1. Praise:

   Isaiah 52:7, in the prophetic portion, is addressed to born-again believers who are to declare to Zion, Your God reigns! This was said to the kingdom of Judah as it was being warned about an exile to Babylon because of its unfaithfulness to God. Of course, this also applies to us, that our God reigns and will fulfill His promises – regardless of our level of faithfulness.

   • We praise You knowing that You who called us are also faithful – continuing to sanctify us until the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah (1 Thess. 5:23-24; cp. 2 Thess. 3:3).

   • We rejoice that You do not deny Your promises even when we struggle to trust You (2 Tim. 2:13).

   • Confronted with the total mess in today's world, we are so thankful that You reign (Psa. 103:19)!

   • Because You dwell in eternity, we take comfort in the reality that nothing that happens on earth can ever take You by surprise (Isa. 46:10).

   • Hallelujah! You are good and Your covenant-faithfulness/love last forever (Psa. 118:1; 136:1).

2. Government & society:

   This past week more hostage bodies were found. They were murdered by Hamas terrorists as the IDF closed in on their location. While this brings closure to the families of these dead Israelis, there are still 100+ hostages whose fate is unknown. Some hostage families take out their understandable frustration and anger at PM Bibi Netanyahu, yet the political opposition and much of Israel's left-leaning media uses this to try and bring him and his government down.

   • Lord, we thank You for encouraging us to trust in You and not in Israel's government, yet knowing that You have raised up its government for today, we ask You to lead us in prayer over it (Dan. 2:21).

   • We pray that in Your grace, You would draw Israel's leaders to seek You for wisdom and guidance, and to trust You as they read Your Word (Psa. 19:7; 24:6; 70:4; 119:98-100; Jer. 8:9).

   • Raise up more sons and daughters of Zion in Israel's political, educational, economic, military and construction industries, and every other facet of its society (2 Sam. 23:1-4; Eccl. 12:13; Zech. 9:13).

   • Please God, remove all sons and daughters of Greece – those who view the world through anti-biblical humanistic lenses – from every influential position in Israel (Psa. 109:8).

   • As Bibi reads the Torah portion, convict him to spend more time in Your Word (Deut. 17:18-20).

   • Use his knowledge of history to make him an insightful and bold leader today (Eccl. 3:14-15).

   • Bring to him sons of Zion and of Issachar to offer him godly counsel (I Chr. 12:32; Prov. 15:22).

   • Guard him from internal groups trying to manipulate him, whether it is some of the hostage families, politicians, or military officers who still plan as if it is October 6th (Num. 23:23; Psa. 35:1; 43:1).

   • Bind up the spirit of insanity that has taken hold of the Bibi-haters (1 Sam., 18:10-11: Eccl. 7:25).

   • Lord God, set Israelis free from Hamas' very successful psychological use of the hostages for emotional blackmail (Num. 23:23; Psa. 140:7).

   • Messiah Yeshua, walk among the anti-Bibi demonstrators and save many of them (Matt. 9:36).

   • Lord, silence those in the media in and outside of Israel, who resist those areas of Your will which Israel's current coalition are trying to accomplish (1 Sam. 2:9; Psa. 140:3-4; Rom. 3:13).

   • Hedge in social media also, as so much of it is humanistic, anti-Christ propaganda (Rev. 13:1, 6).

   • God, apply Isaiah 1:25-27 at this time in relation to Israel's arrogant Supreme Court, as You demand biblical justice from Israel's judges in Shabbat's Torah portion (Deut. 16:18, 20).

   • Lord, minister Your peace and bring closure to those families whose loved ones were hostages and who are now confirmed to be dead (2 Sam. 12:19-23; Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18).

   • God of hosts, thank You for hearing our prayers that the IDF would start to look to Israel's military industries to supply its needs – and looking less to its 'broken reed" allies (Isa. 30:1; 36:6; 41:10-16).

3. Foreign relations:

   Israel is a pariah nation among the nations today. It is constantly judged by a higher standard than any other nation. In this, we see Numbers 23:9b being fulfilled which says that eventually Israel would not be seen like any of the other nations.

   • God, we rejoice to see You fulfilling Your Word (Jer. 1:12), and we trust You to give us directions as we intercede so that our prayers do not hinder Your purposes today (1 John 5:14-15).

   • We know that Your foreign policy is above what we think (Psa. 33:10-11; Isa. 55; 8-9; Luke 11:2), so we ask that as You do it, You will show us so that we can give You all the glory (Psa. 115:1-3;).

