1. Praise:

   Three times in Shabbat's Torah portion Joseph tells his brothers that God used them to send him to Egypt so that through him salvation would come to them and to the Egyptians (Gen. 45:5, 7-8). Once more we see that God is ultimately in control of all events, especially those surrounding His people Israel and the Body of Messiah.

   • While we are on earth it often does not appear that You are in control, yet in faith we agree with Psalm 103:19: YHWH has established His throne in the heavens; His kingdom rules over all.

   • Since Your ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9), we do not need to comprehend all that You are doing in order to confess that You are a good and Your mercies are eternal (Psa. 136:1).

   • We bless You that as we look back in time, we often do see Your hand at work, which then gives us encouragement to believe in You for today and tomorrow (Psa. 74:12; Eph. 1:17-19).

   • Lord, we praise You also because as the Creator, nothing is too hard for You (Jer. 32:17, 27).

   • We rejoice that we can call upon You and be saved from our enemies (Psa. 18:3; 91:15).

   • Thank You that You were born as the King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2), and that You will soon return as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).

   • Hallelujah! Father God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor (Rev. 4:11).

   • Hallelujah! Lord Yeshua, You are also worthy to receive glory and honor (Rev. 5:12).

2. Government & society:

   Recognizing the stress that is "normal" in a war situation, we see Israel's society being sustained by God. Of course, your prayers are a huge help and we thank you.

   • Please Abba, continue guiding us in prayer for Your chosen nation (Psa. 10:17; Rom. 8:26).

   • According to what You say in the prophetic portion, Lord may this be the season when You take the Jews whom You have already regathered, and make them one nation on Your land (Ezek. 37:21-22).

   • God, we continue to ask You to quickly raise up the Sons of Zion and replace the Sons of Greece in Israel's government, in its military and its society (Dan. 2:21; Zech. 9:13).

   • Also increase the influence of the Sons of Issachar throughout Israel (1 Chr. 12:32a).

   • Abba, as long as Bibi Netanyahu is Israel's leader, use him for Your glory (Psa. 80:17; Prov. 16:1).

   • Yet if after the war, it is Your time for Bibi to leave politics, please tell him (Dan. 4:17; 5:21).

   • And if that is so, show us whom You want Israel's next leader to be so that we pray (Amos 3:7).

   • Make Bibi and the rest of Israel's leaders very stubborn in things that are of You – such as standing against the creation of a Palestinian State – and yet flexible in all else (Job 11:6; 38:36; Ezek. 3:8-10).

   • Protect and continue to speak through Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan (Ex. 4:11-12; Gal. 4:16).

   • God, plant Psalm 42:5-11 and 43:5 into the hearts of all Israelis whose loved ones have died, or will die, or are still hostages, or whose fate is still unknown (Psa. 23:4; 46:1, 7; 91:2; 94:19; Dan. 9:9).

   • We glorify You for using this demonic massacre and the war to draw many Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] to want to become more of an active part of Israeli society (Psa. 50:15; 133:1; Rom. 8:28).

   • Turn multitudes of them into Sons of Zion, especially their rabbis (Psa. 119:5, 11-16, 18, 25).

   • Confound all experts, and aid Israel's economy to grow at this time (Gen. 26:12-14; 2 Kin. 4:42-44).

   • Direct Israel to know which foreign workers it should invite to take the Palestinians' places to build up its "walls" and feed its "flocks" in fulfillment of Your prophetic word (Isa. 60:10; 61:5).

   • Facilitate Israel's military industries to quickly develop new weapons systems (Prov. 8:12).

   • Show them the existential need to increase their production of weapons and munitions so that Israel need not look to any outside sources for these things in times of crisis (Psa. 20:7; Isa. 31:1).

