1. Praise:

    Shabbat’s Torah portion contains the Aaronic Benediction: YHWH spoke to Moses, saying speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, in this way bless the children of Israel, saying, ‘YHWH bless you, and keep you: YHWH make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you: YHWH lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace’. And they shall put My name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Num. 6:22-27)

    • God, we rejoice in Your desire to bless Your people – Israel and the Body today (Psa. 103:1-5).
    • We bless and thank You for the awesome privilege and responsibility of having Your name – Your reputation – placed on us in today’s world (Deut. 28:9-10; 2 Chr. 7:14; Isa. 43:7).
    • Lord Yeshua, God the Son, we praise You for revealing God the Father to us (John 1:18).
    • Messiah, thank You for being our kinsman-redeemer and covering us by Your love (Ruth 3:19).
    • Messiah Yeshua, we trust in You – our Mediator with God our Father (1 Tim. 2::15; Heb. 12:24).
    • We rest secure in You Lord, as You are our Great High Priest who always intercedes for us to be totally and completely saved (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25).
    • Thank You for giving us the promise of the Father – the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:33).
    • We rejoice in knowing that if we sin, we must not run away from You – but to You (1 John 1:9).
    • Help us to slow down at times so that Your goodness and mercy can catch up to us (Psa. 23:6a).
    • It is a great comfort and encouragement to know that nothing takes You by surprise (Isa. 42:9).
  2. Government:

    The law extending civil rights to Israelis living in Judea & Samaria – which must be renewed by the end of June – is now a make-or-break issue for the current Israeli coalition. This past week it failed to pass and the question now is how much longer this coalition can last. While some left-wing and Arab coalition members refused to vote for it as they do not want to do anything that might legalize the “settlements,” some right-wing members and the opposition – which is mostly right-wing – voted against it because they believe that the fall of the current government is more essential for the nation as a whole than the passing of this important extension of this law.

    • Lord, we are grateful that You are ultimately in control of all governments (Prov. 19:21: 21:1).
    • We ask You to give Israel a strong biblically-sound leader who will prevent a repeat of the political chaos we read about which occurred in the days of the judges (Judg. 17:6; 21:25).
    • Sustain Your nation in today’s political desert just like You did in the wilderness (Neh. 9:21).
    • Use this political chaos to engineer Your purposes and to bring glory to Your name (Gen. 1:2-4).
    • Also use this political chaos to remove the dross from Israel’s government and then replace it with anointed, God-fearing leaders (Isa. 1:25-26).
    • We again ask for You to prevent Foreign Minister Yair Lapid from ever ascending to the positon of Israel’s prime minister in his current humanistic state of mind (1 Sam. 15:26; Dan. 2:21)..
    • Lord, in mercy allow the ‘settlements’ law to be passed by the end of June (Jer. 32:17) – yet use the fallout from this past week’s vote to cause irreparable divisions in the current coalition (Luke 11:17).
    • Show Israel how to prepare for the likely coming global food shortage (Gen. 41:33-38).
    • Raise up a modern Joseph and move Israel to be self-sufficient in feeding its people (Matt. 6:11).
    • We know You can supernaturally multiply food and ask that if this is needed, many Israelis will see this as from the hand of their Messiah, King Yeshua (Deut. 7:13; John 6:5-14).
    • Lord, thank You that Gilad Erdan, Israel’s UN Ambassador, was just elected to be the UN General Assembly’s Vice President starting this coming September (Psa. 75:5-7; 119:99-100).
    • Continue to use him as a messenger of truth out of Zion in that modern tower of Babel (Mic. 4:1-3).
    • Shield Erdan from pride and anoint him in an even greater measure (Prov. 29:23; Jam. 4:6)
    • Thank You that Israel’s political shaking has delayed US President Biden’s trip (Psa. 33:10-11).
    • Please, in mercy on America and Israel, cancel Biden’s trip completely (Isa. 37:33-35).
  3. Internal security:

    There are again reports that Palestinian Authority [PA] President Abbas who is 87 years old is having severe health issues. Along with this are reports of conflicts in his Fatah faction over who will succeed him. And Hamas is a very present danger – not only in Gaza but also in Judea & Samaria – to try and take over once Abbas is gone.

