1. Praise:

   The observance of Yom Kippur with a 24+ hour fast begins Sunday at sundown. The instructions for the high priest are in Leviticus 16. Yeshua Himself fulfilled the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system by becoming both our High Priest and our final atoning sacrifice.

   • Lord Yeshua, we exalt You who are our High Priest today and who enables us to come boldly in the holy of holies because we are part of Your Body (Heb. 4:14-16).

   • We bless You Lord for You are a High Priest who understands our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15-16).

   • We praise You for being our perfect and final blood sacrifice and through Your blood, making us a kingdom of priests before God our Father (Rev. 1:5-6).

   • Thank You for fulfilling the types of the two goats sacrificed on Yom Kippur – by dying for our sins and then through Your resurrection bearing our sins away forever (Isa. 53:4; Mic. 7:19; 1 Pet. 2:24).

   • We are very encouraged because You are interceding for us to perfect our salvation (Heb. 7:25).

   • Hallelujah! Our Redeemer, God the Son – You have risen from the dead (Job 19:25)!

   • Lord Yeshua, we declare that You, the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, are also the King of Israel (Isa. 44:6; 63:16), and it is under Your reign that we have eternal life (1 Pet. 1:18; Rev. 5:9).

2. Salvation:

   This past week has been a time of preparation for Jews to fast and pray on Yom Kippur in order that God forgives them their sins. This is a perfect time for us to pray for God to do just that – through Messiah Yeshua, the One who has already atoned for them (Rom. 5:10-11).

   • From the prophetic portion: Israel, turn to YHWH your God, for you have fallen by your iniquity. Take with you words, turn to YHWH, praying, 'Bear away all our iniquity, and receive us graciously … (Hos. 14:1-2a) Note God's response: I will heal their backslidings [+ apostasy]; I will love them freely, for My anger is turned away from him. (Hos. 14:4)

   • Lord, cause many Jews to confess what Micah goes on to say in Mic. 7:18-20 when Yom Kippur is over.

   • Also, after Yom Kippur, implant a holy dissatisfaction into Jewish hearts of saying the same prayers yearly and yet never truly sensing a freedom from their inherent sin nature (Psa. 5:1-3; 61:1-2).

   • Watch over every biblical verse in the High Holyday prayer books, and do not allow anything that is from Your Word return to You empty (Isa. 55:11; Jer. 1:12).

   • As salvation is a work of grace, we pray from Psalm 80 that You turn Your people unto You and let the light of Your presence fall upon them – as You did with Paul (Psa. 80:3, 7, 19; cp. Rom. 11:4-6).

   • Restore the biblical image of Messiah, and replace all unbiblical ideas and expectations that Your people have unfortunately been taught of who the Messiah should 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 in Chabad; Religious Zionists and other Jews living in Judea and Samaria; secular Jews in Israel and in exile; Jews who recently made aliyah; Jewish politicians in Israel and in exile; Ethiopian-Israelis; Beni-Menashe [Jews from India]; IDF personnel in all branches and ranks; medical professionals, including those involved with abortions; teachers, professors, and university students; hi-tech workers; archeologists; tour guides; Jews exploring the occult; drug-addicts, sex-addicts and alcoholics; Jewish LGBTQ+ communities worldwide; terrorism survivors and their families; families of terrorist victims; Holocaust survivors and their extended families; unsaved loved ones in Messianic Jewish families (Isa. 44:22; Acts 2:17-21).

   • Anoint Messianic Jews to be Your light throughout Israeli society (Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15).

3. Aliyah:

   God's regathering of His people is for His glory (Isa. 43:5-7) so our persistent prayers about this glorify God and are in line with His perfect will (Psa. 50:15; 1 John 5:14-15).

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

   • When Your people in captivity end the Yom Kippur service and declare, "Next year in Jerusalem," let a spark ignite in their minds and hearts that leads them to make aliyah (Psa. 137:4-6).

   • Show them, especially the Jews in the West, that it is time to save their lives from the rising anti-Semitism – even at the expense of sacrificing their lifestyles (Jer. 51:6-10).

   • Convict many rabbis and Jewish leaders that when they say this to actually mean it (Matt. 5:34-37).

   • Cause Holocaust survivors to be determined to spend the rest of their lives in Israel (Jer. 31:8-9).

   • Pour out an incurable homesickness on Israelis who are dwelling among the gentiles (Isa. 62:4-5).

   • Arise and scatter Your "enemies" in Jewish hearts which stop them from coming home (Psa. 68:1).

