1. Praise:

   While our hearts are overwhelmed by Israel's current situation, making it hard to rejoice in the Lord, yet we can always praise Him for who He is and for what He has promised to Israel and to us. Isaiah 54:5 in the prophetic portion is a wonderful example of why He is always worthy of praise: For your Creator is your husband; YHWH of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; He shall be called the God of the whole earth.

   • God, we gladly acknowledge that despite what we see and hear, You do remain the Lord of heaven and of earth (Gen. 14:22; 24:3; Deut. 4:39; 10:14; Josh. 2:11; Psa. 135:6; Matt. 11:25; Acts 17:24).

   • We praise You for helping us to trust You regardless of whether we fully understand what You are doing, or allowing to be done (Prov. 3:5; Isa. 50:10).

   • We confess that as Your essential nature never changes, we can totally trust in You (Mal. 3:6).

   • We rest in the reality that You know the future, so there are never any crises in heaven (Acts 15:18).

   • We also bless You that the heavens continuously declare Your glory (Psa. 19:1-2).

   • Lord, while it seems strange to our human thinking, we thank You for revealing Yourself by Your judgments (Psa. 9:16; An excellent example of this is that we now know Him personally because He judged our sins on His Son on the cross. Compare Isaiah 59:1-2 with Jeremiah 31:34).

   • Thank You that Israel remains Your nation – at least until the new heavens and earth (Jer. 31:35-37).

   • How awesome it is to know that our prayers are Your delight (Prov. 15:8b).

2. "Operation Swords of Iron":

   This is what Israel has called its war against Hamas. Israel now has an emergency war coalition with the addition of Benny Gantz and Gideon Saar's parties. Whether this will end up being a smart move or not is still up in the air, but we need to pray for it regardless.

   • Lord God, in agreement with Your declaration in Zechariah 9:13, we ask You to raise up the Sons of Zion who trust in You and Your Word in Israel's government and its military today (Zech. 9:13).

   • Also, remove all the Sons of Greece who look to the nations and fear man (Job 34:24; Dan. 2:21a).

   • Guard the unity of Israel's political and military leaders as they strive to win this war (Amos 3:3).

   • Give them all sons of Zion and sons of Issachar as advisors (1 Chr. 12:32; Prov. 20:18; 24:6).

   • Lord, clarify to them, as well as to us for prayer purposes (Amos 3:7), Your goals for this war (Job 21:29-30; Prov. 16:4-5, 9; Jer. 30:16; Zeph. 2:4-7).

   • Use the IDF as Your sword of justice against every Hamas murderer (Gen. 9:6 in the Torah portion).

   • Also, in Shabbat's Torah portion You said to Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence [the Hebrew word is hamas] … (Gen. 6:13a), thus we ask You to help the IDF to destroy those who, with extreme violence, aim to destroy Your people (Psa. 55:9; 83:1-4).

   • Let Your arrow and Your storms go forth with the IDF into battle (Zech. 9:13-16).

   • Impart wisdom to Israel's leaders to know how to fight this war despite the more than 200 hostages who are under Hamas' cruel control (Gen. 14:14; Deut. 32:40-43; 1 Kin. 8:46-53).

   • God, protect these hostages and set them free (Gen. 41:14; Psa. 79:11; Isa. 49:24-26; Acts 12:5-11).

   • Provide all the needs of the IDF soldiers: equipment, courage, strength and protection (Psa. 44:4-6).

   • Provide all that every soldier's family who remains at home will need as well (1 Sam. 30:24).

   • Clarify the rules of engagement for them, and line up those rules with Your biblical war strategies and not with the world's humanistic ones (Deut. 20:10-18; Josh. 11:19-20; 1 Cor. 14:8).

   • Protect and use all believing soldiers – including imparting to them the boldness to use the gifts of the Spirit as needed, even in the midst of the battlefield (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

   • Push Your enemies in Gaza into any traps they have set for the IDF (Psa. 7:14-16; Prov. 26:27).

   • Destroy that fundamentalist radical Islamic spirit which rules in most Gazans' hearts (Zech. 9:5b).

   • While Israel's intelligence services need to be held accountable for their failure of not knowing about this well-planned attack, yet we ask You to anoint them to gather and interpret intelligence now, with great humility, discernment and wisdom from heaven (Psa. 139:12; Prov. 15:3; Obad. 1:6).

   • Lord, arise and repay those Hamas' leaders who have an affluent lifestyle, residing peacefully in Qatar, from where they give orders to murder Jews (Deut. 32:41; Isa. 63:4; Ezek. 25:14).

   • Continue to maintain Israel's successful battle against all Palestinian terrorists in Judea and Samaria who have increased their attacks in support of Hamas (Obad. 1:18; Zech. 12:6).