    • Lord God, use the strikes and protests against the PA by the Palestinian people over massive price hikes to bring down that whole anti-God, Israel-cursing PA (Psa. 127:1; Isa. 14:29-32).
    • Prepare Israel’s security forces and political leaders, for the outcome of these protests (Psa. 23:5a).
    • Guard all Israeli settlements during this time of massive civil unrest in the PA (Psa. 33:16-18).
    • Lord, block Defense Minister Benny Gantz from making any decisions that will help to lay a path towards a future Palestinian state – and let him see Your hand restraining him (Job 19:8; Lam. 3:7-9).
    • Again we ask for a government that will extend Israel’s sovereignty over all of the land You helped Israel to conquer in the 1967 Six-Day War (Psa. 44:1-4; Obad. 1:17).
    • Bless Israel with a government that sees Judea & Samaria as its biblical heartland (Ezek. 34:13-14).
    • Give Israel all the intelligence it needs to uncover and pre-empt all terrorist activities (2 Kin. 6:12).
    • Enable the IDF to maintain the offensive in its “Break the Wave” mission against terrorist activities throughout the Palestinian territories and in some Israel-Arab cities (Ex. 17:9; Psa. 44:5-6).
    • We thank You that so far during this offense against terrorists, no IDF soldiers have been killed or severely wounded (Psa. 140:7).
    • Let Israel’s leaders learn from this that being on the offense against the enemy is actually safer than being only defensive and then only responding to what the enemy does (Eccl. 8:11).
    • Be with Israel’s security forces as they work to halt the rise of violent attacks against Jews in and around Jerusalem (Isa. 31:8; Zech. 2:4-5).
    • Set the leaders of the IDF – in fact set all Israelis – free from the fear of world opinion and replace it with a healthy biblical fear of You (Ex. 1:17; Deut. 5:29; Job 28:28; Psa. 118:6)!
    • Reveal Yeshua as Messiah to multitudes of Palestinians, both Muslims and “Christians” (Psa. 98:2).
    • Lord, please remove these old men who are all reportedly in poor health – PA President Abbas, Hizbullah’s leader Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khomeini – sending these enemies of Israel, and of Israel’s God, into massive chaos (Isa. 34:1-8).
  4. External security:

    Four Iranians, military leaders and nuclear scientists, who because of their sudden deaths, now know that Israel’s God – is God. Were all these deaths orchestrated by Israel? Or was it all just a coincidence? Regardless, this is sure to keep Iran’s leadership very paranoid.

    • Use the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency’s negative report on Iran’s lack of cooperation with it to warn the world of the danger of a nuclear weapon under Iranian control (Isa. 21:6, 11-12).
    • Protect Israel against attempts by Iran to divert attention from that IAEA report by attacking Israeli targets – in Israel or internationally (Deut. 32:29).
    • Thank You that You who guard Israel are always awake and alert (Psa. 121:4).
    • Protect Your nation with multitudes of angels stationed on all of its borders (Psa. 68:17; 91:11).
    • We bless You for the IDF’s Iron Dome, yet we look to You as Israel’s Ultimate Shield (Psa. 3:1-3).
    • We praise You for continuing to answer prayers about Israeli advances in weaponry as it now has the ability to fly its F-35s to Iran without needed to refuel, enabling them to carry large bombs without any compromise in the F-35s stealth ability, as well as several other new advances.
    • While we do rejoice in this, we trust in You and not in Israel’s horses and chariots (Psa. 20:7-9).
    • Please guide Israel to know how to best use this new weaponry to defeat its enemies (Isa. 41:14-16).
    • If this is the season for Israel to be that prophesied bait in Your trap, we ask You to make the IDF a mighty army which will thresh many nations – and do it all for Your glory’s sake (Mic. 4:11-13).
    • Do not allow the chaos in the Israeli government to hinder the IDF from its duties.
    • Provide all of the intelligence the IDF needs to know Iran’s plots against it (Jer. 11:18; 49:10).
    • In line with Jeremiah 49:35, break the bow of Elam, by destroying Iran’s ability to launch drones and any other type of rockets or missiles.
    • Lord Yeshua, continue to build Your Body in Iran – numerically and spiritually (Jer. 49:38a).
    • Let their prayers be instrumental in setting Iran free from its demonic leadership (Jer. 49:38b).
    • Empower Iranian Christians who are in prisons be bold witnesses for You (Acts 16:25-34).
    • Use the massive demonstrations against the current regime to also contribute to the weakening of the grip that Iran’s Shi’ite leaders have over their people (Isa. 14:4-8).
    • May the recent deaths of leading Iranians cause the God of Israel to be feared (Josh. 2:9).
    • Let the proud boasts of Iran’s leaders against Israel be their downfall (Ex. 18:10-11; Psa. 94:1-4).
    • Supernaturally destroy all of Iran’s nuclear facilities (1 Sam. 17:47; Psa. 97:1-5; Jer. 50:46).
    • Sow the seeds of distrust between Iran and all her allies and proxies (Psa. 59:12-13).
    • Show Israel whether Lebanese threats concerning Israel’s development of natural gas resources in the Mediterranean are a serious danger or only a political move by Hizbullah and its allies to remain relevant in that nation after they had lost many seats in Lebanon’s recent elections (Prov. 1:5; 20:18).
    • Confound Hizbullah and its handlers in Iran (Psa. 129:5).
    • When the time is right in Your sight, do not let Israel miss the chance to pre-emptively destroy Hizbullah’s 150,000+ missiles and rockets it has aimed at Your nation (2 Sam. 5:24; Psa. 44:5-8).
    • If the reports of Israel and Saudi Arabia drawing closer are true, let Israel do this with its eyes wide open (Matt. 24:4).
  5. Aliyah & the Body of Messiah:

