Praise :
One of my favorite verses is in Shabbat's prophetic portion:
Who is there among you fears YHWH, obeys the voice of His Servant [referring to Messiah], yet walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the name of YHWH, and lean upon his God.
(Isa. 50:10)Thank You Abba that You know we can never understand You completely, or understand what You allow in our lives, yet You challenge us to trust in You nonetheless (Prov. 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:7).
We praise You that through Your grace and the gift of Your Spirit, You have given us the ability to trust in Your Son, our Lord and our God Yeshua (Psa. 2:12; Zech. 4:6-7; John 20:28; Rom. 9:33).
Hallelujah! God the Son, You become the Son of Man and our yeshuah – salvation (Isa. 12:2).
Bless You Lord that the Torah portion declares Your lordship over all of creation, so we rejoice for despite what we see or hear or feel, our God reigns (Deut. 10:14; cp. Gen. 14:19; Psa. 24:1).
We bless You Abba for this oft-repeated command in Your Word:
Give thanks to YHWH for He is good for His covenant-love [+ faithfulness] endures forever
(Psa. 118:1, 29; 136:1; + others).
Government & society :
God decrees who rules over nations (Dan. 4:17). He also uses them for His purposes – whether we perceive this or not. At times we do question His choices; yet we are told to pray for our authorities (1 Tim. 2:1-3). As Israel will hold its national election on Oct. 27th it is vital for us to pray for Israel's leaders today, and for those who will be in charge tomorrow.
King Yeshua, move Your Body to pray for Your will to be done in Israel's elections, and teach them the connection between Israel's restoration and Your return in glory (Isa. 46:13; Zech. 12:10; 14:3-4).
Abba Father, protect Israelis against manipulation by demonic forces from inside and outside of the nation during what is becoming a very chaotic election season (Deut. 33:29; Psa. 89:18; Isa. 54:17).
God, use the chaos to stir the pot and let the dross come to the surface to be taken away (Isa. 1:25).
Shield of Abraham, shield Your nation from being deceived through the use of artificial intelligence [AI] by gifting them true intelligence from You (Psa. 111:10; 119:104, 130).
Lord God, unless You build the house man's labors are in vain (Psa. 127:1), so please start building the next Israeli governing coalition in a way that it brings You great glory (Psa. 115:1-3).
King Messiah, gift PM Bibi Netanyahu and all other government ministers with godly advisors, and let them hear, and obey, Your counsel to them (Prov. 9:9; 11:14; 24:6).
Lord God, anoint Israel's current coalition to move ahead with all which You have ordained for them to do during the relatively short time they have left to serve Your nation (Prov. 16:1, 9).
Again we ask You God to fulfill Isa. 1:25-27 and deal in righteousness with Israel's proud Supreme Court judges who act today as if they – and not the democratically elected officials – run the nation.
Abba, let Deuteronomy 8:18 in the Torah portion explain to many Israelis the real reason why their economy is doing so much better than most of the rest of the world, even after the Oct. 7th massacre.
Foreign relations :
The eruption of hatred against the Jewish State is a fruit of the world's hatred of Israel's God (Psa. 83:1-4). To state, as God's Word says, that He is the only God is very offensive to most humanistic Westerners and rejected by those who worship false gods. Yet Israel's restoration which is fulfilling biblical prophecy proves that the Bible is both true and the truth. Thus Israel, a living witness of the One True God, is despised and targeted for destruction.
Abba Father, since You are never confused about the machinations of the nations, continue to lead us even more specifically as we pray for Your will to be done on earth (Psa. 71:1; 1 Cor. 14:33).
King Messiah, remind Your Body that when interceding for Israel and their nations, the goal is for Your kingdom and glory to be revealed throughout the earth (Psa. 57:5, 11; 108:5; Isa. 55:8-9).
We thank You God for overseeing this past week's meeting between Bibi and US President Trump and their advisors as according to all reports it was held in a good atmosphere (Prov. 19:21; 21:30).
Lord God, as hatred of Israel increases, drag Israel to dwell alone (Num. 23:9b), and show Israelis that You actually forbid them from being a nation like any other nation (Ezek. 20:32-38).
Messiah Lord, encourage Israeli representatives throughout the world to boldly speak Your Word and surround them with Christian Zionists who can strengthen and even teach them how to do this (Isa. 55:11; Heb. 4:12-13 [There was no New Testament when Hebrews 4:12-13 was written!]).
