1. This week's prophetic portion is found in Isaiah 54:1-10. Some excerpts:

    • Sing, O barren, you that did not bear, break forth into singing, cry aloud, you that did not travail with child, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says LORD [YHWH]. Enlarge the place of your tent...lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes, for you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left. Your seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed ...For your Maker is your husband; LORD of hosts is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall He be called...For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you. In a little wrath I hid My face from you...but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says LORD your Redeemer... My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, says LORD who has mercy on you.

  2. Tomorrow, Russia is to start up Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor, supplying it with uranium fuel rods. This marks a new, very dangerous, day for the Middle East - and for the world. We must continue to watch and pray.

    • Lord, teach us how to pray into this new situation - without fear but with our eyes on You.

    • Abba, allow the possibility of a military strike from Israel and America be so real that it causes Iran to fear to develop nuclear weapons.

    • We ask that even at this late date, You would stop this reactor from coming on line.

    • Remove all humanistic excuses from Russia's leadership. Let the fear of a nuclear weapon coming into the hands of the Islamic hordes in their nation stop them from helping Iran.

    • Give Israel's leaders - political and military - wisdom, courage, timing and the methods to use to defend this nation against the threat from Tehran.

    • Considering the threats from Ahmadinejad and Iran's other leaders, this is a direct affront to You and Your word. Arise God. Do not keep silent (Psalm 68:1,30; 83:1-4).

    • Lord, You are restoring Israel for blessings and not for destruction.

      I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul. For thus says LORD, just like I have brought all this great evil on this people, so will I bring on them all the good I have promised them.

      Jeremiah 32:41-42

    • For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

      Jeremiah 29:11

    • Abba, You have declared that You will protect Israel when You bring her back from exile. We hold Your word up before You.

      Hear the word of LORD, O you gentiles; declare it in the islands far off, saying, He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep/guard him, as a shepherd does his flock.

      Jeremiah 31:10

    • Like Esther - who lived in Persia, ancient Iran - raise up the Iranian believers to stand in the gap for Your nation and Your people.

  3. Based on Paul's instructions in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, we next prayed for Israel's leaders.

    • We hold all of Israel's current leadership into that anointing that You have provided for them at this time in history.

    • We remind You of Your many promises to provide godly leaders for Israel when You brought her back from exile (Jeremiah 3:15; 23:3-4; see also Isaiah 1:26)

    • Give Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu wisdom, boldness and Your anointing to do whatever needs to be done.

    • Raise up leaders of Your choice to replace current leaders - like the IDF Chief of Staff - whose term of service is just about over.

    • Either use Defense Minister Ehud Barak for Your purposes - or remove him completely.

    • Cause all of the IDF leadership to be in unity and make them the men You said they would be.

      In that day will I make the governors [allufim = 'generals', in modern Hebrew,] of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf. They shall devour all the people round about...and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

      Zechariah 12:6

    • Raise up men like the sons of Issachar in all areas of Israeli society (1 Chronicles 12:32).

    • Prepare the Foreign Ministry to clearly explain Israel's future action in self-defense.

    • Give to the leaders of Israel's prayer movements wisdom for this hour on how to lead in prayer and intercession.

  4. Since it is both the month of Ramadan in Islam and Ellul, the month of repentance, in Judaism, we prayed for God to meet and save multitudes of Moslems and Jews.

    • Then shall you call upon Me...and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.

      Jeremiah 29:12-13

    • We bless You for all the Jews and Moslems who are in the Kingdom of God this year - who were not in it last year at this time.

    • Continue to draw many more of both groups into the Your Kingdom by Your grace.

    • We ask for more Moslems to be redeemed. Turn our enemies into our family.

    • Specifically, save many more Iranians and Palestinians.

    • Most Messianic Jews have unsaved loved ones in their families. Please Lord, reveal Yourself to them during this month (Acts 16:31).

    • Prepare all Israel for the biblical feasts in September this year. Remove the veil from many eyes and let them see Yeshua, the Lamb of God.

    • Draw to Yourself many leaders of Israeli society - political, financial, military, etc.

    • Do not hide anymore from Your people.

      For a small moment I have forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you. In a little wrath I hid My face...but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says LORD your Redeemer.

      Isaiah 54:7-8

    • Give to true seekers a holy dissatisfaction until they find their rest in You and You alone.

  5. We prayed next for our Messianic brothers and sisters who are serving in the IDF.

    • Lord, we bless You for them and bless then in the name of Yeshua.

    • Please encourage and strengthen them in all areas.

    • Lord, pair each one with another believer so that they can serve You two by two.

    • Use them as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).

    • Let their life provoke the unbelievers in the IDF to jealousy.

      If by any means I [Paul] may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh [the Jews], and might save some of them.

      Romans 11:14

    • Help them develop a disciplined, holy, lifestyle even in the midst of so many temptations.

  6. There is an article about the Israeli Messianic Jewish community on the Ynetnews website. While not agreeing with everything written, still this is a good article.

    • Thank You for this article. Use it for Your glory.

    • Protect Your Body in Israel from any attacks as a result of this article - whether attacks in the spiritual realm or the natural.

    • Use this article to draw out the many secret believers here in Israel.

    • Use this article to provoke non-emotive discussions with non-believers.

    • Pour out Your Spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10) on the yeshivot and the religious Zionists.

    • Give Messianic Jews the opportunity to declare the reason for the hope that we have in Messiah Yeshua.

      But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

      1 Peter 3:15

    • Raise up Your leaders for the Israeli Body. For all those who are in the right place, anoint and use them. For those who are not, replace and reposition them (1 Corinthians 12:1-31).

    • Move mightily by Your Spirit on the Body this weekend and glorify Your Son in our midst.

      Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak. And He will show you things to come. He [God's Spirit] shall glorify Me [Yeshua]: for He shall receive of Me, and shall show it unto you.

      John 16:13-14

  7. We finished praying for Israel's protection from the Spirit of Islam over Ramadan.

    • Lord, guard our borders.

      Behold, He that keeps/guards Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

      Psalms 121:4

    • Help all of Israel's security forces be alert during this time.

    • Quicken the IDF on our northern border to know all of the plans of Hizbullah in Lebanon.

    • Quicken the IDF on our southern border to know all of the plans of Hamas in Gaza.

    • Protect the Old City of Jerusalem - especially around the Temple Mount and the Western Wall - from any attacks or provocations today.

    • Continue to enable the Israeli navy to protect the coast - especially as there are several more flotillas scheduled to try and break Israel's legal blockade of Gaza.

    • Do not allow any successful kidnapping attempts of soldiers or civilians - whether here or abroad.

    • Set Gild Shalit free miraculously from his Gaza prison.

    • Anoint all of Israel's intelligence teams to obtain accurate, up-to-date intelligence.

    • Now also many nations are gathered against you, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they do not know the thoughts of LORD, neither do they understand His counsel: for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass: and you shall beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

      Micah 4:11-13

We bless you for continually standing with us and Israel.

Shabbat shalom
The IFI Team