1. Praise:

    Zechariah 4:6b, in Shabbat's prophetic reading, is engraved on the large Menorah outside of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, in Jerusalem. It is of God that the modern Jewish State picked this verse to remind its people where its strength is to be found. This is the word of YHWH to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says YHWH of hosts.

    • Lord Yeshua, we bless You for directing Israel to use this verse outside of its government building and we praise You for its' reminder to us of relying on Your Spirit daily (Rom. 8:14; 1 Cor. 3:16).

    • We thank You for sanctifying and justifying us – in Your name and by Your Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11).

    • We also bless You Abba, for sealing us unto salvation through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).

    • Abba, thank You for telling us that we know we are saved if we can truly say that Messiah Yeshua, is Lord, as that can happen only through the empowering of Your Spirit (Rom. 8:16; 1 Cor. 12:3).

  2. Aliyah:

    The Bondi Beach terrorist attack in Sydney Australia on the first night of Chanukah left 15 Jews killed and 40 injured. As we have been praying for a while now, at some point Jews still in "the captivity" will perceive that Israel is where they need to be (Rom. 8:28).

    • God of Abraham, open up Jewish minds to understand that while Israel is not 100% safe, it is safer today than living in "the captivity" – including in the West (Psa. 121:3-4).

    • As Jews outside of Israel are faced with an uncertainty of whether to openly display their Chanukah Menorahs, God remind them that in Israel they have the freedom to openly be Jewish.

    • Lord God, with great mercy and love draw Your people home (Isa. 54:7).

    • Abba, use Your hunters (Jer. 16:16) to increase the effectiveness of Your mercy.

    • Almighty God, let the explosion of anti-Israel/anti-Semitic acts in the West shake up those Jews who never considered making aliyah to decide to move to Israel now (Jer. 50:4-8).

    • Lord God, confront Jewish pride which says, "They will not chase us out!" and show them that it is You who are doing the chasing to draw them back home now (Prov. 16:18; Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 31:3-5).

    • Messiah, aid Western Jews to read the signs of the times accurately as a British Jew said right after that deadly attack in Manchester, that while they were shocked they were not surprised (Matt. 16:2-3).

    • Lord God, bring Jews home today while they can still bring their wealth with them (Isa. 60:9).

    • Show Jews who want to make aliyah where to get or find all the needed paperwork (Psa. 23:1-3).

    • In the face of the Bondi Beach massacre, we ask You Lord to help Israel as it develops emergency plans to receive a large number of Jews returning home over a short period of time (Isa. 11:11-12).

    • Sovereign God, shut the gates to all other nations against Jewish immigration, and use the increased terrorism in the West to eliminate those nations as possible destinations (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • King Messiah, draw home a tsunami of immigrants all at once and let it wash away all man-made barriers in Israel which makes aliyah more difficult than it should be (Psa. 66:6; 98:8).

    • Lord Yeshua, cast that mountain which blocks aliyah for many Jews – the rabbi's definition of who is a Jew – into the sea, replacing it with the biblical definition (Isa. 62:10; Mark 7:9, 13).

    • God, as You promised to marry Your people to Your land (Isa. 62:4-5), do that with all the Jewish people who are part of that chosen remnant who return and settle there (Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11).

    • Good Shepherd, speak clearly unto gentile believers to help carry Your Jewish sons and daughters back home today – physically, financially and through prayer (Isa. 49:22).

  3. Salvation:

    Watching Zechariah 12:2-3 coming to pass today encourages us to ask for 12:10 to be fulfilled as well – when all Israel is saved.

    • Lord Yeshua, remove the blindness placed over Your people for the gentiles' sake (Rom. 11:25) and like Joseph in the Torah portion reveal Yourself to Your Jewish family (Gen. 42:8).

    • God, have more Jews ask You about Zechariah 2:10-11 in the prophetic portion which hints that the godhead is not a singularity but a unity, and that You promised to make gentiles Your people as well.

    • We thank You Lord for the increased spiritual hunger in many Israelis since Oct. 7th (Jer. 29:13).

    • King Yeshua, Light of the World, allow the focus on light in the Chanukah and Christmas seasons to cause unsaved Jews to seek You (Psa. 36:9; John 8:12; 9:5; 1 John 1:5).

    • Abba, save many Jews – not by might, nor by power – but by Your Spirit and grace (Zech. 4:6-7).

    • Yeshua Lord, use the love and generosity of gentile believers to show Your people that You are their Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isa. 60:16; Rom. 11:11).

    • [Ask God about specific groups of Jews He would direct you to pray for this week.]

