1. Praise:

   In these days of increasing confusion and chaos, we are blessed to have God's Word to give us guidance to know what the ultimate truth is, and to know how to pray.

   • We thank You that You Word – from Genesis to Revelation – truly is a light for our paths today (Psa. 36:9a; 119:89; Prov. 6:23; Isa. 8:20; Luke 16:29).

   • Thank You Yeshua that by abiding in You we have God's light (John 1:9; 8:12; 12:46; 15:4-5).

   • We bless You for giving us godly wisdom through Your Word (Jer. 8:9; 1 Cor. 2:13; Col. 3:16).

   • Thank You for telling us that You will instruct us if we walk humbly before You (Psa. 32:8).

   • We rejoice that Your Word is settled forever in eternity (Psa. 119:105).

   • Yeshua, thank You for asking the Father to sanctify us in truth, which is His Word (John 17:17).

   • We praise You for David's example that when everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong, and everyone seems to be against us, we can still encourage ourselves in You (1 Sam. 30:6).

2. Government & society:

   It is amazing to see how prophetic events focusing on Israel are in the process of being so suddenly fulfilled since Oct. 7th. This is exciting to us who know His Word and can often perceive what He is doing. Yet whether or not we have clarity, we can pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done in Israel and throughout the world – for His glory's sake (Luke 11:2).

   • Lord Yeshua, guide us to pray in harmony with what You are doing today (1 Sam. 3:10; Rom. 8:26).

   • As Numbers 23:9b is being so swiftly fulfilled, please do not allow Israel to compromise with any other nation in a way which would slow down what You are doing (Ex.. 33:16).

   • Therefore, we pray for You to override all decisions that Israel's coalition makes which are not in Your will for Your nation at this time in history (Prov. 19:21; 21:1).

   • Strengthen them against capitulating to any internal or external anti-God pressure (Num. 23:23).

   • Enable Israel's sons and daughters of Zion to gain greater influence in all areas of society, and anoint their efforts which ultimately will bring You the glory (Psa. 57:5; 115:1-3;; Zech. 9:13).

   • By Your Spirit, move Israel's leaders' to cry out to You for wisdom (1 Kin. 3:9; Zech. 4:6-7).

   • May PM Bibi Netanyahu be directed by You to lead Israel on Your path today (Isa. 30:21; 32:3).

   • Abba Father, grant to him the wisdom and knowledge of which Daniel spoke (Dan. 2:21b).

   • Lord, shield him – mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually (Psa. 5:12; 115:9-11).

   • As part of that wisdom, please teach Netanyahu how to delegate in a godly fashion (Ex. 18:13-14).

   • Fulfill quickly Isaiah 1:25-27 in Israel's judicial and in all other areas of its society.

   • Thank You for Bibi's non-negotiable red-lines in any hostage/ceasefire deal, and we ask that You would make sure they remain non-negotiable (Matt. 5:37).

   • God of all, move on Hamas' leaders to reject any hostage/ceasefire deal that would be hazardous for Israel, whether for today or in the future (Josh. 11:19-20; Psa. 115:1-3; Rom. 9:17-23).

   • Best of all Lord, would be if You sovereignly set the hostages free and through that set Israel free from the blackmail and extortion which Hamas uses by keeping Israelis prisoners (Isa. 49:24-26).

   • Release Your perfect peace [shalom shalom] on Israelis whose loved ones have been murdered or sexually abused, who are still held hostage, or whose fate is still unknown (Isa. 61:1-3; Matt. 5:4).

3. Foreign relations:

   It is imperative for Israel to understand that its faithful allies are few and most are not very powerful.

   • God, use this to turn Israel to trust in You alone (Psa. 34:8; Isa. 30:18).

   • Abba, we remind You of Psalm 33:10-11 as most nations have become very anti-God (Isa. 55:11).

   • Lord, mightily anoint Bibi and Israel's diplomats to be able to resist anything that America, Egypt, Qatar, or any other nation, demands it to do that is not according to Your will (Prov. 16:9; 19:21).

   • Promote many sons and daughters of Zion and of Issachar to influential places in Israel's diplomatic corps worldwide (1Chr. 12:32; Prov. 11:14; 15:22).

   • Lord, use Amichai Chikli, Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs, as a son of Zion among the nations and anoint him to have a more influential role in Israel as well (Psa. 75:5-7).

   • Let Israel see how their Western "allies" can often be more dangerous than their enemies as allies will push Israel to make anti-biblical moves which it would otherwise not consider (Psa. 55:13-14).