   • God, as most of its "allies" renege on their support for Israel, use this turn Israelis, including its leaders, to seek You and to trust in You alone (Psa. 80:19; Isa. 30:18-21; Rom. 8:28).

   • Show Israel how to relate to the US no matter who will be their next president, and may You lead Israel to totally wean itself off from depending on America (Job 12:23-25; 28:28a; Isa. 30:1).

   • King of Zion, remove every son and daughter of Greece from Israel's international diplomatic corps, including its foreign ministers, and fill those positions with sons and daughters of Zion (Psa. 109:8).

   • Teach Israel's representatives in the world, both professionals and laypeople, how to use Your Word which never returns empty, much more often as they communicate (Isa. 40:8; 55:11: Gal. 4:16).

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

   • Fill Danny Danon's mouth with Your wisdom as Israel's new UN Ambassador (Psa. 51:15; 81:10).

   • Messiah Yeshua, have Your Body warn their nations of Your judgments which are on many of them today because of their desertion of Israel in its time of need (Num. 24:9b; Ezek. 29:6-7; Joel 3:1-2).

4. "Operations Swords of Iron:"

   Since Hamas is all but finished in Gaza, and is fleeing before the IDF, why are so many Israelis and others trying to save it by seeking a ceasefire deal? Is it because the hostages are the #1 priority for too many people? This is pushed by the media, and by the political opposition, yet releasing massive numbers of Palestinian terrorists to get only-God-knows how many living hostages back and leaving Hamas in control in Gaza is very dangerous for Israel.

   • Lord, Bibi's redlines in the ongoing – yet ridiculous – negotiations make sense, so please sustain him despite the negative feedback from so many (Psa. 3:5-6; Prov. 19:21; Jer. 1:8).

   • God, apply Isaiah 51:22-23 in the prophetic portion to Israel's current conflict with Hamas.

   • If Netanyahu should fire Defense Minister Gallant who has resisted what he and Israel's cabinet have decided to do in Gaza, and has publically rebuked Bibi, then show him how to do it (Deut. 19:19).

   • 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).

   • Abba, we thank You that most of the families of the fallen soldiers are insisting that Israel continue the war until there is a definite victory over Hamas (Num. 24:17-19; Deut. 33:29).

   • Lord God, let their demands, and the similar demands of many of the hostage families, get much more coverage in Israel's mainstream media (Prov. 28:12; 29:2).

   • God, Hamas has publically said that the hostages will be murdered if the IDF gets close to rescuing them, so we ask You to rescue the hostages miraculously and battle against Israel's enemies, showing multitudes of Jews and gentiles that You are still the mighty One of Jacob. (Isa. 49:24-26)

   • Use this Hamas threat to push the IDF to war against Hamas with an all-out effort and at a much greater speed (Gen. 14:14; Psa. 18:37)

   • Expose every undiscovered tunnel in Gaza and on the Egyptian-Gaza border (Obad. 1:6).

   • Support Bibi's demand that Israel must maintain full security control over Gaza, and the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border, for the foreseeable future (Neh. 4:17; Jer. 50:25).

   • Lord God, for Your holy name's sake, direct Israel to repossess Gaza after the war as it is part of the inheritance of Judah (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18; Prov. 16:9).

5. Internal security:

   There has been an increase of terrorist acts in Judea and Samaria recently. This has led to an aggressive strategy against terrorist groups in these areas by Israel's security forces.

   • Thank You for the IDF's military actions against terrorists and their infrastructure in Samaria under the Palestinian Authority [PA], and for the success they are having (Deut. 32:39-43; Psa. 83:1-5).

   • Show Israel that the PA is a part of the problem – and not a part of the solution (Psa. 28:3; Jer. 9:8).

   • Enable Israel to collect even more accurate intelligence about these areas (Job 12:22; 28:11b).

   • Lord of hosts, release Your angels to war against the spiritual forces of Your/Israel's enemies at the same time as Israel is battling them on earth (2 Kin. 6:16-17; 2 Chr. 32:7-8; 1 Cor. 15:46).

   • Expose and destroy all links between Iran and Palestinian terrorists (Psa. 139:12; Luke 12:2).

   • Quickly bring to fruition the IDF's plan to create a Jordan Valley battalion to prevent smuggling of Iranian weapons across that long border to Palestinians in Judea and Samaria (Psa. 147:14a; Mal. 1:5).

