1. Praise:

   A prophecy in Shabbat's prophetic portion was fulfilled through Messiah Yeshua's resurrection: I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: Death, I will be your plagues; grave, I will be your destruction: repentance shall be hid from My eyes. (Hos. 13:14) Without Yeshua's resurrection, His death would have been a cosmic disaster.

   • We bless You for Your resurrection which sealed Your atoning death for us (1 Cor. 15:12-17).

   • We praise You that the outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit is proof that You are now enthroned in heaven at Your Father's right hand (Acts 2:32-33).

   • Lord, we rejoice that You are interceding for us to be completely saved (Heb. 7:25; cp. Phil. 1:6).

   • We see how central Your resurrection is as it is one of the basic criteria to know that we are saved: That if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead – you shall be saved. (Rom. 10:9)

   • Hallelujah! We serve a risen Savior who is in the world today (Luke 24:6, 34; John 21:14)!

   • Lord, we bless You for how You are with us, even when we are unaware of You (Gen. 28:16).

2. "Operation Swords of Iron," Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, began on October 7th, after Hamas massacred around 1200 people and took over 200 hostages. In order for Israel to erase Hamas from ever being a threat again, the war should last for several more months. Yet right now, as this alert is being finished, a hostage deal that seems to be a huge concession by Israel, is supposed to begin. It includes a "pause" in the fighting which we fear Hamas will draw out for weeks, releasing a few more hostages daily in exchange for a more "pauses". After a short time of this, the US along with most other nations, will likely refuse to support Israel if it wants to continue the war. What that might trigger in the prophetic realm only God knows, but we are intensely watching and praying over this very difficult, painful and infuriating situation.

   • Lord, none of this has taken You by surprise (Isa. 42:9), so we pray for You to use it for Your glory and bring much good out of it (Rom. 8:28), although that seems very unlikely today (Jer. 32:17, 27).

   • Break this snare that Israel has foolishly fallen into because of the intense pressure from the nations, especially America, and the emotional appeals from the hostage families (Psa. 124:1-8).

   • Do not let this pause or the "humanitarian pauses" which the US and other entities pressure Israel to allow to end up birthing a full ceasefire before Hamas is obliterated (Deut. 25:17-19), and all of the hostages, or their remains, are recovered (Num. 23:23; Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Lord, rebuke every nation and NGO which is trying to manipulate Israel today (Psa. 33:10; 68:1).

   • God, we again ask You to surprise both Israel and Hamas and intervene supernaturally to rescue every single one of the hostages – both Israelis and others (Psa. 144:7 Acts 12:5-11).

   • If not Lord, then help the IDF to free all hostages remaining in captivity (Psa. 57:1-6; Isa. 49:24-26).

   • Regardless, empower Israel to gain a complete victory over Hamas (2 Sam. 22:40-43; Psa. 89:23).

   • God, send forth Your angelic hosts to support the IDF in the war (2 Chr. 32:7-8; Psa. 34:7; 91:11).

   • Give the IDF wisdom to use this unwise pause to supply all that it will need to triumph in a way that glorifies You once the cease-fire ceases (Psa. 44:4-8; 115:1-3).

   • Guard the soldiers as they fight in Gaza's very precarious urban warfare scenario (Psa. 18:42; 32:8).

   • Lord destroy Hamas' demonic protection, and use this war to strike a severe blow against the spirit of Islam which rules in the hearts of most Palestinians (Psa. 68:20-21; Isa. 30:30-33).

   • We thank You for the first use of the Iron Beam, Israel's anti-missile laser weapon, which shot down a rocket from Gaza, and ask that it would quickly be put into full-time service (Job 38:35; Prov. 8:12).

   • Lord of hosts, oversee an increase in Israel's military industries output of armaments and weapons so that Israel will not need to depend on other nations for their resupply (Psa. 146:3-5; Isa. 31:1).

   • Guide the IDF as it destroys Hamas' extensive underground tunnel system along with any terrorists and traps which are hidden down there (Job 26:6; 34:21-22; Psa. 95:3-4; Isa. 28:17; 45:2-3).