3. In "Operation Swords of Iron," Israel's war against Hamas, the IDF is battling through the south of Gaza. The US Biden Administration has strongly hinted to Israel that it has only a limited time to end the war, and has told it to change its tactics and be more careful to protect Gazan civilians. As the US supplies Israel with munitions and weapons, and provides diplomatic protection, especially at the UN, many Israelis see this as manipulation bordering on blackmail. Yet so far, the war cabinet is backing the IDF to finish the job of destroying Hamas and freeing Israel's hostages.

   • God Almighty, use Israel's current situation, which is causing many nations to come against it, to hasten Your Son's return (Isa. 42:13; Zech. 12:2-10; 14:1-4).

   • Please block all attempts to manipulate or blackmail Israel (Num. 23:23; Job 5:13-14; Psa. 124:1-8).

   • We thank You and give You glory for the war cabinet's stance as an answer to prayer (Psa. 50:15).

   • Keep the war cabinet united and focused on its goal of destroying Hamas (Psa. 15:4; Matt. 5:37).

   • Let the IDF's flooding of Hamas' enormous tunnel system wash away the deadly traps which the enemy has put there against Israel's army (Psa. 35:4-8; 74:20; Isa. 28:15-18).

   • Remove Hamas' demonic protection, and replace it with spirits of paranoia and panic (Num. 14:9).

   • Almighty God, continue to insert Your angelic hosts in this war alongside the IDF (Psa. 35:5-6).

   • Protect Israel's modern-day warriors and supply all of their needs (Psa. 32:7; 140:7; 144:10).

   • Enable the IDF to fight like David's mighty men, especially inside Gaza's cities (2 Sam. 23:8-9).

   • Please guard over them from friendly fire or any other type of accidents (Psa. 3:3-5; 91:4).

   • We grieve over the deadly mistake of the IDF killing three hostages that they thought were terrorists and plead with You to prevent further errors like that (Job 19:4; Psa. 19:12a).

   • Comfort supernaturally both those hostages' families and the soldiers who killed them (Psa. 23:4).

   • Yet Lord, let Israelis perceive that all deaths and injuries are ultimately Hamas' fault (Deut. 19:13).

   • Rescue all remaining hostages miraculously (Psa. 12:5; 79:11-12; 144:7; Isa. 42:7; Zech. 9:11), or direct the IDF to find them – or their bodies (Num. 21:1-3; Isa. 49:24-26; Jer. 31:11).

   • Guide Israel to either capture or kill every Hamas leader who is still breathing, regardless of where they may be hiding or residing (Josh. 10:24-25; Psa. 55;23; 110:6; Hab. 3:13).

   • Provide wisdom to Israel's intelligence agencies to uncover all enemy plots by reading the data they gather from Gaza, and Judea and Samaria, correctly and timely (Gen. 40:8; Job 33:15-16; Dan. 2:22).

   • Anoint Israelis who question captured Hamas terrorists to know truth from deception (Eccl. 8:5b).

   • We bless You that Israel is saying no to the world's pressure to let the Palestinian Authority [PA] be the next rulers in Gaza, as they are as dangerous as Hamas to the Jewish nation (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Encourage Israel to continue to expose how the Palestinian Authority and most of its people support Hamas' October 7th atrocities, and thus are not interested in "peace" with the Jews (Jer. 8:11, 15).

   • God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, reveal to Israel's leaders that now is the time for Your nation to repossess Gaza as it is a part of Judah's biblical inheritance (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18).

4. Internal security:

   Israeli security forces are warring against Hamas and other terrorists in Judea and Samaria. They are having much success, yet attempted terror attacks have increased.

   • Lord God, intensify Israel's aggressive tactics against all terrorists and terrorist groups throughout Judea, Samaria and everywhere else in Your land (Obad. 1:18; Zech. 9:13-15).

   • Let Your terror fall on Your enemies in Your land (Gen. 35:5; Ex. 14:24-25; 2 Chr. 17:10).

   • Guide the IDF in its deployment of troops and equipment (2 Sam. 10:9-12; Psa. 144:1).

   • Protect Israel's spies and collaborators in the region and elsewhere in the world (Psa. 5:11; 20:1).