   • Set Hamas against Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and both of them against the Palestinian Authority and any other Palestinian terror groups who hate Israel (Psa. 129:5; Jer. 17:18; Zech. 14:13).

   • Lord, confront every Western nation who declares its support for Israel today – yet who has stopped Israel from destroying Hamas in all of its previous battles against them (Psa. 5:4; 52:3; Prov. 11:9).

   • Use the realization that Hamas is the Palestinian version of ISIS to stop nations from trying to deter Israel's goal of completely wiping Hamas out (Psa. 9:5, 15-18; 97:10a; Prov. 8:13).

   • We already see nations, including America, trying to stop Israel from destroying Hamas totally, and we ask You to curse all humanistic attempts to protect today's Amalek (Ex. 17:14-16).

   • Reveal to Israel the dangers of depending on other nations for anything they need in order to defend themselves (Isa. 31:1-3), and turn them to look fully unto You (Psa. 80:3, 7, 19; 124:1-8).

   • Impart boldness to Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan to continually speak the truth (Gal. 4:16).

   • Anoint all Israeli spokespeople to respond with wisdom and clarity when people, as we are already seeing, try to equate Hamas' attacks and Israel's response as both equally evil (Psa. 81:10; 109:1-3).

   • [Note that the area Hamas invaded is not part of the "Occupied Territories" where the nations want to create a "Palestine"! So why invade there? Hamas' charter declares their goal as the subjugation or death of all Jews, everywhere; therefore obviously, they also reject a Jewish State anywhere on earth.]

3. External security:

   Iran helped Hamas plan this attack with expertise, equipment and money. They likely pushed for this time to attack because of the progress in the deal between Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US. Meanwhile, Hizbullah and other Palestinian terror groups in Lebanon and Syria linked with Iran have been striking at Israel hard enough to cause Israel to strike back harder.

   • Lord, we ask You to fulfill Isaiah 54:14-15 in the prophetic portion today: In righteousness shall you be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear: and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me; whoever gathers together against you shall fall for your sake. Amen!

   • In this season promote many more Sons of Zion to command positions within the IDF (Psa. 75:6-7).

   • Let the pride of Israel's enemies quickly lead to their destruction (Prov. 16:18; Obad. 1:3-4).

   • If a multi-front war breaks out help Israel to trust You and to recall how they have been victorious in all previous multi-front wars: in 1948, in 1967 and in 1973 (2 Kin. 6:16-17; Psa. 3:1-8; 27:2-3).

   • Lord, if now is Your time for Israel to wage total war against Hizbullah then direct the IDF how and when to do this (Mic. 4:11-13).

   • God, give great insight to the IDF's Iran Command to uncover Iran's involvement and to recommend that which You desire for Israel to do to repay Iran for its evil actions (2 Sam. 5:24; Prov. 21:31).

   • May this include Israel's total destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities (Jer. 10:25; 51:20-24).

   • Lord, heed Iran's threats against Israel (Psa. 59:12), and fight against them (Psa. 35:1-3; 74:22-23).

   • Shake Iran completely – physically, socially, financially, politically and militarily (Isa. 2:19, 21).

   • Yet Lord Yeshua, protect, bless and mature every Iranian believer, and guide them in prayer for their nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and as they pray for and bless Israel (Num. 24:9b; Psa. 122:6).

4. Government & society:

   As mentioned, Israel now has an emergency unity war government.

   • Again, we ask You to exalt the Sons of Zion, and remove the sons of Greece in it (Zech. 9:13).

   • As this is likely the last time that Bibi Netanyahu will be Israel's leader, let him focus on doing that which is needed to protect Israel – and not what is needed to protect his legacy (2 Sam. 23:2-3).

   • Use Bibi for as long as You decree for him to be Israel's leader (Prov. 21:1; Dan. 4:17, 25, 32).

   • Use the Hamas atrocities to heal Israeli society, including public repentance from the opposition and anti-judicial leaders' of their hatred of Israel's democratically elected government, which led to such a deep division in society that Iran and Hamas saw this as their time to destroy Israel (1 Tim. 4:1-2).

   • Thank You for hearing that many Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] communities are waking up to the reality that they are a part of Israel's society and have to bear their fair share of responsibility. More, Lord!

   • Lord God, Almighty Creator, since nothing is too hard for You, please create blessing and good in Israel out of this horrific situation (Gen. 1:1-3; 50:20; Rom. 8:28).

   • Comfort all families whose loved ones were killed, who will be killed, who are hostages, or worst of all – whose destiny remains unknown (Psa. 23:4; 41:10-11; 46:1-2; 86:17; Isa. 61:2b-3).

   • Since You already know the future, please prepare Israel's society for what is to come (Isa. 42:9).

   • Use this brutal attack to finally prove to all Israel that dividing up Your land results in war and death as seen in Gaza, South Lebanon, and also in Judea and Samaria (Judg. 2:1-5; Joel 3:1-2).

