1. Shabbat's prophetic portion is found in Isaiah 51:12-52:12. Here are some excerpts:

    • I, even I, am He that comforts you. Who are you, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die… and forget LORD [YHWH] your Maker, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth? … You are My people. Awake, awake, stand up, Jerusalem…

      Awake, awake; put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city… Shake yourself from the dust; arise and sit down… For thus says LORD, You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money…

      My people shall know My name…

      How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace… that publishes salvation; that says to Zion, Your God reigns! Your watchmen shall lift up the voice; with voices together shall they sing, for they shall see… when LORD brings again Zion [or, "when LORD returns to Zion"]. Break forth into joy, sing waste places of Jerusalem: for LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

    • Lord, we bless You, for nothing is to difficult for You (Jer. 32:17,27).

    • We praise You Lord Yeshua - King of Kings and Lord of all (Rev. 19:16; Acts 10:36a).

    • We cast our cares - both personally and over Israel - upon You because You care for us and for this nation.

  2. We prayed for the Israeli government to have wisdom in dealing with Turkey - a nation that was a friend and ally, but has now, under it's current leadership, turned away from both Israel and the West, and allied itself with Iran and Syria.

    • Abba, help Israel's leadership to see the reality that Turkey is now a danger to this nation.

    • We lift up Israel's Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman - that they would see and deal with the changed status of Turkey's relationship to Israel.

    • Help the IDF be prepared to deal with Turkey as a enemy and no longer as an ally.

    • Enable Israel to have accurate and timely intelligence information about Turkey.

    • Prevent Israel from selling any more military equipment to Turkey.

    • Shake Turkey - physically, politically, economically and spiritually - and save multitudes.

    • Help the Turkish believing community to see the dangerous stance their leaders are taking against the God of the Bible, and His people. Give them prayers fit for this situation.

      But the end of all things is at hand: be you therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

      1 Peter 4:7

  3. We next prayed for PM Bibi Netanyahu.

    • We hold Netanyahu into the anointing that You have provided for Israel's current leader.

    • Encourage and strengthen him as he reads the Bible with his family on Shabbat.

    • Abba, make Bibi one who engages his heart to approach You.

      …their governor shall proceed from the midst of them. I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach Me, for who is this that engages his heart to approach Me? says LORD.

      Jer. 30:21b

    • We bless You for how often Bibi has declared truth into current situations. Continue to use him as a vehicle for Your word to come forth from Zion (Micah 4:2).

    • Reveal Messiah Yeshua to him and to his whole household.

      It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and… life. But there are some of you that believe not… Therefore I said unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father.

      John 6:63-65

    • Provide for Netanyahu excellent advisors and give him the discernment to know who they are and the wisdom to listen to what they say.

      Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established.

      Prov. 15:22; cp. 24:6; Isaiah 1:26

  4. The "peace" process continues to be placed around Israel's neck like a hangman's noose. It is time for both Israelis and many others to see that the Palestinians do not want a "two-state solution," but are pushing for a "two-stage solution" - to destroy the Jewish state of Israel.

    • We ask that You would expose the anti-Semitic and racial statements of the Palestinian Authority's President Abbas, as he has repeatedly declared that he will not allow any Jews to live in "Palestine."

    • Wake up Western leaders and intellectuals and liberals to a leaders who wants a Palestine that is Judenrein - totally cleanse of Jews!

    • Continue to harden Abbas' heart to not accept any attempt to start direct negotiations.

    • Open up the eyes of George Mitchell, US President Obama's Middle East envoy, to the real heart attitude of the current Palestinian leadership.

    • Abba, we hold Bibi to his word that the settlement freeze will be over on September 26th.

    • Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

      Numbers 23:23

  5. We have entered the Moslem holy month of Ramadan, a time in which the Spirit of Islam is stirred up - but when the Spirit of God is also on the move!

    1. Security for Israel and the Jews throughout the world during Ramadan.

      • Lord, as Israel has already been threatened by Islamic groups specifically relating to this month, we cry to You who guards Israel and never sleeps (Psalm 121:4), protect Your people and Your land.

