1. Praise:

    Shabbat's Torah portion tells the story of the first Passover. It occurred in Egypt and resulted in freeing the Israelis from their Egyptian bondage. A careful reading of Exodus 12 makes one thing very clear – the initial Passover was the Lamb! You shall eat [the lamb] with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; you shall eat [the lamb] in haste: it [the lamb] is YHWH's Passover. (Ex. 12:11; see also verses 21 and 27)

    • We praise You Lord Yeshua for becoming the Lamb of God who carries away our sins (John 1:29).

    • Thank You for removing our rebellious nature as far as the east is from the west (Psa. 103:12).

    • We proclaim with all of heaven, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain… (Rev. 5:12).

    • Hallelujah! You are not only the Lamb, but You are also the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5-6)!

    • Abba, we thank You for revealing to us in Exodus 12:13 and 12:23 that the blood of the lamb was seen by You and resulted in Your protection from Your righteous judgment on our sins.

    • Since You see our sins as scarlet, they are blotted out by the blood – which is also scarlet (Isa. 1:18).

    • We do glorify You for hearing and answering our prayers in times of trials and testing (Psa. 50:15).

    • And we are tremendously grateful that You, Lord Yeshua, are interceding for us now (Heb. 7:25).

  2. Government & society:

    Because of international pressure, most Israel's leaders are struggling to remain faithful to their declared goal of destroying Hamas. So our prayers for more sons of Zion to be raised up and for the sons of Greece to be replaced, is still vital for Israel today.

    • Lord God, please increase the influence of Israel's sons of Zion today and remove all the influence of any son of Greece in Israel's government, its military and its society (Jer. 27:5; Zech. 9:13).

    • We also ask for any sons of Issachar to gain much more influence in Israel (1 Chr. 12:32a).

    • Use PM Bibi Netanyahu for Your glory – until it is Your time for him to quit politics (Psa. 75:6-7).

    • Yet forbid him or his advisors from making any decisions like sons of Greece (Psa. 119:18, 26-28)..

    • God, we plead with You to comfort and draw to Yourself all Israelis whose loved ones are dead, or will die, who are still hostages, or whose fate is as yet unknown (Psa. 23:4; 86:17; 119:50, 76).

    • Overrule all future hostage exchanges, and turn what the enemy is scheming for evil into a blessing for Israel (Deut. 23:5; Jer. 31:3; Ezek. 16:6-8; Rom. 8:28).

    • God Almighty, bless Israel's economy and expand it today (Gen. 26:12-14; 41:52; Deut. 8:18).

    • Lord, please hear our persistent prayers and fulfill Isaiah 1:25-27 as soon as possible.

  3. Foreign relations:

    We are seeing many nations politically coming against Jerusalem today. This will likely lead to them coming against Israel militarily (Zech. 12:2-3; 14:2), thus there is a need to focus prayers on Israel's foreign relations. [Note: in both biblical Hebrew and Greek "all" does not necessarily mean "all" as used in English. Will it be "all" nations against Jerusalem, or a majority of them? That could easily depend on how believers pray for their nation's relations with Israel today.]

    • Lord Yeshua, speak to more believers concerning their responsibility to intercede about their nation's relations with Israel at this time in history (Isa. 34:8; Jer. 5:1; Ezek. 22:30-31).

    • Lord God, guide us in prayer as there are possible prophetic scenarios being set up today and we do not want to pray against Your will (Gen. 18:17; Amos 3:7; 1 John 5:14-15).

    • Thank You for using Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, and many of its other global diplomats to speak truth about Israel's situation, regardless of how others receive it (Psa. 25:5; 43:3; Gal. 4:16).

    • Use Foreign Minister Israel Katz's bluntness and directness for Your sake (Prov. 22:21; Acts 26:25).

    • Harden Israel's leaders and people to their unyielding resistance against the creation of a Palestinian State on Your land – as if the Palestinians deserve a reward for murdering Jews (Jer. 1:18; Ezek. 3:8).

    • Thank You for Netanyahu openly telling the US Administration "no" on this issue (Lev. 25:23).