    It is amazing how God is fulfilling His Word in such an open and obvious manner by regathering His scattered people (Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 36:24; Zech. 8:8-9; etc.) – and yet so many born-again brothers and sisters remain totally deaf and blind to this!

    • Move by Your Spirit among all believers who are ignorant of Your heart’s deep desire is to return Israel to Your land (Jer. 32:41). [This verse is only time in the Bible where God states that He will do something with all of His heart and all of His soul. If this is that important to God, should it not also be very important to His children?]
    • Lord, remove from Your Body all elders who reject Israel’s place in Your Word (Acts 20:27-32).
    • Drive out all demonic spirits of anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and replacement theology from Your followers so that they will not be ashamed at Your return (Mark 5:7-8; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 John 2:28).
    • Aid the Body worldwide to understand that it is the roots (the promises to the forefathers of Israel) that support the body and not the other way around (Rom. 11:16-18; 15:8-12).
    • Cause a deep hunger and thirst for Your Word to permeate the Body today (Psa. 119:103, 111).
    • Thank You for bringing 100,000 new immigrants [olim] to Israel in the last four years (Isa. 43:5-7).
    • We are asking for at least 50,000 more in 2022 (Matt. 7:7-8; Jam. 4:2b).
    • Plant the olim deeply into the land so that they will never again be uprooted (Amos 9:14-15).
    • Plant them everywhere in Your land and not just in the main cities (Jer. 33:12-14).
    • Give to many Jews the courage they need as they embark on the exciting, and scary, adventure of leaving their comfort zones in exile and coming home to Israel (Deut. 3:28; 31:6; Psa. 31:24).
    • Pour out a longing for Zion upon the Jews in exile (Psa. 84:1-2; 102:13-14; 137:4-6)
    • Provide olim with all they will need to be successful and spiritually prosperous: affordable housing, an ability to learn Hebrew, employment and friends, and all else (Neh. 9:15).
    • Keep every government minister with a vision for aliyah in key positions in the coming government.
    • Give all Israeli representatives in the nations who are Zionists more influence and replace any Israeli representatives who have no vision and heart for aliyah with those that do (Isa. 62:10).
  6. Salvation:

    We constantly remind ourselves of the ultimate goal of Yeshua’s incarnation – which was that God His Father would be glorified. And this is also the goal of our intercession, which includes the salvation of God’s people – the Jews.

    • Lord, for Your glory’s sake, save a large remnant of Your people now (Psa. 115:1-3; Jer. 31:7).
    • You said Israel’s salvation is for Your holy name’s sake and not because Israel is obedient; so is it not time for a huge harvest of Your people whom You have recently brought home (Ezek. 36:21-32)?
    • May signs and wonders done in Your name be once again seen in Israel (Acts 2:43; 4:30; 5:12).
    • May many more Gentile believers seek to provoke Your people to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).
    • Build Your Body in Israel, and raise up shepherds with servant’s hearts (Jer. 23:3-4; Matt. 16:18).
    • Save the unsaved family members of Messianic Jews (Jer. 32:39: Acts 16:31).
    • Speak to many secret Israeli believers that it is now the time to come out of the closet (Rom. 1:16).
    • Circumcise the ears of Your people to be able to hear Your voice just like Moses did in Shabbat’s Torah portion: And when Moses went into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, he then heard the voice of One speaking to him from off the mercy seat that was on the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim: and He spoke unto him [or ‘and he spoke unto Him‘]. (Num. 7:89)
  7. IFI:

    Thank you for continuing to pray for us. The IFI leadership team appreciates and needs your supportive intercession, your gracious notes and financial gifts, so that this ministry can press on to be like the sons of Issachar – especially in prayer (1 Chr. 12:32).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion,

For the IFI team

Num. 6:24-26