1. We read Psalm 126 and then praised the great God of Abraham.

    • When LORD [YHWH] turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the gentiles, LORD has done great things for them. LORD has done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

      Psalms 126:1-6

    • Abba, how great You are. You are doing amazing things before our eyes.

    • We bless You for bringing home Your people - just as so many Psalms say.

    • Therefore the redeemed of LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

      Isaiah 51:11

  2. Yesterday saw the restart of direct negotiations in the "peace" talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is the key person in Israel as far as what Israel will or will not do. It is imperative to continue to lift him up in prayer before God's throne so that God's will, and not man's, will be done.

    • We bless You for Netanyahu and we bless him in the mighty name of Yeshua.

    • From this week's Torah portion:

      Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for LORD your God…will not fail you, nor forsake you…Be strong and of a good courage: for you must go with this people unto the land which LORD has sworn unto their fathers to give them…[LORD] will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you. Fear not, neither be dismayed.

      Deuteronomy 31:6-8

    • We hold Bibi into the anointing that You have provided for Israel's leader at this time as well as the wisdom and courage that You have available for him during these negotiations.

    • Abba, protect Netanyahu from all manipulation (Num. 23:23). Let him be able to think clearly and decide on all issues - in line with Your Word.

    • Remind Netanyahu of his past mistake - when he gave away Hebron to the PA.

    • Enable Bibi and his negotiating team to stick to their righteous demands - especially that in any final agreement the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish State (which is what the UN said in its' 1947 partition plan), and that no Palestinian "refugees" be allowed to return inside of whatever is left of Israel.

    • Make the negotiating team like the children of Issachar (1 Chr. 12:32).

    • Lord, arise in these meetings and break all snares that the enemy has set for Israel.

      Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of LORD, who made heaven and earth.

      Psalms 124:7-8

    • Protect Bibi from any pride and all ungodly ambition.

    • Give to Your intercessors a greater conviction and clarity concerning the link that You have established between the Jewish people and the land of Israel (Isaiah 62:4-5).

  3. We prayed next for the Palestinian negotiating team - who have already shown that they are not interested in real peace - but rather in Israel's complete destruction.

    • Abba, trap them by their own hard-heartedness and in their desire to destroy Israel.

      They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have dug a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

      Psalms 57:6

    • Deal with Abbas, the unelected President of the PA. Use him for Your glory just as You did with Pharaoh (Rom. 9:17).

    • May Your holy fear fall upon Abbas and all the rest of his delegation.

    • Hinder all their plans to divide Your land and scatter Your people (Joel 3:1-2).

    • Lord, we declare over the PA team:

      Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

      Psalms 129:5

    • Cause the issue of the Gaza Strip being under Hamas' control - and not under the PA - to become a major stumbling block in the negotiations. [Right now we are actually looking at a three-state solution - yet hardly anyone in the world is talking about this!]

    • Expose all the lies of the enemy - especially those which say that Israel has no historical connection to this land or to Jerusalem.

  4. We asked the Lord to make intercessors very aware of the truth of Isaiah 60:12 and so many other verses that declare that God - especially in the last days - judges nations according to their relationship with His nation.

    • For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you [Israel when she is being restored in] shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

      Isaiah 60:12

    • Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places… Their children also shall be as in times past, their congregation established before Me, and I will punish all that oppress them… You shall be My people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of LORD goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the… wicked. The fierce anger of LORD shall not return, until He has… performed the intents of His heart. In the last days you shall consider it.

      Jer. 30:18-24

    • Lord, is Hurricane Earl one of Your whirlwinds which You are sending out to get the world's attention? Is it a coincidence that this huge storm is hitting America just as there is a meeting in Washington DC to divide Your land? We think not.

    • We bless You for all those believers in the Body of Messiah who do see the connections between Your heavy hand of judgment and how nations deal with Israel. As they stand in the gap before You, hear them and have mercy on their nations (Ezek. 22:30).

    • Anoint them to speak truth and intercede based on what You are doing now.

    • Cause to fall on the Messianic Jews in exile, especially over the holidays, a grief similar to that which fell on Nehemiah when he heard about the condition of Jerusalem (Neh. 1:4-11).

  5. We prayed into the dangerous direction which the "liberal" left-wing of this nation - in reality in all Western nations - is going. They are attempting to stifle all opinions that are not in line with their own agenda - although the majority of this nation did vote for Netanyahu and wants a more conservative direction.

    • Lord, many of these "liberals" have positions of vast influence in the media and academia. Hedge them in so that they do minimal damage to this nation and its people.

    • Abba, You are bringing us back. Raise up a godly standard in the land.

    • Allow real academic freedom to be established.

    • Raise up more conservative voices throughout Israel's media.

    • While we bless You for the conservative outlook of many modern Orthodox, we ask that You would cause secular Israelis to also join the battle for Your truth in this nation.

    • Expose those who call truth lies and lies truth.

      Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness…! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!… Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

      Isaiah 5:20-23

    • To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

      Isaiah 8:20

  6. This is the last Friday, the Islamic day of prayer, of Ramadan. During this Moslem holy month, vicious spirits of hate are often released - as we have seen this past week when five Israelis were murdered, execution style, in a terrorist attack. [Four adults, one with a child in the womb, equals five deaths.] There have been two more attacks since. Israel is on a high security alert and we prayed into that.

    • Lord, arise and protect this nation - for Your holy name's sake (Jer. 31:10).

    • Keep all of Israel's security forces sharp. Do not allow Allah to gain any more victories over Your people in Your land.

    • Make the IDF better watchmen and warriors (Isaiah 41:10-16).

    • We also ask that You would reveal Yourself to multitudes of Moslems over this weekend.

    • Save a remnant of Moslems from among the youth - especially here in Israel and in Iran.

    • We bless You for every ex-Moslem who is worshipping the God of Israel through Messiah Yeshua. Keep them safe and deliver them from any spirits that are not from You.

  7. We finished by praying for aliyah - the immigration of the Jews back home to Israel.

    There is a strong emphasis on that in this Shabbat's Torah portion.

    • It shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where LORD your God has driven you, and shall return unto LORD your God… That then LORD your God will turn your captivity, have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, where LORD your God has scattered you… LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will do you good, and multiply you above thy fathers. LORD your God will circumcise your heart [Old Testament term for being "born again"!], and the heart of your seed, to love LORD your God with all your heart, and all thy soul, that you may live. LORD your God will put all these curses upon your enemies, on them that hate thee, and which persecuted you.

      Deut. 30:1-7

    • Lord, bring Your people home in huge numbers this next year. [On the Jewish calendar, the new year starts this coming Wednesday evening, on Rosh Hashannah.].

    • Raise up more folks in the Church to help carry Your people home (Isaiah 49:22).

    • Over Rosh Hashanah, remove the veil from the hearts and minds of many Jews as they hear the sound of the shofar and pray prayers declaring You the Creator and King of the universe.

    • Enable all of Your believing children - whether Jewish or gentile - to provoke Your pre-saved [!] people to jealousy.

Rosh Hashanah starts this Wednesday evening and is a two day holiday here in Israel. So next week, we will not be holding our weekly Friday prayer meeting. Please continue to stand on the walls of Jerusalem with us as we are in critical days. We will be back in two weeks.

Hag sameach, shanah tovah v'Shabbat shalom. Happy holidays, may you have a good year, and may the peace of the Shabbat rest on you.

The IFI team

Give thanks to LORD for He is good;
for His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 136:1