    • Keep Israeli diplomats and leaders from being deceived by those who declare themselves to be its friends with sweet words, but actually have war in their hearts (Psa. 5:8-9; Rom. 3:13).

    • Defend Israel during the war of lying and condemning words against it (Deut. 33:29; Jer. 50:36).

  4. "Operation Swords of Iron," Israel's war against Hamas, could drag on all through 2024. Part of the reason for that are the demands America is placing on IDF tactics and part is because Israel did not destroy Hamas as it should have when it was smaller yet still a very real threat (Eccl. 8:11). The war obviously puts a strain on Israeli society, as well as on us as we often need to pray into the same issues repeatedly, Still Luke 18:1 encourages us to press on in intercession.

    • Lord, protect Israel from all unbiblical "suggestions" of the US administration on how it needs to battle Hamas and what Gaza should look like afterward (Psa. 2:1-3; 9:19-20; 124:1-8).

    • Reinforce Israel's rejection of having the Palestinian Authority [PA] to be the next ruler of Gaza as they are as demonically-inspired and full of Jew-hatred as Hamas (Psa. 33:10-11; Isa. 8:9-10).

    • Reveal to Israel's leaders that the only "day-after" scenario which pleases You is for Israel to take back all of Gaza, which is part of Judah's inheritance (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18; Joel 3:19-20).

    • Regardless of whether it was You will for the IDF to change tactics, reveal Your current strategy to them so that this next phase actually hastens Hamas' destruction (Isa. 14:31-32; Ezek. 35:10-13).

    • As per the Torah portion, arise and execute judgment against Hamas' false god – Allah (Ex. 12:12).

    • Protect IDF soldiers physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, and supply all of their needs to be able to fight as that prophesied exceedingly great army (Job 5:19-20; Psa. 3:7-8; Ezek. 37:10).

    • Increase their protection from friendly fire and all other types of accidents (Psa. 91:4; Prov. 3:24).

    • Prevent Israel from trusting in its military advances through the use of Artificial Intelligence, but to trust in You instead who gives men wisdom for these types of advances (Psa. 20:7-9; Prov. 8:12).

    • Reinforce Your angelic armies in this war against Your enemies (Deut. 32:41; 2 Kin. 6:16; Psa. 7:6).

    • Fulfill Your Word from Jeremiah 46:15-16a against Hamas as found in Shabbat's prophetic portion.

    • God of mercy, please release all the remaining hostages miraculously (Psa. 146:7; Isa. 49:24-25), or guide the IDF to find them – or their bodies (Gen. 14:14-16; Num. 21:1-3).

    • Humble Israel's intelligence services by their failure to warn of the Hamas attack and cause many of them to start praying for godly discernment for today and tomorrow (Deut. 29:29; Job 42:2; Jer. 33:3).

    • Broadcast the condemnations of Gazans against Hamas throughout the world (Deut. 17:6; 19:15).

    • Lord, pry open Gaza's gates so that all Gazans who want to emigrate can do so (Psa. 79:11).

  5. Internal security:

    The war against terrorists in Judea & Samaria never stops. Israel's security forces are battling against them with great success – yet terror attacks are attempted every day.

    • We thank You that more and more Israelis are perceiving that the division of Your land only results in death and destruction (Ex. 34:12; Judg. 2:1-5; Joel 3:1-2). Thank You Lord!

    • Let more Israelis demand that Israel extend its sovereignty over all the land (Psa. 10:16; Mal. 1:1-5).

    • As You have done in the last few Torah portions, harden the hearts of today's Palestinian Pharaohs so that they totally reject accepting a Jewish State on any part of the land (Ex. 7:13; 9:35; Deut. 2:30).

    • Yet in mercy and by Your grace, Lord reap a harvest of souls among the Palestinians before they are plucked up and destroyed (Jer. 12:14-17; Matt. 5:44).

    • Lord God Almighty, empower Israel to neutralize every terrorist and terror group which resides in Your land today, or any that might arise tomorrow (Deut. 7:1-2; Isa. 60:18; Zech. 9:8).

    • Insert confusion and animosity in and between all of these terrorists (Psa. 35:4, 26; Zech. 14:13).

