1. Praise:

    In Shabbat's Torah portion God instructs Moses to build the wilderness tabernacle: Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, after the pattern of the tabernacle and all of its vessels, even so shall you make it. (Ex. 25:8-9)

    • Lord, Your desire to dwell with Your people – even while we are still struggling with sins – is an incredible indication of Your love for us (1 John 4:19; Rev. 1:5).

    • Thank You for using us as living stones in Your Temple today (1 Pet. 2:4-5).

    • We praise and thank You, Messiah Yeshua, for being the Chief Cornerstone, and also the Headstone so that this Living Temple is centered on You (Psa. 118:22; Eph. 2:20; Heb. 12:2; 1 Pet. 2:6-8).

    • Even before Your death and resurrection, Your mercy triumphed over Your judgment as in the Torah portion we see the Mercy Seat covering the tables of Law in the Holy of Holies (Ex. 25:21-22).

    • We are blessed to serve a God who desires to hear and answer our prayers (Psa. 50:15; Prov. 15:8b).

  2. Government & society:

    PM Bibi Netanyahu last night responded to a plan by US President Biden and some "friendly" Arab nations to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian State in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in the manner of a true Son of Zion, by absolutely rejecting it. The report about this in the Washington Post said that they were aiming to announce this before March 10th when Islam's holy month of Ramadan starts. The key is a hostage deal that includes a ceasefire long enough to end the war against Hamas – without defeating Hamas.

    • God, thank You for the Sons of Zion in Israel's government, those who trust in You and Your Word, who joined Bibi in publicly rejecting this plan (Psa. 118:9; Jer. 17:5-8; Zech. 9:13).

    • Please protect Israel from any sons of Greece, who trust in man, who think that Israel needs to obey America from trying to undermine the above Sons of Zion (Isa. 31:1)

    • Erase all anti-biblical and humanistic leanings from Israelis hearts and minds, and as a major part of this, drastically reduce the influence of most of Israel's mainstream media (1 Kin. 18:21).

    • Continue to use Netanyahu until it is Your time for him to step aside (Dan. 2:21; Jer. 27:5).

    • Send forth sons of Zion and sons of Issachar to be his advisors (1 Chr. 12:32; Prov. 19:20-21).

    • Strengthen him against personal attacks from both inside and outside of Israel (Psa. 17:7).

    • Abba, pour out Your comfort on all Israel, especially on those whose loved ones are being held hostage, or whose fate is as yet unknown (Psa. 23:4-6; Isa. 12:1; 61:1-3).

    • Thank You for Netanyahu and most other Israeli leaders absolutely rejecting Hamas' over-the-top demands in their current hostage exchange-for-ceasefire offer (2 Chr. 19:7; Prov. 21:1).

    • Use Hamas' demands to turn the mindset of the hostages' families and Israel's media so that their anger and frustration is focused at Hamas and not at Bibi and the government (Prov. 19:11a).

    • Thwart all spirits of division and rebellion from reappearing in Israel (Ex. 23:2; Isa. 11:13-14).

    • Abba, aid Israel's economy to prosper miraculously during the war (Gen. 12:2; 13:2; Deut. 8:18).

  3. Foreign relations:

    Not only is there a concerted push to reward the massacre of Jews by gifting the Palestinians with their own state, but most nations are also attempting to stop Israel from destroying Hamas. Keep in mind that this state will be established on God's land that He has gifted to Israel over 3,500 years ago. So far the pressure on Israel for both of these moves is political, yet as Israel continues to resist, Zechariah 12:2-9 and 14:2 could be fulfilled by military means a lot quicker than many believers, including us, were expecting.

    • Lord, wake up Your Body to their spiritual responsibility to pray for their nation over its negative, or halfhearted, dealings with Your nation Israel today (Isa. 34:1-8; Ezek. 22:30; Zech. 12:9).

    • Let prophetic voices in America warn its political and church leaders that Biden's push to create a Palestinian State actually pushes the US deeper into Your valley of judgment by dividing Your land and expelling almost one million Israelis from their homes (Joel 3:1-2; cp. Isa. 66:4; Ezek. 36:1-5).

    • Erase this anti-biblical "two-state solution" deception from Israel's thinking and from the thinking of every born-again believer – and even from some nations as well (Psa. 10:4; 94:11; 139:23-24).

