1. Praise:

   Last Monday was the final day of Passover. According to rabbinic tradition that was the day when the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea and the Egyptians were sunk. There are times when we believers experience a similar, seemingly unsolvable, crisis and we also find out that our God does indeed come through – but often at the very last minute.

   • We bless You for the times You rescued us even when it seemed all hope is gone (Psa. 124:7-8).

   • Thank You for Your last-minute rescues which trains us to develop patience (Jam. 1:2-5).

   • We give You a sacrifice of praise as we read of You placing both Israel and us as bait in a trap of Your making so that others come to see who You really are (Ex. 14:1-4; Zech. 12:2-3).

   • Since nothing can surprise You (Isa. 42:9), we thank You that You already know what You will do to set us and Israel free whenever we are trapped and then call upon You (Psa. 50:15; Isa. 30:18).

   • We praise You for living in a time when we can see Your faithfulness (1 Thess. 5:24; Heb. 10:23).

   • We are so grateful that Your faithfulness does not depend on our faithfulness (2 Tim. 2:13).

   • We bless You for saving us through Your gifts of grace and faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

2. Government & society:

   We believe God is today in the process of fulfilling Zechariah 12:2-3. It seems that whatever Israel does, nations, major NGOs, university students, and others condemn it as it defends itself against its Satan-inspired foes. Of course this puts added pressure on Israel's leaders, in particular PM Bibi Netanyahu. Also, since we see God's kingdom intricately entwined with Israel's restoration, this places a heavier burden on us to intercede for Israel's leaders and people.

   • Abba Father, scatter Your enemies who constantly attack Israel today – politically, through lawfare, by personal attacks against its leaders and the IDF, and of course, physically (Psa. 68:1, 30b).

   • Lord, Israel desperately needs those sons of Zion to lead Your nation at this time and so we ask You to raise them up among Your people (Zech. 9:13; Luke 11:9-10).

   • In the natural Israel seems trapped at the Red Sea again with much of the world rushing against it, so please provide anointed leaders like Moses to lead Your nation through (Ex. 14:13-14; 32:11-13).

   • We again confess that we do not trust in Israel's government, yet we trust in You who has set up that government at just this time, and ask You to use it for Your glory (Psa. 115:1-3; Jer.. 14:7).

   • Remove every son of Greece from influencing Your nation – especially politically (Isa. 29:13-14).

   • Use Israel's democratically elected ruling coalition, and not its unelected war cabinet, to guide Israel in paths of what You see as righteousness at this very tense time (Prov. 14:34; 16:12).

   • Shield Netanyahu against the spiritual forces that attack him through the rage of some of the hostage families who are at times manipulated to bring him and his government down (Psa. 35:1).

   • Confront all Israelis who initiate rebellion against Israel's legitimately elected leaders, and who try to ignite lawlessness in Israel's cities by using the hostages as their excuse (Num. 17:10; Job 34:36-37).

   • Instead of demanding "Bring them home," as if Israel is not doing all it could to accomplish that, let the hostages' loved ones focus their anger on Hamas and demand, Let them go! (Ex. 9:17; 10:3).

   • Continue to harden Hamas against any hostage deal which is not good for Israel (Josh. 11:19-20).

   • Heal mentally and emotionally all ex-hostages who are now physically free (Psa. 107:20; 147:3).

   • Pour out Your divine shalom on all those whose loved ones have been murdered or sexually abused, or are still held hostage, or whose fate is as yet unknown (Isa. 61:1-3; Matt. 5:4).

3. Foreign relations:

   The introductory paragraph above applies here as well. God is allowing the nations to force Israel to be a nation that dwells alone (Num. 23:9b). While we can bless Him for this, it is very frightening for Israelis who do not know God like we do to see this as a positive thing. Also, even though nations are fulfilling His will that does not remove from them the dire consequences of their "cursing" of Israel (Num. 24:9b).

   • We are amazed at how swiftly Numbers 23:9b is becoming a reality, and ask You to be very clear in guiding us how to pray about Israel's foreign relations (See also Ex. 33:16).

   • Lord, since You knew US President Biden's Administration would become a very unreliable ally for Israel (Isa. 36:6), we ask You to give Israel's leaders clarity in dealing with them (Prov. 8:14-16).

