1. Praise:

   In Shabbat's prophetic portion, God tells Jeremiah that He knew him before he was created in his mother's womb (Jer. 1:5a). God also knew what role Jeremiah was to play in His kingdom and created him with that in mind (Jer. 1:5b). This also applies to each member of Messiah's Body and reminds us of God's overriding sovereignty. How can we not praise Him (Rom. 11:33-36)?

   • Lord, to think that You knew us before our bodies were made is beyond our ability to understand, so we praise You for revealing it to us and using it to build up our trust in You (Deut. 29:29; Prov. 3:5).

   • We bless You for choosing us in Messiah – even before the world was created (Eph. 1:4; Rev. 13:8).

   • We rejoice and rest in Your total sovereignty over all things in heaven and on earth (Matt. 11:25).

   • Yeshua, we confess You as the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords (Acts 10:36; Rev. 19:16).

   • We praise You for Jeremiah 1:12 in the prophetic portion, in which You declare that You watch over Your Word to perform it (Isa. 46:10; 55:11).

   • Lord, we give You the glory for watching over Psalm 94:14, proving You are a faithful loving God.

   • Thank You for being a prayer answering God who delights in our prayers (Psa. 50:15; Prov. 15:8b).

   • We bless You that we are saved and sanctified by Your grace (Acts 20:32; Rom. 5:17; 6:14; 11:5-6).

2. Government & society:

   Israel's political leaders are under tremendous pressure to go the way of the flesh and not the way of God's Word. All those who lean even a little to God's directives become a target for anti-Christ spirits both inside and outside of Israel. It is no wonder that God has told us to pray first of all for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

   • Lord Yeshua, guide our prayers so that they are totally in line with Your will (Psa. 32:8; Rom. 8:26).

   • While we trust in You and not in Israel's government, still we know You have ordained the current government for this time, so Lord use it for Your name's sake (Est. 4:14b; Job 34:24; Dan. 2:21).

   • We thank and praise You for seeing answers to our prayers for Israel's sons and daughters of Zion to be raised up, so with faith we ask You for more at this critical time (Psa. 68:26-28; Zech. 9:13).

   • Lord God, by Your grace draw Israel's leaders to actively and habitually seek for Your wisdom by reading and trusting in Your word (Ezra 7:25; Psa. 19:7; 119:98-100).

   • Even if they must be politically correct as they speak, make them biblically correct in their thinking.

   • Highlight to each one Your priorities for Israel today (Deut. 16:18-20; 2 Sam. 23:2-4; Eccl. 12:13).

   • Lead Israel in relation to the current chaotic and dangerous situation in the US (Psa. 23:3b; 31:3).

   • God, shut all mouths that incite violence against PM Bibi Netanyahu (Dan. 6:22; Zech. 3:2).

   • Expose and abort all assassination plots against him before they are fully born (Psa. 58:6-9).

   • Messiah, expel all spirits of rebellion and arrogance from Israeli society (Ezek. 20:38a; Mal. 3:3).

   • Instead Lord, spread the unity, courage and faith in Israel's righteous cause that permeates the IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza, all through the rest of Israel's society (Job 41:16-17; Matt. 13:33).

   • Abba, lead the IDF to find the hostages (Zech. 9:11-12), and set Israel free from Hamas' emotional blackmail which it holds over Your nation by imprisoning Israeli civilians (Isa. 49:24-26).

   • Release Your perfect peace [shalom shalom] on all 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).

   • When the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] study Shabbat's Torah portion, let Numbers 26 convict the men of Your divine directive that they are to go to war just like the rest of the men in the nation.

3. Foreign relations:

   Late last week the UN's International Court of Justice [ICJ] declared that Israel was illegally occupying Judea, Samaria and East, i.e., biblical, Jerusalem. This decision is against God's Word, and also rejects international law concerning these areas which were promised to the Jewish people since the early 1920s.

   • Lord God, fulfill Psalm 33:10-11 in the face of this anti-biblical and anti-legal farce.

   • As You told Jeremiah in the prophetic portion, place Your words in the mouth of Israeli politicians and diplomats and let them declare what You think of this wicked decision (Jer. 1:9).

   • Thank You for Netanyahu's very clear statement that Israel cannot "occupy" that which has already been theirs for over 3,000 years (Gen. 15:18-21; Gal. 4:16).

   • Allow this anti-biblical judgment to hasten the fulfillment of Exodus 33:16 and Numbers 23:9b.