Lord God, anoint Israeli UN Ambassador Danon and his team to defend Your nation in that modern Tower of Babylon against the anti-Christ spirit which rules there (Psa. 81:10; 119:13; 1 John 2:18).
Abba, grant great discernment to Israel to know which nations are safe to share and sell its hi-tech weaponry and defensive achievements to and which nations are not (Isa. 39:3-7).
Gaza :
Trump announced last night that Hamas has agreed to disarm and let others rule over Gaza. Israel is rightly skeptical. Yet what is most revealing is that Trump actually used the phrase “peace and security” when speaking about this and we, children of the light, know what God says will inevitably follow when people say this in these last days (1 Thess. 5:1-6)! Also, if Israel sticks to what it originally agreed to, it will be cast as the one blocking “peace and security” from the Middle East.
Lord God, since Egypt, Qatar and Turkey worked out this “peace” with Hamas and Trump supports it totally, we ask You to arise and defend Your nation as it is rightly hesitant to trust it (Deut. 33:29).
Thank You for Israel already saying that what was agreed on was not just Hamas' disarmament but also the demilitarization of Gaza and that it will not withdraw the IDF until that is done (Num. 30:2).
Abba Father, protect Israel from the inevitable pressure from the US administration to go along with this very dangerous agreement (Psa. 33:10-12; 121:4).
God, for both Israelis and any innocent Palestinians in Gaza, fulfill Psalm 10:15 against Hamas.
Commander of heaven's hosts, reinforce Your protection over IDF soldiers in Gaza – against attacks, explosive devices, kidnapping attempts, accidents and friendly fire incidents (Psa. 32:7; 121:4).
God of Jacob, let more Israelis see Gaza as part of the tribe of Judah's inheritance and so retaking Gaza is the only kosher biblically-based “day-after” plan (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18; Prov. 16:9).
King Yeshua, build up, protect, and guide every Arab believer in Gaza and move on Your Body worldwide to intercede for our family who live under Hamas' demonic control (Matt. 16:18).
Internal security :
Jews are reading through Deuteronomy for the Torah portions until mid-September. As I have already written, Moses states over 80x in that book that Israel should possess all the land God promised them west of the Jordan River. We pray for God to plant the biblical truth of His gift of His land to His nation firmly in the minds and hearts of Jews wherever they live today. Also, the intensity of attacks between Palestinian terrorists and Israeli settlers has increased with the IDF now making major military moves throughout Judea and Samaria.
God, let Your people see the importance of living in all of the land as they read in Shabbat's Torah portion,
He will love you, and bless you, and multiply you…in the land which He swore unto your fathers to give you.
(Deut. 7:13; cp. 8:1, 7, 10; 9:4, 5, 6, 23, 28; 10:11; 11:9, 17, 21 [8x swore])Abba Father, by Your Spirit, create in both the Body of Messiah and in Your nation a jealousy for Your land that matches, at least to some degree, how You feel (Ezek. 36:5-15; Zech. 8:1-2).
King Messiah, confront all believers who support the creation of a “Palestinian State” on Your land, showing them that this is a devious plot of Satan to block Your return (Matt. 16:23; 23:37-39).
God of the nations, cast out all fear of man from Israel's current and future leaders which stops them from extending sovereignty over all of Your land (Psa. 118:6; Prov. 29:25).
As per the above, we thank You for Finance Minister Smotrich who has quietly led a major change in Judea and Samaria during this current government, replacing most of the military rule with civilian administrations, and thus affirming Israel's authority over much more of its land (Isa. 54:2-3).
Almighty, show the next government how the Palestinian Authority has rejected their commitments to the Oslo Accords, and so free Israel from this anti-biblical trap (Psa. 124:1-8).
Lord God, let more Israelis note how settlements contribute to Israel's overall security as they saw that the uprooting of the Gaza settlements open the door for the Oct. 7th massacre (Ezek. 36:8-12).
Lord God, if the current increase of attacks between Arab terrorists and Israeli settlers is of You to show Your people once again the need to extend sovereignty and build throughout Your land, then we ask for You to do this with much mercy and swiftness and guide us as to how to pray (Isa. 60:21-22).
King Messiah, hedge in the zealots among the settlers and forbid their violent acts from tarnishing the excellent character of the vast majority of Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria (Gal. 5:9).
Lord of hosts, encourage Israel's security forces as they war against its internal enemies with verses in the Torah portion that states how You will also fight with Israel against them (Deut. 7:21-23; 9:3).