   • Expose to Israel each Iranian spy or collaborator among the Palestinians (Psa. 139:12; 1 Cor. 4:5).

   • Train Israelis in Judea and Samaria, and throughout the rest of Your land, to remain alert and able to defend themselves, their families and their communities (Isa. 41:10-16; Jer. 30:16).

   • May Israel permit more civilians to own personal weapons, especially former soldiers (Neh. 4:17).

   • Lord, use the Hamas attack and subsequent war to convince Israelis that dividing Your land is no longer an option, and let them totally reject this unbiblical idea (Lev. 25:23; Judg. 2:1-5; Joel 3:1-2).

   • Do not allow any IDF soldier's death in Gaza be in vain, but let each one be another nail in the coffin of the "two-state-solution" peace idol in the hearts of many Israelis (Psa. 33:10-11; 1 Cor. 1:19).

   • Let the war against terrorist armies inside the land reinforce the need to extend Israel's sovereignty over all of Your land – from the river to the sea (Psa. 10:16; 35:19-23; Mal. 1:1-5)!

   • Save many Palestinians during this season and turn them into Zionists (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 11:11).

5. External security:

   Iran is waring against Israel through its Middle East proxies today. Israel is fighting against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, and it strikes Iranian activities in Syria. Israel has also said that after Gaza, if the world does not deal with this, then it will confront Hizbullah militarily and not allow them to remain on its northern border.

   • Direct the IDF's response to Hizbullah's increasingly deadly attacks (Prov. 21:30-31; Joel 2:17-21).

   • Draw Hizbullah into Your trap and then enable the IDF to destroy them (Mic. 4:11-13).

   • Use the Houthi piracy to divert the world's attention at least a little from off of Israel so that Your nation has a freer hand to destroy its enemies (Isa. 37:7).

   • Insert confusion in all communications between Iran and its terrorist proxies (Psa. 129:5).

   • Lord God, destroy Iran's nuclear facilities and any other of its industries whose purpose is to destroy Your nation (Psa. 68:1, 30b).

   • We rejoice in Your building up of Your throne in Elam [ancient Iran] by the physical growth and spiritual maturity of the Iranian Body of believers (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

   • Now Lord, fulfill suddenly the remainder of Jeremiah 49:38 and destroy Iran's Shi'ite leadership.

   • Use Iranian believers to bring Your light to their nation during this season (Luke 2:32a).

   • Guide them as they intercede for Iran (1 Tim. 2:1-4), as well as for Israel (Psa. 122:6).

6. Aliyah:

   God regathers His people for His name's sake (Ezek. 36:22-24; Luke 11:2). Believers should be supporting this regathering of the Jews to the land God swore to give to their forefathers as it is a central and essential fulfillment of His end-time plans (Psa. 14:7; 53:6).

   • We thank You that as we pray for aliyah, we do it with confidence as aliyah is Your will and for Your glory's sake (Isa. 43:5-7; Ezek. 36:22-24; 1 John 5:14-15).

   • We bless You that by the end of November 44,000 plus Jews have come home in 2023. More Lord!

   • Lord, as antisemitism and anti-Zionism increase in the world, especially in the West, help Israel to multi-task – to war against Hamas, and to also prepare to receive millions of Jews who will be fleeing to Israel very soon (Psa. 106:47-48; Isa. 54:2-3; Ezek. 36:35-36).

   • Use most of those illegally built houses in Area C by the EU for the Palestinians to end up housing Your people instead (Deut. 6:10-11; Josh. 24:13; Neh. 9:25).

   • Change Israel's Law of Return to line up with Your Word so that Jews with only a Jewish father can make aliyah as a Jew, along with Jews who only have a Jewish mother (Matt. 15:6b; Mark 7:13).

   • In mercy, remove the blindness of Western Jews who think that their comfortable life in exile will be restored, and reveal to them the lessons of 1900 plus years of Jewish history (Isa. 52:1-6; Jer. 31:3).

