1. Praise:

   Shabbat's Torah portion includes the Aaronic benediction: 'YHWH bless you, and keep [+ guard] you. YHWH make His face [+ presence] shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. YHWH lift up His countenance [+ face; presence] upon you, and give you peace'. And [the priests] shall place My name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Num. 6:24-27)

   • Thank You God that all of these promised blessings are also ours in Messiah Yeshua (2 Cor. 1:20).

   • We bless You Lord Yeshua for guarding over us (John 6:39; 10:27-29; 17:12).

   • What unspeakable joy it is to see You, Abba Father, manifest in Your Son (John 14:9; Heb. 1:1-3).

   • Lord God, we rest in Your grace that has saved us and trust that it will continue to sustain us until the very end (Acts 15:11; Rom. 5:1-2; 2 Cor. 9:8; 12:9; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 1:9).

   • We praise You for providing us a peace that passes all understanding (John 14:27; Phil. 4:7).

   • We have great comfort and hope in knowing that You are faithful and do not change, that You are good and Your lovingkindness endures forever (Deut. 7:9; Psa. 106:1; 118:1; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8).

   • We praise You for being able to be glorified through our weaknesses, and for using our weakness to show us once again that Your grace is more than sufficient for us (Psa. 8:2; 2 Cor. 12:9).

   • Thank You for being the Rock we can turn to when we are overwhelmed (Psa. 61:1-2).

   • Knowing that nothing ever takes You by surprise gives us great confidence that regardless of what happens – hallelujah – our God reigns! (Isaiah 42:9; 46:10; 52:7).

2. Government & society:

   With the budget passed, the coalition has many other things to focus on other than the judicial reform – although that is a vital issue for them to deal with as well.

   • God of Israel, make Your priorities Israel's government's priorities (Psa. 32:8-9; Prov. 21:1).

   • Show them how to work in unity as they deal with any of these issues (Psa. 133:1-3; Luke 11:17).

   • Place the coalition's reins firmly in PM Bibi Netanyahu's hands, and yet use his partners to keep him turning Israel onto a more biblical path – regardless of what the nations say (Psa. 31:3; Prov. 8:20).

   • Give Bibi Your wisdom and clarity, and remove any ungodly advisors from him (Prov. 28:5).

   • Like You did with Moses, teach Netanyahu how to delegate (Ex. 18:13-26; Acts 6:1-7).

   • Anoint Finance Minister Smotrich to win the war against Israel's high cost of living – which would include casting out from Israel's economy all unrighteous activities (Prov. 11:1; 16:11; 20:23).

   • Show every Israeli ministry how to reduce wasteful spending and increase effectiveness in the use of their budgeted funds (Psa. 122:7; Prov. 18:9).

   • Let National Security Minister Ben-Gvir use the budget dedicated to reinforce and encourage Israel's police force to do just that – while also removing all unrighteousness from its ranks (2 Chr. 29:15-16).

   • Oversee the funds dedicated to increasing and expanding Jewish communities in the Galilee, the Negev, and in Judea and Samaria to be used effectively for those purposes (Jer. 32:44; 33:13).

   • Remove all hindrances, including unrighteous practices, from the housing industry that prevents affordable housing to be readily available to many Israelis (Neh. 2:20; Isa. 44:26).

   • Lead Israel to be able to maintain a biblical balance between using its natural resources while not destroying God's wonderful creation (Deut. 32:13; Rev. 11:18).

   • Enable judicial reforms to be passed that will move Israel closer to having Isaiah 1:25-27 fulfilled.

   • Continue to sow division in the opposition as they have dealt with Israel's democratically elected government in less-than-righteous ways (Psa. 12:3-4; Prov. 6:16-19).

   • Show Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that he represents Your nation to the rest of the world and to not back down from declaring and pressing for Your will to be done (Psa. 33:10-11; 118:8-9).

3. Aliyah:

   We are convinced that aliyah – the return of the scattered Jews to His/their land – is one of the most vital things God is doing in preparation for the return of Messiah Yeshua. And since He is doing it with all of His heart and soul (Jer. 32:41), we need to make this an essential part of our weekly intercession.

   • When YHWH shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. (Psa. 102:16) Thank You for sharing with us the timing of Your return and we bless You that we are seeing this happening now.

   • YHWH builds up Jerusalem: He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. (Psa. 147:2) You are fulfilling this prophetic word today and we pray for You to hasten the time of its completion.

   • Thank You for the millions of Jews who have returned home since 1948 (Jer. 33:10-14).

