1. Praise:  [via Intercessors for Israel, reprinted with permission]This verse in Shabbat’s prophetic portion is a wonderful daily prayer for us all –especially as we get older! Heal me O YHWH and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for You are my praise. (Jer. 17:14)
    • We bless You for saving us from our inherited sin nature through Your Son Yeshua (Rom. 5:6-10).
    • We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers for healing (Psalm 30:2; Matt. 8:2-3).
    • We praise You for healing us physically, emotionally and mentally in Messiah (1 Thess. 5:23-24).
    • We also thank You for the biblical examples of those who were not totally healed and yet You still used them for Your glory’s sake (Gen. 32:31; Isa. 33:23b; 2 Cor. 12:7-10).
    • What an incredible thought that although as You say in Jeremiah 17:9-10 every heart is deceitful and incurably wicked – yet still You saved us because You love us (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19)!
    • We rejoice that You are able to use every circumstance to bring about the wholeness and holiness in us that You, our Creator God are desiring (Rom. 8:28; Jam. 1:2-4).
    • We praise You that You are able to revive and sustain us in the midst of trouble (Psa. 138:7).
    • Yeshua, we declare that You are the Resurrection and the Life, the Way and the Truth (John 11:25; 14:6), both our High Priest (Heb. 6:20) and our sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29). Messiah Lord, You are most worthy of all our praise and worship (Rev. 5:12-13).
    • We rejoice in being saved to know and to serve the living God (1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 10:31; 12:22).
  2. Government:An Arab coalition member quit and then changed her mind once the coalition agreed to give a huge sum of money for Arab city infrastructure. While this is a worthy project to finance, the coalition is currently held together through bribery and appeasement. So this so-called “government of change” is a change from the ones under Bibi Netanyahu, but whether that is better is questionable. Netanyahu did “bribe”, in the sense of directing finances toward, the ultra-Orthodox but most of them are not anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian State – like so many of the Knesset’s current Arab and left-wing members.
    • We again ask You Who has allowed this government to be in power, to enable them to do all that is ordained for them and to block them from anything that is not of You (Prov. 19:21; Hab. 1:12).
    • Abba, clear out the dross from Israel’s political scene and restore it in righteousness (Isa. 1:15-26).
    • The coalition could be on its last legs, and while we ask You to determine the timing of its demise, if there are any issues that You desire this government to deal with which they have not so far, then make these issues a priority (Psa. 33:10-11).
    • Expose any of the coalition’s works which are of and in darkness to the light (Job 12:22).
    • Strike down all ungodly counsel that any Israeli government minister has received (Job 5:13; 12:17).
    • Hedge in Defense Minister Benny Gantz and forbid him from helping to create a Palestinian State on Your land (Lev. 25:23; Prov. 22:28).
    • Let all of the coalition’s promises which are in line with Your Word be carried out (Matt. 5:37).
    • Especially, let affordable housing be built throughout the land (Psa. 69:35; Prov. 24:3).
    • Raise up a Joseph who will plan for the likely global food shortage and its effect on Israel (Gen. 41:33-36), giving to him and others foresight to know how to best to utilize Israel’s own agriculture (Gen. 9:7; 1 Chr. 12:40; Psa. 132:15).
    • Guide all Israeli representatives who deal with other nations in Your wisdom (Job 5:8; Isa. 8:19).
    • In Your mercy, please cancel US President Biden’s planned visit to Israel (Prov. 16:9).
    • When Israeli leaders read Shabbat’s prophetic portion, let them take to heart Your Word that the one who trusts in mankind will be cursed, while the one who trusts in You will be blessed (Jer. 17:5-8).
  3. Internal security:Israel has gone on the offensive to stop this latest wave of terror and for the most part it has worked. This is a direct answer to our prayers that instead of being defensive against its enemies Israel would take a more aggressive approach.
    • As this Sunday is Jerusalem Day and the annual Israeli Flag March through Jerusalem’s Old City is scheduled to take place, we look to You for protection – both through the Israeli security forces and from Your angelic hosts (Zech. 2:4-5).
    • May the goal of the march be Your glory and not to boast in Israel’s 1967 victory (Psa. 115:1-3).
    • Abba, we know that the best way to bring about true security is for Israel to extend its sovereignty over all the land west of the Jordan River today. Please do it for Your holy name’s sake (Luke 11:2).
    • Let Israeli officials see that Ecclesiastes 8:11 is a truism they need to heed at all times.
    • Thank You for continually watching over Your land and Your people (Deut. 11:12; Psa. 121:4).