   • Bring home many Jews today while they can still bring their finances with them (Isa. 60:9).

   • Show Jews who think that they cannot afford to live in Israel – that today the reality is that for them and their families – they cannot afford not to live in Israel (Ezek. 39:27-29).

   • Raise up more believers to carry the Jews back home – in prayer, physically, financially and by speaking with their Jewish friends and acquaintances about aliyah (Isa. 49:22; 60:3-11).

7. Salvation:

   Israel's salvation as a nation will hasten the return of the Lord Yeshua and add mightily to our God's glory (Psa. 79:10; 85:9; Isa. 46:13)!

   • Abba, pour out dreams and visions upon Your people about Your Son during this season while His birth is being celebrated (Joel 2:28-29; Matt. 1:20-21; Luke 1:26-33, 67-75; 2:8-14; 23-32).

   • Fulfill Isaiah 55:11 in all Jews who enjoy listening to Christmas Carols or Handel's Messiah.

   • As Joseph in the Torah portion, reveal Yourself to Your Jewish brothers (Gen. 45:1)

   • Gift more Jews with a hunger and thirst for all of Your Word (Job 22:22; 23:12b; Psa. 119:11).

   • Lord, as per the prophetic portion (Ezek. 37:26), make an eternal covenant of peace with many Jews of the following groups by removing their partial blindness (Rom. 11:25-29): survivors of the Hamas massacre; all remaining hostages; hostages who have been set free yet are imprisoned in their minds and emotions; hostage families and friends, especially those who do not know if their loved ones are alive; IDF soldiers, officers, and families; wounded soldiers and their families; emergency medical people; Israeli politicians who are forced to make life and death decisions daily; Israeli diplomats in the nations; Jews internally displaced; Jews in exile who are suddenly very concerned for their safety; Holocaust survivors wherever they reside; Jewish children, students, teachers and professors; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews (Isa. 44:21-22).

   • King Messiah, anoint believers in the IDF and the rest of Israeli society to reflect Your light to any unsaved Jews with whom they have contact (2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 5:8).

   • As in the Torah portion, wake up Jews to Your Lordship over the earth through the practice gifts to them and to Israel from gentile believers at this time (Gen. 45:26-27).

8. Body of Messiah:

   It is frustrating to see the King of Israel's incarnation and birth taken out of context by much of the Body, so that the biblical connection of these events to God's promises to Israel sounds almost heretical today.

   • Messiah Yeshua, raise up many more Sons of Zion who will see these connections and silence the Sons of Greece in Your Body, especially those who are in leadership (Zech. 9:13; Acts 20:28-32).

   • As Your Body rereads the birth narratives, reveal to many how closely connected they are with Your promises to Israel and the Jews (Matt. 1:1, 19-23; 2:1-6; Luke 1:30-33, 54-55, 68-75; 2:10-11, 25-32).

   • Even use the Christmas Carols to reveal to believers their connection with Israel (Rom. 11:15-18).

   • Continue to train us in the use of Your Word to interpret today's events (Psa. 36:9; 119:130).

   • Anoint us to stand in prayer for our nation's relationship with Israel (Ezek. 22:30-31; Joel 3:1-2).

   • King Messiah, cleanse Your Body from all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic spirits (Col. 1:21-23).

9. Water:

   So far the rain falling on Israel has been fairly steady and is a blessing. Yet now we are moving into the winter season and need the heavy rains and even snow in all the right places.

   • Send Your rain to refresh Your people during this very tense time in Israel (Psa. 68:9).

   • God, use the weather for Your glory and Your nation's welfare (Job 5:10-11; 37:6; Psa. 104:13).

   • Father, in mercy send all of the precipitation Israel needs today (Zech. 10:1; Matt. 5:45b).

10. IFI:

    Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer. It is only by His grace that we pray for this nation and help others in the Body to know how to pray and what to pray about at this time.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Luke 2:30-32