    • Direct the arrangement of Israel's troops and equipment in Your land (Prov. 16:9; 21:30-31).

    • Uncover any terror tunnels which may be in Judea and Samaria (Job 28:11b; 34:21-22).

    • Deliver Defense Minister Gallant from the insanity of endorsing the same thing that has been tried yet expecting different results – which is to strengthen the PA (Eccl. 9:3; 10:12-13).

    • Lord, make it easier for proficient Israelis to own personal weapons (Gen. 14:14; Neh. 4:17).

  6. External security:

    Iran's war against Israel has advanced quickly since the Hamas massacre. Iran's oft-stated goal is the total annihilation of the Jewish State, and it uses its various proxies, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and its activities in Syria, to try and accomplish this today. An international coalition is hitting the Houthis to stop their attacks against shipping in the Red Sea, which seriously threatens the world's economy. Put all of this together and it has the ingredients to potentially become the next major world war (Luke 21:28).

    • If the recent Iranian attacks on both Iraqi and Pakistani soil is Your leading of Iran's leaders to make major geo-political mistakes, we say more Lord (Psa. 69:22; Prov. 16:1, 18; 19:21)!

    • If Israel will face a huge multi-front war in the near future, help the IDF and the rest of Your nation to be ready, unified and determined to win (Jer. 51:20-24; Ezek. 25:14; Hos. 1:11).

    • Impart Your wisdom to Israel to know how to protect all of its borders (Psa. 10:16; Mal. 1:5).

    • Let Israel's accuracy and intelligence in killing Hamas and Hizbullah leaders inside and outside of its borders bring a fear and paranoia of the IDF upon every terrorist leader (Psa. 109:29; Jer. 17:18).

    • Fulfill Jeremiah 49:35 and break Iran's bow so that it cannot launch its missiles against Israel.

    • Creator of all, create a power struggle between the remaining leaders of Hamas and Hizbullah that results in confusion and division and their internal unraveling (Jer. 32:17, 27; Amos 3:3).

    • By Your great power, amplify every IDF attack against Hizbullah (Ex. 15:6; Psa. 59:11; 66:3).

    • For both Israel and Lebanon's sake, drag Hizbullah into Your trap and destroy them (Isa. 41:15-16).

    • Intensify the effects of Israel's attacks against Iran's use of Syria as its base (Josh. 10:11; Judg. 4:7).

    • Lord, arise and destroy Iran's expansion of weapons grade uranium supernaturally (Psa. 7:6; 17:13).

    • If not, then reveal to Israel if and when it should pre-empt this Iranian threat (1 Chr. 14:14-17).

    • Lord Yeshua, we bless, thank and praise You for building Your throne in Elam [ancient Iran] by the Iranian Body's numerical and spiritual growth (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

    • Yet is it not time to fulfill the rest of Jeremiah 49:38 and destroy with Iran's current leadership?

    • Lead Iran believers in prayer for their nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and for Israel (Num. 24:9b; Psa. 122:6).

  7. Aliyah:

    God's regathering of His people is for His holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:20-24). With this being the first thing Messiah Yeshua told us to pray about (Matt. 6:9), the restoration of the Jews to His land leading to their salvation (Psa. 14:7), should be a high priority for all believers.

    • We bless You for the approximately 45,000 Jews who made aliyah in 2023 (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • We ask You to regather Your people back to Israel in order that Your will can be fulfilled on earth as it is already fulfilled in heaven (Deut. 30:3-5; Jer. 31:10; Luke 11:2).

    • Lord, give Israel wisdom to prepare to receive the millions of Jews You are drawing, or chasing, back home at this time (Isa. 11:11-12; 54:2-3; Jer. 16:16; 31:3).

    • Warn rich Jews that they should make aliyah and bring their riches to Israel now, and that they need to help many other Jews financially to also come home (Ezra 1:3-4; Isa. 60:9).

    • Show Western Jews that their comfortable lifestyles are being torn up today and their expectation of it being restored ignores 1900 years of Jewish history in exile (Psa. 106:47 ; Jer. 50:4-9; 51:6-10).

