1. To God be the glory for the things He has done.

    • We bless You Lord for how You have watched over Your Word to do it this past decade.

      Moreover the word of LORD [YHWH] came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said LORD...You have seen well - for I will hasten [watch over] My word to perform it.

      Jeremiah 1:11-12

    • We praise You that we can look back to last year and see an increase in Jews returning to Israel; that Israel finished the year with one of the strongest economies in the world; that there is still no Palestinian State; that You are shaking Iran internally; and that we have a new government and Prime Minister - Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu.

    • Most of all, we bless You for the reports of salvations - both here in Israel among Jews and Arabs - and throughout the Islamic world.

    • O give thanks unto LORD; for He is good: for His mercy [chesed - God's love based on who He is - eternal, faithful, unchanging, etc.] endures forever.

      Psalms 136:1

  2. PM Netanyahu had invited opposition leader Livni and her Kadima party - the party of Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, to join the current government. Thankfully, she and the rest of Kadima's leadership said "No!" Then Bibi went to Cairo and asked Egyptian President Mubarak's help to get the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. The next few days will tell if that is successful - although we pray it is not. These moves, along with Bibi's 10 month settlement freeze, cause us to ask why the PM seems to be crossing so many of his personal red lines. We suspect - and have heard from some of his close associates - that pressure from the Obama administration against him to create a Palestinian State is very intense. Thus he is trying to deflect some of this pressure by these efforts. Therefore, Bibi and the whole current Israeli government desperately needs our prayer support.

    • Lord, we ask that - regardless of the outside pressures - You hedge in Netanyahu and his cabinet by Your red lines!

    • We remind You that we asked for a government through whom You can glorify Yourself. Make this government an answer to that prayer.

    • The king's heart is in the hand of LORD. As the rivers of water, He turns it whichever way He wills.

      Proverbs 21:1

    • Strengthen Bibi and protect him from the pressure of America and the rest of our "friends" who are telling him to make unbiblical decisions.

    • Surround him with a wise team of counselors.

      Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

      Proverbs 11:14, see also 15:22; 24:6

    • Raise up intercessors who will hold up the PM's hands and surround him with prayer that is in line with Your will for Israel in 2010 (1 Chronicles 12:32).

  3. Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, exposing the truth behind UN resolutions 242 and 338. These resolutions are used to say that Israel must retreat to the pre-1967 lines - although they actually infer just the opposite - that any agreement must leave Israel with secure borders. Also, they state that Israel needs to retreat from "territories" - not from "the territories." With US special Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, coming with letters of "assurances" to restart the "peace process," this op-ed is a source of truth to help Israel escape the next round of "peace negotiations."

    • Thank You Lord, for using both Ayalon and the Wall Street Journal, to reveal truth and expose lies.

    • May this op-ed be used to strengthen Bibi and the government.

    • We believe that You have raised up Bibi for just a time like this (Esther 4:14b) - therefore give him the anointing You gave for those who led Israel in Your paths in times past.

    • Continue to harden the hearts of the Palestinian leadership to refuse to accept anything except all of their outrageous demands.

    • Keep Obama and his administration intensely occupied with things other than establishing a Palestinian state on Your land.

    • Still, this opinion piece is not the full truth - that this land is Yours and is not to be divided at all (Leviticus 25:23; Joel 3:1-2).

    • We remind You of Your word which states very clearly that You will bring Your scattered people back and shall settle them in all of the land of Israel - including Jerusalem, Judah and Samaria (Psalm 147:2-3; Zechariah 12:2-3; Jeremiah 31:5).

    • Abba, we declare that You are doing this for Your holy name's sake - not because Israel deserves it.

      But I had pity for My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the gentiles, wherever they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; I am not doing this for your sakes...but for My holy name's sake...And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the gentiles ...and the gentiles shall know that I am LORD...when I shall be sanctified in you [Israel] before their eyes. For I will take you from among the gentiles, gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land... Not for your sakes will I do this, says the Lord GOD...be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.

      Ezekiel 36:21-24; 32

    • LORD is King forever...the heathen are perished out of His land.

      Psalms 10:16

  4. Iran continues to defy the UN and the West - pressing on with a nuclear program that is clearly aimed at developing weapons. The deadline President Obama gave Iran to negotiate, ended yesterday.

    • Lord, pressure Obama to do what is right with Iran at this time.

    • If You want to use Israel to deal with this threat, give her leaders - both political and military - wisdom, courage, strength and the weapons to use (Jeremiah 51:19-24).

    • Lord, use the outcome of this situation to deal a death blow to the stronghold of Islam and set multitudes of Moslems free.

      So persecute them with Your tempest, make them afraid with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yes, let them be put to shame, and perish, that men may know that You, whose name alone is YHWH, are the most high over all the earth.

      Psalms 83:15-18

    • We bring before You all the arrogant threats against Your people and Your land, coming from this current Iranian leadership.

      Arise, LORD; let not man prevail: let [Iran] be judged in Your sight. Put [the Iranian leadership] in fear, LORD: that [they] may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

      Psalms 9:19-20

    • Give Your intercessors revelation on how to pray into this very dangerous situation.

    • We especially ask for wisdom for our brothers and sisters in the Iranian Body of believers. Bless, protect and use them for Your glory.

    • Continue to shake Iran both spiritually - by saving multitudes - and politically.

  5. This week Israel's Chief Rabbis declared that abortions delay the redemption. This is a huge breakthrough and an answer to pray for all those who have been interceding about this heinous sin - which is all too frequent in this nation.

    • Abba, we thank You for this tremendous breakthrough.

    • As they have asked for all of Israel's rabbis to speak on this sin over Shabbat, we ask that You would anoint the rabbis' words and use them to convict Your people and save many little ones who would otherwise be aborted.

    • Protect these rabbis from the criticisms from the secular and humanistic Israelis who are already attacking this intrusion of "church and state."

    • May the Orthodox parties in the government pressure the current Israeli government to rescind any laws which make abortions legal.

    • Concerning women who have had abortions in Israel - use this to stir them up to seek You for true forgiveness and reveal to them Messiah Yeshua.

  6. We recognize that the ultimate answer to all of Israel's problems is Messiah Yeshua.

    • We bless You for all those Israelis who have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Your Son this past year (Colossians 1:13).

    • Open up many more eyes in Israel to what You have already done on the cross to pay for our eternal redemption.

      For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people - a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.

      Luke 2:30-32

    • All seeds that have been planted - especially over this past month - water and cause to grow into a harvest that brings You much glory.

      I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory.

      Isaiah 46:13

We are less than 25 days from the start of IFI's International Prayer Conference, Jerusalem. The staff has much to accomplish, much preparations to be made, and many decisions to be finalized. We covet your prayers for this time. We are sure you will understand if we frankly say that at times the spiritual warfare is so intense, it takes all of God's grace just to carry us through to the next hour. But then again, this is Jerusalem, of which God said, [My] fire is in Zion, and [My] furnace in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 31:9)

May this new year find us all drawing closer to Yeshua, the lover of our souls.

Shabbat shalom,
The IFI staff

I have loved you with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.

Jeremiah 31:3