  4. Government & society:

    Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu is not flawless, but until Yeshua reigns as Israel's King there has never been a flawless leader in all of history. After all, to even think you can lead a nation requires some pride. Yet there have been good rulers despite their human faults, and this is how we see Bibi. Still, the biblical truth is that God ordains who rules among men (Dan. 4:17), and uses them for His purposes (Rom. 9:15-17).

    • Lord Yeshua, by Your divine authority, rule over Israel as its King today (Isa. 33:22; Matt. 28:18).

    • King Messiah, equip Bibi to be Your anointed vessel for Israel today (Job 32:8).

    • God Almighty, shield Netanyahu from all mental, emotional, physical and/or spiritual attacks that come at him from world leaders, other people or demonic forces (Deut. 33:29; Psa. 3:3).

    • God of Jacob, bring to Bibi a Joseph-type of advisor – one who has Your Spirit (Gen. 41:38).

    • Lord God, unite Israel's coalition; guard them against deception (Job 12:16-17); and turn more of them into biblical sons and daughters of Zion (Isa. 37:22; Mic. 4:13; Zech. 9:13).

    • Abba Father, gift Defense Minister Katz with boldness and clarity (Prov. 28:1b; Eccl. 8:1).

    • Lord of all, give the coalition wisdom on how to recruit the ultra-orthodox into the IDF (Job 12:12).

    • Righteous God, oversee the needed judicial reform that Israel desperately needs (Isa. 1:25-27).

    • Abba Father, may You alone ordain when Israel's next elections take place (Eccl. 3:1, Isa. 46:10).

    • Lord God of Moses, we bless You for fulfilling Deuteronomy 8:18 as You have been supporting Israel's economy ever since Oct. 7th, 2023, and we ask for that to continue.

  5. Foreign relations:

    It is very upsetting to hear US President Trump order Israel to do this or that and then to threaten it, covertly or overtly, if it does not obey. He told Israel to stop attacking Iran and Hizbullah, to not extend sovereignty over its land, to not mess with Syria and to let foreign soldiers into Gaza. Thankfully Israel has only partially obeyed! We pray that US believers would see how dangerous Trump's attitude towards Israel is, especially for their nation, and would pray for him and America (Ezek. 22:30-32). Meanwhile, we take our stand as watchmen over Israel (Isa. 62:6-7).

    • King Yeshua, thankfully You are never confused about the thinking and planning of the nations, therefore please guide us as we intercede for Your will to be done on earth (Psa. 71:1; 1 Cor. 14:33).

    • King of kings, You have ordained today's world leaders, including Trump (Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21a), so use them as You did Pharaoh, Cyrus and others – to further Your kingdom's goals (Rom. 9:15-23).

    • God of gods, let the global pressure push Israel into being that nation which dwells alone (Num. 23:9b), and show Israelis, especially during Chanukah, how You forbid them from being like all the other nations (Ezek. 20:32-38).

    • Almighty God, anoint Bibi and other Israeli leaders with wisdom and boldness to deal with Trump and the US administration, including placing Bible verses in their mouths (Ex. 4:11-12; Jer. 1:9).

    • Lord, if Netanyahu's visit with Trump on December 29th is not of You – please cancel it (Job 11:10).

    • Abba Father, if it is of You, overrule all that will happen there (Psa. 103:19; Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • Lord, protect and impart wisdom to Bibi's entourage who meet with US officials (Psa. 23:3b).

    • Shield of Abraham, increase Your protection, both physically and spiritually, over all of Israel's international representatives (Psa. 91:3-8; 121:4).

    • Lord Yeshua, bring Christian Zionists into Israeli representatives' lives, and let them encourage the Israelis by sharing with them what Your Word states about Israel (Psa. 40:10; 43:3a; 86:1; 98:3).

    • God of Jacob, as You did with Balaam, turn all the curses against Your people from nations, global NGOs, and the media, into blessings – simply because You love them (Deut. 23:5; 33:3).

    • King Messiah, write on the UN's walls what You wrote to Belshazzar (Dan. 5:25-28) and remove this anti-Christ organization suddenly from off the earth.

  6. Gaza:

    The IDF continues to war against Hamas, yet in a limited fashion. Israel waits to see if Trump's perilous ceasefire plan leads to a disarmed Hamas and a demilitarized Gaza. Hamas, despite agreeing to the plan, has broken it repeatedly: a hostage body remains in Gaza; daily it attacks IDF soldiers; and it rejects laying down its weapons. The UN Security Council adopted Trump's plan and approved an International Stabilization Force [ISF], yet no nation is willing to send in "peacekeepers" until Hamas is disarmed – except Turkey whom Israel has vehemently rejected, as they are openly allies of Hamas. That leaves the IDF which has the courage, skill and motivation to do it.