   • Also let it force Your nation to look to, and trust in, You alone (Psa. 118:8-9; Isa. 30:18-21).

   • Bless You for hearing our prayers about Bibi's speech and visit to Washington DC (1 John 5:14-15).

   • Lord, let whatever he said in America that was of You bear much fruit (Prov. 12:14; 18:21).

   • Draw Bibi to You, as he graciously received many believers who carry Your name (John 13:20).

   • Protect Israel and Bibi from the last six months of the Biden administration (Psa. 121:4; Isa. 33:7).

   • Lord Yeshua, let Numbers 24:9b come to pass over the UN and its outreaches, like the ICJ, as they actively seek out ways to curse Israel whenever possible (Gen. 27:29; Num. 23:7-8; Isa. 54:17).

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

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

   • Lord God of Israel, raise up many more sons and daughters of Zion and of Issachar to significant positions in all areas of Israel's diplomatic corps (Ex. 18:19a; 1Chr. 12:32; Psa. 16:7; Prov. 15:22).

4. External security:

   With the attack on Tel Aviv by the Houthis in Yemen and the continuous attacks by Hizbullah in Lebanon against Israel's north, the external threats Israel now faces are in many ways more ominous than the threat of Hamas in Gaza. Micah 4:11-13 always comes to mind as we seek God on how He wants us to pray into this dangerous situation surrounding Israel.

   • Now also many nations are gathered against you that say, 'Let her be defiled; let our eye look upon Zion'. But they do not know the thoughts of YHWH nor understand His counsel, for He gathers them as sheaves unto the threshing floor. 'Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion! I will make your horn iron, your hoofs bronze, and you shall beat in pieces many people, and I will consecrate their gain unto YHWH, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth'. (Mic. 4:11-13) Amen!

   • We bless You that the final outcome of this Micah prophecy brings glory to You (Psa. 115:-3).

   • Lord, we look to You to orchestra the fulfillment of this Word (Jer. 1:12) and ask You to guide us in prayer about this trap into which many nations are shoving Israel (Psa. 124:1-8).

   • Thank You for Israel's strong response to the Houthis by bombing its port in Yemen (Isa. 41:15-16).

   • Since the Houthis are under the control of Iran, show Israel if it should seriously consider a massive pre-emptive strike to cut off the head of this Shi'ite beast (1 Sam. 17:45-51).

   • Again, we pray for You Lord to break the bow of Elam [ancient Iran] at this time (Jer. 49:35).

   • 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).

   • Lord God of Israel, destroy Iran's modern king and princes suddenly and soon (Jer. 49:38b)

   • We bless You for Your Body in Iran, and pray You guard over them, help them to grow numerically and spiritually and to be a positive influence on the rest of Iranian society (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

   • God, when a war between Israel and Hizbullah in Lebanon starts in earnest, lead the IDF in such a way that multitudes worldwide recognize it as that exceedingly great army of Ezekiel 37:10.

   • Lord, prepare Israel to deal with the condemnation it will get from the nations when many Lebanese civilians and Hizbullah terrorists are killed or injured (Ex. 4:12; Isa. 54:17; Luke 21:15).

   • Please God, expel the UN's UNIFIL forces out of Lebanon so that they will not be hurt in any Israeli attacks and cannot be used as human shields by Hizbullah (Ex. 6:1; 23:28; 33:2).

   • If Israel should pre-empt Hizbullah before the war in Gaza is over – give it the courage, wisdom and insight to do that in an overwhelming fashion (Josh. 1:3-7; Psa. 18:34; 141:1, 8-10).

   • Abba, let this time before an Israeli war against Hizbullah to be one of effective preparation for the IDF, Israel's citizens and its infrastructure (Josh. 1:11; 4:13; 1 Chr. 12:24; Psa. 23:5).

   • Promote more sons and daughters of Zion throughout Israel's intelligence corps (Prov. 1:2-3, 7).

   • Show Israel how the Iron Dome is both a blessing and a curse; a blessing as it protects its civilians and gives its leaders time to plan a response to attacks, yet a curse as it causes Israel to focus more on defensive measures rather than fighting the war in the enemies' backyard (Ex. 17:9a; Zech. 10:5).

   • Prosper the advancement of Israel's Iron Beam anti-missile laser system but caution Israel to not use it like the Iron Dome and become even more defensive in its military outlook (Rom. 13:3-4).

   • Anoint Israel's cyber-warfare warriors – both offensively and defensively (Jer. 5:22; 51:42).

