1. Praise: The Torah portion records the praises sung by Israel after God saved them from the Egyptians through destroying the Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. Exodus 15:2 is their declaration of God that applies to us as well because God the Son, incarnated as the Son of Man, has become our salvation – our yeshu’ah – as well as all these other titles proclaimed about God by Israel. YHWH is my strength and song, and He has become My salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. (Ex. 15:2)
    • Hallelujah! Israel’s God – the only true God – has become the Savior of all who by grace are grafted into Israel’s olive tree in Messiah Yeshua (John 3:16; Rom. 11:18-29: Eph. 2:4-22).
    • YHWH, who is like You among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Ex. 15:11) Amen!
    • We praise You that You are still doing wonders [+ miracles] today (Acts 15:12; Rom. 15:19).
    • Precious Creator God, we rejoice that nothing is impossible or too hard for You (Jer. 32:17, 27).
    • Lord Yeshua, we exalt You – as You are the only One who is truly worthy (Rev. 5:4-14).
    • We confess that You are good and that Your covenant-love is eternal (Psa. 106:1; 118:1; 136:1).
    • Thank You for encouraging us to trust You even when we do not understand what You are doing or allowing to happen (Prov. 3:5; Rom. 11:33-36).
    • We are so grateful and we praise You for being so faithful to watch over Your Word to fulfill it as You regather Israel’s exiles in the face of such global opposition (Jer. 1:12; 31:10).
  2. Government: Regardless of whether Israel’s current government under Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu bears fruit for God’s glory or not, Israel’s King still sits on the right hand of God the Father and He reigns over the earth today. Yet we do have a directive to pray for those in authority over our nations (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
    • Lord, we agree with Moses in the Torah reading that You do reign forever (Ex. 15:18).
    • Lord Yeshua, while at times we struggle to know how to pray for Israel’s new coalition, still we are encouraged knowing that all earthly and heavenly authority is Yours today (Matt. 28:18; Acts 10:36).
    • We thank You for giving Israel its current government whose plans for Your nation are much more in line with Your revealed will than its previous government (Dan. 2:21; 4:17b, 23b).
    • Move upon each minister to do those things that please You and fulfill Your Word (Prov. 16:1).
    • Do not allow them to be deterred from doing Your will – although much of the world will be furious because most rulers and people are currently in rebellion against You (Psa. 2:1-3; Isa. 46:10).
    • Shield Israel’s coalition from the media’s onslaught against its biblically-oriented plans (job 38:2).
    • Abba, please use all of Israel’s current ministers for Your glory: PM Netanyahu; Foreign Minister Eli Cohen; Defense Minister Yoav Gallant; Justice Minister Yariv Levin; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich; National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir; plus all the other men and women who are leading Israel at this time. [See here for a complete list]
    • Let Shabbat’s Torah portion deeply impact all those in leadership who read it (Psa. 119:130).
    • Embed godly counselors inside Israel’s coalition to keep them in line with Your will (Job 12:13).
    • Anoint Smotrich and Netanyahu with wisdom to tackle Israel’s high cost of living (Prov. 8:18).
    • Use Levin’s judicial plan to rein in the out-of-control Supreme Court (Judg. 21:25; Isa. 60:17b).
    • We ask that whatever judicial plan is passed. it will go a long way to be an answer to our prayers that You would restore to Israel righteous judges and counselors (Isa. 1:26).
    • Continue giving Foreign Minister Cohen boldness to confront the EU’s illegal actions (Eccl. 8:1).
    • Cause the opposition, especially Yair Lapid, to understand that it is sin to speak out so viciously against Israel’s current governmental leaders (Ex. 22:28; Acts 23:5).
    • Give young Israelis a hunger for Your Word (Jer. 15:16), and use the truth of Your Word to provide them with a filter upon social media, helping them see through all of the deception in it (John 17:17).
  3. Internal security: In the Exodus story, God said that His goal in judging Egypt was not only to set His people free but also that both Jews and Egyptians know He is God. While this may sound strange to some believers, yet it is only a result of God’s judgment on our sins laid on Messiah (Isa. 53:4-5) that has opened the way for each of us to know Him as well (Psa. 9:16; John 14:6).
    • Lord, arise and judge the Palestinians, especially the terrorist and terror supporters among them, so that both Jews and Arabs come to know and glorify You (Ex. 14:4; cp. 14:17-18).
    • God, we grieve over the horrendous terror attacks that happened during last Shabbat and ask that the government’s response and Israel’s future readiness comes directly from You (Prov. 21:31).