   • Let Hamas fall into their own traps – in particular, the ones they will be setting for the IDF during these pauses in the fighting (Est. 7:10; Psa. 9:15; Eccl. 10:8).

   • Focus a spotlight on every Hamas leader, both in and outside of Israel, and help the IDF and the Mossad to eliminate each one of them, leaving Hamas headless (Psa. 68:20-21; Hab. 3:13).

   • Protect any innocent Gazans, but uncover any terrorists hiding among them (Jer. 49:10; Obad. 1:6).

   • Download wisdom to Israel's intelligence services to interpret all the data obtained from Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and to unearth every Palestinian terrorist plot (Job 12:22; 32:8; Prov. 2:6; Jam. 1:5).

   • Expose the exaggerated Palestinian population figures in Gaza, as well as in Judea and Samaria and reveal how they inflate the numbers of deaths caused by the IDF (Deut. 33:29; Isa. 44:24-25).

   • Help Israel to clarify repeatedly what is at stake so that Western nations will have no excuse when confronted with their resistance to Israel totally destroying Hamas-ISIS (Joel 3:16; Mic. 4:2).

   • God, show Israel's leaders – and us – what Your will is for Gaza after the war (Obad. 1:15-20).

   • Forbid Israel from turning Gaza over to the Palestinian Authority, who are as wicked and evil as Hamas and should also be demolished as soon as possible (Isa. 8:9-10; Lam. 3:37).

   • Let Israel possess Gaza as it is a part of Judah's inheritance (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18; Zeph. 2:6-7).

   • Lord, help Israel reveal the sexual-terrorism against its women that was a major part of the massacre, so that at least some women's groups will openly condemn this demonic barbarism (Mark. 4:22).

3. Government & society:

   One good thing God has brought out of the Hamas massacre and the resulting war (Rom. 8:28) is how today more Israelis reject the idea of striving for peace with the Palestinians through the creation of a "Palestine" on His land. This now needs to be declared by Israel's political leaders to the nations, and this is one of the aims of our first prayer below.

   • Lord God, raise up many more Sons of Zion and either change or replace every Son of Greece in Israel's current and its future governments (Psa. 118:8-9; Zech. 9:13).

   • Please do this in every influential positon throughout Israeli society (Prov. 29:2; Isa. 1:25-27).

   • Let Israel's political and spiritual leaders often call the nation to prayer (2 Chr. 7:14; Lam. 3:40-41).

   • Continue to use PM Bibi Netanyahu for Your glory, and strengthen him to repeatedly tell the world what Israel has to do both during, as well as after, the war in Gaza (Prov. 8:15-16; 21:1).

   • If he has acted like a Son of Greece in agreeing to the hostage deal, Lord move upon him and either turn him back to Your ways or turn him out of office (Psa. 80:3, 7, 17-19).

   • God Almighty, release Your comfort to all Israelis who have lost loved ones, or who will lose loved ones in the near future, or whose loved ones will remain hostages (Psa. 34:18; 51:17; 147:3).

   • Precious Lord, prepare the hostage families as their loved ones who will come back to them will not be the same as before they were abducted (Psa. 10:17; 23:5; 61:7).

   • Lord Yeshua, reveal who You are to every survivor of the Hamas massacres and speak healing and peace into their minds and hearts (Psa. 23:4; 61:1-2; Isaiah 30:26; 61:2b-3).

   • Stir up both Jews and others, especially believers, to help provide for the needs of the 200,000 or so Israelis in internal exile, and give these Israelis hope for their future (Psa. 86:14-17; Jer. 29:11).

   • Protect Israel's economy during the war and even cause it to grow (Psa. 35:26-27; 118:25).

   • Use the October 7th attack to convince all of Your people that dividing Your land only results in war, death and ruin, and turn them away from this anti-biblical policy for Israel (Joel 3:1-2).

   • Also let it hasten the complete collapse of the "two-state-solution" idol and fortify Israel as it resists the pressure of many world leaders who see that as the final solution (Lev. 25:23; Num. 23:23-24).

   • Raise up more people to speak truth and confront the lies of the mainstream media (Prov. 24:24).

