Praise:
As we read the Tanach, we are constantly reminded that we stand with Israel and pray for God's nation for His holy name's sake. This is evident once again in Shabbat's prophetic portion which declares in Malachi 1:5:
And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, 'YHWH will be magnified from [+ on, beyond] the border of Israel.
Lord Yeshua, we are encouraged that as we pray for Israel to possess its land, we are praying in line with Your teaching that first of all, we pray for our Father's name to be sanctified (Matt. 6:9-10).
Abba Father, thank You for revealing in Ezekiel 36:21-24 that You are regathering Your scattered nation for Your holy name's sake (Isa. 43:5-7).
We praise You for reminding us that the ultimate goal of all our intercession is for Your glory to be seen over all the earth as we read in Malachi 1:11 and 14b – in Shabbat's prophetic reading.
We thank You Almighty God, for calling each one of us into Your kingdom for such an exciting, and exhausting, time as this on Your prophetic calendar (Est. 4:14b).
Government & society:
Immediately after the horrific events of Oct. 7th, 2023, we reminded God that He works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28). Looking back we see how He did just that. So as we watch Gadi Eisenkot, a former head of the IDF, try to create a new coalition with those parties whom he said he would not join hands, that same verse comes to mind and aids us to pray that God will overrule and be glorified.
Lord God of Israel, as nothing ever takes You by surprise, we ask You to sovereignly reign (Psa. 103:19; Isa. 46:10) in the midst of this situation today and be glorified (Psa. 115:1-3).
God, as Eisenkot tries to unite a coalition of very strange bedfellows, give PM Bibi Netanyahu and his block wisdom to keep silent (Eccl. 3:7b). [Bibi's coalition governs until a new one is formed.]
God of Jacob, the Arab parties do not recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jews and refuse to call Hamas terrorists, so if a coalition is formed with their support and would be a covenant with death and hell [which describes the Islamic spirit], then swiftly disannul it (Isa. 28:14-18).
Lord, if Israel does need to go to new elections, let the electorate see all of the campaign promises that Eisenkot and his block of parties have already broken just to kick Bibi out of office (Isa. 44:25a).
Abba Father, expose all lying accusations against Netanyahu at this time (Psa. 57:3; 96:13).
Lord Yeshua, let these attacks turn Bibi to You and then save him and his family (Psa. 80:3, 7, 19).
Creator God, impart wisdom to the next government to legislate much-needed judicial reforms and to make Israel's judicial system line up more fully with Your will (Deut. 1:16; 16:18; Psa. 2:10-12).
Abba Father, guide the ultra-Orthodox [Haredi] who do join the IDF to bring out a good report and bless them and the many Haredi rabbis in Israel who openly support this growing trend (Num. 1:2-4).
God, expel the spirit of lawlessness from Israel's society (Matt. 24:12 [Gk; iniquity = lawlessness]).
Lord God of Abraham, as Israel has no written constitution, may Your Word have the final say in all areas of life and society into which Your Word speaks (Psa. 119:9, 116, 154; Isa. 8:20).
Foreign relations:
The Democratic Party's vast victories in America last week set an anti-US President Trump Congress against him during his final two years in office. At IFI, our concern is how this impacts Israel. More Americans are turning away from supporting Israel and now view the Palestinians as the good guys. As more Muslims and communists take positions of authority in the US, Israel needs to adjust to a new reality. Yet as difficult as this will be for God's nation, we see this as an answer to our prayers for Israel to fulfill Numbers 23:9b and to be more self-reliant militarily.
God of Jacob, increase the influence of Your opinion on the hearts and minds of Israel's leaders and people, and decrease the influence of the world's opinion (Deut. 30:19-20; Isa. 30:30).
Abba Father, anoint more believers to be spiritual diplomats for Israel (Psa. 98:2-3; Isa. 60:3).
Lord Yeshua, awaken the Body in nations who are no longer Israel's allies, as most Western nations are today, to the very real threat of both Isaiah 60:12 and Zechariah 12:9 (Psa. 9:19-20; Isa. 41:11).
King Messiah, forbid the formation of an Israeli government that tries to appease the nations in order to earn the Jewish State a little respect (Psa. 40:4; 118:8-9; 146:3-5).