   • Impart wisdom to Israel in relating to the new British and French governments, and the next US administration which will be decided on in November (Isa. 8:9-10).

   • Block Israel from seeing Trump as a "savior" if he becomes the next US president (Jer. 17:5-6).

   • Lord God, if it is in Your perfect will, let Netanyahu speak to a joint session of the US Congress on July 24th and use him bring forth Your truth out of Zion (Psa. 98:3; Mic. 4:2).

   • But if it is not absolutely Your will, or it will end up being a snare, cancel it (Lam. 3:37).

   • Anoint Danny Danon afresh as he again becomes Israel's UN Ambassador (Prov. 13:17b; 28:20a).

   • Help Israel to reevaluate its relations with, and its need for, the UN (Isa. 40:15-17; Jer. 50:28).

   • Lord, show believers their biblical calling to pray into their nation's relations with Israel, as by their intercession their nations can be dealt with in mercy (Ezek. 22:30-31: cp. Isa. 60:12; Zech. .12:9).

4. "Operation Swords of Iron:"

   Israel is saying that the first stage of the war in Gaza is coming to a close as Hamas is not left with much of an army. Yet Israel still negotiates with it through the US, Egypt and Qatar about both the hostages and a ceasefire, and Hamas still rules much of Gaza, killing and intimidating Gazans who want to work with Israel and live in peace. Our prayer burden seems to get heavier with each headline – yet we are constantly reminded that our God reigns.

   • Lord of hosts, we bless You for the victories Israel has achieved up to this point (Psa. 44:4-6).

   • Pour out Your divine strategy to lead the IDF forward in the next stage of this war as Hamas is now fighting against it as an urban guerilla army (Psa. 33:16-17; Prov. 21:30-31).

   • Release Israel from the restraints which the international community has placed on it so that it has had to fight with one hand behind its back (Isa. 41:10-16; Zech. 10:3-7).

   • Lord, turn Israel away from their continual negotiations with terrorist murderers (Prov. 26:24-26).

   • Do not let Israel stop fighting until it achieves Your victory over Hamas (Ex. 17:16; 2 Sam. 23:12).

   • Lord God, shield Israel's warriors, protecting them from the attacks and traps of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as against friendly fire and deadly accidents (Psa. 35:1-3; 43:1; 140:7; Prov. 22:23).

   • Lord, replace all sons of Greece in the IDF's leadership with sons of Zion (Jer. 10:21; Ezek. 34:10).

   • We ask You to do that which You did in Numbers 21:1-3a, in Shabbat's Torah portion when Israel cried out to You to help them rescue those taken hostage by an enemy army back then.

   • Lord, expose, and help the IDF to destroy, all remaining terror tunnels throughout Gaza (Obad. 1:6).

   • Better yet, merciful God, invade the tunnels by Your Spirit, save many Hamas terrorists and create for all the world to see a mighty underground church in Gaza (Acts 9:31)!

   • Abba, support Netanyahu in his correct thinking that after the war Israel must maintain full security oversight over Gaza for the foreseeable future (Judg. 1:18a; Amos 1:6-7).

   • God, silence the Israeli and global media which constantly lies and twists the truth about Israel and its justifiable actions against Hamas (Psa. 12:2; 101:5; Prov. 10:18; Isa. 54:17; Jer. 9:3).

5. Internal security:

   God is directing us to persistently pray for Israel to extend sovereignty over all of its land – at least from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea at this time. Obviously, this is His will as He promised Israel the land more than 200 times in the Tanach, the Old Testament.

   • As all biblical truth is affirmed by two or three witnesses, this gift of the land is etched in heaven, so we pray for You to fulfill this suddenly – and soon (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; Matt. 18:16).

   • Lord God, let Deuteronomy 7:17-26 be read and believed by many more Israelis, especially the political and military leaders (Mark 9:24; Rom. 4:20).

   • Continue to use the Oct. 7th massacre to convince Israelis of the existential threat of the "two-state solution," particularly as support for Hamas has grown among the Palestinians (Psa. 35:20; 120:7).

   • Protect and use Finance Minister Smotrich as he works to extend Israeli civilian rule over many more Jewish communities within Judea and Samaria (Jer. 31:3-5; 32:41-44; 33:12-14).

   • Abba, aid the populations, homes and businesses of all the Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights; the Galilee; and the Negev, to expand supernaturally (Isa. 49:19-20; 54:2-3).

