1. Praise:

   We are in the prophetic era of our Lord's return, as Psalm 102:16 declares, When YHWH builds up Zion, He will appear in His glory.

   • Abba, we bless You for calling us into to Your kingdom at this unique historical time (Est. 4:14b).

   • Lord Yeshua, we hope and trust that sooner, rather than later, You will return in Your glory (Matt. 24:30; 25:31; Mark 13:26; Luke 9:26; 21:27).

   • We praise You Lord, as God the Father has endowed You with His glory (Rom. 16:27; 2 Cor. 4:6).

   • Thank You for allowing us to see You building up Zion – and whether "Zion" indicates Jerusalem or all Israel – hallelujah, You are doing both today (Psa. 69:35; 147:2; Jer. 33:7).

   • We bless and praise You that Your covenant-love is renewed to us every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).

   • God, watching the morbid events in Israel this week, we are so grateful that nothing ever takes You by surprise (Isa. 42:9), and that You can work "good" even in the face of demonic events (Rom. 8:28).

2. Government & society:

   The return of Israeli corpses of hostages from Hamas has consumed most of Israel's attention this week. At times, it is so magnified, especially by Israel's media, that many other very important items are almost forgotten. In this very difficult situation, we must trust in God to lead us in prayer for His kingdom purposes to be fulfilled.

   • Lord God of Jerusalem, rebuke Satan's attempts to deceive Israel's leaders and us (Zech. 3:2).

   • Abba, raise up many more sons and daughters of Zion to influential positions in Israel (Zech. 9:13), and let them replace the sons or daughters of Greece (Job 34:24; Psa. 109:8).

   • God of Israel's fathers, show its political leaders their need of Your guidance and wisdom and lead them to read all of Your Word and to seek You in prayer (Deut. 17:18-20; Psa. 1:2; Jer. 15:16).

   • Abba Father, as long as Bibi Netanyahu is Israel's leader, impart to him wisdom and understanding to guide Your nation on a biblically righteous path (Psa. 23:3b; Prov. 21:1; Dan. 2:21b; Zech. 4:6-7).

   • Messiah, surround him with godly advisors and give him ears to hear them (Prov. 11:14; 24:6).

   • Gracious God, protect him spiritually by providing him with a divine "Iron Dome" (Psa. 3:3).

   • Lord, let his knowledge of history make him a leader like those sons of Issachar (1 Chr. 12:32).

   • Righteous Judge, use Bibi's trial to show Israelis of the great need for judicial reform (Isa. 1:25-27).

   • Lord God, as Eyal Zamir will be Israel's next IDF Chief of Staff, please turn him into a biblical son of Zion (Psa. 75:6-7; Prov. 16:9), and place Psalm 31:3 in his heart and on his lips daily (Jer. 15:16).

   • Abba, is it not time to release Israeli society from Hamas' emotional mind games that it plays by holding many dozens of Israeli hostages – or their bodies (Psa. 124:6-7; Isa. 49:24-26; Jer. 32:27).

   • Messiah, thank You that Ron Dermer, Bibi's closest confidante, is taking over the hostage-ceasefire negotiations with Hamas as Israel considers what to do with phase two of this deal (2 Chr. 2:13).

   • Yet Lord, as it is now revealed that the corpse of the Bibas mother was not returned, as Hamas had agreed to, we ask for a biblical response from Israel that will lead to Hamas' destruction (Mic. 7:8-10).

   • Almighty One, turn Hamas' performances each time they release a hostage into a defeat and great shame to Hamas and their god, and turn it into a victory for Israel and You (Psa. 115:1-3).

   • Abba Father, heal the released hostages completely – and save them (Psa. 103:2-6; Jer. 17:14).

   • God, for hostage families whose loved ones are still in captivity, turn them to cry out to You for mercy and not to scream at Bibi out of their understandable frustration and anger (Psa. 80:19; 86:7).

   • Teach them about Your command in the Torah portion to not curse their nation's ruler (Ex. 22:28).

   • Abba, as Your people read the Torah portion, let their humanistic thinking be shaken with what You say about the murderer and the kidnapper – that both must be put to death (Ex. 21:12, 14, 16).

   • We praise You for the message in Arabic to Hamas from a midwife in an Israeli hospital telling them that since Oct. 7th 2023, 8,910 Israeli babies have been born in her hospital alone (Ex. 1:12)!

3. "Operation Swords of Iron:"

   In exchange for four dead bodies and three, or possibly six, living hostages tomorrow, Israel is slated to release 602 terrorists. Yet, a majority of Israelis still want to do this until all the hostages, alive or dead, are home. It is too early to say how this might change with the news of the Bibas mother's body being exchanged for an unknown corpse.