    • Protect the young people in the IDF who protect Israel – shielding their bodies, their minds, their emotions and their spirits (Psalm 18:35; 121:3).
    • Reveal all the terrorists hiding places and every murderous plot against Your people (Psa. 139:12).
    • Provide accurate actionable intelligence to Israel’s security forces and enable those responsible for deciphering it to know what is urgent and to not be deceived (Job 12:16; Eccl. 8:5b; Matt. 10:26).
    • Protect all of Israel’s sources of information – whether human or from any other source.
    • Let more terrorists fall into the nets that they have set for the innocent (Est. 7:10; Psa. 141:9-10).
    • Guard Israelis on the roads and in the transportation hubs throughout the land (Psa. 121:8).
    • Oversee the new civilian home guard that Israel is in the process of establishing (Matt. 8:9).
    • Lord, we know that there are differences between the many groups of Arabs in Israel and ask that You Who know all hearts, would remove those who hate Israel (Psa. 10:16; Jer. 12:14-17; 17:10).
    • [CNN and Al-Jazeera have accused Israel of purposely targeting the Palestinian-America reporter who was killed the other week without any solid evidence.] Lord, You said that those who curse [+denigrate; malign; depreciate; vilify] Israel – will be cursed (Num. 24:9b). God, do that which is Your will onto these two consistently anti-Israel news organizations or, if possible, have mercy and turn them, and all other news organizations, back to reporting the truth (Psa. 56:9; Psa. 85:4).
  4. External security:We bless God that a renewed Iranian nuclear deal has not yet been agreed upon in Vienna. Also, we thank Him that Israel is still striking Iranian and Hizbullah targets in Syria with no serious negative feedback from Russia, and, as was evident this past week, the Mossad is still assassinating, or arranging the kills, of high level Iranian scientists and military leaders inside of Iran.
    • Thank You for the successful removal of the high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp leader who was directly responsible for attacking Israelis and Jewish targets worldwide (Gen. 12:3a).
    • Let this assassination next to his house in Tehran put the fear of God into many of the other leaders throughout Iran’s anti-Christ infrastructure (Gen. 35:5; 2 Chr. 17:10).
    • [Once again someone in Washington exposed secret talks between Israel and the US in which Israel shared why it assassinated this IRGC official. This has Israeli officials furious and rightly so because these were supposed to be secret intelligence briefings and now there is pressure on Iran to defend its “honor” and strike back.] God, show Israeli leaders how untrustworthy America is today (Isa. 31:1).
    • Lord, let US believers see that this is one biblical reason why judgment is hitting that nation in so many various ways (Ezek. 29:6-7) – and then lead them to stand in the gap for mercy (Ezek. 22:30).
    • Aid Israel to quickly discover and destroy all of Iran’s plans to take revenge (Job 34:21-22; 42:2).
    • If, or when, the IDF needs to pre-empt any demonic attacks Iran is planning against Your nation, guide them to know the timing and the method (1 Chr. 14:15).
    • May many high-ranking IDF leaders seek You for strategy and tactics (Prov. 21:31).
    • Let the chaos that is breaking out in many sectors in Iran – both civilian and military – cause their satanically-inspired leaders to make major geo-political mistakes (Josh. 2:9-11).
    • Let all this chaos, including the food-riots in the streets of many Iranian cities; shake the theological foundations of Iran’s Shi’ite Islamic faith (Jer. 50:24-25).
    • Lord, arise and replace the Iranian regime with better leadership (Jer. 49:38).
    • God Almighty, so shake the ground under Iran’s nuclear facilities that there is no question but that this is You destroying that which is being built to destroy Your nation (Num. 16:28-30; Jer. 51:25).
    • Continue to build up Your Body in Iran, and use them for Your glory (Matt. 16:18).
    • Teach them how to pray for their nation (Luke 11:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-2).
    • Help them to take advantage of the chaos to proclaim Your name (2 Tim. 4:2).
    • Enable the IDF’s month long “Chariots of Fire” military exercise prepare all branches of Israel’s army to be ready for any battle situation it may face – including cyberwarfare (Jer. 51:19-24).
    • Protect all IDF soldiers from any deaths or serious injuries from either accidents or friendly-fire incidents during this exercise (Psa. 140:7).
    • Thank You for the positive change in atmosphere in the Middle East resulting from the Abraham Accords, including a warming up of Israel’s relations with Egypt (Isa. 19:24-25; 61:9).
    • Bless and mature the Egyptian Church, including showing them Your heart for Israel (Deut. 7:6-8).
    • With Lebanon in economic freefall, as well as so many other crises, let the Lebanese Church rise up and stand in the gap, praying for Your mercy (Isa. 59:16; Ezek. 22:30-31).