   • Let every illegal house and village which EU money is building for the Palestinians in Area C end up being places for Your people to dwell in as they settle in Your land (Deut. 6:10-11)

   • While terrorist attacks have increased since Oct. 7th, Lord God, thank You that most of them fail or are discovered and stopped by Israel's security forces (Job 36:6; Psa. 55:23; 121:4).

   • Lord, increase Your angelic armies protecting Your nation today (2 Kin. 6:16-17; 2 Chr. 32:7-8).

   • God, uncover and crush all Iranian attempts to support terrorists in Israel (Prov. 22:8).

   • Gracious and loving God, please save many Palestinians at this time, and set them free from their demonic hatred against Israel and the Jews (Ezek. 35:5-6; Matt. 5:44).

6. External security:

   Israel seems to be waiting until the war in Gaza is over before dealing with Hizbullah's threat from Lebanon. Yet Hizbullah says that as soon as the Gaza war is over, they will stop attacking the north of Israel. So if Israel tries to destroy this very real threat but Hizbullah has stopped attacking, then the world will view Israel as the aggressor, will ignore Hizbullah's 1000s of projectiles fired against Israel since Oct. 8th, and the more than 60,000 Israelis who are homeless as a result of that. Israel will be condemned, and most likely sanctioned.

   • Abba, set angels to guard over all of Israel's borders – including its seacoast (Psa. 148:2; Mal. 1:5).

   • Lord of hosts, be in complete control of the timing and tactics of Israel's war against Lebanon (Deut. 4:39; Isa. 52:7b; Eccl. 3:8b; Acts 10:36b). [As Hizbullah is part of the Lebanese government, any war against Hizbullah will be of necessity a war against Lebanon as well.]

   • Show Israel if it needs to pre-empt Hizbullah before the war in Gaza is over (Psa. 18:34; 141:8-10).

   • Lord God, help prepare the IDF and Israeli society for this war (Psa. 23:5; Jer. 51:11-12)

   • Also prepare Israel to rebuke the loud criticism that will arise from the nations when many civilians and Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon are killed or injured (Ex. 4:12; Isa. 54:17; Luke 21:15).

   • Since South Lebanon up to the Latani River is part of the inheritance You gave to the tribes of Asher and Naftali, please show Israel when and how to possess it (Deut. 11: 24; Josh. 13:2-7).

   • Lord, arise and fulfill Micah 4:11-13 against Iran and all of its Middle East proxies.

   • If it is Your will for Israel to reveal its stockpile of nuclear weapons and its willingness to use them against any attempt by Iran to develop their own nukes, prod Israel to do just that (Isa. 13:5-13).

   • God, however You do it, break the bow of Elam [ancient Iran] today (Jer. 49:35).

   • As per Your promise, destroy Iran's modern king and princes (Jer. 49:38b)

   • Allow Iran's leaders who threaten and curse Israel to reap what they sow (Num. 24:9b; Gal. 6:7).

   • Magnify the internal strife Iran is dealing with throughout its society at this time (Psa. 9:1-11; 27:2).

   • Lord God, open the earth to swallow up Iran's nuclear facilities (Num. 16:31-34; Psa. 99:1).

   • If instead You want to use Israel as Your weapon of war, then oversee both the timing and the tactics and totally destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program (Prov. 21:31; Jer. 46:10; 51:20-25).

   • Strengthen the Iranian Body to continue to pray for Iran (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and for Israel (Psa. 122:6).

7. Aliyah:

   It is a joy to witness the regathering of the Jews to God's/their land, as it tells us that God indeed watches over His Word to do it (Jer. 1:12; 31:10). Yet this blessing comes with great responsibility as He commands His Body to be actively involved with the aliyah.

   • Abba Father may Your name be sanctified by the aliyah today (Ezek. 36: 23-24; Luke 11:2a).

   • Lord Yeshua, reveal to Your Body that the aliyah is a major part of Your will being done on the earth today (Isa. 43:5-7; Luke 11:2b).

   • During the summer bring home many Jewish families – especially from the West (Jer. 31:3, 8-9, 17).

   • God, show them that gentile nations' security forces cannot, or may not, protect them (Jer. 31:10).

   • Use the results of both the British and French elections to shake up the Jews who live there to their extremely precarious situation (Deut. 28:65-66; Rom. 8:28).

   • Show Your people that being exiled among the gentiles was not meant to be forever (Deut. 30:3-5).