    • Almighty King, let Your plans concerning Gaza prevail and not what nations, or that UN Security Council resolution [UNSCR], decrees (Psa. 33:10-11; Prov. 21:30).

    • Lord Yeshua, You rebuked the storm, and the wind and waves stopped, so now arise and rebuke phase two of Trump's plan today, declaring, Be silent! Be still! (Mark 4:39-41)

    • Abba Father, harden the hearts of Hamas and its Arab allies from fulfilling even phase one of this plan and let Trump see that he is being mocked and made to look like a fool (Psa. 55:21).

    • Lord God, use Hamas' pride to drag them down into destruction (2 Sam. 22:28b; Prov. 16:18).

    • God of justice, based on Deuteronomy 32:41 and Isaiah 34:5, we ask You to render vengeance unto Your enemies in Gaza who hate You– Hamas and Islamic Jihad (Psa. 83:1-4).

    • Lord, block all foreign troops, especially Turkish, from entering Your land (Lev. 25:23; Psa. 10:16).

    • Creator God, shake the ground and destroy Hamas' underground tunnels (Num. 16:31; Isa. 13:9).

    • Lord of hosts, reinforce the angelic protection over the IDF soldiers still in Gaza against explosive devices, attacks, kidnapping attempts, accidents or friendly fire incidents (Psa. 32:7; 121:4).

    • Lord God, prepare the IDF to be totally victorious over Hamas once they are released to deal with that demonic organization, and to be able to do it quickly (Psa. 44:5-7).

    • King Yeshua, let Your light, shine through Arab believers in Gaza, drawing many Muslims to You at this time (Matt. 5:16).

  7. Internal security:

    We keep praying for Israel to extend its sovereignty over all of its land west of the Jordan River and to not let up its attacks against the various terrorist groups inside of God's land. We are seeing answers in both requests, yet resistance to Israel's extension of sovereignty has intensified – and not just from Arab or Islamic nations – but from its Western "allies"!

    • Lord Yeshua, rebuke any born-again believer who supports the creation of a "Palestine" on the land You gifted to Your people – as that gift is for Your holy name's sake (Psa. 115:1-3; Rev. 2:14a).

    • God of Israel, let Your promises inspire Israel to spread its tent pegs over the land that You swore to give them, despite what other nations or NGOs might say or do (Psa. 105:5-12; Isa. 54:2-3).

    • Abba, we thank You for the legalization of many new and previously questionable settlements, and ask that they would grow in size and population and prosper abundantly (Jer. 32:42-44).

    • Lord God, if Israel must decide between expanding the Abraham Accords or keeping Your covenant with Father Abraham, let it choose Your covenant (Gen. 12:1-22:18; Neh. 2:20).

    • We bless You Lord that in 2025 Jews have had more liberty to ascend up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and to even pray and openly praise You there (Psa. 100:4-5). Increase this, Lord!

    • Abba, we thank You for the many "strangers" who are "building up Israel's walls" and "feeding its flocks," like Filipinos, Indians, Vietnamese, others, as well as gentile believers (Isa. 60:10; 61:5)

    • We praise You Lord God of hosts for the ongoing counterterrorism operations that Israel's security services are executing in Samaria and the superb success which they are having (Psa. 44:4).

    • King of Israel, as per Your promise, release a demoralizing fear and dread of the IDF upon Israel's enemies inside Your land (Ex. 23:27; Deut. 11:24-25; Josh. 2:9-11; 2 Chr. 20:29).

    • Almighty, set the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Islamic Jihad against each other (Zech. 14:13).

    • Abba, reveal to Israel's security forces all arms smuggling attempts into Israel (Job 28:11b; 42:2).

    • Lord of lords, may the extension of Israeli sovereignty shame Muslims who see Your land as "wakf territory," Allah's land forever, and then use that shame to turn them to seek You (Psa. 83:16).

  8. External security – Middle East [ME] and beyond:

    Both Qatar and Turkey are enemies of Israel. This is very dangerous as Trump views them both as allies and friends and wants them to be very involved with his plans for Gaza. As both are Muslim Brotherhood [MB] adherents, this makes them enemies of the West. Meanwhile, Iran and Hizbullah are rearming and threatening Israel again.