   • Fill them with Your wisdom (Ex. 31:3) in their relationships with other Western nations who follow America's lead concerning Your nation (Deut. 4:6; Matt. 15:14).

   • God of Israel, caution Netanyahu to see that the more he submits to Biden's threats, the worse things will be for him and for Israel (Psa. 31:15-18; Dan. 4:17).

   • We praise You for each US politician and citizen who stands boldly with Israel, yet we ask You to turn Israelis away from trusting in America and let them trust in You alone (Psa. 118:8-9; Isa. 31:1).

   • Prevent Israel from being bribed by a relationship with Saudi Araba into doing what Biden wants.

   • Download to Israelis a biblically-correct mindset, and take from them all politically-correct thinking (Ex. 19:3-6; Deut. 10:14-15; Ezek. 20:32).

   • Show Israelis how their Western "allies" can be more treacherous than their enemies as they can pressure Israel into making unbiblical moves which it would not otherwise consider (Psa. 55:13-14).

   • Support fully Israel's total rejection of the creation of a Palestinian State in Your land (Joel 3:1-2).

   • Overrule Israel's government to reject all plans that are not of You (Psa. 33:10-11; Isa. 8:9-10).

   • Protect Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan and speak through him as he consistently rebukes the UN's demonic obsession with Israel and a Palestinian State (Psa. 9:1-8; 68:30; 119:21).

   • Lord Yeshua, Lion of Judah, breathe on that anti-Christ infested UN, and strip it of any authority and influence it has over Israel (Psa. 50:16-23; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; 1 John 2:18; 4:3; Rev. 5:5).

4. Israel is still fighting its "War of Independence." Its enemies may change but the goal remains the same – to wipe the Jewish Nation off the map. Today, its enemies are Hamas in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Iran who directs them and its other proxies what to do. "Operation Swords of Iron," Israel's battle against Hamas needs to be completed through an IDF invasion of Rafah, Hamas' final stronghold on Gaza's southern border with Egypt.

   • God, continue to make the IDF that exceedingly great army You prophesied of in Ezekiel 37:10.

   • Despite global resistance, guide Israel to fulfill its vow to totally destroy Hamas (Ex. 17:13-16).

   • Let the shed blood of IDF soldiers who have laid their lives down for Israel provoke its political and military leadership to finish that which they committed to do when they began this war (Psa. 15;4b).

   • Lord, reorganize the IDF's leadership and bring many more sons of Zion into authoritative positions where they will influence and direct Israel's current and future battles (Job 34:24; Zech. 9:13-16).

   • Empower IDF soldiers to fight courageously against Hamas in Rafah (Deut. 31:6-7; Prov. 21:31).

   • Shield the soldiers physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually (Psa. 23:1-6; 91:3-13; 144:10).

   • Also guard over them from any further friendly fire or other deadly accidents (Psa. 46:1; 91:3-8).

   • Lord, as You did with Joshua at Jericho, and others in Scripture, impart precise directions about the timing and tactics of the IDF's invasion of Rafah (Josh. 5:13-6:5; 2 Chr. 20:14-17; Amos 1:6-7).

   • Remove all obstacles, including American objections, to this necessary action (Isa. 57:14).

   • Provide the soldiers who are preparing to go into Rafah with all the training and equipment that they will need and be a shield over them as they go (Psa. 121:7-8).

   • Do not allow any terrorists to escape by hiding among fleeing civilians (Jer. 23:24; 49:10).

   • Abba, set free any hostages who are still living (Psa. 146:7; Zech. 9:11), or guide the IDF to find them in Rafah, or wherever they are, and release them from their captivity (Num. 21:1-3).

5. Internal security:

   Israel has seen an increase in terror attacks since Oct. 7th. While most are, thank God, unsuccessful, still Muslims are taught to kill as many Jews as possible. [Today, they are also slaughtering multitudes of Christians in various African and other nations.]

   • Uncover every internal terrorist plot to Israel's security forces (Job 12:22).

   • Lord, prevent all kidnappings or drive-by shootings from being successful (Psa. 17:8-9).