Abba Father, use the results of the US midterm elections to turn Israelis to look to, and trust in, You and not in man, as well as to be self-sufficient in as many areas as possible (Psa. 20:7; 118:8-9).
God of Israel, place the spirit that David had when dealing with King Saul upon Israel's leaders in all of their dealings with President Trump and his administration (1 Sam. 18:14-15; Matt. 10:16b).
Almighty King, prepare Your nation's response to the boycotts coming against it from many nations, including from Israel's Western "allies" (Psa. 28:3; Jer. 9:8).
King of kings, teach Israel's diplomats how to use Your Word, and anoint Your Word to impact both those being spoken to as well as those doing the speaking (Isa. 55:11; Jer. 23:29).
Guide Israel to strengthen its ties in a non-dependent way with non-Western allies like Azerbaijan, India, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and others, who appreciate what Israel has to offer (Deut. 4:6).
Gaza:
Trump's July announcement of his "Board of Peace's" 15 point plan for "peace and security" to Gaza, Israel and the Middle East is dangerous for the US and for Israel. Its ultimate goal is the creation of a "Palestine" on the land that God swore to give to His people. Also, the Bible threatens those who cry "peace and security" and who try to divide His land with sudden destruction (Joel 3:12; 1 Thess. 5:3). Is this one reason why Trump's party was trumped so badly in the elections?
Abba Father, if in fact, this was a reason, reveal it to the American Body so that they can stand in the gap and ask for mercy for their nation and wisdom for its future relations with Israel (Ezek. 22:30-31).
Lord of all, whatever Islam tries to build in Gaza, watch over Malachi 1:2-4 in the prophetic portion and throw it down. [Edom is one of the historic roots of the Arab nations and of Islam.]
God, You cause wars to cease and disarm the enemy, therefore forbid this war to cease until Hamas, and the other terrorist groups in Gaza are totally shattered (Psa. 46:9; Ezek. 39:3; Mic. 4:3; 5:10).
Lord of heaven's armies, strengthen Your protection over the IDF soldiers in Gaza – against attacks, explosive devices, kidnapping attempts, accidents and friendly fire incidents (Psa. 32:7; 121:4).
Almighty God, help in the IDF's preparations so that once the war against Hamas restarts, Israel's soldiers will swiftly and overwhelmingly achieve total victory (2 Sam. 22:35a; Psa. 44:4).
Lord God, remove Israel's fear of possessing Gaza by a greater fear of disobeying You (Judg. 2:1-4).
Internal security:
Shabbat's Torah portion has promises from God to Isaac and Isaac to Jacob concerning the land. As a new coalition is being created in Israel, these verses should be a warning to not to undo any of the excellent work of the previous coalition in expanding Israel's authority over Judea, Samaria, the Negev, the Galilee and the Golan.
Abba, as there is not much more You can do to show both Israel and the Church how serious You are about the land promise other than swearing by an oath, we ask for both bodies to take You as serious about this as are You Yourself (Gen. 15:17-21; Psa. 105:1-11).
King Messiah, rebuke all born-again believers who reject, or worse, fight against that which You are doing with all of Your heart and soul – planting Your people back in their land (Jer. 32:41-44).
Thank You Lord that in Shabbat's Torah portion You remind Isaac that You swore an oath to give the lands on which he was sojourning to his father Abraham and his seed (Gen. 26:3).
God of Isaac, promote leaders in Israel's next coalition who are biblical Zionists and are as zealous as You to see all of the land of promise come under Israel's rule (Psa. 75:6-7; Ezek. 36:5-12).
Abba Father, support and quicken the completion of Israel's plans to build more settlements and IDF bases all along the Jordan Valley (Psa. 69:35; Isa. 65:21-22).
King Yeshua, increase the number of Jewish settlers, farmers and shepherds in Judea and Samaria, and set up walls of protection around them, their homes, their crops and herds (Psa. 121:4; 127:1).
Lord God, protect Israel from being manipulated by America to view the Palestinian Authority as anything other than a politicized version of Hamas – and a major threat (Jer. 13:23).
Sovereign Lord God, remove from off of Your land all of Your enemies (Deut. 33:28; Psa. 10:16).
God of Jacob, fulfill Ezekiel 28:25-26 and release Your judgments on Israel's enemies inside and outside of the borders of the land which You have repeatedly promised to give them.
