1. We had rain in Jerusalem this morning.

    • We bless You for the rain Israel has had recently and receive it as an answer to prayer.

    • We are awed that You truly delight in our prayers (Prov. 15:8b).

    • We can depend on You, the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

  2. During January's IFI Prayer Conference, we prayed much into the situation of the new Chief of Staff for Israel's armed forces - the IDF. We asked for God to raise up the man of His choice. The man chosen by Defense Minister Ehud Barak has been disqualified because of moral issues. The IDF's new man - Benny Gantz - is most likely an answer to our prayers. So now we have the obligation to surround him with prayer for God's will to be done with him.

    • We thank You for raising up Benny Gantz to be the IDF's CoS at this specific time.

    • Make him both bold and cautious.

    • Give him a deep respect for the soldiers under him as well as for the citizens of Israel whom he is sworn to protect.

    • Enable Gantz to have a good relationship with Prime Minster Bibi Netanyahu and DM Barak, as well as giving him courage and wisdom to speak his mind.

    • As he is obviously Your choice for this position, we ask You to anoint him for the job.

      For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge. He puts down one, and sets up another.

      Psa. 75:6-7

    • Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are His. He changes the times and seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

      Dan. 2:20-21

    • Surround the new IDF chief with wise counsel (Prov. 20:18; 24:6).

    • We asked for God to give him all of the wisdom and insight he will need to lead the IDF at this time, and for Him to watch over, and bless, Gantz's family.

  3. PM Netanyahu was our next prayer burden. He is one of the few political voices that has consistently warned the world about the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism and Iran. He is very concerned with the situation in Egypt, and does not agree with how Western leaders are dealing with this. [More on this below.]

    • We bless You for Netanyahu and the prophetic warning he is giving out in these days.

    • Make him as prophetically insightful internally - with all the issues he needs to deal with in Israel - as he is externally.

    • Empower him to prepare this nation for the days ahead.

      The [prime minister's] heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water. He turns it whatever He will.

      Prov. 21:1

    • In the face of all the negative press Netanyahu gets, we prayed over him these verses:

      Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

      Psa. 64:1-2

    • Surround Bibi with wise counsel, and remove all counsel not from You.

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

      Prov. 15:22

    • Thank You that Netanyahu uses Your Word when he speaks. Make him even more at home in Your Word and touch his heart by Your Spirit.

    • Reveal to him Your Son - Messiah, Yeshua.

      No man can come to Me, except the Father who has sent Me draw him…

      John 6:44a

    • We also prayed for his family, his health, and for unity in his government coalition.

  4. The world's default stance is that if only the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were solved, there would be "world peace". Some of the world's media has even said that the uprisings in the Middle East - especially in Egypt - is Israel's fault. This is total deception, yet many in the Church agree.

    • Abba, how this must grieve Your heart when You see Your children agreeing with the enemy about Your land and Your people. Forgive them and set them free.

    • Enable Israel's government to navigate these dangerous waters.

      If it had not been the LORD who was on our side…when men rose up against us; then they had swallowed us up quick… then the waters had overwhelmed us… the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the 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 the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

      Psa. 124:1-8

    • Keep Netanyahu strong on his demands for a final peace deal: Palestinian recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people; a demilitarized "Palestine" with IDF troops guarding key places - like the Jordan Valley; and a renunciation of the Palestinian right of return of their so-called refugees into what remains of the State of Israel.

    • Help the current Israel government go from strength to strength.

    • Hedge in DM Barak. Either change him or remove him (Prov. 16:9).

    • We reminded God of His promise in Joel 3:1-2, of how He will deal with those who try to divide His land, and proclaimed that He is ultimately Israel's Defender and Deliverer.

  5. The upheaval in Egypt is very troubling to Israel - and should be to the rest of the West. From Israel's point of view, President Mubarak has been the best of a number of bad options. If he is toppled, the Moslem Brotherhood rises in influence and eventually takes over. This moves the whole world into another game completely. Yet most Western leaders are worshipping at the idol called "Democracy." Many in the Church are also worshipping this thing. This is all very dangerous - yet God is still in control, and is watching over His Word to perform it.

    • Is this what is happening to those worshipping "democracy"?

      …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. 2:10-11

    • As Friday is the Moslem day of prayer, Abba we ask You to overrule all demonic plans to cause death and destruction this day in Moslem nations and in Israel.

    • Protect our brother and sisters in Yeshua in Egypt.

    • Give them wisdom individually as to whether they should stay and share the good news - or whether they should flee as Lot did from Sodom.

    • We recognize that there are multitudes of suffering Egyptians. Reveal to them Your Suffering Servant, Messiah Yeshua (Isa. 52:13-53:12).

    • We looked at Ezekiel 29:6-7 as a possible reason why these troubles have come on Egypt. If true, most Western nations need to take heed and repent from not being the kind of ally to Israel that they should be.

      And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of you by your hand, you did break, and tore all their shoulder: and when they relied upon you, you broke, and made all their loins to shake.

  6. We next interceded for Israel to be prepared for what is happening all around her. God is shaking all that can be shaken, and Israelis need to look to Him.

    • Lord, God of Israel, help this nation, especially the media and government, realize that they can no longer afford to see America as the one to protect them.

    • We who are of the remnant, look to You and plead for the nation of Israel to do the same.

    • Hear the word of the LORD, O you gentiles, declare it… afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.

      Jer. 31:10

    • Provide for the IDF contingency plans for the day when the Moslem Brotherhood takes over Egypt and all that advanced American weaponry falls into their hands.

    • Keep the IDF alert to what is happening on the other borders - in the north in Lebanon with Hizbullah; in the northeast with Syria; in the east with Jordan - as well as with Iran.

    • Prepare this younger generation who have never been in a situation where Israel is totally surrounded by those sworn to destroy her, to be able to deal with it with courage.

    • Draw them to Yourself and save many (Jer. 31:7b).

  7. Next we prayed for the Body of Messiah, both in Israel and worldwide, to have their feet upon the Rock so that the shaking does not harm them.

    • Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

      Heb. 12:26-29

    • God, wake up the American church to see the danger the Obama administration has done to their nation - both internally and in the eyes of the rest of the world.

    • May You find many who stand in the gap before You for that nation and for all the other Western nations who are turning their backs on Israel and bowing to Islam.

    • I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it. But I found none. Therefore have I poured out My indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, says the Lord GOD.

      Ezek. 22:30-31

    • Yeshua, enable all who call upon Your name, to have ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying to the churches (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

    • Remove from Your Body all humanistic leanings (Zech 9:13).

    • Remind believers that democracy does not set one free - Yeshua does. Democracy is not the answer - Yeshua is.

      Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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. 12:1-2

    • Aid the Israeli Body to stand before You for this nation - her protection and salvation.

    • Protect and use the true Church in Egypt - for Your glory.

    • We blessed the Lord that He has provided an open door for His Body to come before Him at times like this.

      Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

      Heb. 4:16

We finished our time together by praying for aliyah, the return of the Jews from exile to Israel, and for Israel's water situation - which is still very critical.

What a blessing you are to us as we realize that there are literally thousands of believers agreeing with us in prayer for His kingdom to come and His will to be done - here in Israel and unto the ends of the earth.

Shabbat shalom
The IFI team