    • Ignite Your flame in the hearts of those whom You are calling to make aliyah (Jer. 20:9).

    • Let all encouraging voices concerning aliyah be amplified today (Num. 32:7-9).

    • Use Jewish children to provoke their parents to come home to Israel (Psa. 8:2).

    • Set Your people free who live in nations that will not let them emigrate (Neh. 9:10; Psa. 68:6).

    • Speak to believers to support Your people to return, by praying, contributing financially, helping physically, or by just talking with them about aliyah (Isa. 49:22; 60:3-11; Rom. 15:26-27).

    • Show Your Body that this restoration of the Jews to the land is what You are doing with all of Your heart and soul before the eyes of the world today – and they need to support it (Jer. 32:41-44).

  8. Salvation:

    Israel's salvation comes before Messiah's return as He said there needs to be in Jerusalem Jews saying to Him, Blessed is He who comes in the name of YHWH (Matt. 23:39).

    • For Your glory's sake, pour out the spirit of grace and supplication upon Your people (Zech. 12:10).

    • Lord, especially with the Jews who live in Your land, sprinkle their hearts with clean water (Ezek. 36:25) and write Your law on their hearts (Jer. 31:33).

    • God, turn more Jews to study Your Word instead of the words of men (Isa. 55:11; Jer. 15:16).

    • In mercy, remove the divine blindness placed on the Jews for the gentiles' sake (Rom. 11:25).

    • Abba Father, by Your grace, save a remnant of: the survivors of Hamas' massacres; all hostages still alive; ex-hostages who struggle mentally and emotionally; hostage families and friends whether the hostages are home or their state remains unknown; IDF soldiers all through Israel's army; soldiers' families; soldiers and civilians who are severely wounded; all medical personnel; Jewish politicians, especially those in Israel's war cabinet; their families and aides; Israeli diplomats; homeless Israelis from the Gaza periphery and the north; Jews in exile who are today fearful of their safety; Holocaust survivors; Jews who have turned their backs on Rabbinic Judaism but are still open to You; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews (Psa. 36:7-9).

    • Lord Yeshua, encourage all secret Jewish believers to openly confess You at this time (Matt. 16:24).

    • Shine Your light through Your disciples in the IDF and in Israel's society (John 12:36; 1 Thess. 5:5).

  9. Body of Messiah:

    Today many "prophetic" words are being spoken and the Body needs to have discernment to know what is from God and what is not. Yet believers who do not know and trust in the Tanach [Old Testament] are at a huge disadvantage. So one of the essential needs of the Body at this time is to read and study God's Word – from Genesis through Revelation.

    • Help more believers to study Your Word in order to be approved by You (2 Tim. 2:15), as well as to understand what Your Word is saying to them today (Matt. 22:29).

    • Open their eyes to see that as the New Testament was being written, the Tanach was the only Word of God upon which the early disciples trusted (Matt. 1:22-23; 2:5-6; 3:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).

    • Change every "New Testament believer" into a Bible believer (Jer. 15:16)!

    • Lord Yeshua, guide us in the Holy Spirit so that as we read Your Word we gain at least some idea and sense of what You are doing in today's world (Psa. 36:9; 119:105, 130; Eph. 1:17).

    • Yeshua Lord, raise up many more of the sons of Zion in Your Body and cleanse it from all the sons of Greece, in particular those who teach and preach Your Word (Zech. 9:13; Acts 20:28-32).

    • Also, Lord, cast out from the Body any anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic spirits (Isa. 5:20-23).

  10. Water:

    Israel is in its winter season, the time of the latter rains (Zech. 10:1).

    • Continue to send the heavier rains to fall on Israel at this season (Job 12:15; 37:6).

    • God, control the weather for Your glory and Israel's benefit (Job 38:25-27; Psa. 147:8; Matt. 5:45b).

    • Use the winter weather as a blessing for Israel and a disaster for Israel's enemies (Job 38:22).

  11. IFI:

    We greatly treasure your prayers, exhortations, and your financial support for us.

Thank you, Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

1 Thess. 5:23-24