    • Lord God, if the international hostility against Israel is You watching over Zechariah 12:2-3 and 14:1-2, then calm our hearts and guide us as to how You want us to pray (Jer. 1:12; John 10:27).

    • All-wise God, give Israel accurate actionable intelligence of its enemies' plans, aid it interpret that data correctly and to know if and when it needs to response (Psa. 59:10; Prov. 15:3).

    • Lord of the nations, block all additions to the Abraham Accords between Israel and ME nations if it is dangerous for Israel, and overrule the future of these accords (Psa. 124:1-8).

    • We rejoice that in Israel's modern history, Leviticus 26:7-8 has often been fulfilled. More, Lord!

    • King Messiah, amplify Israel's ability to use cyberwarfare effectively (Psa. 144:1; 149:6-9).

    • Lord God, let all of Iran's internal crises – its deadly air pollution; severe water shortage; a wrecked economy; and its oppression against its citizens – hasten the downfall of its evil regime (Jer. 49:38b).

    • Abba Father, create a band of Iranian "Maccabees" who will war against their wicked overlords.

    • Lord of hosts, impart to Israel Your strategy, tactics and timing to destroy Iran's remaining ballistic missiles and launchers, and its "secret" nuclear program (Psa. 144:1; Prov. 21:30-31; Jer. 49:35).

    • Righteous Judge, judge all nations who maintain financial transactions with Iran – even though they know that Iran is the world's #1 supporter of terror (Jer. 12:13; Hag. 1:6).

    • King Messiah, guard over Israel in its diplomatic meetings with Syria's government (Psa. 5:8; 31:3).

    • Almighty God, rebuke Turkey's anti-Christ-like President Erdogan in Your righteous wrath for his constant curses and evil plans against Israel (Num. 24:9b; 1 Kin. 2:8-9; Rom. 1:18; 2:8).

    • God, maintain the IDF's attacks on Hizbullah's attempts to rebuild anywhere in Lebanon (Ex. 23:27).

    • Messiah Yeshua, as Your priests (1 Pet. 2:9) we ask You to fulfill Joel 2:17-21 and drive Hizbullah far off from Israel's northern border (Isa. 41:11-12).

    • Lord, let Your light shine bright through Your ME Body at this season (Gen. 1:3-4; John 1:1-9).

    • Give Israel wisdom Lord, to know which Western nations are true allies and which would stab it in the back at the first chance that they have (Psa. 55:21; Ezek. 29:6-7).

  9. Body of Messiah:

    It seems to us that the main reason why many believers, especially in the West, are against Israel's total restoration, is their total rejection of the Old Testament, the Tanach, as still being a viable part of God's Word today. Yet for Messiah Yeshua and the early believers this was the only Word of God they had, loved, and trusted (2 Tim. 3:15-17)!

    • Lord, when believers who reject the Tanach as still valid today, sing Christmas hymns this week, wake them up to realize that they are worshipping a Jewish baby who was born the King of the Jews and who is today the Lion of Judah, the Root and Offspring of David (Matt. 2:1-2; Rev. 5:5).

    • Abba Father, reveal to the Body that they are grafted into Israel's cultivated olive tree and not into a dying Christmas tree that is cut off at its roots and dying (Rom. 11:17-24).

    • God, show the Body that the method Satan used to cause humanity to sin in Eden is being repeated today as he again asks both believer and non-believer, Has God really said? (Gen. 3:1a)!

    • Lord Yeshua, let Your Body see how Jews being restored to their land is very important to You (Jer. 32:41); and then guide them to intercede for this – Your will – to be done on earth (Luke 11:2).

    • Messiah Lord, gift Your Body with more elders who teach and preach all of the Word (Acts 20:27), and who also teach on Your eternal love for, and covenant with, Israel (Deut. 7:6-8; Jer. 31:35-37).

    • God Almighty, expel from Your Body replacement and fulfillment theories, and any other teachings that are not in line with Your Word (Isa. 29:24; Matt. 15:9; Rom. 16:17).

    • Burden believers to ask You how they can more effectively provoke Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).

  10. Water:

    We bless God for the wet weather that Israel has had. Even Israel's meteorologists have altered their forecasts from another drought year to a year of average rainfall. Our prayers are having an effect, so let's continue to ask for an above average rainfall and that all of the water which Israel needs – God will send.

  11. IFI:

    Over the next few weeks we will be moving our IFI office. God has provided a new space and the finances needed to make the move, so we thank you for your prayers and your support for us.

Shabbat shalom from Israel; happy Chanukah and a joyous Christmas

Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team

Isa. 9:6-7