Abba, if the IDF needs to war against the Palestinian Authority Security Forces, which is now a good sized army, watch over and fulfill Deuteronomy 11:25 from Shabbat's Torah reading.
God of Jacob, as You have been since at least 1948, so again be Israel's eternal support and thrust out the enemy before them, letting their enemies be destroyed (Deut. 33:27).
Mighty One, shield Your people against terrorist attacks outside of Judea and Samaria (Psa. 121:4).
Merciful God, deal with Muslims inside of Israel in line with Jeremiah 12:14-17 and save many, but also remove completely all who continue to worship their false god Allah (Psa. 10:16).
External security :
News about America and Iran, and whether they are fighting or talking or doing both, seems to flip-flop almost daily. At the same time, Israel's relations with Lebanon are precarious as the current Lebanese government wants Israel to pull out of Lebanese territories before Hizbullah is fully disarmed. Praise God, Israel is not willing to do this! We need guidance from above to pray into these situations.
Lord, we are very grateful and encouraged that absolutely nothing takes You by surprise (Isa. 42:9).
Abba, if this is the time to fulfill Micah 4:11-13, then guide us as we intercede (Obad. 1:15).
Divine Judge, deal with every world leader who thinks they can control Israel's destiny (Psa. 94:2).
Lord Yeshua, bring to mind Ezekiel 29:6-7 to believers who live in nations claiming to be Israel's friends and allies, but in reality are not, and then turn them to cry out for mercy (Ezek. 22:30-31)!
Iran : Lord God, hasten the preparation of those You have ordained as Iran's next leaders, and give them great favor with their own people, with Israel and with America (Psa. 75:5-7; Dan. 2:21).
God, as with the Chaldeans, let the Iranian regime be overrun and suddenly destroyed (Dan. 5:30).
Abba, Iran's “king,” the Ayatollah, is now destroyed, so please fulfill the rest of Jeremiah 49:38a and also destroy their “princes,” Iran's various rulers who fight each other for authority today.
Creator God, open the earth beneath Iran's nuclear facilities and drag them down to destruction as their goal to annihilate Israel is a clear provocation against You (Num. 16:30).
Teach the Body in Iran how to intercede for Your Kingdom goals there (Psa. 33:22; 118:4; 123:3).
King Yeshua, anoint Iranian believers to perform signs and wonders in Your name (Acts 2:43; 4:30).
Lord God, let the Iranian ex-pats living in the West shame every Westerner who curses Israel and America while these “Persians” openly thank and stand with both Bibi and Trump (Job 8:22)!
Hizbullah in Lebanon : Lord God of Israel, as the IDF pulls back from agreed-upon pilot zones to see if Lebanon's army can disarm Hizbullah, let the reality of that be revealed quickly (Judg. 9:33).
Abba Father, use Israel as Your weapon of war (Jer. 51:20-23) to destroy Hizbullah and set northern Israel and the Lebanese free from its reign of terror (Prov. 28:15; Psa. 9:5-6; Isa. 14:5).
Almighty King, anoint Israel to be the worldwide leader in the use of drones – both offensively and defensively – and use what You give them to let Hizbullah reap what they sow (Deut. 28:7, 13).
Lord, swiftly drain Hizbullah's finances as their patron Iran faces bankruptcy (Job 21:13; Luke 6:25).
Other : Messiah Yeshua, burden American believers to pray for Trump's “love-affair” with Turkey's President Erdogan to be broken before he foolishly helps to upgrade Turkey's army (Prov. 16:5).
All-seeing Lord God, expose the wolves in sheep's clothing who now rule in Syria (Jer. 13:23).
Lord, continue drawing Israel and India, Azerbaijan, Greece and Cyprus closer together (Prov. 18:24).
God, provide all the human and spiritual assistance Israel needs to defend itself against the constant cyberwarfare assaults and let it become the head of the nations in this arena as well (Deut. 28:10, 13).
Aliyah :
It is God's will for Jews to return to their land as their salvation and His glory is tied in with this (Ezek. 39:28-29). Yet today, despite the explosion of anti-Semitism, a majority of Jews choose to live in “the captivity.” Only He knows what it will take to set them free from their false “comfort zones.” So we ask Him to do that – yet with as much mercy as possible (Isa. 54:7).