   • Abba Father, rescue the hostages and remove them as bargaining chips for Hamas (Isa. 49:24-26).

   • As Hamas seems to be very much in control in Gaza, Lord God, fulfill Deuteronomy 33:27-29.

   • God of Israel, remember what Hamas did and war against them (Psa. 74:22-23; Ezek. 25:15-17).

   • Almighty One, remove the weariness of this war against evil off of the IDF and Israeli society and let them see the necessity to gain a complete victory over Hamas (Psa. 44:5-8; 60:11-12; 68:35).

   • Lord God, regardless of what Israel has agreed to, let more Israelis see their biblical obligation to repossess Gaza, as it is part of the tribe of Judah's inheritance (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18; Prov. 16:9).

4. Foreign relations:

   The world's anti-biblical approach to Israel, and Israel's God, has birthed gross darkness over the earth as God has promised to curse whomever curses His nation (Num. 24:9b). So this is also the time for Israel to rise and shine forth God's glory openly before the world (Isa. 60:1). And, of course, God's glory is the foundation of all of our prayers.

   • Our Father, may Your foreign policy be established on earth as it is in heaven (Luke 11:2).

   • Almighty God, You are the One who has put today's world leaders in place (Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21a), so please use them to further Your plans (Psa. 33:11), and lead us as we pray for them (Eccl. 8:5).

   • Lord God, we rejoice at the change of America's current administration under President Trump in its dealings with Israel up to this point in time (Num. 24:9b).

   • Abba, we thank You specifically for Secretary of State Marco Rubio who is a born-again Catholic and who acts and speaks more pro-Israel than even some Israelis (2 Kin. 5:15b, 17)!

   • Yet, God, do not let any Israeli place their trust in any man, but only in You (Psa. 118:8-9; 146:3).

   • Lord God, if Trump's plan to relocate most Gazans is Your way to answer our prayers for You to cleanse Your land of its enemies, then let it happen as soon as possible (Psa. 10:16; Jer. 12:14-17).

   • Abba Father, help Israel's representatives – professionals and laypeople – to speak forth Your Word, as what You say will not return void (Num. 23:19; Isa. 40:8; 55:11: Matt. 24:35).

   • Lord God, oversee the strengthening of relations between Israel and Azerbaijan and Israel and India (Psa. 33:10-11), and let this result in huge revivals breaking out in both of those nations (Num. 24:9b).

   • Abba, turn Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Minister, into a wise and fearless diplomat (Isa. 43:21).

   • God, empower Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon, and protect and use him as he declares the truth with great boldness in that anti-God, humanistic place (Psa. 15:2; 37:30).

   • Messiah Yeshua, wake up believers, especially in the West, to warn their leaders not to curse Israel, but to be a true friend during its restoration (Num. 24:9b; Isa. 60:12; Zech. 12:9).

5. Internal security:

   By extending its sovereignty over more of its land, Israel would be obeying God and possessing its possessions (Obad. 1:17b). This would also provide more security for all of its citizens, as obeying God is always the best policy – whether for nations or individuals.

   • Thank You for a recent survey showing over 70% of Israelis rejecting the creation of a "Palestine" on Your land and the same percentage wanting Israel to extend sovereignty over all of it (Neh. 2:20).

   • Remind Israel that possessing the land promised to them is their responsibility and must not depend on whether America – or anyone else – agrees with it or not (Deut. 7:1-5; Judg. 2:1-4; Psa. 105:5-11).

   • Continue using Finance Minister Smotrich to extend Israeli civilian rule over all Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, and hide much of what he does from the headlines (Jer. 32:41-44; 33:12-14).

   • Thank You God for the move in Israel and the US to stop using the unbiblical term "the West Bank" and to replace it with the biblically correct name "Judea and Samaria" (Jer. 31:4-5; Zech. 12:5-7).

   • Abba Father, fulfill all that You said in Shabbat's Torah portion of warring alongside Israel against its enemies in the land: release Your fear to go forth with its security forces (Ex. 23:27); send hornets after Your foes (Ex. 23:28); drive out Israel's enemies (Ex. 23:30); and increase its land to be in line with Your vision of what the Promised Land should encompass (Ex. 23:31-33).

   • Lord, with the increase of terror attacks, cause Israel to restore all of its security checkpoints which were removed to make life "easier" and "less shameful" for the Palestinians (Psa. 121:8; Prov. 3:29).

   • Almighty God, push terrorists into traps they have set for Your people (Est. 7:10; Psa. 7:14-16).

