. While this is what is needed, we are not convinced that this is what Israel will do. So we pray for Israel to deal with their enemy as they really are – a deadly enemy – and allow justice to be done.

    • Let these threats be carried out – not just over the holiday season – but all year long (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • Arrange it so that Israel's political and military leaders are in one accord about this (1 Chr. 29:24).

    • Let Israel defend its people based on Your Word and not on the nations' approval (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • Anoint the IDF as a vessel for Your fear to fall on all of Israel's various foes (2 Chr. 17:10; 20:29).

    • Divinely reinforce Israel's increased security alertness over the feasts (Psa. 121:4; Jer. 31:10).

    • Expose every planned attack and let the security forces thwart it completely (Psa. 139:12).

    • Allow Your divine strategy to become the IDF's and the other Israeli security forces' rules of combat against the internal terrorist threats (Prov. 21:31).

    • If this includes the renewal of targeted assassinations against terrorist leaders, then let it be carried out with accuracy and effectiveness whether they reside inside or outside of Israel (Psa. 44:4-6).

    • Influence Israel's security forces to keep offensive pressure on every terrorist group and not to wait until after an attack before dealing with their demonic and deadly plans (Isa. 41:15-16; Ezek. 25:14).

    • Shield all of Israel's security forces – physically, emotionally, and mentally (Deut. 33:29; Psa. 3:3).

    • Abundantly bless every soldier, sailor, pilot and police personnel who will be guarding Your nation over the feasts instead of being with their families (Psa. 121:1-8).

    • Aid Israel's ability correctly decipher all intelligence which they gather (Dan. 2:22; Obad. 1:6).

    • Cause Israel's enemies to fall into the traps they have set for the Jews (Est. 7:10; Psa. 7:14-16).

    • Send strong delusion and dissension into the hearts of Israel's adversaries (Psa. 40:14; 70:2).

    • Show the Palestinians, especially the terrorists, that Allah is not protecting them from a Jewish army and then use this to bring them to shame and to turn many unto You (Josh. 2:9-11; Jer. 20:11).

    • Lord Yeshua, strengthen Your Body among the Palestinians and allow them to provoke both other Arabs and Jews to jealousy (Matt. 16:18b-19; Rom. 11:11).

  4. External security:

    Iran, through its various proxies, is the main source of the threats against Israel, internally and externally. Yet most Western nations still do business with them, thus joining hands with the wicked (Prov. 11:12; 16:5) against God's nation, which results in His judgments falling faster and harsher on these countries (Num. 24:9b).

    • We praise You for surrounding Israel with divine protection against its enemies (2 Kin. 6:17).

    • Open the eyes of both the IDF and Israel's enemies to Your divine protection (Ex. 14:24-25).

    • Continue to aid Israel's advances in high tech weaponry – cyber, laser and EMP (Prov. 8:12).

    • Watch over Israel's careful use of artificial intelligence to aid in their overall security (Eccl. 7:29).

    • Strip Israel from its tendency to look to other nations or NGO's for protection (Psa. 118:9; 146:3-5).

    • God, hinder America's attempt to mediate the unsettled Israeli-Lebanese borders, as they are sending the same man who convinced Lapid to surrender to Hizbullah parts of Israel's Mediterranean oil and gas resources (Job 12:17-21).

    • Increase the shaking of Iran – physically, socially, financially and politically (Jer. 49:38b).

    • Let the $6 billion that the Biden administration released to Iran on September 11th – of all days – to either be used for the Iranian people or to be of no use to further Iran's demonic plans (Eccl. 6:2).

    • God, let Iran's leaders and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp [IRGC] reap what they have sown, which is terrorism, death and destruction (Hos. 10:13; Gal. 6:7).

    • Fulfill Psalm 59:12 concerning the arrogant words of Iran and its proxies against Your nation.

    • Confound the relations between Iran and Russia and Iran and China (Gen. 11:6-7; Job 5:12).

    • Guide Iranian believers as they pray for their nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and show them the importance of interceding for and blessing Israel (Gen. 12:3a; Psa. 122:6).

    • Protect our Iranian brothers and sisters from all unbiblical theologies, especially those that are anti-Zionistic and anti-Semitic (Rom. 16:18; Eph. 4:15).

    • Overrule in any normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia (Psa. 33:10-11; 103:19).

    • Prevent Israel from relinquishing land to the Palestinians in order to seal this deal (Lev. 25:23).

    • Also guard over Israel's diplomatic relations with Russia and China (Eccl. 2:14a; 8:5b).

  5. Aliyah:

    This end-time regathering of God's people is for His glory (Isa. 43:5-7, 21), for His holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:22-24, 32). So the question is why are not more born-again believers praying into this with more passion? Isn't the aliyah at least part of the answer to the Church's prayer that God's name would be sanctified on earth (Luke 11:2)?

