1. We read Zephaniah 3:14-17 to start our time together.

    • Sing, daughter of Zion. Shout, Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, daughter of Jerusalem. LORD [YHWH] has taken away your judgments. He has cast out your enemy. The king of Israel - LORD - is in the midst of you. You shall not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not, and to Zion, Let not your hands be slack. LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty. He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy. He will rest in His love. He will joy over you with singing.

    • What a precious promise. We bless You as we begin to see the initial fulfillment of this coming to pass in our day.

    • God, we are amazed at the fact that You are both mighty and tender.

    • Blessed be the name of our God and King.

    • We thank You that You have told us that You look forward to all prayers lifted up to You in the name of Your Son Yeshua (Prov. 15:8b, 29b).

  2. We next prayed about Israel's water crisis.

    • Abba, we thank You for the rainfall last week.

      You God, sent plentiful rain, whereby You did confirm Your inheritance, when it was weary.

      Psalms 68:9

    • We bless You that the forecast for this weekend is for stormy weather over Israel - including snowfall on Mount Hermon.

    • Lord, we have seen in the past that forecasts have not come to fulfillment because of sudden changes in the weather patterns. We plead with You to not let that happen now.

    • Lord, You are the one who fed the 5,000 and the 4,000 with miraculous increase. Please do the same with whatever water Israel has or receives.

    • We thank You for Israel being at the forefront of desalinization technology, but we confess that we are trusting in You and not man, to provide Israel's water needs (Jer. 17:7-8).

    • Please give to Israelis - both leaders and others - wisdom on how to use the water that You provide.

      For LORD gives wisdom…knowledge and understanding.

      Prov. 2:6

  3. It has been reported that Israel is attempting to reconcile with Turkey over the Gaza flotilla incident in late May that left 9 Turkish terrorists dead. Turkey is insisting on both an apology and compensation for the families. This would be so wrong for Israel to do - morally and politically - as well as be a very dangerous move in this rough neighborhood in which Israel has to live.

    • Lord, since all Israel was doing was protecting herself, do not allow this apology to be issued.

    • Harden the hearts of the Turkish leaders so that whatever Israel's government presents them will not be enough.

    • A man's heart plans his way: but LORD directs his steps.

      Proverbs 16:9

    • Raise up such strong opposition to this in the cabinet, that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu cannot go forward with this even if he wants to.

    • Thank You that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has taken a strong stance against this.

    • Abba, prevent Israel from putting her trust in Turkey (Isa. 30:1-3; 31:1).

    • Allow truth to reign.

      Judgment is turned away, and justice stands far off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Truth fails, and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey. LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.

      Isaiah 59:14-15

    • Protect Israel's leadership from any demonic manipulation in this situation.

  4. We turned our attention to Israel's current government and PM Netanyahu. Everywhere they turn, they are faced with a crisis situation: water, security, the "peace process", preparedness for war, Iran and Islam's continual threats, the delegitimizing of this nation's right to exist, etc.

    • Lord Yeshua, King of Israel, You see the tremendous pressure that Israel's current leaders are facing. We lift them up to You. Strengthen, encourage and give them wisdom.

    • Grace them with Your power to be all You want them to be at this time in history.

    • We know that Netanyahu has come to the kingdom for such a time as this. (Est. 4:14b) Therefore, give him all the authority, wisdom, courage and strength he needs to do that which is pleasing in Your sight.

    • We do thank You for Bibi and ask for his spiritual eyes to be opened to His Messiah.

    • Hedge in the government so that they can only make decisions that are in line with Your will.

    • Open their eyes to see truth from error.

    • May You not have to proclaim this over them:

      Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!…Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

      Isaiah 5:20,23

    • Make this government one which follows Your holy standards for a godly government.

      For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of the power? Do good, and you shall have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he bears not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

      Romans 13:3-4

  5. Gaza and it's Hamas overlords, are becoming a more dangerous threat as the missiles and mortars that are fired from there increase. There is now talk of Israel needing to go back in and deal with Hamas.

    • Abba, comfort and heal the Israeli who was seriously injured by another attack from Gaza yesterday.

    • Enable this to be a wake up call to both government and people that we just cannot allow the situation in Gaza to fester like we are doing now.

    • We bless You for Your continued divine protect over this land (Jer. 31:10).

    • Give the IDF wisdom and a plan on how to deal with Hamas.

      Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. LORD said unto Joshua, I have given into your hand Jericho, the king, and the mighty men of valor.

      Josh. 6:1-2

    • Direct Israel to a cautious but aggressive response to these attacks and even allow her to pre-empt further attacks.

    • Use the IDF to terrorize the terrorists (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • Protect all the IDF patrols along the Gaza border. Give them discernment.

    • Prevent any successful kidnapping attempts of IDF soldiers.

    • Give to the IDF's new Chief of Staff, Yoav Galant, the spirit of a warrior and a love for Israel.

    • Set Gilad Shalit free physically - and save him.

      The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

      Isaiah 61:1

  6. Last week's fire on Mt. Carmel showed this nation, and her enemies, Israel's weakness in dealing with major fires on the homefront. This is a strategic danger that must be dealt with quickly and with much wisdom.

    • Lord, thank You for this wake-up call.

    • Stir up the government to do something about this - now.

    • Instead of playing the blame-game, bring Israel's leaders into unity to deal with this.

    • Confuse any plans of the enemy to take advantage of this.

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

      Psa. 129:5

    • Hizbullah in Lebanon has amassed a huge missile arsenal. Give the IDF Your plan on how to deal with them and destroy their weapons (Isa. 54:17).

  7. Iran talked with the five UN Security Council nations plus Germany this past week. And that is all they did - talk. They plan to meet to talk some more next month. And this is seen as a positive step in the prevention of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. What more proof do we need to see that most of the world is deceived because of turning away from God and His solutions.

    • …because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved…God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie…

      2 Thess. 2:10b-11

    • Abba, we have asked You to arise and scatter Your enemies (Psa. 68:1). And it seems that You are doing just that.

    • We thank You for the continuing shaking of Iran - economically, physically and spiritually.

    • Continue to divide their leadership.

      Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

      Psa. 55:9

    • If You are going to use Israel to strike at Iran (Jer. 51:20), then give her leaders wisdom concerning Your timing and method.

    • Protect us from the reaction in the aftermath of an Israeli attack.

    • Thank You that WikiLeaks exposed what the Arab leaders really think about Iran - their fear and hatred of her - and their desire that either America or Israel to take care of her.

    • We bless You for saving multitudes of Iranians and we bless them out of Zion (Psa. 134:3).

    • Anoint them to know how to intercede for their nation at this crucial time.

    • Expose all of Iran's schemes and demonic plans.

    • Protect Israeli spies or informants.

    • Place in their hands accurate information to pass on to Israel.

Genesis 45 is part of this Shabbat's Torah portion. This is where Joseph tells all his Egyptian servants to leave the room, and then reveals himself to his brothers. This is a type of Yeshua revealing Himself to His Jewish brothers in the last days. We used this to pray for Israel's salvation.

Thank you for continuing to maintain your place on Jerusalem's walls.

Shabbat shalom from Zion,
The IFI Team

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

1 Peter 4:7