    • Strengthen Israel's resistant to this satanically-inspired plan that rewards the Palestinians for raping and massacring Jews and taking many as hostages (Job 18:5-6; Isa. 3:11; 65:13-14).

    • Lord, defend Your nation against the world's anti-biblical and anti-Semitic schemes (Psa. 124:1-8).

    • Continue hardening Palestinian leaders against living peacefully with a Jewish state on "their" wakf land [territory dedicated to Allah] (Deut. 2:30; Josh. 11:20).

    • Silence foreign ministers, in particular America's Blinken, who are pressing hard on Israel to submit to their anti-God propositions – or in some cases – even demands (Isa. 8:9-10; 33:7).

    • Watch over Psalm 33:10-11, and bring the counsel and plans of the nations to nothing.

    • Use Israeli diplomats to speak truth regardless of the world's response (Ezek. 3:19; Gal. 4:16).

    • Anoint Foreign Minister Israel Katz for Your holy name's sake (Psa. 63:11; 79:9a; 115:1-3).

    • Let Israel finally see that it has no trustworthy "friends" among the nations and use this truth to turn many Israelis to look to and trust in You alone (Num. 23:9b; Psa. 80:3; 118:6-9).

    • Show Israel when it is time for it to leave the UN and wipe the dirt off its feet (Matt. 10:14-15).

    • Or let the UN expel them – which is what some UN members are already suggesting (Jer. 8:9).

  4. Israel is still fighting its "War of Independence." While it has had periods of less actual warfare, modern Israel has not yet had a season of real shalom. Today's action, "Operation Swords of Iron," is against Hamas in Gaza. Israel is winning overwhelmingly, and that is part of why the world wants it to stop as another Israeli victory is further proof that the Bible is true and that Israel's God – is God!

    • Thank You for Your angelic hosts actively defending Israel today (Judg. 5:20; 2 Chr. 32:7-8).

    • Lord God, help Israel to finish this war victoriously and with its deterrence restored (Psa. 44:4-6)!

    • Do not let Israel's leaders accept any "ceasefire" which leaves Hamas "alive" (Ex. 15:6; Num. 10:9).

    • Let the war end when You deem it over and not when Biden or anyone else says so (Eccl. 3:1, 8).

    • We give You the glory for aiding the IDF to rapidly adapt their tactics in a type of urban warfare that is unknown in previous wars throughout history (Psa. 29:1-11).

    • Guide the IDF to capture or eliminate Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, and let them do it in such a way that Your fear comes upon all remaining Hamas terrorists (Psa. 53:4-5; 59:13).

    • Put all of Hamas to open shame (Job 8:22; Psa. 83:16; 109:29). [In the Middle East honor versus shame overrides all other issues in life, and that is why this is mentioned so often in Scripture.]

    • Confound their communications and cause infighting between Hamas's leaders (Psa. 129:5).

    • Safeguard IDF soldiers physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, and provide everything that they need to win this war in a way that brings You glory (Psa. 24:8-10; Ezek. 37:10).

    • Let Israel become much more self-sufficient in supplying the IDF's material needs so that it can cut out the ability of the nations to manipulate and threaten Your nation (Num. 23:23; Psa. 50:10-12).

    • Empower them to fight as Sons of Zion and not according to the world's standards (Zech. 9:13-15).

    • Precious God, protect them from friendly fire and other accidents (Gen. 15:1; Psa. 3:3; 91:4).

    • We bless You for how the IDF's tunnel warfare abilities are now more effective and deadly towards Israel's enemies, and ask for all remaining tunnels to be uncovered and destroyed (Isa. 41:10-16).

    • Oversee Israel's plans to invade Rafah, Hamas' final stronghold that is on the Gaza-Egyptian border.

    • Aid Israel to control Gaza's Egyptian border and to keep good relations with Egypt (Isa. 19:23-25).

    • Lord God, supernaturally set free all remaining living hostages (Isa. 49:24-26; Jer. 32:17, 27).

    • Alternatively, guide the IDF to locate them or their bodies (Num. 21:1-3; Judg. 5:12b).

    • Draw the personnel in Israel's intelligence services to ask You for help as they try to discern what is important and what is not with the intelligence date they collect (Deut. 29:29; Jer. 23:18; 33:3).