    • Use believers who pray for aliyah be leaven which influences the rest of Your Body (Matt. 13:33).

    • Thank You for the 66,000 new immigrants to Israel since 2022's feasts (Isa. 43:5-7). More Lord!

    • Abba, take away whatever is blinding Your people to their self-imposed captivity, especially every stumbling block in their hearts and minds (; Isa. 62:10; Heb. 3:15-19).

    • Draw Your people home through Your love (Jer. 31:3).

    • If that doesn't work, scare the exile out of them through opening their eyes to the explosion of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism plainly evident in our world today (Jer. 16:16).

    • Use the uptick of natural disasters to cause Your people to turn their hearts homeward (Joel 3:16).

    • During the feasts, send a wave of homesickness on Israelis living among the gentiles (Psa. 137: 4-6).

    • Change Israel's Law of Return to be more in line with Your definition of 'who is a Jew' and not the unbiblical definition that rabbinic tradition has placed on it (Prov. 2:2-5; Jer. 8:9).

    • Open the gates wide in Israel to welcome all Jews regardless of what they believe, how wealthy they are or what is the color their skin (Deut. 30:3-4).

  6. Salvation:

    Jews are entering the Days of Awe, the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah, which begins tonight at sundown until Shabbat ends, and Yom Kippur, next Sunday at sundown until Monday evening. Many put extra effort on getting right with God and man in order to fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, with a clear conscience, and to be written in the Book of Life for this new Jewish year we have just started.

    • Lord, reveal to Your people that what separates You from them is not good or bad deeds, but their inherent sinful nature which is a heart issue first and foremost (Isa. 59:1-2).

    • Use all biblical verses in the High Holyday prayer books, to be Your fire and hammer to emphasize Your truth in the hearts and minds of Your people (Jer. 23:29; John 17:17).

    • Since salvation is a work of grace, we agree with the Psalmist and ask You to turn Your people back to You and let the light of Your countenance fall upon them (Psa. 80:3, 7, 19).

    • Restore the biblical image of Messiah, and replace all unbiblical ideas and expectations that Your people have unfortunately been taught of who the Messiah will be (Isa. 53:1-3; John 1:46; 7:41).

    • God of Israel, pour out Your Spirit upon Your people at this season: Jews in every religious sect, including those involved with Chabad; the Religious Zionists and other Jews dwelling in Judea and Samaria; secular Jews in Israel and in exile; Jews who have recently made aliyah; Jewish politicians; Ethiopian-Israelis; IDF personnel in all branches and all ranks; medical professionals, including all involved with abortions; teachers, professors, and university students; hi-tech workers; archeologists; tour guides; Jews involved with the occult; drug-addicts, sex-addicts and alcoholics; Jewish LGBTQ+ communities; terrorism survivors and families; families of terrorist victims; Holocaust survivors and families; unsaved loved ones in Messianic Jewish families (Isa. 44:22; Acts 2:17-21).

    • Let the remnant of Jews that will make up "all Israel" who will be saved – be as large as possible (Psa. 14:7; 53:6; Isa. 59:20; Rom. 11:5-6, 26).

  7. Body of Messiah:

    We are continually burdened to pray for the Body to receive a deep hunger and thirst for the full counsel of God. This is the greatest need of the hour as Yeshua warned us that in the last days many would come to deceive us (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24-25), and only in the light of His Word (Psa. 36:9) will we be able to discern truth from lies (Psa. 119:118; Isa. 59:4; Mic. 2:11).

    • Lord, gift us with such a knowledge of Your Word that we will see what You are doing in the world today, and what is not of You (1 Chr. 12:32a; Psa. 119:105; 130; John 17:17; 2 Tim. 2:15).

    • Reveal to Your Body that the Tanach is absolutely essential to have an understanding of who You are and of what You are doing at this time in history (Luke 24:25-27; 2 Tim. 3:1-17).

    • Expose the insanity of trusting in Yeshua while rejecting the only Bible Yeshua and the rest of the early believers read, trusted in, and quoted from (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:7-9; Matt. 5:17-18; Mark. 12:24).

    • Show born-again believers their need to feed their spirits – and that spiritual nourishment can only be consistently consumed from reading and meditating on Your Word (Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16).

    • Replace any elder who refuses to teach Your full counsel with those who will (Acts 20:26-32).

    • Teach more believers that these feasts are the feasts of their God (Lev. 23:2, 4), and that You desire to meet with Your people on these days (Psa. 27:14; 39:7).

  8. IFI:

    For there to be a next generation of IFI leaders, it seems to us that they need to come forth as soon as possible. Please pray for this, as well as for us to have all the wisdom and grace to continue leading this ministry in His perfect will. Thank you.

Shabbat shalom, Shanna tova and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Psa. 36:7-9