   • Lord, prepare Israel to know what to do and what not do when PA President Abbas finally dies and the various Palestinian factions fight for control (Prov. 26:17; Jer. 17:18).

   • Arrange for armed civilians to be in the right place at the right time to stop any terrorist (Josh. 4:12).

   • Expose and destroy all links between Palestinian terrorist groups and Iran (Prov. 15:3; Isa. 29:15).

   • Thank You that the huge bus bombings planned ,apparently by Iran, inside of Israel, exploded as the buses were in their parking lots and led to Israel discovering several other bombs as well (Psa. 121:4).

   • God, as You are jealous over Your land (Ezek. 36:5-7), arise and wipe out all plots from the UN or the nations to divide Your land and create a "Palestine" (Psa. 33:10-11; Zech. 14:1-3).

6. External security – Middle East [ME]:

   Koranic Muslims long for martyrdom. The promise of being in paradise with Allah and having 70 virgins is much more appealing than the wretched life of many of them today. Yet Israel's continued existence causes major doubts to rise in their hearts about the truth of their faith. God is using Israel's restoration to demolish the stronghold of Islam in the ME.

   • Messiah Yeshua, release multitudes of Muslims from the power of darkness today (Col. 1:13).

   • Lord Yeshua, guard over Your Body throughout the ME; guide them in prayer and show them how to bless – and not curse – Your nation (Gen. 27:29; John 10:16, 27).

   • Lord God Almighty, watch over Micah 4:11-13 against all of Your ME enemies (Psa. 83:1-4).

   • Abba Father, reinforce Your angelic armies protecting Your nation today (Psa. 35:4-6; 78:49).

   • God of Israel, continue to confound all who hate and want to annihilate Zion (Psa. 35:4, 26; 129:5).

   • Lord, arise and destroy the current Iranian regime and set over that nation the ones whom You are preparing even today (Psa. 68:1, 30b; Jer. 49:38; Dan. 2:21).

   • Abba, warn Trump that any deal which he might get Iran's leaders to agree with is a waste of time and effort because of the Islamic ploy of taqiyya – lying in order to further Allah's cause (Psa. 55:21).

   • God, show Israel of its need to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program, whether Iran pushes forward with it or not, and lead Israel concerning the timing and the method (Ezek. 37:10; Nah. 1:7-8).

   • Give Israel wisdom concerning the radical Islamic Sunni leaders in Syria today (Psa. 23:3b; 32:8).

   • Lord, use Turkey's extremely anti-Israel President Erdogan for Your glory just like You did with Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar (Rom. 9:17).

   • God, protect Israel from Turkey and Syria who have signed a mutual defense pact (Psa. 3:7; 17:8-9).

   • Lord, as the IDF just pulled out of all south Lebanon, except for five outposts, help them to maintain the rules of the ceasefire with Hizbullah in a very aggressive manner (Rom. 13:3-4).

   • Abba Father, may the Lebanese and Iranian civilians, who are in reality held hostage by Hizbullah and the Iranian regime respectively, be set free and recognize Your hand in this (Psa. 146:7).

   • Show Israel how to deal with Egypt's violations of the peace treaty between them as Egypt's military build-up of its forces in the Sinai is way beyond anything to which Israel has agreed (Isa. 19:16-17).

   • Destroy all of the ties between Egypt, Turkey and Qatar that negatively impact Israel (Psa. 129:5).

   • Open America's eyes to how Qatar has been playing them for a fool (Job 12:17; Psa. 39:8; 73:3).

7. Aliyah:

   God is regathering the Jews for His glory (Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 36:22-24). And although this is laid out so clearly in His Word that this is His will, still He wants His Body to work with Him by praying for Him to do this (Ezek. 36:37; Amos 3:7).

   • Lord Yeshua, show Your Body that aliyah is an answer to their 2,000 year old prayer for Your name to be sanctified through Your will being done on earth as it is in heaven (Ezek. 28:25-26; Luke 11:2).

   • God, we rejoice as we witness You gather Your people back home (Jer. 30:8-10).

   • Abba Father, let the increase of interest in aliyah create a massive surge of aliyah (Jer. 50:4-8).

   • Merciful Father, draw Your people home through Your grace and mercy (Isa. 54:7; Jer. 31:3).

   • Yet Lord, if they are deaf or blind to Your merciful drawing, then use the fiery increase of global anti-Semitism to catch their attention and turn their eyes to Zion (Jer. 16:16; 51:9-10).

   • Teach Your people the historical truth that when Jews live in gentile nations, there comes a time when those nations could not, or would not, protect them (Deut. 28:37, 64-67; Psa. 137:3-4).