   • Do not allow Israel to act more merciful with its enemies than is Your will (Psa. 18:25-27; 97:10a).

   • Improve Israel's ability in protecting its roads, checkpoints and its public transit system (Psa. 121:8).

   • Forbid Israeli-Arabs from instigating any type of uprising (intifada) in Israel's cities while it fights enemies both inside and outside of its current borders (Judg. 4:23; 8:28).

   • As Your people study Deuteronomy over the next few months, show them that possessing the land is 100% Your will for Israel today (Num. 33:51-53; Deut. 8:1; 9:5; 19:8)

   • Let the communities in Samaria uprooted by ex-PM Sharon in his anti-biblical disengagement law, which Israel has now annulled, be repopulated and grow quickly (Jer. 31:3-5).

   • Erase from Israelis all anti-biblical ideas of "peace" that birthed the "Oslo Accords 2-State Solution" fiasco and replace it with thinking based on Your Word and promises (Joel 3:1-2; Mark 10:9).

   • Lord Yeshua, save multitudes of Jews who are now back in Your land (Ezek. 36:24-27, 37).

   • Also save many Palestinians and use them to provoke Jews to jealousy (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 11:11).

6. External security:

   Iran and Hizbullah are still threatening to attack Israel to get revenge for its killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran and Hizbullah leader in Beirut. While this is no different than what they have been saying and doing since Oct. 8th, it does keep Israel on high alert, and drags Western nations to get involved to prevent an all-out war. Yet an all-out war in the Middle East is prophesied to happen before the Lord returns (Ezek. 38-39; Zech. 12 and 14, and other places).

   • Encourage all Israel, but especially the IDF, with Deuteronomy 20:1-4 in Shabbat's Torah portion.

   • Lord, we specifically ask You to protect Israel – as per Your Word (Psa. 121:4; Jer. 31:10, 35-37)!

   • God of righteousness and justice, express Your displeasure at the world's injustice in not reproving Hizbullah's daily attacks on Israel since Oct. 8th (Psa. 21:8-13; 68:1; 99:1; Isa. 33:22).

   • Lord God Almighty, sovereignly, or through using Israel as Your weapon of war, wipe out the threat of Iran and Hizbullah once and for all (Ex. 15:3; Psa. 24:8; Jer. 51:20-24).

   • Supernaturally dry up Hizbullah's and Iran's finances (Job 20:28; Zech. 5:3-4).

   • Lord God, break Elam's [ancient Iran's] bow (Jer. 49:35), and destroy its evil leaders (Jer. 49:38b).

   • Lion of Judah, anoint all Israeli drone operators and cyber-warfare warriors (1 Chr. 5:18).

   • Eliminate all unbiblical considerations which block Israel's leaders from warring against Your and their foes in a biblical manner – like the US elections or hostage/ceasefire deals (Psa. 18:34; 68:30).

   • Almighty God, confound all haters of Zion: terrorist leaders, Iran's leaders, the Houthis in Yemen, terrorists in Syria and Iraq, and whoever despises Your nation in the West (Psa. 70:2; Jer. 17:18).

   • Increase the internal strife in Iran's society and set its people free (Psa. 9:1-11; 27:2).

   • We praise You for the Body in Iran, and ask You to protect them, to help them to grow numerically and spiritually and let them influence the rest of Iranian society for You (Jer. 49:38a; Matt. 16:18b).

   • We ask the same for Your Body in Lebanon, Syria and throughout the Middle East (Psa. 91:14-16).

7. Aliyah:

   The regathering of God's scattered people witnesses to the validity of His Word and the trustworthiness of His promises (Jer. 31:8-10). And please keep in mind that all of this is being done for the glory of His name (Isa. 43:5-7; Ezek. 36:22-24; plus other verse).

   • Thank You for linking the salvation of the Jews with the aliyah, as for example in Jeremiah 31:7-9.

   • Lord God, reveal to more believers how aliyah is an answer to the Body's 2,000 year old prayer for Your name to be sanctified through Your will being done on earth (Ezek. 28:25-26; Luke 11:2).

   • Abba, open the eyes of the Jewish people to the reality of history – that gentile nations cannot, or even at times will not, protect the Jews living among them (Deut. 28:37, 64-67).

   • Use anti-Semites to show Jews that they cannot hide their Jewishness (Deut. 28:29; Rom. 8:28)!

   • Lord God, send dreams and even nightmares to wake up Jews in exile (Job 4:12-15; Amos 3:8).