   • Turn them from fighting for the right to stay there, to exerting their energy to come home (Jer. 51:9).

   • Set Western Jews free of their dangerous expectation that life will return to "normal," as the current surge of anti-Semitic hatred will not dissipate until Your return (Deut. 30:3-5; Zech. 10:8-10).

   • God of Israel, please pour out a divine solvent that will loosen Your people from whatever it is that has them stuck in the captivity (Psa. 116:16; 146:7; Isa. 51:14).

   • Raise up "righteous gentiles," believers or not, who will hide Jews if need be and will aid them to escape to Israel in whatever way they can (Prov. 28:12; Isa. 49:22).

   • Lord God, change Israel's way of dealing with Jews in the exile – from helping them to remain there to inspiring them to come home (Psa. 107:2-3; Isa. 11:11-16).

   • Hasten every plan of Israel's to be ready to settle millions of new immigrants (Ezek. 36:8-12).

   • Lord God, remove all hindrances from making aliyah from Israel's bureaucratic system (Isa. 62:10).

   • Abba, please lower the very expensive cost of living in Israel even at this time (Jer. 32:17, 27).

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

8. Salvation:

   Save us, YHWH our God, and gather us from the gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, and to triumph in Your praise. (Psa. 106:47) This verse links the salvation of Israel with aliyah resulting in God being glorified.

   • Lord Yeshua, show Your Body its directive to pray for Israel's salvation (Rom. 10:1; Jam. 5:16b).

   • Abba, release Your people from that partial blindness You put upon them since Yeshua's day (Rom. 11:25-26), and let Messiah, like Joseph, reveal Himself to His brothers today (Gen. 45:1-4).

   • Please King Messiah, stop hiding Yourself from Your people (Isa. 45:15)!

   • Turn Jews away from studying the words of men to studying all of the Tanach (Isa. 55:11).

   • By grace in Messiah Yeshua, Abba, redeem many Holocaust survivors and their families; survivors of terror attacks; living hostages and their loved ones; IDF soldiers and their families; families of soldiers who died or are seriously injured; Jews contemplating suicide, including those struggling with PTSD; widows, widowers and orphans, including all new ones since Oct. 7th; Jews on death's door; rabbis in every Jewish denomination, both in Israel and in exile; Jewish lawyers, politicians, diplomats, university students, professors, teachers, medical personnel; Israelis in exile; LGBTQ+ Jews; hippies and "New Agers"; Iranian and Ethiopian Jews; Jews who have been genuinely provoked to jealousy by gentile believers; unsaved Jews married to a Jewish or a gentile believer; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews.

9. Body of Messiah:

   Many prophetic charts place Israel somewhere in the end-time, but not as the central figure in God's plans to wrap up this age. Therefore they are wrong. Once the Tanach is taken more seriously, believers see this. For example, God describes the reason for horrific disasters coming on the earth in the last days this way: For it is the day of YHWH's vengeance, the year of retribution for the strife over Zion. (Isa. 34:8; see the context in chapter 34)

   • Lord Yeshua, teach Your Body to trust all of Your Word and to see how central Israel is to what You are doing today (Isa. 41:11; 60:12; Jer. 12:14-17; Zech. 12:2-10).

   • Abba, wake up the Body to the only thing You declare You will do with all of Your heart and all of Your soul – in all of Your Word – which is to plant Israel back in their land (Jer. 32:41).

   • Also, Lord God, let the biblical links between aliyah, Israel's salvation and Your return be seen by all of our brothers and sisters in Messiah (Psa. 14:7; 147:2; Jer. 31:1-10; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 23:39).

   • Messiah, promote many more sons and daughters of Zion in Your Body (Matt. 8:9; 2 Cor. 2:17).

   • Lord, cleanse the Body of all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic spirits (Num. 24:9b; John 4:22).

   • Teach Your Body how to pray corporately in line with Your Word (Psa. 133:1; 1 John 5:14-15).

   • Also, teach believers in the West how to intercede about the spirit of Islam which has invaded their nations and is intimidating their leaders to turn against Israel and the true Body (Eph. 6:12).

10. IFI:

    The phrase "war of attrition" struck a deep cord in me as to what I have been going through recently. I imagine many of you are also experiencing this. As I was writing this, the Lord reminded me of this verse: These things have I spoken to you that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but take courage – I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) May the Lord Yeshua encourage us all. Thank You for praying for us and for Israel.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

2 Thess. 3:16