   • Lead Israel in how to better protect its roads and checkpoints against attacks (Isa. 49:10-11).

   • Let these terrorist attacks show Israelis the danger of dividing their land (Lev. 25:23; Joel 3:1-2).

   • God, continue to harden Palestinian leaders to refuse to allow a Jewish nation, or even any Jew, from remaining in whatever future Palestinian State they are hoping to establish (Josh. 11:19-20).

   • Use the hatred and distrust that is evident between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas (Psa. 35:4-8; 55:9) to turn these enemies of Israel against each other in battle (Josh. 7:22; Zech. 14:13).

   • Give great success to Finance Minister Smotrich as he tries to enlarge Israel's borders and to legalize dozens of Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria (Deut. 33:27-29; Isa. 54:2-3).

   • If Defense Minister Gallant is in fact resisting this, replace him with a true Son of Zion (Psa. 109:8)!

6. External security:

   Iran has not yet responded to Israel's retaliation against its major attack. It has physically covered up the damage Israel caused and ignored it in its local press and its leaders' speeches. Yet apparently it has told Hizbullah to keep up its bombardment of northern Israel. Sooner, rather than later, Israel will need to deal militarily with Hizbullah and destroy it.

   • Almighty God, let the arrogant pride of these radical Shi'ite Muslims in Iran and in Lebanon bring them down to destruction (Prov. 16:18; 17:19).

   • Lord, let the curses, and attacks by Iran's proxies, and now by itself, against Your nation fall back on the heads of Iran's leaders and the heads of all of its proxies (Num. 24:9b; Isa. 34:8; Gal. 6:7).

   • Stir up unquenchable division between Iran, its proxies and internally in the proxies (Psa. 71:13).

   • Let Israel see from history that no one will destroy Iran's nuclear program just for its sake, and then show it how to erase this very real existential threat once and for all (Jer. 50:25; 51:20-25).

   • Lord, even better would be for You to sovereignly destroy Iran's nuclear facilities (Psa. 140:1-10).

   • Increase the internal strife that Iran is experiencing throughout its society (Psa. 9:1-11; 27:2).

   • Messiah, we bless You for the growing Body in Elam [ancient Iran] (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

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

   • Please also fulfill Jeremiah 49:38b – very suddenly and very soon.

   • God of hosts, prepare both the IDF and Israeli society for what looks like an inevitable war against Hizbullah in the near future (1 Sam. 7:12; 1 Cor. 14:8).

   • Impart unity between Israel's political and military leadership as to the strategy and tactics the IDF needs to use against Hizbullah to defeat it completely (Isa. 11:13-14; Hos. 1:11).

   • Show Israel that all of South Lebanon up to the Latani River is part of Asher and Naftali's God-given inheritance and let them be ready to annex it in Your timing (Deut. 11: 24; Josh. 13:2-7).

7. Aliyah:

   The Jews are being regathered by God who has scattered them among the nations for almost 2,000 years (Jer. 31:10) This is the clearest sign that we live in the biblical end-times. Also as this points to Yeshua's soon return, the devil is very enraged and tries to destroy Israel's restoration in whatever way he can – including through deceiving the Body of Messiah concerning aliyah's true importance to the Kingdom of God.

   • We praise You for the aliyah which is prophesied to be for Your glory and praise (Isa. 43:5-7, 21).

   • Lord, teach Your Body the scriptural links between the aliyah, Israel's salvation and Your glorious return (Psa. 14:7; 53:6; 106:47; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 23:39).

   • Open the eyes of gentile believers to see that the aliyah is not a "Jewish" matter, but is principally a "Kingdom of God" matter which is being openly fulfilled today (Deut. 30:1-6; Zech. 8:1-8; 10:8-10).

   • Help Israel to be ready to receive and settle many millions of new immigrants (Ezek. 36:8-12).

   • God, raise up many more shepherds to lead the Jews out of today's Egypt (Ex. 15:13; Isa. 63:11-13).

   • Use the hate-driven anti-Semitic demonstrations occurring in Western nations and their universities to chase Your people out of the captivity (Jer. 16:16; Ezek. 20:34).

   • Do not allow pride to prevent Jews from seeing that now is the time to come home (Prov. 11:2).

