1. Praise:

    A very encouraging verse from Shabbat’s prophetic portion teaches those of us who love the Lord how to deal with Job-like seasons. Who among you fears YHWH, obeys the voice of His Servant [i.e., the Messiah], and still walks in darkness, without light? Let him trust in the name of YHWH, and lean upon his God. (Isa. 50:10)

    • We do bless You that Your Word speaks into our struggles as we walk with You in this life and encourages us to trust You in faith, regardless of how we feel (Prov. 3:5; Heb. 11:1-6).
    • We praise You for being our Shepherd who leads us through this world’s darkness (Psa. 23:1-6).
    • We find our peace in You, Lord Yeshua, as You have already overcome the world (John 16:33).
    • In Job we hear of Your sovereignty overriding all human logic and how Your allow things to be done without any need to explain Yourself to us – yet You still want us to trust You (Job 42:1-6).
    • Lord God of Israel, we are so grateful to have You as our refuge and hiding place, and to know that You promised to never leave us or forsake us (Psa. 27:5; 46:1; Heb. 13:5).
    • You always lead us even when we are not sure what You are doing, and often we see this only as we look back on our walk with You (Psa. 77:19).
    • From the Torah portion: He humbled you, allowed you to go hungry, and fed you with the manna, which neither you nor your fathers knew, so that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of YHWH. (Deut. 8:3) Amen!
    • We rest in You as regardless of the headlines or how we feel, as You do reign (Isa. 52:7).
  2. Government:

    The political pieces are being moved around on Israel’s election’s chessboard. Some politicians are joining with others and others are leaving for “greener” pastures. In line with our prayers, the Likud primary resulted in pleasant surprises as both Bibi Netanyahu supporters and strong candidates for being prime minister after Netanyahu retires were voted into high spots.

    • Abba, be preparing the hearts of Israelis to vote in line with Your will on November 1st (Prov. 16:9).
    • As the high holydays are just before the elections, Lord God speak to many right-wing politicians to actively seek and heal the schisms and wounds that have developed between them (Psa. 30:2; 41:4).
    • Let the true heart intention of Israel’s politicians be revealed to Israel’s voters (Psa. 7:9; Prov. 17::3).
    • Raise up more politicians like Caleb, who had a spirit to follow zealously after You (Num. 14:24).
    • Lord, continue purging out all the dross and restoring people of righteousness in Zion (Isa. 1:25-27).
    • God, we do not want another compromised coalition, so place Your people in office (Psa. 12:1-3).
    • Remove all authority from every Israeli politician who is pro-Palestinian State (1 Sam. 15:23).
    • Let Palestinian Authority [PA] President Abbas’ accusations against Israel of having committed 50 holocausts against his people and of being an apartheid state (while he was in Germany) shock PM Lapid and Defense Minister Gantz away from their pro-Palestinian State stances (Psa. 120:6-7).
    • Promote every politician who loves and honors Your Word and Your land (Psa. 75:6-7; Luke 1:52).
    • Bring godly advisors into the circle of all Israeli politicians and then gift the politicians with ears to hear all counsel that is from You (Prov. 11:14; 15:22).
    • Give Israel a government that will work in unity and so be under Your blessing (Psa. 133:1-3).
    • Bring Netanyahu’s trial to a quick resolution and expose the truth (Eccl. 3:16-17).
    • Yeshua Lord, direct the Israeli Body to pray into the elections – starting now (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
    • We give You glory for enabling Israel to be as prosperous as it is today, because You say in the Torah portion that this is how You establish Your covenant with Israel’s fathers (Deut. 8:18).
    • Still, the cost of living, inflation and housing costs are all going up, so aid the new Prime Minister and Finance Minister to work together to deal with this in ways that please You (Prov. 24:3-5).
    • Clear out the corruption that exists in any area of Israel’s society (Prov. 22:22-23; Zech. 7:10).
    • Speak to wealthy Israelis of Your expectations of them to be generous and to help those who are less fortunate and are hurting (Prov. 22:2).
    • Give Israel creative solutions to improve road safety (Psa. 121:8).
  3. The IDF:

    Both the Torah and prophetic portions contain several verses encouraging Israel to see that their God – who is the only God – is with them in battle.