    • Pour out Your mercy on the terror attack survivors and families of those murdered (Psa. 6:2; 9:13).
    • We bless You that successful terror attacks are the rare exception and ask You to continue to make the vast majority of them fail in every way possible (Psa. 121:4).
    • As You did on the shore of the Red Sea, so again send Your Angel to stand between Israel and all of the Palestinian terrorists – who actually do want to drive us into the sea (Ex. 14:19-20).
    • So discourage the terrorists that they cry out like the Egyptians did in the Red Sea, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for YHWH fights for them against us. (Ex. 14:25b)
    • Deal severely with every Arab who rejoiced over these successful terror attacks (Psa. 5:4-6, 9-10).
    • Send Your fear upon all terrorists in Gaza and remove them, yet also save a remnant (Zech. 9:5b, 7).
    • Give wisdom and success to Israel’s security forces in their war against terrorism (Rom. 13:1-4).
    • Sovereignly oversee the placement of Israel’s security forces (Prov. 21:31).
    • Increase Israel’s ability to gather intelligence and then to discern how to respond to it (Prov. 15:3).
    • We condemn all usage – political or in the media – of the lying phrase “the cycle of violence,” as terrorists target innocent civilians and Israel’s security forces target the terrorists (Isa. 54:17).
    • Hold back Israel’s Supreme Court from blocking any new initiative in the war against terrorism that the government legislates which is in line with Your Word (Prov. 21:30; Eccl. 8:11; Isa. 14:27).
  4. External security: As Iran actively prepares to destroy Israel most other nations, especially in the West, have turned their backs on the Jewish State. After all, its very presence proves that God is alive and active and His Word is being fulfilled. Of course, that truth does not please today’s radical leftist ideology that rules by fear and intimidation in much of the West. Yet the God who promised to regather Israel said He would also guard it (Jer. 31:10), and we see Him doing that in relation to Iran and all of its various proxies.
    • God, arise and scatter Your enemies as You did for Israel at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:13-14; 15:1b).
    • Thank You for the successful drone attack against Iran this past week, which we assume was done by Israel, against very vital military targets (Isa. 41:11; Ezek. 37:10).
    • Let this major success by Israel cause great fear and constant paranoia of the Mossad in the thinking and plans of every Iranian political and military leader (Job 12:19, 24-25; Isa. 19:14).
    • Lord, there were deadly earthquakes in Iran this past week and we ask You to continue shaking that nation in all ways – physically, politically, financially, and spiritually (Ex. 15:6; Judg. 5:4-5).
    • God, shake the ground and swallow up all of Iran’s nuclear facilities (Job 9:5-6; 38:12-13; Joel 3:16).
    • We continue to ask You to watch over Jeremiah 49:38 and not only to build Your throne in Iran via the growing Church, but also to totally remove its current Islamic Shi’ite leadership.
    • Use Iranian believers in prison to spread the gospel among those jailed with them (Acts 16:25-32).
    • Enable Defense Minister Gallant, the IDF’s Chief of Staff Halevy, and the IDF’s Iran Command, to walk in unity concerning Israel’s strategy and tactics against Iran (Eccl. 4:12).
    • With Iran now having enough uranium for several nuclear weapons, please show Israel what it needs to do and what it should not do – as well as the timing of any action (1 Chr. 14:14-17).
    • Oversee the placement of all IDF forces outside of Israel’s borders – in particular its submarines, its spy satellites and all of its spies and collaborators (Josh. 6:2-5).
    • Impart wisdom to Israel to know when and how to deal with Hizbullah in Lebanon (2 Sam. 23:9-12).
    • May Israel be very cautious in what it shares with its allies (Isa. 39:1-6).
    • As Israel negotiates with America about Israelis being granted US visa waiver status, protect Israel from making any unwise concessions that would endanger its security (Isa. 28:5-6).
  5. Aliyah: As this is of major importance to God (Jer. 32:41), it is also of major importance to us. Yet unfortunately we are the exceptions in the West as most believers there do not even have aliyah on their radar of end-time events that must happen in order for the Lord to return.
    • From the Torah reading: You shall bring them in [His people whom He has redeemed; Ex. 15:16], and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance… (Ex. 15:17a)
    • Lord, You are doing this and we are so grateful to be alive to see it and pray for it (1 John 5:14-15).
    • Fall upon new Interior Minister Michael Malkieli, making him an on-fire Zionist (Psa. 137:5-6).