   • Especially in the West, set many Jews free of the false hope that everything will return to "normal" since neither history nor Your Word indicate that that is true (Deut. 30:3-5; Mic. 2:12-13).

   • Show them that the captivity among the gentiles was never meant to be permanent (Deut. 30:3-5).

   • May today's increased interest in aliyah, result in an increase of actual aliyah (Jer. 50:4-8; 51:9-10).

   • Remove every blockage which hinders aliyah from in people's minds or in Israel's bureaucracy, or in those nations where Jews are not free to leave (Isa. 62:10).

   • Please Lord, modify Israel's rabbinical standards of "who is a Jew?" so that every person whom You see as Jewish can immigrate and receive their full Israeli citizenship (Mark 7:9, 13).

   • Deepen the roots in the land of every Jew who has returned (Psa. 80:8-9; Isa. 27:6; 37:31).

8. Salvation:

   YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel (Jer. 31:7b). This prayer was given by God to the watchmen [notzrim] (Jer. 31:6a), which in today's Hebrew means "Christian".

   • Lord, make this directive to Your Body a part of every believer's prayer burden (1 John 5:14-15).

   • Revive a willingness to share the good news of Yeshua with the Jewish people (Rom. 1:16; 11:11).

   • Abba, we ask You to remove that partial blindness which You put over Your people so that a larger remnant of Jews will receive Yeshua as Messiah, Savior and Lord (Rom. 11:25-26).

   • As Your people read the Torah portion, let them question why You place such emphasis on blood being shed for the forgiveness of sin and yet the rabbis have modified that (Lev. 17:11-12, 14)

   • Reveal Your Son to Jews residing throughout Your land; Holocaust survivors; Oct. 7th and other terror attack survivors; hostages, ex-hostages, and their loved ones; IDF soldiers wherever they are deployed and their families; loved ones of soldiers who died or are severely injured; widows and orphans; all rabbis and anti-missionaries; Israelis who still live out of their homes from both the south and the north; Jewish politicians, diplomats, teachers and professors; medical personnel; university students, including Jews scared to go to class because of the anti-Israel demonstrations; yeshiva students; Jews and Israelis in exile; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews (Ex. 34:9; Psa. 28:9).

   • As Your people read the Tanach, inject them with a holy dissatisfaction about their relationship with You as compared to what the Jews in biblical times had (Psa. 42:2; 63:1).

   • Protect the Body of Messiah in Israel from all false doctrine or prophets (Eph. 4:11-15).

9. The Body of Messiah:

   We are inundated with information in today's digital age. We need to train ourselves to use God's Word as a filter, or we might burn out with what is known as "information overload." By God's Word, we mean from Genesis through Revelation, which is obvious for you who read this alert, yet unfortunately, this is not the case for way too many modern day believers.

   • Show us in Your Word what You are doing through the incredibly swift growth of world-wide Jew-hatred (Psa. 2:1-3; Jer. 16:16; Jer. 51:8-10).

   • Reveal to Your Body that global anti-Semitism is a direct attack on that cultivated olive tree into which we are all grafted and without which our faith dries up (Rom. 11:17-18).

   • Lord, let there be a revival of the whole counsel of God in Your Body (Isa. 25:1; Acts 20:24).

   • Raise up many more sons and daughters of Zion in the Body – those who love and fear You and love Your Word – and use them to have greater influence on other believers (Psa. 119:140; John 17:17).

   • Cast out all God-cursed anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic spirits (Gen. 21:10; Psa. 5:10; 144:6).

   • Also cast out the anti-biblical teachings of replacement and fulfillment theology (2 Tim. 4:1-4).

10. Water:

    The Sea of Galilee [Kinneret] is nearly full. As of this writing it sits at 0.52 meters, [1.7 feet] below its upper level. Let's ask God to fill it up completely as Israelis see a full Kinneret as a sign of God's favor, and Yeshua teaches us that because of His Father's mercy He pours out the rain on the just, as well as the unjust (Isa. 41:17-20; Matt. 5:45b).

11. IFI:

    We treasure Your prayers and support. Thank you and please continue with both.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Lev. 18:2 [from Shabbat's Torah portion]