   • Also Lord, send angels to drag your people out of their captivity (Gen. 19:19:15-16; Acts 12:7-11).

   • God, destroy the "comfort zones" of Western Jews so that they can immigrate to Israel today with most of their financial resources (Isa. 60:9).

   • Lord, release Jews from any nation which prevents them from leaving (Ex. 8:1; Zeph. 3:19-20).

   • Abba, abundantly bless every Israeli plan to absorb millions of new immigrants (Ezek. 36:8-12).

   • Lord God, tear out of Israel's bureaucratic system all blockages to making aliyah (Isa. 62:10).

   • Change the rabbinical definition of "who is a Jew?" to line up with the biblical definition and open Israel's doors to everyone You see as Jewish to easily get their citizenship (Psa. 119:116; Isa. 62:10).

   • Release funds from wealthy Jews and Christians to support aliyah and the successful integration of the new immigrants into Israeli society (Ezra 1:4; Isa. 60:9).

8. Salvation:

   Yeshua told us that salvation's ultimate goal is to bring God glory (John 13:31-32; 14:13; 17:1-5; Phil. 2:9-11)! Anything other than His glory supports the spirit of humanism that is already infecting too much of His Body.

   • Lord Yeshua, quicken believers to pray for all Israel to be saved – for Your holy name's sake (Isa. 45:25; 46:13; Ezek. 36:23-32; Luke 2:32; Rom. 10:1).

   • Abba Father, please remove that partial blindness You placed on most Jews for the past 2,000 years and reveal Messiah Yeshua to them today (Rom. 11:25-26; cp. Isa.45:15).

   • Especially during the current Hebrew month of Ellul, the month of repentance in preparation for the high holydays, place inside of many Jews a "holy dissatisfaction" in their personal relationship with You as compared to that which many Jews had in biblical times (Psa. 42:2; Mark 9:24).

   • Cause them to seek You about that prophesied Prophet of whom Moses wrote in Shabbat's Torah portion, and show them how Messiah Yeshua has fulfilled this (Deut. 18:18-19; Acts 3:17-24).

   • Anoint Messianic Jewish IDF soldiers to provoke others soldiers to jealousy (Rom. 11:14).

   • By Your grace Abba, save many Holocaust survivors and their families; survivors of terror attacks; hostages still living and their loved ones; IDF soldiers and their families; loved ones of soldiers killed or severely wounded; Jews considering suicide; widows, widowers, orphans, especially since Oct. 7th; rabbis in Israel and exile; radical Jewish anti-missionaries; Israeli diplomats and lawyers; university students – in Israel and exile; professors, teachers, medical personnel; Israeli media personalities; tour guides; archeologists; anti-Bibi and anti-government demonstrators; Israelis in the nations; woke and LGBTQ+ Jews; Jews in Iran, Ethiopia, India, China; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews.

9. Body of Messiah:

   Believers need to speak out about God's fulfillment of His Word in Israel's restoration and its current isolation, more frequently and with more zeal. This is vital for prayer as Messiah Yeshua told us to ask for God's name to be sanctified by His kingdom coming on earth as it is already settled in heaven. And this is what we are seeing today (Psa. 115:1-3; Ezek. 36:23-24).

   • Lord, by Your Spirit reveal to every believer the biblical connections between aliyah, the salvation of Israel and Your return to Jerusalem (Psa. 53:6; 147:2; Jer. 31:1-10; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 23:39).

   • Show the Body through Isaiah 52:9-10, which is in the prophetic portion, that Israel's restoration and salvation brings You much glory throughout the world.

   • God Almighty, reveal to us why You have permitted the eruption of Jew-hatred and anti-Zionism, especially in the West– and how You want us to pray about it (Jer. 16:16; Ezek. 36:37; Matt. 6:9-10).

   • Establish many sons and daughters of Zion as teachers in Your Body (Acts 20:26-27; 2 Cor. 2:17).

   • King Messiah, cleanse Your Body from all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic spirits (Num. 24:9b).

10. IFI:

    At times, I wish to have just a half hour face-to-face meeting with Bibi to share with him what the Word of God says about Israel today. While that will not happen, I was reminded by the Spirit this week that I can go above Bibi's head and speak to his King Messiah anytime I want. That is what we all have been doing, and we are seeing definite answers to prayer. Be encouraged and pray for us to also be encouraged as the battle is fierce, yet our victory is assured (1 Cor. 15:57)!

Thank you, Shabbat shalom and blessings from Israel

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

1 Cor. 1:9