   • Continue using Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan to repudiate the lies spewed out there (Gal. 4:16) and to know when You want Israel to leave that wicked organization (Num. 23:9b; Mark 6:11).

   • Let Israel respond with strength against all of its "allies" who have turned into its enemies as a result of it defending itself – like Turkey, Jordan, South Africa, and others (Job 19:14; Psa. 49:9).

4. Internal security:

   Israel's security forces continue to war against Hamas and other terrorists in Judea and Samaria. When we consider that there are at least three terrorist attempts every day – with very little success – we praise God who protects Israel through its security forces (Isa. 41:10-16).

   • Sustain Israel's war against Arab terrorists in Judea and Samaria until all Hamas members are either captured or killed, along with any other terrorists residing there (Num. 10:9; Zech. 12:6).

   • Lord, save multitudes of Palestinians in Israel's biblical heartland (John 4:25-30, 39-42).

   • God, promote the Sons of Zion in Israel's military, those who trust in and fear You (Psa. 118:6-14), and remove all of the Sons of Greece who trust in and fear man (Jer. 17:5-6; Zech. 9:13).

   • Hasten the establishment in Israel of a Civilian Guard, and train them to have all the skills needed to protect any Israeli community for which they will have the responsibility (Psa. 18:34; 144:1).

   • Abba shield Israel from all cyberattacks while also making them proficient in attacking the enemy in this modern warfare arena (Deut. 33:29; Psa. 5:12).

   • Protect all of Israel's spies and collaborators inside and out of Your land (Gen. 12:3a; Psa. 121:4).

   • Continue to maintain Israel's Arab citizens' mostly peaceful activities at this time (Tit. 3:1).

   • Use the war to push Israel to extend sovereignty over more of Your land (Judg. 6:9; Isa. 54:2-3).

5. External security:

   Iran attacks Israel via its proxies surrounding the Jewish State: Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, and their proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

   • Guide Israel on how to respond with power and strength to the increasingly heavy bombardment of missiles from Hizbullah onto northern Israel (Psa. 140:7-11; Jer. 51:20-24).

   • Abba, expose any Hizbullah tunnels of which Israel is unaware (Job 12:22).

   • Release massive confusion, fear and paranoia into Hizbullah's leaders' minds (Job 5:12-14).

   • In Your timing draw Hizbullah into Your trap and let the IDF totally destroy them (Mic. 4:11-13).

   • Lord Yeshua, we bless You for building Your throne in Elam – ancient Iran – by the miraculous growth of the Iranian Body (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

   • We ask You to fulfill the second part of Jeremiah 49:38 and destroy Iran's current leadership.

   • Continue to protect and mature the Iranian Body, using them as salt and light there (Matt.5:13-16).

   • Anoint them as they pray for their nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and for Israel (Gen. 12:3a; Psa. 122:6).

   • Allow the exceedingly great pride and hatred towards Israel and the Jews of Iran's and their proxies' leaders hasten their final downfall (Isa. 8:9-10; Obad. 1:3-4).

   • We also pray that, whatever it means today, You would break Elam's "bow" (Jer. 49:35).

   • Lord cause Iran's underground nuclear facilities to sink into the abyss (Isa. 24:19-20; Jer. 50:46).

6. Aliyah:

   God's people are being regathered to His land for His glory (Isa. 43:5-7). We emphasis this for many believers are ignorant of it through a lack of trust in the Tanach as still being His Word. Meanwhile, this past week, the Jewish Agency chairman, Maj. Gen. Almog, said that he expects one million new olim [immigrants] from Jewish communities throughout the world as a direct result of the dramatic rise of antisemitism. If so, then this is another example of Romans 8:28!

   • Let Israel take Almog seriously and start preparing today for tomorrow's huge influx (Deut. 30:3-5).

   • Open Israel's gates for any Jew who desires to return and destroy all stumbling blocks in Israel from their making aliyah, whether the blocks are personnel or bureaucratic (Isa. 57:14; 60:8-11; 62:10).