   • Make changes in Israel's Law of Return so that it is more in line with Your definition of 'who is a Jew' and not the unbiblical definition that rabbinic tradition has placed on it (Isa. 8:20).

   • Keep the gates in Israel wide open to embrace all Jews irrespective of what they believe in, how rich they are, or what is the color their skin (Deut. 30:3-4; Isa. 57:14).

   • Marry new immigrants to Your land (Isa. 62:4-5), and settle them throughout Your land – especially in Judea and Samaria, the Jordan Valley, the Galilee, the Golan and in the Negev (Jer. 32:41-44).

   • Let the government see the need to expand sovereignty over more of the land in order to have room for the millions of Jews whom You are about to bring home (Isa. 54:2-3; Ezek. 39:25-29).

   • Lord Yeshua, speak to Israelis who have met You in exile to return home (Isa. 35:10; 51:11).

   • Do not allow the anti-Israel/anti-government/anti-Netanyahu media in Israel and in the nations be a deterrent to those whom You are calling to return (Num. 13:32; 14:37).

   • Anoint believers who pray for aliyah to have a greater influence on Your Body (Matt. 13:33).

4. Government & society:

   Right after Rosh Hashanah, even as many Jews asked for forgiveness and prayed for help to live better in the new Jewish year, many were still spitting out hatred and rage against PM Bibi Netanyahu and the Israel's current government.

   • Cleanse Your people of the spirit of hate in the storm over the judicial reform and against sections of Israeli society that do not line up with their idea of "democracy" (Prov. 6:16-19; 8:3; Zech. 8:16).

   • Speak to many Israel's from Shabbat's Torah portion: Because I will proclaim the name of YHWH; ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock; His work is perfect, for all His ways are just: a God of faithfulness, without injustice, just and upright is He. (Deut. 32:3-4; [Israel's Rock: cp. vv. 15, 18])

   • Lord Yeshua, You are the Rock of Israel, so we ask You to deal with Your nation in line with what we declared above from Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (Isa. 32:2; 1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:6).

   • Lord Yeshua, You are also Israel's Messiah King and we ask You to exert more of Your sovereign rule over Israel during these feasts – and beyond (Isa. 9:7; 33:22; Matt. 2:2; Luke 1:32).

   • Again God, we ask You to disperse all Your spiritual enemies who are trying to destroy Your people whom You have regathered for Your holy name's sake (Num. 10:35; Psa. 3:7; 44:26; Jer. 31:10).

   • Expose the sources of all outside finances that are funding the anti-government demonstrations and dry them up completely (Num. 23:23).

   • Judge of all the earth, we ask You to have the last word when it comes to all of Israel's High Court's decisions' concerning the judicial reforms (Gen. 18:25; Zeph. 3:5).

   • As the judges consider these divisive issues over the next several months, move in their hearts and minds and birth decisions in line with Your will (Prov. 16:1, 9).

   • We continue to plead with You to watch over and bring to pass Isaiah 1:25-27 quickly.

   • Lord, in line with how You have led us to pray, we again ask You to bring forth good out of the anti-government demonstrations and their accompanying chaos (Rom. 8:28; 1 John 5:14-15).

   • Abba, use PM Netanyahu for Your purposes and may You alone be the One who determines when his time to lead Israel is finished (Psa. 75:6-7; Prov. 21:1; Isa. 46:10).

   • Protect him and the coalition from the cruel slander of Israel's anti-government forces (Psa. 64:2-3).

   • Shield him and his wife from any and all curses (Deut. 23:5; Prov. 26:2).

   • Enable the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] leaders who are guiding their communities to become more of a part of Israeli society to gain greater influence among all the Haredim (Prov. 11:3).

5. Internal security:

   Israeli officials warned the Palestinians that terror attacks or rocket fire during the High Holydays would be met with extraordinary deadly force. While this is good, so far Israel has not followed up on this.

   • Let these threats be carried out, both over the feasts, as well as all year long (Rom. 13:3-4).

   • Bring Israel's political and military leaders into one accord on this issue (1 Chr. 29:24; Psa. 133:1).

   • Remove any humanistic and anti-biblical Israeli leaders who refuse to wage total war on Israel's modern-day Amalek enemies in its midst (Ex. 17:14-16; 1 Sam. 15:2-3).

   • Also, remove all political ambitions from all IDF leaders (Psa. 75:5-7).