   • Abba, remove the insidious "comfort zones" that deceive Your people in the West (Job 7:13-14).

   • Lord, bring home Jews with practical, as well as medical and scientific, skills (Neh. 4:16-18).

   • Lord, we do thank You for the major changes in lessening Israeli bureaucracy for professionals who want to make aliyah in order that they can get licenses and find work quicker (Isa. 60:11).

   • King Messiah, direct the Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Ofir Sofer, to ease the difficulty of all Jews who desire to make aliyah – professionals or not (Isa. 62:10).

   • Change the rabbinical definition of "who is a Jew?" to line up with Your definition (Psa. 119:116).

   • Lord, let believers see that Isaiah 43:5-6 talks of them laboring with You to bring home the Jews.

   • God of Israel, move upon wealthy Jews and Christians to give abundantly to finance both the aliyah and the successful integration of new immigrants into Israeli society (Ezra 1:4; Isa. 60:9).

8. Salvation:

   Save us, YHWH our God, and gather us from the nations to give thanks to Your holy name, and to triumph in Your praise. (Psa. 106:47) This verse connects Israel's salvation with aliyah – both of which contribute to glorifying God!

   • Lord, burden many believers to pray for all Israel to be saved today, and to focus on asking for this for Your holy name's sake (Isa. 45:25; 46:13; Ezek. 36:23-32; Luke 2:32; Rom. 10:1).

   • God of Israel, tear away that partial blindness which You placed upon most Jews from Messiah Yeshua's day, and reveal to them their one and only Messianic King (Isa. 45:15; Rom. 11:25-26).

   • Messiah Yeshua, appear in dreams and visions to many Jews at this time (Rev. 1:9-18).

   • Lord Yeshua, redeem many of Israel's modern day sons and daughters of Zion, showing them that You, their King Messiah, have already come and are returning very soon (Zech. 9:9; 14:1-4).

   • Abba Father, through Messiah Yeshua, please redeem many Holocaust survivors and their families; survivors of terrorism; hostages still alive and their loved ones; IDF soldiers and their families; loved ones of soldiers killed or wounded; widows, widowers, orphans; rabbis in Israel and in exile; Israeli politicians, diplomats, lawyers; Jewish university students in Israel and in exile; professors, teachers, medical personnel; Israeli media personalities, tour guides and archeologists; Israelis living in exile; Jewish hippies, LGBTQ+ and new agers; Jews in Iran, Turkey, Ethiopia, India, and China; Spanish and Portuguese speaking Jews; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews.

9. Body of Messiah:

   At Messiah Yeshua's return, He will sit on King David's throne and judge the world from Jerusalem as Israel's King. This is why Satan is so irate over Israel's restoration. Yet why do so many believers not see this, or perceive what the spiritual battle over Israel is about?

   • Abba, we see in the prophetic portion in Jeremiah 33:24, that You knew of the curse of replacement theology even before the Body of Messiah was formed and we thank You that You will have the last word and prove this deception a satanic lie (Jer. 33:25-26).

   • Lord Yeshua, move on Your Body to renounce all proud and racist attitudes towards Jews – saved and unsaved - and instead to bless them as You direct (Prov. 8:13; Isa. 37:23; Rom. 11:17-18, 22).

   • Lord Yeshua, confront believers who reject the Tanach as still Your Word today (Luke 24:25-27).

   • Lord God, by Your Spirit teach believers the biblical links between aliyah, the salvation of Israel and Your return in glory to Zion (Psa. 53:6; 147:2; Jer. 31:1-10; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 23:39).

   • King Yeshua, let those in the Body who do see this be like spiritual leaven and influence everyone else in their fellowships and wider communities (Luke 13:20-21).

   • Lord Yeshua, promote anointed elders who will teach and preach from all of Your Word, and will unashamedly proclaim Your eternal love for Israel (Acts 20:27; Eph.4:11-14).

   • God, may the Body fall in love with the truth of Your Word in 2025 (John 17:17; 2 Thess. 2:10-12).

10. Water:

    Winter weather, including snow on Mt. Hermon and other heights, has descended on Israel this past week. It is forecast to stay this way until early next week. We thank you for praying for the rain and snow to be released over God's land (1 John 5:14-15). Please continue.

11. IFI:

    We thank God for your prayers. It is only by His grace and the revelation in His Word that we have any insight in how to pray into Israel's current situation. Please continue to pray for us, and to also ask God for His mercy and strength as Chuck and Karen are moving to a new home as well.

Thank you, Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Psa. 134:3