Lord of hosts, place more Zionist warriors as IDF commanders and have them replace all humanistic ones who weaken Israel's army's fighting ability (Zech. 9:13-15; 10:3-7).
All-wise God, guide Israel to know how to deploy its security forces on its land (Prov. 21:30-31).
Mighty One, shield Your people against terrorist attacks outside of Judea and Samaria (Psa. 121:4).
External security:
Many conservative Americans blame both the war against Iran and the US' relationship with Israel as reasons why they voted against Trump's party in the elections. Israel is aware of its eroding support in the US, so it must prepare to fight against Iran or any other external enemies alone. Could this be God's will as only Israel is called His war club (Jer. 51:20-24)?
Lord of hosts, once again Micah 4:11-13 comes to mind and if that is part of what You are allowing today, please guide as we pray about this.
Abba, in Shabbat's Torah portion, although Isaac thought it was Esau, it was Jacob who received the blessing of Genesis 27:29 and thus we ask You to arise and curse all of Israel's enemies (Psa. 68:1).
Lord God, release great confusion into the plans of all Jew-hating nations who are plotting to destroy Your nation because of their hate for You, the One True and Living God (Psa. 83:1-4; 129:5).
Iran: Almighty, show believers in America that it was not the war against Iran that was a mistake, but that Trump snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory by his continual humanistic attempts to make a deal with the current extremely wicked Iranian regime (Psa. 7:9a; 11:5; 82:2).
Lord Yeshua, anoint Your Body in Iran to be a spiritual Trojan horse, using their prayers to advance Your Kingdom by the destruction of the Shi'ite Islamic spirit (Psa. 33:22; 118:4; 123:3).
God, provide Israel with precise intelligence concerning Iran's plans and its capacities (Job 12:22).
Lord God, then guide it to know what to do with the timing, as well as what not to do (Psa. 44:4-6).
As Haman, a Persian, was hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai, God let Iran's leaders "hang" on their nuclear weapons program that they are building to use against Israel (Est. 7:10; Job 4:8).
Almighty God, Psalm 46:9 says You cause wars to cease, so we ask that You, not President Trump, will decide when the war against Iran's radical Shi'ite regime is over (Psa. 76:3-6; Mic. 5:10).
King of kings, Jeremiah 49:38b indicates that Your goal for Iran is total regime change, therefore we pray for this war to not cease until that is fulfilled (Num. 23:19; Luke 18:1).
Hizbullah in Lebanon: God, use Iran's financial crisis to drain Hizbullah's finances (Psa. 12:2-4).
Lord, we asked You to fulfill Joel 2:17-21 and to remove Hizbullah from Israel's northern border, and we praise You for using the IDF to answer our prayers (1 John 5:14-15).
Now we ask for a biblical solution to the Lebanese situation, with Israel possessing its inheritance in southern Lebanon, and we pray against all politically-correct solutions (Psa. 33:10-11; Isa. 14:24).
King Yeshua, guide the Lebanese Body in praying for their nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
Other: All-wise God, expose the wolves in sheep's clothing who now rule over Syria (Jer. 13:23).
God, use Turkey's evil President Erdogan for Your glory as You did with Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Herod, and many other wicked leaders throughout history (Ex. 9:16; Eccl. 8:8b; Rom. 9:17).
King Yeshua, use Israel's relations with the Syrian Druze and the Kurds who reside in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran for Your holy name's sake (Isa. 48:11).
Aliyah:
When read in context, we see that God answers prayers for Israel's salvation (Jer. 31:7b) through aliyah – bringing them home to the land He has promised them (31:8-10)!
God, speak to all Jewish leaders who fight for Jews to live in "peace and safety" in gentile nations and show them how they are fighting against You who are regathering Jews back home (Jer. 31:10).
King Messiah, turn Israel's diplomatic outreach to Jews in exile away from helping them to remain "safe and secure" there, and instead stressing the need for aliyah (Deut. 28:65-67; Psa. 107:1-9).
Abba Father, show Jews in the West how the increase of Jew-hatred has made the anti-Semitic spirit openly acceptable with politicians, media personalities and often their neighbors, and thus life in the captivity has become very precarious for them and their families (Isa. 53:1a; Jer. 50:6-8).