5. "Operation Swords of Iron:"

   Israel's willingness to negotiate, even indirectly, with Hamas after Oct. 7th is beyond comprehension, and it is anti-biblical. Still while the negotiations over the hostages and a ceasefire go on, the IDF battles against Hamas with great success.

   • Since Oct. 7th the anti-biblical humanistic thinking of the IDF's top brass has been uncovered, so we pray for You to replace these sons of Greece with sons of Zion as soon as possible (Ezek. 34:10).

   • Let the internal investigations as to what went wrong on Oct. 7th reveal the anti-biblical thinking that prevails in the higher ranks of the IDF and give Israel's political leaders wisdom to fix it (Psa. 109:8).

   • God, bring to a complete halt Israel's negotiations with terrorist murderers (Prov. 12:20a; Jer. 9:8).

   • Please Lord, guide the IDF to where all the remaining hostages are, living or dead (Isa. 49:24-26).

   • Do not let Israel stop the war until it obtains a total victory in Your sight (Ex. 17:16; Psa. 21:8-11).

   • Break every chain with which the world has handcuffed Israel and release it to fight Hamas in a biblically unrestrained way (Lev. 26:7-8; Deut. 28:7; Psa. 18:37-42).

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

   • Continue to guide the IDF as it changes its tactics and strategy against Hamas which is no longer an army but now fights in the manner of urban guerilla groups (1 Chr. 14:15; Prov. 21:30-31).

   • Lead the IDF to war in all areas of Gaza and to give Hamas no rest or safety (Judg. 4:21; Mic. 2:13).

   • Reveal all undiscovered terror tunnels in Gaza, and help the IDF to destroy them (Job 12:22).

   • God of Israel, strengthen Netanyahu's insistence that after the war Israel must maintain full security control over Gaza for the foreseeable future (Amos 1:6-7; Zeph. 2:4-7).

6. Internal security:

   God seems to be guiding us to focus more prayer towards Israel's extension of its sovereignty over all of its land – which at this time is west of the Jordan River. Obviously, this is His will as He promised the land to Israel over 200 times in the Tanach, the Old Testament, yet His will is one thing, His timing is another.

   • Since biblical truth is established by two or three witnesses, Your land promise is settled in eternity, so we ask You to fulfill it suddenly – and soon (Gen. 15:18; Matt. 18:16; Rom. 15:8).

   • Use the ICJ decision to provoke Israel to extend its sovereignty over all of the land which the ICJ blasphemously declared as occupied (Judg. 2:1-5; Psa. 105:5-11)!

   • We give You glory that the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, once again voted overwhelmingly to reject any Palestinian State on any land west of the Jordan River (Lev. 25:23; Joel 3:1-2).

   • Let Finance Minister Smotrich, who is pushing the extension of Israeli civilian rule over many more Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, be supernaturally successful (Jer. 32:41-44; 33:12-14).

   • God, cause the populations, homes and businesses of Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, on the Golan Heights, in the Galilee, and in the Negev, to increase exponentially (Isa. 49:19-20; 54:2-3).

   • May the illegal houses and villages that the EU has financed for Palestinians in Area C end up as homes and villages for Your people as they return and settle Your land (Deut. 6:10-11).

   • God of Israel, we bless You for blocking all kidnapping attempts and causing most of the terrorist car-rammings and drive-by shooting attacks to fail (Deut. 28:6-7; Psa. 89:23; 121:8; Prov. 2:8).

   • Lord, You see the Beijing Declaration between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah plus 12 other terror groups, so we ask You to totally confound them and set them at each other's throats (Psa. 129:5; Jer. 17:18).

   • Strip all spiritual protection that is guarding any Palestinian terrorists (Num. 14:9; Josh 2:24).

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

   • Lord Yeshua, show Yourself to many Palestinians and save them (Jer. 12:14-17; Matt. 5:44).

7. Aliyah:

   What a privilege it is to witness the return of the Jews to the land God has promised them, as it is a public testimony of Him fulfilling His Word (Jer. 1:12; 31:10). Yet this comes with great responsibility as He commands His Body to be actively involved with the aliyah.

   • We praise You for the 22,000 new immigrants who came to Israel since Oct. 7th 2023 (Isa. 43:5-7)!

   • Lord God, work in each of them a lifelong commitment to Your land (Isa. 62:4-5).

   • Use the regathering of Your people to sanctify Your holy name (Ezek. 36: 23-24; Matt. 6:9-10).

