1. This Shabbat is the first of seven Shabbats of consolation, or comfort, following last week's Tisha b'Av fast and leading on to the fall feasts. The weekly prophetic portions reflect this. This week is Isaiah 40:1-26,

   • Comfort, comfort, My people, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received of LORD's [YHWH's] hand double for all her sins.

     Isaiah 40:1-2

   • Thank You Abba for allowing us the opportunity to comfort Israel - both in prayer and through practical ways.

   • We bless You for calling us to intercede for Your Kingdom purposes to be done on earth - and in Israel - as they are already settled in heaven.

2. This week's Torah portion includes Israel's declaration of faith - Deuteronomy 6:4-5. We used that to pray for Israel's salvation.

   • Hear, O Israel: LORD our God, LORD is one. And you shall love LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

     Deuteronomy 6:4-5

   • Lord, stir up Your people to seek You with all their hearts as they read these foundational scriptures on Shabbat.

   • For thus says LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, shout among the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel. 

     Jeremiah 31:7

   • We ask for the removing of the veil over the eyes of Holocaust survivors.

   • Save multitudes of young men and women in Israel's defense forces - the IDF.

   • Lord, there are many Orthodox Jews who are seeking You. Let them find You today.

   • Draw out of modern day Israel all of the remnant whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 13:8).

   • Bring Israel's kidnapped soldier - Gilad Shalit - and his family, to a saving knowledge of You through Messiah Yeshua.

   • Save O God, Benjamin Netanyahu and his family.

3. Many Jews make aliyah - immigrate to Israel - during the summer months. This is a literal fulfillment of God's prophetic word - and very close to His heart - because God has promised to save His people in the land of Israel.

   • For in My holy mountain... says the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me. There will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings ...I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein you have been scattered. I will be sanctified in you before the gentiles, and you shall know that I am LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers.

     Ezekiel 20:40-42

   • We bless You for what You have done and what we see You doing in gathering Your people unto the land and unto Yourself.

   • Hear the word of LORD...Declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.

     Jeremiah 31:10

   • Continue to supply all of the needs - financially and otherwise - for all organizations that are working to encourage and support aliyah.

   • Bring home many Messianic Jews - especially the youth (Isaiah 35:10).

   • Abba, draw back to Your land all Israelis who are living in the nations.

   • Use Moses' plea in Shabbat's Torah portion to speak to Jews in synagogues in the exile:

     Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness, and Your mighty hand - for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to Your works, and...Your might? I pray You, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.

     Deuteronomy 3:24-25

   • Lord, open up the eyes of the Jews in America, the UK, France and Germany - that now is the time to get out (Zechariah 8:7).

   • Release all of the Jews that are trapped in Moslems nations - especially the 25,000 strong community in Iran.

   • And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the gentiles, which you [Israel] profaned in the midst of them, and the gentiles shall know that I am LORD, says the Lord GOD, 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.

     Ezekiel 36:23-24

4. Next, we interceded for Israel's current government (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

   • Lord, we thank You for giving Israel a government we can pray for - as opposed to one that we need to pray against!

   • Lord, we thank You for giving Israel a government through whom You can be glorified.

   • With all of its strong differences, we bless You for the stability of the current government.

   • Lord, bless, encourage, strengthen and give wisdom, to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

     I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go...

     Psalms 32:8a

   • Speak to him through Your Word that he has openly said he reads (Isaiah 55:11).

   • Thank You for giving Israel a leader who is not ashamed of Your Word. Teach him to use it more and more to present Israel's case before the nations.

   • Continue to use Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to shake up all politically correct politicians - wherever they may be - who do not see the truth of Israel's situation.

5. This coming week another flotilla of ships expected - this time from Lebanon - which will try to break Israel's lawful sea blockade of Gaza. One of the ships will be full of women and journalists. This is obviously a set-up to continue and drag Israel through the mud of world opinion.

   • Thank You that since Israel has taken away much of the land blockage, most nations - including the US, UN and EU - see no need for these new flotillas. May they stand by that opinion regardless of what happens when Israel stops these ships.

   • God, arise and defend Israel's right to defend herself.

   • Arise, LORD; let not man prevail: let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

     Psalms 9:19-20

   • Aid Israel to stop these Lebanese ships.

   • Send Your fear into the hearts of all of the people on the ships - just like You did to the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:25).

6. Reports indicate that recent sanctions put on Iran by the UN, US and EU, are having an effect, but Iran is still pursuing a nuclear program. Even Russia's President Medvedev is concerned and wants clarity from Iran as to what they are really producing.

   • Thank You for the effect that the sanctions are having.

   • Help the Iranian people see the disaster that is coming upon their nation and rise up against their wicked leaders (Psalm 55:9).

   • Save multitudes of Iranians and set them free from anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

   • Abba, do as You said You would do in Iran:

     I will set my throne in Elam [where modern day Iran is located], and will destroy from there the king and the princes, says LORD.

     Jeremiah 49:38

   • Give the German government courage to confront the banks in Germany that are helping finance the current Iranian government.

   • If You want to use Israel's army to deal with this threat - do not allow them to use any half measures. Let the attack be so devastating that Iran's nuclear program is destroyed.

   • May Israel have correct, timely intelligence to know exactly "what and where" concerning Iran's military plans and programs.

We ended praying for marriages to be strengthened - especially those in the Body of Messiah.

Also, we asked God to comfort His people in the land.

Please remember Intercessors For Israel as we plan and pray over next year's January Prayer Conference (24^th - 31^st). The theme is: If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:5-6)

If God wants us to have a prayer tour after the conference, we need to hear from Him.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion,
The IFI Team