    • Help Israel to start formulating strategy for the "day-after" the war before what is forced on it by the global community turns out to be more dangerous than before October 7th (Psa. 31:3; 32:8).

    • Lord God of Israel, stamp Your "day-after" scenario on Israeli hearts; that is, for Israel to repossess all of Gaza as it is a part of Judah's biblical inheritance (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18).

    • Help all Gazans who want to emigrate to be able to do so despite the world's resistance (Psa. 79:11).

  5. Internal security:

    Israel faces attempted terror attacks in Judea and Samaria, and in the rest of Israel, daily. Yet praise God, Israel's security forces stop most of them, and pre-empt many others.

    • Let the war against Hamas and the terrorists in Judea and Samaria show Israelis how dividing Your land does not bring peace – but war (Prov. 22:28; Joel 3:1-2).

    • Use the war to unify all Israel to resist Biden's plans to recognize "Palestine" in the biblical heartland of Your people – to which You are resettling them with all of Your heart and soul (Jer. 32:41-44).

    • Give Israel courage in the face of the world's demands for a "Palestine" to extend its sovereignty over Your land – from the river to the sea (Psa. 10:16; Jer. 33:12-14)!

    • Hold Netanyahu faithful to his recent statement that Israel must maintain complete security control over all of that land (Judg. 2:1-5).

    • Uncover all terrorist plots or tunnels Israel has not yet found in Judea and Samaria (Job 12:22).

    • Keep the private security forces that are often used to guard Israel's communities and its checkpoints alert and willing to defend Israelis regardless of the personal cost (Judg. 5:12; John 15:13).

    • In line with Your Word, curse all those who curse Israel (Num. 24:9b; Prov. 22:8).

    • Give Israel wisdom in dealing with the thousands of terrorists they have captured (Ezra 7:25-26).

    • Lord, save a huge remnant of Palestinians and turn them into Philo-Semites (Matt. 5:44).

  6. External security:

    Iran's goal of annihilating Israel first before extending their rule over the rest of the globe, is what currently drives their foreign policy (Psa. 83:1-4). Today, Iran tries to achieve this via its Middle East proxies – Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, terrorist groups and its own nefarious activities in Syria.

    • God, if this is Your will, prepare Israel, both army and society, to fight a multi-front war in the near future, and also be the One to determine its timing (Ex. 23:27; Psa. 23:5).

    • Let Israel see that not the US, or any other nation, will remove the Iranian threats against the Jewish State and help them to hear You to guide them on how to deal with this (Deut. 20:1-4; Psa. 20:7-9).

    • Fulfill Isaiah 8:9-10 as it relates to Israel's current international security situation.

    • May Israel's verbal threats against Hizbullah be followed by military action (Matt. 5:37).

    • Exponentially increase the results of every IDF attack against Hizbullah (Gen. 14:20; 49:8).

    • Lord, as we are interceding for Israel as Your priests, please watch over Joel 2:17-20 and deal with Hizbullah, the northern army who is threatening Israel today.

    • If Israel must take the battle directly to Iran, guide it to do that with miraculous results (Lev. 26:7-8).

    • We thank and praise You for Your Body in Elam [ancient Iran] (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

    • Lord God, arise and fulfill Jeremiah 49:38b by destroying Iran's king and its princes.

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

  7. Aliyah:

    This is one of the central reasons why we believe that we are living in the prophetic end-times. God's regathering of His scattered people (Jer. 31:10) is a prelude to all Israel being saved and also to the return of Messiah Yeshua. Yet Messiah's Body, who should be excited about, and supportive of, this huge prophetic sign, is mostly silent and often blind to its prophetic meaning.

    • Father in heaven, sanctify Your name by regathering Your people back to Israel and let Your will be done on earth as it is already being done in heaven (Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 36: 23-24; Luke 11:2).

    • Lord, move on Your Body so that many more see the connection between Your restoration of the Jewish people to their land and Your preparation for Your return (Zech. 12:2-10; Matt. 23:39).

    • God Almighty, anoint Israel to be ready and able to take in and settle the millions of Jews who You are chasing out of the nations and bringing back home (Isa. 54:2-3; Jer. 32:41-44).

    • Shake up Western Jews to see how their gilded cages in captivity are being destroyed (Jer. 16:16).