    • We bless You for the IDF but we trust You, I-srael’s D-ivine F-ather, and not in man (Psa. 20:7-9).
    • Lord, fulfill the promised threats against Israel’s enemies which You declare in the prophetic portion in Isaiah 49:25-26 – against Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria and Gaza; against Hizbullah in Lebanon and Syria; and against Iran and all of its proxies wherever they are located.
    • God, rule over Israel’s choice of the man to replace IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi (Prov. 19:21).
    • Do not allow Israel to be more merciful with its enemies than You want them to be (Deut. 7:16, 24).
    • Protect the IDF from being weakened by caving in to politically-correct/woke diktats (Psa. 43:3-4).
    • Hasten the development of the Iron Beam, Israel’s laser defensive and offensive weapon (Jer. 50:25).
    • Strengthen Israel’s cyberwarfare units – both offensively and defensively – and shield Your nation from every enemy cyber-attack against it in all areas where it might be vulnerable (Deut. 33:29).
    • Supply all that the IDF – its army, navy and air force – needs to defend Your nation (Psa. 44:4-6).
    • Bring to each IDF leader godly advisors and give the leaders ears to hear (Prov. 20:18; 24:6).
    • Comfort the families of soldiers killed by “friendly” fire – as occurred this past week (Isa. 51:3a)
    • Also comfort the soldiers involved in causing these grievous accidents (2 Cor. 1:3-4; 7:6a)
    • Arrange all the new IDF recruits, including believers, in places where their giftings are most needed, and provide them with the proper training to function in these positions (Psa. 18:34; 144:1).
  4. Internal security:

    An Israeli news article this week exposed how close Palestinian Authority President Abbas is to departing this life and the likely chaos that will follow. We continue to pray for Israel to have great wisdom to know what to do and what not do if war breaks out among various Palestinian factions in Judea and Samaria, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ].

    • Lord, as in the Torah portion remind Israel to not be terrified before its foes because YHWH your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. (Deut. 7:21)
    • Do not allow Israel to get involved if war breaks out among the Palestinian factions (Prov. 26:17).
    • God, as You have done in the past, set Israel’s foes against each other (2 Chr. 20:23; Ezek. 38:21).
    • As the IDF prepares its post-Abbas strategies for Judea and Samaria, may all the plans be conceived under Your divine guidance (Psa. 33:11).
    • Arrange circumstances so that Israel has no choice but to go in and possess the land which You have repeatedly sworn to give to their fathers (Deut. 7:13; 8:1; 10:11; 11:8-9, 21).
    • During the post-Abbas chaos, protect Palestinians who want to live at peace with Israel (Gen. 12:3a).
    • Continue to give what we perceive as miraculous success to the IDF’s “Break the Wave” action against terrorists and their weapons caches in Judea and Samaria night after night (Psa. 44:4-6).
    • As much of that is a result of the IDF’s accurate actionable intelligence, please continue to protect each of Israel’s spies and collaborators (Amos 9:2-3; Obad. 1:6).
  5. External security:

    The insane negotiations in Vienna between Iran and the EU – representing America – continue. Every time the EU says that this is the last offer, Iran says OK, except for this and that little change that they then insist on. Iran is basically bartering as if this was a Middle Eastern market – and the West is too cowardly to just walk away and increase sanctions on Iran.

    • Lord, we pray that this deal will never be signed as that would place Israel in a position of fighting against an international agreement if and when it needs to attack Iran (Psa. 33:10).
    • We trust in You who always guards Israel to continue to do just that (Psa. 35:4-6; 121:4; Mal. 3:6).
    • Demonstrate openly before all Iranians that there is a God in Israel (1 Sam. 17:46-47).
    • Thank You for the growing Iranian church which is a fulfillment of Your promise to set Your throne in Elam – ancient Iran (Jer. 49:38a).
    • Lord, now fulfill the rest of Jeremiah 49:38 and destroy from there the king and the princes.
    • Prepare Israel to be ready and able to take out this worldwide Iranian Shi’ite threat, in Your timing and under Your directions (Jer. 51:20-25).
    • Upload Your battle plans against Iran to the IDF and sweep away all plans not of You (Prov. 21:31).
    • Remove the head of Hizbullah in Lebanon and let this terror organization implode (Job 30:22).
    • Send Your “nature” agents to destroy Hizbullah’s massive missile supply – things like rust, rats, human errors, miscommunications, nightmares, frogs, hornets, lightning, sandstorms and whatever else is in Your arsenal against Your enemies (Ex. 9:24; Josh. 10:11; Job 38:22-23; Rev. 16:21).
  6. Aliyah:

    Two wonderful verses on aliyah are found in Shabbat’s prophetic portion.