Abba Father, let many more gentile believers obey Isaiah 49:22 in Shabbat's prophetic portion as You show them that You are commanding them to help carry the Jewish people home.
Messiah Yeshua, teach them that Isaiah 60:3-11 and 16 also speak of them being an integral part of the restoration of Israel in these last days.
Lord God, anoint believers to share with Jewish friends their need to make aliyah (Eph. 4:15a).
Lord God, bring home that chosen remnant of the Jews, those whom You have ordained to settle Your land – for Your great name's sake (Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11; Ezek. 36:22-24).
God of Jacob, let Your people in the nations see how many gentiles tie them in with Israel regardless of whether they agree with Israel's policies or not (Matt. 26:71-73).
Sovereign God, shut the gates to all other nations against Jewish immigration, and let the increase of terrorism in the West remove those nations as possible destinations (Isa. 43:5-7).
Lord, raise up a new generation of Sons of Zion gatekeepers who will fling up the gates of Israel to multitudes of Jews, regardless of their financial situation, skin color or religious beliefs (Psa. 122:2).
Abba Father, marry to Your land every Jew who has already returned (Isa. 62:4-5).
King Messiah, turn Israel's diplomatic outreach to Jews in the nations towards emphasizing aliyah and away from helping them remain “safe and secure” in “captivity” (Deut. 28:65-67; Psa. 107:1-9).
Salvation :
Psalm 106:47 links Israel's salvation with aliyah and with God being exalted.
Save us, YHWH our God, and gather us from the nations to give thanks to Your holy name, and to triumph in Your praise.
Lord God, as Your people read Deuteronomy 8:2-3 in the Torah portion, may they be struck with Moses' conclusion that God expects His people to live not by earthly food, but by every word that comes forth from You – and then gift them with a deep hunger to “eat” all of Your Word (Job 23:12).
Abba, when Jews read this command from the Torah portion,
circumcise the foreskin of your heart and stop being stubborn,
(Deut. 10:16) let them recall that while they cannot do this, You said in Deuteronomy 30:3-6 that You would do it when they returned home to the land of Israel.Then God of Jacob, turn many to ask You to circumcise their hearts and draw them supernaturally to what Messiah said to Nicodemus about being born again [+ from above] (John 3:3-8).
Lord Yeshua, save a large remnant of Holocaust survivors and their families; survivors of terrorism; ex-hostages and their loved ones; IDF soldiers and families; loved ones of soldiers killed or severely injured; Israelis with PTSD; Israeli medical personnel; widows, widowers, orphans, children who are traumatized; Jewish politicians, judges, lawyers, diplomats; university students, teachers, professors; scientists; rabbis and Jewish anti-missionaries; Jews in Judea and Samaria; Jews on their death beds; Jews shamed by past abortions; Israeli archeologists and tour guides; Israelis in the nations; Jews who just made aliyah; alcoholics, drug-addicts, hippies, LGBTQ+, new agers; Jews in Iran, Ethiopia, India, and Turkey; Jews married to gentile believers; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews.
Body of Messiah :
The disconnect between so much of the modern Church's theology and the miraculous prophetic fulfillment God is openly accomplishing today through the resurrection and restoration of Israel to its land in preparation for all Israel to be saved must be extremely grievous to God, our Father, the Lord Yeshua and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, reveal to believers who are lukewarm about the restoration of Israel that You – the One whom they proclaimed as their God – are jealous [+ zealous] over it (Zech. 8:1-8).
Messiah Yeshua, as needed, drag believers back to the Tanach and teach them from there all of the truths that the Body has either ignored or rejected (John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).
God, let the reality that the Tanach is foundational for all NT doctrine (2 Tim. 3:15-17) be believed by the Body as it seems that 2 Corinthians 3:15 also applies to many believers today.
Almighty Savior, reveal to believers that if they reject Genesis 12:3a as still being valid, then they must also reject 12:3b as also being valid – and that is
the gospel to the gentiles
(Gal. 3:8)!Messiah Yeshua, gift Your Body with many more children of Zion who will teach the whole counsel of God – from Genesis to Revelation (Zech. 9:13; Acts 20:27; Eph. 4:8, 11-15).
IFI: As prophetic events happen much more quickly and with more intensity, it is imperative for us to hear the voice of our Shepherd directing us as we pray. Please continue to pray for that to be a reality for us – as well as for you. Thank you.
Blessings and Shabbat shalom
Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team
Deut. 10:20-21 [from Shabbat's Torah reading]