   • As the aliyah is for Your glory (Isa. 43:5-7), Lord do whatever it takes, yet with as much mercy as possible, to regather Your scattered people from their worldwide exile (Jer. 31:10).

   • Chase them or draw them – but for Your holy name's sake – bring them all home (Jer. 16:16; 31:3).

   • Let Israel's new focus on bringing French Jews home ignite a major move from there (Isa. 43:5-7).

   • Move sovereignly among other Jews in the West who are stuck in their deceptive comfort zones and who do not see how quickly those "zones" are being destroyed (Eccl. 9:12; Isa. 48:3; Jer. 51:8).

   • Speak to rabbis and Jewish community leaders to come home with their people (Jer. 31:8).

   • Show Messianic Jews that their default position should be to set their sights on making aliyah unless You specifically direct them to remain in exile (Psa. 137:4; Isa. 35:10; 51:11).

   • May Jews considering aliyah not be deterred by the many negative media reports (Num. 13:32).

   • Open new ways for immigrants [olim] to support themselves and to find housing (Amos 9:13-15)

   • Plant all of the new olim in the land with deep roots (Isa. 27:6; 37:31).

   • As both Jewish and gentile believers read Ezekiel 39:28, reveal to them that there is no future for the Jews in the nations, and then speak to them to do all they can to help bring Your people home.

   • Make the connection for more believers that since the aliyah is for Your glory (Ezek. 36:21-24) by helping they are part of the answer to the Lord's prayer, May Your name be sanctified (Luke 11:2).

4. Internal security:

   While it may not seem so from the headlines, yet the truth is that it is safer for Jews to be in Israel than anywhere else today. [See here for an in-depth teaching on this topic] As Jeremiah 31:10 states, He who scattered is gathering, so why should He not also guard His people as a Shepherd guards His flock.

   • Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who leads Joseph like a flock; You who dwells between the cherubim, shine forth…stir up Your strength; come and save us.Psalms 80:1-2

   • We praise You for making the IDF an exceedingly great army and ask You to continue to breath on them so that they become even more effective against Israel's internal enemies (Ezek. 37:9-10).

   • Protect all of Israel's security forces both physically and spiritually (Psa. 121:3-4).

   • Continue to give Israel's security forces miraculous success against all terrorists – especially with the nightly Operation Break the Wave (Psa. 44:4-7).

   • As terrorists see this supernatural success, use it to place the fear of You, Israel's God, in their hearts and minds and to surrender in faith to You and then to surrender physically to Israel (2 Chr. 17:10).

   • Impart discernment to differentiate between innocent Palestinians and terrorists (Prov. 14:19; 15:3).

   • Anoint all believers in the IDF with the gifts of the Spirit – including healings, words of wisdom and knowledge – and use them to provoke unsaved Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:14; 1 Cor. 12:7-11).

   • Prepare Israel for the day after PA President Abbas has gone to his eternal destiny (Prov. 21:31).

   • Place a shield about the human resources who provide Israel with intelligence (Psa. 91:4-5).

   • Guard them from all deception and diversions (Gen. 31:7).

   • Lord, release angelic protection over Israel's roads against accidents and terror attacks (Deut. 28:6).

   • Push Israel to extend sovereignty over more of its God-given inheritance, until it possesses all of its possessions (Obad. 1:17-20).

   • Thank You for removing legal barriers so that Jews can resettle in the areas of Samaria from where they were forcibly removed under Ariel Sharon's Disengagement Plan (Isa. 65:21-22; Jer. 31:4-5)

   • Block all outside influences from influencing Israel's vital internal security decisions, including from those nations who are very upset with this resettling of Samaria (Psa. 2:1-5; Jer. 50:28).

5. External security:

   Throughout His Word Yahweh declares Himself as Israel's God. Israel's foes today – whether Iran and its proxies, Western nations, the UN, or whoever – have no idea of the danger they are in (Isa. 34:1-8). But believers should know and both pray for and warn our nations.

   • For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you [Israel as it is being regathered] shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted. (Isa. 60:12); And it shall come to pass in that day that I [God the Creator; see 12:1] will seek to destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem (Zech. 12:9).

   • Enable believers in every nation which is actively seeking to stop Israel from inheriting that which God has promised to it (Psa. 69:35-36), to see that God is already judging their nation (Joel 3:1-2).

   • We know and confess that You are Israel's main Defender (Psa. 21:4), yet we also thank You for how You use the IDF to accomplish this today (Isa. 41:10-16; Mic. 4:11-13).