   • As Israelis learn this lesson, let them insist that the government extend its sovereignty over more of the land and take back all land that was given to Your enemies (Isa. 54:2-3; in the prophetic portion).

   • Also use this attack to crush that "two-state solution" peace idol in every Israeli heart (Rom. 8:28).

5. Aliyah:

   God's ingathering of His people is ultimately for His glory (Isa. 43:5-7). We repeat this since too many in the Church are ignorant of it because of not knowing the Tanach (Acts 20:27).

   • Lord, the huge Russian aliyah in the early 1990s was at the time when Iraq was firing scuds into Israel, so we ask that You would release millions of Jews to come home at this time (Isa. 55:8-13).

   • Let the increase of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel attacks as a result of the Hamas attack and Israel's response reveal to Western Jews how deceived they are to think they have more comfort and security in captivity than in Israel (Isa. 5:13-16; Ezek. 37:10).

   • Lord God, arise and scatter Your "enemies" in the minds of Jews, including Messianic Jews, which blind many of them from even considering coming home (Psa. 68:1; 89:10-11).

   • Use Israel's war against Hamas, and whoever else joins the fray, to force it to extend its sovereignty over more of Your land, including Gaza, and by this to provide enough space for all the Jews whom You will bring home in the very near future (Isa. 49:16-22; 54:2-3; Mal. 1:5).

   • Despite the war, keep the doors to Israel open for all Jews who want to come home (Isa. 60:8-11)

   • Lord, direct every believing Israeli in captivity to return home now (Isa. 35:10; 51:11).

   • Increase the influence on the rest of the Body of all believers who perceive Your kingdom purposes for aliyah today (Matt. 13:33; Eph. 3:7).

   • Speak to more gentile believers to help carry Your people home in this very hour (Isa. 49:22).

6. Salvation:

   The goal of interceding for "all Israel" to be saved is so that their salvation brings glory to God (Psa. 79:9; 85:9; Isa. 46:13)! Also, one reason we concentrate on praying for Israel's security is that for Israelis to be saved – they need to be alive!

   • Save every one of Hamas' hostages, especially those who will not come home alive (John 11:25).

   • We ask the same for every IDF soldier who will end up dying in battle (Deut. 20:1-8; John 15:13).

   • Let believing soldiers be a source of comfort, encouragement and strength in their units (Isa. 35:3-4).

   • Send forth sensitive laborers into the Jewish harvest field during this tragic season (Luke 10:2).

   • Increasingly use Messianic Jews and Christians as a light in Israel's society (Psa. 36:7-9; Phil. 2:15).

   • Draw many unsaved Jews to You through this word in the prophetic portion: Incline your ear, and come to Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make [lit: cut] an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isa. 55:3)

   • Also, let Isaiah 55:5 in the prophetic portion show Jews that gentile believers' love for them is one more proof that You, Yeshua, are Israel's King Messiah.

7. Body of Messiah:

   Fundamentalist Muslims declare: "First the Saturday people; then the Sunday people." Yet neither they nor the Church understands that if they succeed in killing every Jew and wiping out the nation of Israel – then the Church's foundation is destroyed as well, because if the Tanach is proven to be a lie all of the New Testament is also a lie. [Go here for an in-depth teaching on this topic]

   • God, shine Your revelation light on the New Testament truth that without Israel in its rightful place, the sap that nourishes the Church dries up (Rom. 11:16-18).

   • Show Your Body how imperative a knowledge of the Tanach is in order to see what You are doing in Israel, and in the world, today (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:9; Luke 16:29; 2 Tim. 3:1-17).

   • Show them that when Paul wrote to Timothy to study in order to correctly divide the word of truth, he was referring to the Tanach as the New Testament was not yet in existence (2 Tim. 2:15).

   • Reveal to more believers that the real reason why Satan hates Israel's restoration is because it is what You are doing in the world today with all of Your heart and soul (Jer. 32:41-44)!

   • Teach Your Body that the original Hebrew does not say "You shall not kill" (Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17), but You shall not murder, in order that they can support Israel's battle against terrorism with a clear conscience (Num. 35:16-18, 21, 31; Psa. 94:1-6; Matt. 19:18; 22:7).

   • Lord Yeshua, cleanse Your Body from all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic influences which have deeply stained its garments (Eph. 5:27; Col. 1:21-23).

8. Water:

   Israel has entered its rainy season.

   • God, merciful Father, please provide for all of Israel's water needs (Matt. 5:45b).

   • Continue to bless the world with Israel's water technology exports (Deut. 28:12)

9. IFI:

   It is hard to know how to intercede for Israel in its current state of war. This is because it is difficult to discern what in our heads and hearts is of Him and what is of our frustration and anger. Please pray for us to have discernment in this and to not be worn out and discouraged in this battle. Thank you.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Psa. 61:1-4