      • Anoint our security forces with the ability and courage to stop all terrorist attacks before they accomplish their demonic goals.

      • Provide the intelligence Israel's security forces need to do the job.

      • We plead with You to foil any further successful kidnapping attempts.

      • During Ramadan, miraculously set free Israel's kidnapped soldier - Gilad Shalit.

      • Bless and protect the Israeli police - especially in Jerusalem's Old City and on the Temple Mount today - the first Friday of Ramadan. [Friday is Islam's day of prayer].

      • From Shabbat's prophetic portion:

        Thus says your Lord, LORD, Your God that pleads the cause of His people, Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of My fury. You shall drink it again no more, but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict you…

        Isaiah 51:22-23a

    2. Ramadan is also a wonderful month to pray for the salvation of Moslems.

      • Thank You Lord for all the ex-Moslems who are in the Kingdom of God this Ramadan - who were not last Ramadan.

      • Strengthen and bless them. Give them boldness, wisdom and protection.

      • Reveal Yourself to many more Moslems through dreams and visions during this time.

      • Redeem multitudes in Iran. Double the size of the Iranian Body over this next month.

      • Save many Israeli Arabs and Palestinians - especially those in Gaza.

      • After this I beheld… a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and races, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

        Rev. 7:9-10

  6. The situation in Lebanon - continues to be very dangerous. We focused on the UN tribunal looking into the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri - that the truth of who was responsible would come out - regardless of the consequences.

    • Lord, may the truth be revealed for all the world to see.

    • Expose the real culprits behind this murder. Let justice be done.

    • Does God pervert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

      Job 8:3

      None calls for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

      Isaiah 59:4

    • Keep the IDF alert for any diversionary tactics that either the Lebanese Army or Hizbullah might try in order to switch the focus of the world from the results to a battle with Israel.

  7. It is beyond belief that there are now four official investigations into that flotilla fiasco that took place off the coast of Israel in late May. [See the latest Watchmen From Jerusalem #3, 2010, on the IFI website for more background information on this.] Although multitudes are murdered everyday under dictatorial regimes, when Israel - legally defending itself against Hamas - kills nine terrorists, the world wants blood - Jewish blood! Israel has an official investigation - the Turkel Commission. Then there is a UN Secretary General investigation that Israel is cooperating with. Turkey and the UN Human Rights Commission also have investigations running - both of which Israel will boycott. So we prayed.

    • Again, God, we want the whole truth to be revealed.

    • Let those responsible for the deaths be openly and correctly named - even if it is Turkey's current government which sponsored the terrorist organization that sent the flotilla.

    • Enable Israel's leadership - especially PM Netanyahu, DM Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi, take the responsibility for any mistakes on their side.

    • Block all spirits of compromise and humanism from interfering with the Israel and official UN investigations.

      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

    • Help Israel learn the lessons You had for them - and be able to apply that to all future flotillas that are threatening to try and break Israel's sea blockade of Gaza.

    • Do not allow this situation cause Israel to be tentative in defending herself in the future.

  8. We ended by praying for the sanctification of the Body of Messiah in Israel - that we would be that separated, holy people that the Lord desires us to be.

    • By the power of Your Spirit, sanctify us for Your glory.

    • Messiah Yeshua - be the center and circumference of all Israeli congregations.

      Looking unto Yeshua the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

      Heb. 12:2

    • Forgive us if we were ever ashamed of the gospel and make us bold to take advantage of all open doors that You present to us.

      I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it, for you have a little strength, and have kept My word, and not denied My name.

      Rev. 3:8

    • Remove far from this Body the spirit of compromise with the world.

    • Raise up pastors/shepherds after Your won heart to lead Your flock in these crucial days (Jer. 3:15; 23:3-4).

    • Lord, we reaffirm that we can do nothing without You - but we can do all things through You who strengthen us (John 15:5b; Phil. 4:13).

      Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.

      2 Cor. 3:5

Please continue to intercede for Intercessors for Israel as we start preparing for the January 2011 Intercessors Prayer Conference here in Jerusalem.

Thanks, blessings, and Shabbat Shalom from Zion,
The IFI team