    • Use him to break through all bureaucratic roadblocks which hinder increased aliyah (Mic. 2:13).
    • Open wide all gates in nations where they are locked, and bring the Jews out (Mic. 2:12).
    • Lord, let the reports of the increase of anti-Semitic acts be widely published (Jer. 16:16).
    • Show more Western Jews that they are currently living in hostile territory (Psa. 137:4; Jer. 50:4-5).
    • Severely shake all false comforts that have Your people trapped in exile (Jer. 51:6-10).
    • Yet lead many to make aliyah while they can still take their silver and gold with them (Isa. 60:9).
    • While we do not really understand what You mean when You say that no Jew will be left behind in exile, yet we ask You to show great mercy and bring most of them home now (Ezek. 39:28).
    • As You did in the Torah portion, miraculously provide Your people with all the food and the water that they need, both on their journey and to be settled in Your land (Ex. 16:4; 17:6a).
    • Use Israel’s coalition to prepare the infrastructure needed to support all whom You bring home and to settle the new immigrants [olim] throughout the land (Isa. 61:4; Jer. 32:43-44; Ezek. 36:8-12).
    • Impart to the new olim a gift to learn Hebrew quickly (1 Cor. 12:10b).
    • Speak to many wealthy Jews and Christians to finance a massive and successful aliyah (Ezra 1:3-4; Isa. 49:22; 60:3-11; Rom. 15:27).
  6. Salvation: Throughout the Torah portion, we see that what Paul wrote is correct in that Jews require signs. Israel saw the great work which YHWH did on the Egyptians: and the people feared YHWH, and believed YHWH, and His servant Moses. (Ex. 14:31)
    • You redeemed Your people from Egyptian bondage (Ex. 15:13), and now we ask You to show them that You have provided redemption from the heavier bondage of their sins (Rom. 8:21; Heb. 2:14-5).
    • In Messiah Yeshua, turn the ashes, the mourning and the heaviness which many Holocaust survivors still carry into beauty, gladness and praise unto You (Isa. 61:1-3).
    • We ask the same for survivors of terrorist attacks and families of murdered loved ones (Luke 6:21).
    • Thank You Lord Yeshua for hearing reports that millions of Muslims are having dreams and visions of You and are being saved (John 3:16).
    • Please now do the same with Your people who are back in the land (Joel. 2:28-29: Rom. 11:26).
    • We ask for the salvation of a huge remnant from among the following Jewish groups: right-wing and left-wing politicians, especially in Israel, but also worldwide; judges and lawyers; Jewish journalists – again in Israel and worldwide; “influencers” in all areas of social media; soldiers in every branch of the IDF; all Israelis living in Judea and Samaria; rabbis from the ultra-Orthodox to the humanistic reform sects; every Jew who has tasted Your love through Christians.
    • Save multitudes of Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians, and make some anointed evangelists with a heart for the Jews (Rom. 11:11).
  7. Body of Messiah: How can believers perceive what God is doing today if Israel’s restoration – leading to their salvation – is not important to them?
    • Show all Christian Zionists who are frustrated by being in a congregation that is into any anti-Israel theology when it is Your time to flee that spiritual Babylon and its doctrine of demons (Rev. 18:4).
    • For all who are part of a congregation that is just ignorant or worse – intimidated – to take a stand for Israel, please lead them as to whether they should stay or go (Psa. 23:3b).
    • Replace all cowardly elders with those on fire to proclaim the truth of Your Word (John 17:17).
    • Create more “sons of Issachar” to influence Your Body in these days (1 Chr. 12:32).
    • Impart a thirst for all of Your Word to very born-again believer (2 Tim. 3:15-17).
  8. Water: We are having winter weather in Israel with snow falling on Mount Hermon and rain, at times very heavy, coming upon most of the rest of the nation.
    • Thank You for the rain and snow that have fallen this week (Psa. 104:13; 135:7; Jer. 14:22).
    • We ask based on Your mercy, that You will continue to pour out all that is needed to fill the aquifers and reservoirs and refresh Your inheritance (Psa. 68:9; Matt. 5:45b).
  9. IFI: Thank you for continuing to pray for us to receive all we need in order for God to be glorified in and through this ministry.

Shabbat shalom and blessings abundantly from Zion

For the IFI team  [reprinted with permission from Intercessors for Israel ]

Psa. 128:5

A believer stands on a watch-tower – things present are below his feet – things eternal are before his eyes.  From Time is Short, a sermon by Robert Murray M’Cheyne