    • Take away the deception that this explosion of anti-Semitism is just a temporary setback, and teach Jews from Your Word that living in the captivity was never meant to be permanent (Deut. 30:3-5).

    • Let the growth of interest in aliyah among Jews in the nations lead to action (1 Chr. 16:35).

    • Open the gates wide for Jews who live in nations that stop them from leaving – like Iran (Neh. 9:10).

    • Cause more Jewish children to ask their parents about living this year in Jerusalem (Psa. 8:2).

    • Root Jews who do make aliyah so deeply in Your land that they will never leave (Isa. 27:6; 37:31).

    • Show believers their biblical responsibility to help the Jews to return – through prayer, finances, by physically carrying them, or just sharing with them what Your Word says about their God-ordained homeland (Isa. 49:22; 60:3-11; Rom. 15:26-27).

    • Raise up "righteous gentiles", both believers and non-believers, who will help Jews to make aliyah as the murderous rage against Your people increases in the nations (Psa. 64:1-5; Prov. 28:28a).

  8. Salvation:

    Recent polls have shown a move towards God in Israeli society since the October 7th massacre. While this might seem counterintuitive to us, it definitely sounds like God!

    • Lord Yeshua, as Joseph did with his brothers (Gen. 45:1-4), reveal Yourself to many Jews in such a surprising way that they go and tell their families that You are indeed alive (Gen. 45:24-28).

    • Prevent those who are seeking You from falling into the well-worn paths of rabbinic Judaism and have them instead turn to Your Word for enlightenment (Psa. 36:9; Isa. 55:6-11).

    • Messiah Yeshua, speak to secret Jewish believers to confess You openly today (Matt. 16:24).

    • Abba Father, by Your grace manifested in Your Son, save a large remnant of Holocaust survivors; of Hamas' massacre survivors; all living hostages and their families; ex-hostages who battle with their minds and emotions; IDF soldiers and families; soldiers and civilians severely wounded; all medical personnel; Jewish teachers in all levels of education; Jewish politicians; members of the war cabinet; Israel's diplomats; Israelis living out of their homes from the Gaza periphery and from the north; pre-October 7th peace activists; Jews, including Israelis, in exile who are now concerned for their safety; Jews who reject Rabbinic Judaism but have not rejected You; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews (Gen. 49:18; Ex. 15:2; 1 Sam. 2:1; Psa. 3:8).

    • Anoint Jewish and gentile believers to provoke many Jews in Israel to jealousy (Rom. 11:11, 14).

  9. Body of Messiah:

    We are in great need to let God's Word determine our worldview. This by necessity means that knowing and trusting in the Old Testament [Tanach] is essential for us today.

    • Lord, fill us afresh with Your Spirit so that as we read Your Word we see at least in part what You are doing today to prepare the way for Your Son's return (Psa. 36:9; 119:105, 130; Eph. 1:17).

    • Yeshua Lord, raise up the sons of Zion and remove the sons of Greece in Your Body – especially among the various teaching ministries (Zech. 9:13; Matt. 16:23; 2 Pet. 2:1; 2 John 9:11).

    • Let Christian Zionists influence their believing friends and family in a greater way (Matt. 13:31-32).

    • Lord, expel from Your Body all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic spirits (Isa. 5:20-23).

    • Also Lord, uproot and destroy completely replacement theology from in Your Body (Gen. 12:3b).

    • Show Your Body that even before Yeshua's resurrection You arranged it so that, as we see in the prophetic portion, both Jew and gentile worked together to build Your house (1 Kin. 5:12, 18).

  10. Water:

    Israel is in the season of the latter rains, and has been regularly getting water from heaven. This is wonderful news and an answer to our many prayers over the years.

    • Lord, we bless You for the latter rains which are soaking Israel at this time (Deut. 11:14).

    • Thank You for this witness in nature to how merciful You are (Matt. 5:45b).

    • Again we ask You to use the weather to bless Israel and hinder its enemies' plans (Psa. 148:7-8).

  11. IFI:

    Yeshua's exhortation to us to always pray and not to give up (Luke 18:1) is a great encouragement today as we watch the deception increasing and God's judgment falling more frequently on the nations of this world. Thank you for holding our arms up in prayer and for also encouraging us to continue on in the fight through your kind words and financial support.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Rev. 22:21