   • As the IDF is holding another exercise in preparation for fighting a multi-front war, reveal all weak areas to be strengthened, and all else that needs to be exposed (Neh. 6:9; Job 42:2; Isa. 35:3).

   • Thank You for the successful test of Israel's Navy's version of the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

   • Give Israel divine wisdom to complete its Iron Beam laser system as soon as possible (Isa. 45:7).

   • Uncover all Iranian plots against Israel of which they are not yet aware (Job 12:22; Luke 12:3).

   • May all gathering of intelligence be accurate and then analyzed effectively (2 Kin. 6:12).

   • Break down all communications between enemy allies, causing great division (Psa. 55:9).

   • Increase the strife between Iran Shi'ite rulers and Afghanistan's Taliban Sunni rulers, using this to divide Iran's attention away from its addiction to anti-Israeli actions (Psa. 129:5).

   • As Iran's economy continues to crash, drain the finances of its wicked rulers but provide all that is needed for its people to survive (Isa. 14:5).

   • Increase the internal dissention between the Iranians and their rulers (Prov. 22:10; 29:22).

   • Teach Israel's leaders to not trust in any other nation – but to look to You alone (Ezek. 29:6-7).

   • Overshadow all Israeli diplomatic negotiations concerning making of alliances with other nations so that only that which is of You is accomplished (Prov. 19:21; Isa. 30:2-3).

   • Warn Israel to use great caution in its relations with Turkey and Saudi Arabia (Psa. 40:4; 46:3-5).

   • Do not permit Israel to approve a reported US plan to push for Israeli-Saudi relations at the cost of Israel being silent about America's attempt to restart the Iranian nuclear deal, thus giving Iran literally billions of dollars and a clear path to nuclear weapons (Job 5:12; Psa. 33:10-11).

6. Salvation:

   It is obviously a lie that all Jews rejected Yeshua as Messiah in the New Testament times, as it ignores the first ten chapters of the book of Acts. In the early church, gentiles were the exception to the rule of who believed as opposed to who did not. Today, descendants of the original believers, who were all Messianic Jews, are coming to a saving knowledge of Messiah Yeshua, which should encourage us to pray even more for all Israel to be saved (Rom. 11:26a).

   • We praise You for the increase of Jewish believers in Your Body today (Acts 5:14). More, Lord!

   • Wake up gentile believers that one of the reasons they are saved is specifically to provoke Jews to jealousy – and then guide individually to do that in a way that bears much fruit (Rom. 11:11).

   • Make Jewish and gentile believers very spiritually attractive to Jewish unbelievers (Matt. 5:13-16).

   • Lord, move mightily by Your Spirit on Jews in exile and those who are home in Israel (Jer. 31:7).

   • Use the internet (Psa. 19:4; Rom. 10:18), as well as dreams and visions (Joel 2:28-32), to plant Your engrafted word which has power to save in the hearts of Your people (Jam. 1:21).

   • May Your Word which is read daily and weekly in Jewish prayer books and during the Torah and prophetic portions on Shabbat not come back to You empty (Isa. 55:11).

   • Pour out a holy dissatisfaction on unsaved Jews with the words of men and at the same time increase a hunger and thirst for Your Word (Jer. 15:16).

   • Bring forth a harvest from Jews who have settled on Israel's mountains; from the ultra-Orthodox [the Haredi]; from rabbis in Israel and in exile in every Jewish sect; from the LGBTQ+ community; also from Israeli and other Jewish politicians; draw Israelis involved in the criminal underground, drug dealers and users and sex traffickers and those trapped in it; save abortion doctors and their patients; psychologists, psychiatrists and their patients; teachers and university professors; touch by Your Spirit members of all branches of the IDF(Luke 10:2).

   • Grace those of us who have been interceding for decades for someone's salvation to persist in prayer until we see Your answer (Luke 18:1; 1 John 5:14-15).

   • Provide fellowship for new believers with mature believers who understand that a Jew who believes in Jesus as their Messiah and Savior – remains a Jew (1 John 1:3).

   • Anoint believers to come alongside and disciple new believers (Matt. 28:19-20).

7. IFI:

   Thank you for your payers of protection and guidance for us so that we can know how best to pray for Israel for its protection and salvation. We are in this together and even if you think all you are doing is staying home and guarding the "stuff," the rewards are equal from the God whom we all serve (1 Sam. 30:23-25).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Psa. 121:3-8