God, remove the ungodly fear of living in Israel from Your people, replacing it with a godly fear of staying in the nations and hoping that gentiles will protect them (Jer. 50:4-8; 51:6).
You are not a God of confusion, so we ask for You to remove all confusion from the minds of Your people in the captivity, and replace it with clarity concerning the signs of the times (1 Cor. 14:33).
Lord God, raise up righteous gentiles who will protect Jews as anti-Semitism increases (Jer. 16:16).
King Yeshua, also raise up a government who will be 100% in agreement with Your Word that the aliyah is a major priority for the Jewish State today (Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 31:10; Zech. 8:1-8).
God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, open wide the gates to Your nation to all whom You perceive as Jewish, regardless of what modern Rabbinic Judaism teaches (Isa. 62:10; Mark 7:9).
As the need for aliyah grows daily, Lord God increase the finances and manpower in Israeli and other organizations to deal with this in a most beneficial manner (Psa. 84:11; 104:24; Prov. 11:25).
Lord Yeshua, teach Your Body of their responsibility to the Jewish people (Rom. 15:26-27) and to financially support the growing desire of Jews to make aliyah (Psa. 112:5; Isa. 60:3-10).
Salvation:
Romans 11:26 states that
all Israel will be saved!
In context, "all Israel" refers to a remnant of His people (Rom. 9:27; 11:5; cp. Jer. 31:7). Prayers can increase that remnant as: 1) God does not want any to perish (1 Tim. 2:1-4), and 2) the Lord Yeshua told us to pray for Him to send forth laborers into the harvest (Luke 10:2).God, hear our prayers and increase greatly the remnant of Jewish believers at this time (Jam. 5:16b).
Abba Father, while we know You save those whom You have chosen (John 15:16; Eph. 1:3-6), yet You tell us to ask You to do that and so today we ask You to save "all Israel" (1 John 5:14-15).
King Messiah, burden Your Body to persistently pray for this as well (Rom. 10:1; 11:26).
Lord, reveal to Your people that You need to save us not because we do not do enough good works, but because we were born with the corrupted image of a fallen Adam that was passed down to his descendants and need to be born again (Gen. 5:1-3; Job 14:4; 15:14-16; 25:4; Psa. 51:5; Rom. 5:12).
Abba Father, save 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, traumatized children; Jewish politicians, judges, lawyers, diplomats; university students, teachers, professors; scientists; rabbis and Jewish anti-missionaries; Jews, including Jewish zealots, 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, Turkey; Jews married to gentile believers; unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews.
Body of Messiah:
We are called to be God's servant/priests on earth. Yet if we are unaware of what He is doing because we do not know what He says about the last days in His Word, especially in the Tanach, then how can we pray in line with His will that His King, Messiah Yeshua, will return.
Abba Father, send down Your light (Psa. 119:105, 130) and Your truth (Psa. 119:43; John 17:17) and let Yeshua's followers be led by them and not by man's words (Psa. 43:3a).
Lord, open believers' minds that are blinded by today's media and are also blind, by lack of study of Your Word, especially as the first is likely a fruit of the second (Psa. 36:9; 119:105; 2 Tim. 2:15).
Messiah Yeshua, show the Body how the gospel to the gentiles is intimately tied in with the promise of the land to the Jews (Gen. 12:3b; 26:4 in the Torah portion; cp. Gal. 3:8).
Almighty King, do not let the Tanach or the issue of aliyah to be absent from the mindset of Your Body, especially at this time in history (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:9; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).
Lord God, as we are a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9), make us like the Levites who, as per the prophetic portion, feared You, spoke truth and walked with You in peace and righteousness (Mal. 2:5-6).
Water:
Last weekend the heavens opened over Israel and it was glorious. The Sea of Galilee raised 1 cm. which is a start. Please join us as we ask for all of the water that Israel will need in the near future, regardless of the government that is finally formed (Jer. 14:22; Amos 9:6; Matt. 5:45b).
IFI: Thank you for continuing to pray for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. As there seems to be no let-up of important things to pray about here in Israel, our ability to continue standing in the gap depends on our trust in Him and Him alone. Yet as Aaron and Hur held up Moses' arms in the midst of the battle, so that is what your prayers do for us.
Shabbat shalom from Zion
Chuck Cohen, for the IFI team
Psa. 149:1-4