1. We began by looking at these verses.

    • O give thanks unto LORD [YHWH], for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from…the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands… He led them by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

      Psa. 107:1-9

      Amen!

    • Abba, we bless You for the two living witnesses You have raised up in the earth today - the true Church and the restored nation of Israel.

    • We thank You for Your faithfulness and do not take it for granted (Lam. 3:22-23)

    • As Joseph says in this week's Torah portion, You overrule for the good of Your people.

      …you thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

      Gen. 50:20

  2. Israel had a tremendous amount of rain and snow last weekend - for which we thank God - yet, Israel is still severely lacking water.

    • We bless You for all of the water You have sent to Israel.

    • We thank You that the ski lifts are opened on Mt. Hermon.

    • Yet we need much more and we look to you to provide all of Israel's needs.

    • As You did with the few loaves and fish (Mark 8:1-8), we ask that You would again multiply the water in Israel so that all her needs are met.

    • Use this situation to show us as a people how we really are dependent on You.

    • Refine Israel's long-term water plans to come in line with Your will.

    • Help her to find new water sources.

    • Some verses we use when praying into Israel's water situation:

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

        Psa. 68:9

      • When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none… I LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, fountains in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, dry land springs of water… That they may see, and know, consider, and understand, that the hand of LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

        Isa. 41:17-20

      • Ezekiel 36:34-36

      • Our Father in heaven …sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matt. 5:45b)

  3. The Israeli government is under global pressure to divide God's land for "peace." It is also dealing with Palestinian attempts to get the world to recognize unilaterally a Palestinian state on the 1967 cease-fire lines. All of this is a direct attack against God's Word. Is it still true for today - or not!

    • Abba, help Israel's leaders realize that there is a trap laid for this nation and that only You can set us free from it.

      Pull me out of the trap that they have laid secretly for me: for You are my strength.

      Psalms 31:4

    • Blessed be LORD, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. 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 124:6-8

    • We thank You for answering prayers and not allowing this government to approve a second freeze on settlement building in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

    • Hedge in Israel's leadership so that they cannot make any agreements against Your will.

    • The king's heart is in the hand of LORD, as the rivers of water: He turns it whatever way He wills.

      Prov. 21:1; also see 16:9:21; 21:30

    • Strengthen Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and surround him with godly counsel (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 20:18).

    • Weaken the Palestinian Authority. Continue to bring division in their midst.

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

      Psa. 55:9

    • We affirm that a Palestinian state established on Your land that You have given to Your people for Your glory is not Your will. And since You taught us to pray for Your will to be done on earth - we pray against this from ever coming into existence (Isa. 14:29-32).

    • LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the people of none effect. The counsel of LORD stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

      Psa. 33:10-11

  4. God's Word declares that speaking against His land is blasphemy! What does this say about believers who call this land "occupied," and support establishment of an Islamic state on this - His land? We prayed for our brothers and sisters concerning this matter.

    • …I am LORD, and I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume. Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me, and have multiplied your words against Me. I have heard them.

      Ezekiel 35:12-13

    • Lord Yeshua, please set Your Body free from this deception.

    • Give to many this season, the revelation of Your love relationship with Israel, past, present and future.

      As concerning the gospel, they [corporate Israel/the Jews] are enemies for your [the gentiles] sakes: but as touching the election, they [corporate Israel/the Jews] are beloved for the sake of the forefathers.

      Rom. 11:28

    • Ground Christian Zionists in Your Word so that their stance for this nation and her people is based on Biblical truth and not the political situation or spiritual speculation.

    • We proclaim that this land is Your land and You have placed Your people Israel on it for Your purposes to be worked out in the earth.

      The land shall not be sold forever: for the land is Mine; for you [Israel] are strangers and sojourners with Me.

      Lev. 25:23; also see Ezek. 36:5; Joel 3:2

  5. We praised God for recent answers to prayers concerning Israel's enemies.

    • We bless You for the Stuxnet virus that is in Iran's computer systems. Thank You that it has apparently set back their nuclear power programs for several years.

    • We thank You for the division that is being sown among Iran's leaders.

    • We give You the glory for the division among Palestinian leaders and that reconciliation between Fatah in Judea and Samaria and Hamas in Gaza is still just a dream.

    • We also thank You for the battles that US President Obama is now facing at home and that his plan to get Israel to stop building in the settlement and Jerusalem did not succeed.

    • Keep Obama busy. Distract him from trying to be the Middle East peacemaker.

    • Lord, thank You for cutting off a portion of Iran's funding of Hizbullah in Lebanon.

    • As You increase the division and confusion in the Arab and Islamic nations, at the same time, please would reap a huge harvest of souls for Yourself.

    • Lord, unfortunately Israeli society is divided as well. Heal our divisions. Draw us to Your Son.

      Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.

      Ezek. 37:19

  6. The security situation on Israeli northern border - with Hizbullah in Lebanon and Syria next to the Golan - is ready to explode. Although we know there will be wars in this area according to the Bible, we prayed for God to overrule all of the attempts of the enemy to sow fear and confusion, and even preempt God's timing.

    • Thank You for the recent IDF training that took place up north dealing with a war against Syria and/or Hizbullah.

    • Impart to the IDF heavenly tactics and strategy.

      LORD is a man of war: LORD is His name.

      Ex. 15:3

    • Reveal all the enemies plans to Israel - as You did in the days of Elisha (2 Kin. 6:8-12).

    • Continue to use the fire on Mt. Carmel as a wake up call to this nation's leadership that Israel must quickly and efficiently destroy Hizbullah's thousands of rockets.

    • Here are verses you can use when praying for Israel's Defense Forces:

      • Fear not; for I am with you. Be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will strengthen you… I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all that were incensed against you shall be ashamed, and confounded… They that strive with you shall perish… They that war against you shall be as nothing… Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel. I will help thee, says LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make you a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth. You shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff. You shall fan them. The wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them, and you shall rejoice in LORD, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

        Isa. 41:10-16

      • Now also many nations are gathered against you, that say, Let her be defiled, let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of LORD, neither understand they His counsel. For He shall gather them as sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron; I will make your hoofs brass. 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.

        Mic. 4:11-13

We finished by praying for aliyah, the return of the Jewish people from exile to home, and the Israeli Body of Messiah.

We are very encouraged as more and more people are registering to be with us this January at IFI's International Prayer Conference here in Jerusalem. Are you supposed to be part of this? If so, please register as soon as possible so that there is room for you at the inn!

Shabbat shalom,
The IFI Team

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call His name Immanuel [God with us].

Isa. 7:14