   • Use the very dangerous explosion of Jew-hatred in exile to show Jews that while it is not 100% safe in Israel, it is, and will continue to be, much safer than living outside (Jer. 31:10; 32:37; Zech. 9:16).

   • Confront the pride of Your people who do not want gentiles to think they have scared them away, and remind them that the Jews in Germany often thought that in the 1930s (Prov. 16:18; 18:12a).

   • Show them that You are driving them out of the captivity and bringing them home (Jer. 16:16; 31:3).

   • Also let them see that their comfortable life in exile will never go back to what it was (Psa. 25:19).

   • Shame Jews in exile who run to the gentiles, expecting them to protect them (Ezra 8:22), yet they do not come home to be protected by a Jewish State with its exceedingly great army (Ezek. 37:10).

   • Release them to come home now while many can still bring their finances with them (Isa. 60:9).

   • Show more of Your Body that this is the time to carry more of Your people home (Isa. 49:22).

   • Open believers' mouths to speak up and to encourage and help Jewish friends and acquaintances to return home to Israel (Psa. 126:1-3; Isa. 60:3-11; Rom. 15:25-27).

7. Salvation:

   We pray for all Israel to be saved for God's glory's sake (Psa. 79:9; 85:9; Isa. 46:13)! Also, we pray for Israel's security because for Jews to be saved they must be alive!

   • Appear to all of Hamas' hostages – whether Jewish and gentile – and save them (Isa. 25:8-9; 61:1).

   • Save the hostages' families and friends who are now crying out to You (Psa. 86:7; Isa. 61:3).

   • Save many IDF soldiers, in particular those who will die in the war (Deut. 20:1-8; Zech. 12:4-10).

   • Use believing soldiers to provoke others to jealousy (Rom. 11:11, 14).

   • Save and heal the injured and the traumatized, both physically and mentally (Isa. 57:15; 61:1-3).

   • Reveal Messiah unto many Jews in exile who are suddenly very anxious for their safety (Isa. 35:4).

   • Fulfill Hosea 14:4 from the prophetic portion and pour out Your saving grace on Your people: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for My anger is turned away from him.

   • Thank You Lord for the report that hundreds of Gazan men recently came to You (John 4:35-36).

8. Body of Messiah:

   Is the Body aware of how vital it is to intercede for their nation's reaction to Israel's war for its existence (Isa. 60:12; Ezek. 22:30-31)?

   • Gift Your Body, Lord, with more Sons of Zion and replace all the Sons of Greece (Zech. 9:13).

   • Show believers that hating evil is part of loving and fearing You (Psa. 97:10a; Prov. 8:13; Amos 5:15a; Rom. 12:9b).

   • Let the war in Israel impel more believers to read the Tanach and perceive at least in part what You are doing to fulfill Your prophetic word today (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:7-9; Mark 12:24; 2 Pet. 1:19).

   • As they read the Tanach, fulfill Psalm 119:130 in many of them (Luke 10:21).

   • Let believers use Your Word to judge what they read in today's media (2 Sam. 7:28a; John 17:17).

   • Stir up Your Body so that more members will openly confess that You are still a Man of War (Ex. 15:1-3; Isa. 42:13; Rev. 19:11-16), and that You are still zealous for Your people today (Deut. 4:24; Jer. 32:41; Ezek. 36:5; Joel 2:18; Zech. 8:1-2).

   • Lord, turn us from trying to defend You to standing up and declaring who You are (Acts 4:23-31).

   • King Yeshua, cleanse Your Body of all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic tendencies (Eph. 5:27).

9. Water:

   Israel has had some heavy rain earlier this past week – and for that we bless the Lord.

   • We know You control the weather, so we ask You to use it for Your glory (Job 38:22; Psa. 148:8).

   • In mercy, give Israel all of the water it needs – both now and in the future (Psa. 68:9; Matt. 5:35).

10. IFI:

    It is only by His grace that we can stand and fight in this spiritual war for God to be glorified in Israel through the fulfillment of His Word. Thank you for praying for us to abide in His grace and His calling – as well as to trust that He is leading us in prayer, although that assurance normally comes after the fact.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

1 Thess. 5:23-24