   • Gather Your people back home in Your great mercy (Isa. 54:7-8).

   • Draw Jewish families and even whole communities to return together (Ex. 12:37-38; Jer. 31:3-5).

   • Let the rise of Islam in the West scare the exile out of the Jews still living there (Jer. 16:16).

   • God, wake up Jews in Britain and France to understand the repercussions of the recent elections and to plan wisely for themselves and their children (Psa. 106:47; Jer. 31:16-17; Rom. 8:28).

   • Lord God, pour out Your divine solvent upon Your people and release them from all that has them so stuck in captivity (Psa. 107:14-16; Isa. 14:1-2; Zech. 10:8-10).

   • Download to many Jewish leaders in their sleep a charge to lead Your people home (Job 33:15-18).

   • King of Israel, change Israel's attitude in relation to Jews in the captivity – from helping them to stay there to facilitating their making aliyah (Psa. 107:2-3; Isa. 11:11-16; Jer. 32:37).

   • Included in that Lord, cause Israel to prepare houses, jobs, schools and Hebrew classes so that the absorption of the new immigrants will be successful (Ezek. 28:25-26; 36:8-12).

   • Reveal to every Christian Zionist who is deaf, dumb and blind to the significance of aliyah in Your prophetic plans in history how central this really is today (Psa. 106:47; 126:1-2; Jer. 3:14-18).

8. Salvation:

   YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel (Jer. 31:7b). God was speaking to the watchmen [notzrim = Christian in today's Hebrew] when He commanded this (Jer. 31:6a). It is His will for all Israel to be saved, but He waits for us to ask Him to do it (Ezek. 36:37; John 15:16).

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

   • Abba, heal the partial blindness that You placed on most Jews since Yeshua's day (Rom. 11:25-26), and unveil Messiah Yeshua, who like Joseph, can be revealed to His family today (Gen. 45:1-4).

   • Lord Yeshua, as Joseph did with his brothers (Gen. 45:1-4), reveal Yourself to many more Jews and let them share with their families how You are alive and rule in many gentiles hearts (Gen. 45:24-28).

   • Place in every Jew an unquenchable desire to read and study Your Word (Jer. 15:16; 2 Tim. 3:15).

   • Gift all Jews with a holy dissatisfaction about their relationship with You as compared to the real relationships many Jews had with You in biblical times (Psa. 42:2; Mark 9:24).

   • [Please ask God which specific group or groups of Jews He would have you intercede for this week.]

9. Body of Messiah:

   For thus says YHWH of hosts, after the glory has He sent Me unto the nations which plundered you – for he that strikes you strikes the pupil of His eye. (Zech. 2:8) As we wrote last week, a consequence of this statement that Israel is the pupil of God's eye is that God perceives the world through Israel!

   • Show more of Your Body the centrality of Israel – especially to Your end-time plans (Isa. 41:11; 43:5-7; 60:12; Jer. 12:14-17; Zech. 8:1-8; 12:2-10).

   • King Messiah, reveal to Your Body the links between aliyah, Israel's salvation and Your glorious return to Jerusalem (Psa. 53:6; 147:2; Jer. 31:1-10; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 23:39).

   • Lord Yeshua, warn believers who have an arrogant attitude towards unsaved Jews of the judgment in which they have placed themselves (Gen. 12:3a; Rom. 11:17-18, 22).

   • Heal Your Body of its biblical anorexia and its prophetic illiteracy through the study of the complete Word of God (1 Sam. 3:1; Job. 23:12; Jer. 15:16; Amos 8:11; 2 Tim. 2:15; Rev. 6:9).

   • God, promote many more sons and daughters of Zion to lead the Body (Matt. 8:9; 2 Cor. 2:17).

   • Lord, purge 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).

   • Let Your Body proclaim that Your prophesied judgments hitting many nations today is based on their evil treatment of Your nation and Your people (Num. 24:9b; Rev. 19:10).

   • [In relation to that last request, Jeremiah 2:3 in the prophetic portion has a word added that is not in the original. Removing the "was" after Israel then makes the rest of the verse more understandable: Israel – holy unto YHWH, the first-fruits of His increase; all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, says YHWH.]

10. IFI:

    Intercession can be very exhausting. We are feeling that after weeks of intense intercession over Bibi's trip to Washington. Please pray for the Lord to refresh us in Himself so that we stand in the battles in the weeks and months ahead. Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement and support.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Rev. 22:21