    • Thus says Lord YHWH, ‘Behold, I will lift up My hand to the Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people: and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.Isa. 49:22

    • Lord Yeshua, the only gentiles who would even recognize Your hand are those who are members of Your Body. Therefore, open their eyes to see You beckoning them to do this today (Isa. 60:3-11).
    • Let the Church provoke Jews to make aliyah, knowing “all Israel” is saved in the land (Zech. 12:10).
    • Therefore the redeemed of YHWH shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. (Isa. 51:11a) Lord Yeshua, if this is telling Messianic Jews to make aliyah openly, with singing, and not by trying to sneak in – please confirm it to them (Isa. 35:10).
    • Abba, continue to use both Your fishers and Your hunters to carry back or chase home Your people from their captivity in exile (Jer. 16:16).
    • Speak to rabbis to lead their congregations in today’s Babylon home (Num. 27:16-17; Jer. 51:9-10).
    • Take away all excuses of Jews who want to remain in exile (Luke 14:16-24).
    • Remove all unnecessary bureaucratic red tape so that those whom You have called to make aliyah can do so with joy (Isa. 57:14).
    • Let the next government relax the strict definition of who is a Jew that rabbis have developed and which causes much grief to those whom You see as Jewish, having only a Jewish father.
    • Provide for those who have already made aliyah to successfully settle in the land (2 Sam. 17:27-29).
  7. Salvation:

    The prophetic biblical pattern is usually for the Jews to return home and then to be saved. Up to this point most Jews have come to Messiah in the exile, but that is changing.

    • Lord, as Jews read in the Torah portion of the need to circumcise their hearts, show them that this is what happens when a person is born-again by Your Spirit through belief in Your Son (Deut. 10:16).
    • Allow the freedom we still have in Israel, to talk of the good news, bear much fruit (Isa. 55:11).
    • Anoint Gentile believers – especially those who come from Muslim backgrounds – to provoke Your people to jealousy by the love of God and of His people that Jews sense from them (Rom. 11:11).
    • As Jewish teaching encourages a deep soul-searching leading up to Yom Kippur (October 5th this year), allow this introspection to impart a hunger for a real relationship with You (Jer. 29:13).
    • Bring unbelieving members of Messianic Jewish households to faith today (Acts 16:31-34).
    • Abba, open Your arms wide to receive back all Your prodigal children at this season (Luke 15:20).
  8. The Body of Messiah:

    It is growing tremendously throughout the world, yet the Church in the West seems to be dying. Biblically, this is a result of it cursing of Israel by teaching replacement theory which places it under God’s curse (Gen. 12:3a) and opens it up to every end-time humanistic demonic spirit. Yet praise God, there is still a small faithful remnant in the West.

    • Lord, raise up shepherds after Your own heart to feed Your flock throughout the world (Jer. 3:15).
    • Remove from Your sheepfold all false shepherds who are only after their own aggrandizement and who are not focused mainly on Your glory in and through the Body (John 10:11-14: Acts 20:28-32).
    • Lord, turn Your Body to Your Word in a way that allows Your Word to take its rightful place – as the ultimate truth in this world (2 Sam. 7:28; Psa. 119:151-152; John 17:17).
    • Convict those who refuse to interpret Your Word, especially prophecy, in context (2 Tim. 2:15-16).
    • Replace replacement theology with biblical theology and reveal to Your Body the place of Israel in Your plans to wrap up this age (Matt. 23:39; 24:30 [here “earth” should be translated “land”]).
    • Pour out upon the Your Body in the West an anointing to persist in prayer in line with Your will at this crucial time in history (Luke 18:1; Rom. 12:12b; Eph. 6:18: Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17).
    • Remove the deception that Satan controls this world and replace it with the truth of what Moses says in Shabbat’s Torah portion: Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is YHWH your God’s, the earth and all that is in it…for YHWH your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty Warrior, and the Awesome One… (Deut. 10:14, 17a).
  9. Water:

    The Torah portion contains this wonderful verse of God’s care for His/Israel’s land.

    • The land you go to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water of the rain of heaven, a land which YHWH your God cares for: the eyes of YHWH your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. (Deut. 11:11-12) Amen!
  10. IFI:

    Thank you for praying with us for Israel and for supporting us in many ways so that multitudes more in the world can also pray with understanding for Israel.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

For the IFI team

2 John 1:3

Please note: IFI’s first three DVD’s of “Praying through the Land” are now available on YouTube with English subtitles. The DVD’s can be viewed for free by clicking on the links below. Since these are not politically correct in today’s climate, please be discerning as to whom you share the links with:

Volume 1. – Gaza

Volume 2. – Judea

Volume 3. – The Jordan Valley