   • Use the IDF as Your weapon of war (Jer. 51:20-23), and through them let Your fear to fall with great effect upon Israel's enemies (2 Chr. 17:10; 20:29).

   • Reinforce Israel's increased security alertness over the feasts (Psa. 91:11-12; 121:4; Jer. 31:10).

   • Increase Israel's skill in properly interpreting the intelligence they gather (Prov. 2:6; Obad. 1:6).

   • 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).

   • Guard over Israel's security forces – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually (Psa. 3:3).

   • Protect them from distractions and give them a supernatural alertness (2 Sam. 22:35; Psa. 144:1).

   • Richly bless all soldiers, sailors, pilots and other security personnel who will be protecting Your nation during the feasts instead of being with their families (Psa. 121:1-8).

   • Lead Israel's enemies into the traps they have set for Your people (Psa. 7:14-16; 35:8; 141:9-10).

   • Send strong delusion and dissension into the minds of Israel's adversaries (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

   • When Your people read the Torah portion, open their hearts and minds to once-and-for-all perceive that You have given them all of the land (Deut. 32:49, 52).

   • End the recurring resurrection of any Oslo-type Israeli-Palestinian "peace" negotiations which end up with Israel being manipulated into making unwise concessions (Deut. 6:1-3; Psa. 33:10-11).

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

6. External security:

   Iran and its proxies remains the main existential threat both externally and internally against Israel. Meanwhile, Iran is proceeding with its nuclear development program and the most that the world is willing to do at this time is to give Iran a slap on the wrist.

   • We lift up Deuteronomy 32:39-43 in the Torah portion, asking You to fulfill it against Iran and all of its proxies surrounding Israel.

   • As we pray, Lord deal with Hizbullah, the army threatening Israel from the north (Joel 2:17-20).

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

   • Repay in kind the arrogant words of Iran and its proxies against Your nation (Psa. 59:12; Gal. 6:7).

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

   • Guard the Iranian Church against all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic teachings (Eph. 4:15-20).

   • Let that Church become the main source of comfort and influence in Iranian society (1 Thess. 5:14).

   • We again ask You to have the final say in any deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Remove from Israel's leaders their humanistic tendencies to look to other nations and international NGO's for Israel's security, and instead to turn their eyes fully towards You (Psa. 118:9; 123:2).

   • Continue to guard over and direct Israel's diplomatic relations with Russia, China, Ukraine, the EU, America – and the rest of the nations (Eccl. 2:14a; 8:5b).

   • Anoint Israel's advances in high tech weaponry – cyber, laser, EMP plus others (Prov. 8:12).

7. Body of Messiah:

   We remain burdened to pray for the Body to receive a deep understanding of their need for all of God's Word. Yeshua warned us that the last days would see the rise of many who, while coming in His name, would still try to deceive us (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24-25). It is only by the truth of His Word (John 17:17) that enables us to uncover these lies (Psa. 119:105, 130).

   • Your Word is settled forever in eternity (Psa. 119:89), so please wake up those believers who doubt Israel's current status with You with this verse from the Torah reading: For YHWH's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. (Deut. 32:9)

   • Reveal to many more of our brothers and sisters how the Tanach is indispensable in order to know who You are and what You are doing in history today (Luke 24:25-27; 2 Tim. 3:1-17).

   • Expose the absurdity of trusting Yeshua and yet rejecting the only Bible that He and the first church read, trusted in, and quoted from (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:7-9; Matt. 5:17-18; Mark. 12:24).

   • Aid Your Body to interpret the Tanach the way You did – which is to look to the spiritual principle behind the Law (Matt. 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44), yet to expect prophecies to be fulfilled literally (Matt. 26:54, 56; Mark 14:49; Luke 4:21; 21:22; 24:44; John 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 19:28).

   • Cleanse Your Body from all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic teachings and tendencies (Eph. 5:27).

8. Water:

   It is that time of the year when we again pray into Israel's water situation.

   • Lord, in Your mercy, bless Israel with an excellent rainy season, with the right amounts of rain in the right places and at the right times (Deut. 11:10-14; Matt. 5:45b).

   • Thank You for protecting Israel during the recent Mediterranean storms (Psa. 32:7; Isa. 32:2).

   • Please continue to shield Your land from any dangerous weather (Psa. 148:8).

9. IFI:

   Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Gal. 6:9) Please pray that by His grace we will be able to heed this exhortation as we continue to stand on Jerusalem's walls in the position in which He has placed us. Thank you.

Shabbat shalom, Shanna tova and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

1 Thess. 5:16-24