    • Use the current Lebanese situation to expel Hizbullah from that nation (Psa. 29:5; Isa. 2:12-14).
  5. Aliyah:The latest figures are that 20,000 Jews and their relatives have come home since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is interesting to see that about half of these new immigrants are Russians. And while the figures so far are less than expected, still this is a huge move in the right direction for the Jews in Eastern Europe and in Russia (Jer. 31:8).
    • God, so arrange circumstances that soon we will see 20,000 Jews returning from New York City, and Los Angeles, from London and Berlin, and all other major Jewish hubs in exile (Deut. 30:1-6).
    • Pour out Your anointing on Israel’s Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Pnina Tamano-Shata, and fulfill all of Your purposes for and through her – and save her (1 Sam. 10:1).
    • Remove any discouragement from Tamano-Shata and let her pressure the government to bring home the remaining 9,000 or so Ethiopian Jews as soon as possible (Ezek. 39:28-29).
    • Let the definition of “Who is a Jew” not be defined by the rabbis, but by Your Word (Psa. 119:89).
    • Provide the new immigrants with all the assistance they need, including affordable housing, jobs, and the ability to learn Hebrew, so that they are planted deeply into Your land (Jer. 32:41).
    • As Ukrainians and Russians are under pressure to move quickly, divinely guide all their steps and decisions so that they can make a complete and successful aliyah (Psa. 23:3b; 119:133a).
    • Prepare their hearts and minds for this huge step and the often hard adjustment (Gen. 24:61).
    • Protect the Jewish Ukrainian men who are currently restricted from leaving Ukraine so as to defend that nation, and restore them to their families in Israel as soon as possible (Psa. 107:41; 121:3-4).
    • Shake up the remaining Jews in Eastern Europe and let them see Israel as their future (Isa. 43:5-7).
    • Lord, open the eyes of the Jews in the West – especially in America where there seems to be a mass shooting rampage almost daily – that it is actually safer to live in Israel today (Jer. 16:16; 31:10)!
    • Confront all governments who are holding back their Jewish populations from emigrating – like Iran, Venezuela, China, and Ethiopia – and declare to them, Let My people go (Ex. 9:13).
    • Use the catastrophes of the past few years, including Covid, the steep rise in anti-Semitism, war, economic woes and the fear of a global food shortage, to chase Your people home (Jer. 16:16).
    • We thank You for every Christian organization that shares Your burden to help the Jews return to Israel and ask for You to supply all of their needs (Isa. 49:22; Phil. 4:19).
    • Open the eyes and ears of each one of Your born-again children who do not yet understand Your heart and will in this matter of the aliyah – and reveal it to them (Jer. 1:12; 5:21; 15:16).
    • If the Church will not hear Your voice in the Tanach, speak to them from Romans 15:8-12, 26-27.
    • Guide the Body of Messiah in the nations as to how they can help this final act before the coming of Yeshua – the restoration of Israel (Psa. 102:16) – with finances, prayer and any other practical ways.
  6. The Body of Messiah:As we carefully read the two Torah chapters on God’s blessings and curses – Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 – we see that Israel – for the most part – is no longer under God’s curse but under His blessing. Please note that being exiled from the land is God’s final and ultimate curse in both chapters (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:68), and today Israel is most definitely back.

    • Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I hate them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them: for I am YHWH their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am YHWH.Lev. 26:44-45

    • Show Your Body what it means that Jerusalem – which as its capital stands for the nation of Israel – is the apple of Your eye, and then teach them to read Zechariah 2:8-13 in context.
    • Give Your Body an insatiable hunger for Your complete Word (Acts 20:27; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).
    • Raise up for Your Body – especially in Israel at this time of massive aliyah – those shepherds after Your heart that You have promised (Jer. 3:14-15; 23:3-4; Eph. 4:8-12).
    • Use Your Word to protect Your Body from all of the end time deceptions of which You warned us (Psa. 119:97-104, 130; Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24; Eph. 4:14-15).
    • Encourage those of us whom You have called as intercessors (Ex. 17:11-12).
    • Pass the burden of biblical intercession onto the next generation (2 Tim. 2:1-2).
    • Yet Lord, please protect Your Body from the idolization of youth (Isa. 3:1-5)!
  7. IFI:Thank you for holding up our arms in prayer as they often do – like Moses’ arms – get weary. We are very grateful and appreciative of all of your encouraging emails and prayers and financial and emotional support – all of which are much needed in these “exciting” days.

Shabbat shalom and Blessings from Zion

For the IFI team