Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hidden from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:27

We began by praising the Lord that He is ever present, watchful, and strong on behalf of those who wait upon Him! We also corporately thanked Him for all the rain that fell last night in Israel which is continuing to fall today. May He continue to be merciful to His Land and send the rain to renew her!

1. The National Labor Union here in Israel (Histadrut) has called for a general strike to begin across the country next week. A general strike affects everything such as: government offices, airports, seaports, and garbage collection. This Labor Union essentially has the power to shut down the country unless the government caves to its demands. This couldn't come at a worse time for Israel as there are ever increasing security concerns in the region. A strike would cost this country millions of shekels and it would hurt all of those who depend on these services for their survival.

   • Lord, please break the power of this organization that can hold the entire country hostage on a whim.

   • We ask for Your mercy and that You would sovereignly move to prevent this strike from taking place.

   • We ask for you to see the poor and elderly who would be put in danger through this strike and act on their behalf.

   • Please deal with the leadership of this organization and prevent them from having the ability to manipulate the country.

   • Cover the country as this will only increase the security risks we have to deal with.

   • Move upon our Prime Minister to act in strength if he needs to act.

2. This possible strike is the latest in a long line of issues that PM Netanyahu has to deal with. It is impossible to think that he could take care of everything he needs to on his own. We need to ask the Lord to gird him up for the trials ahead of him and that there would be good people around to support him.

   • Please allow Netanyahu to make decisions that would glorify You.

   • We thank You for the Prime Minister You have given us and we pray that he would be given strength far beyond what he can muster by himself.

   • Show him how to prioritize his time with all the various problems facing him - don't allow him to be distracted from things that are urgent.

   • Give his advisors a unified heart before You so they could give good counsel.

   • Let there be proper delegation in this government based upon trust and ability rather than political favors.

   • Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

     Proverbs 20:18

     Give him the counsel he needs to make decisions which are in line with Your will.

   • Still the media in this country from adding to the confusion and fear concerning the problems Israel faces.

   • Save Benjamin Netanyahu and his entire family so that they might know where their Salvation lies.

   • Let him find sustenance through the reading of Your Word.

     Sustain me according to Your Word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

     Psalm 119:116

   • May there be unity and harmony in his family.

   • Remove the people around him who may be speaking things contrary to Your Word.

3. Over the last week, there has been a massive increase in chatter concerning a potential attack on Iran by the U.S., the U.K., or Israel. Iran is running as fast as they can towards acquiring nuclear capability and the world continues to stand idly by. This week was the first time in a long time that a military strike on Iran has been discussed openly. It raises the question: Why now? There is no way to really know the answer to this, but we want to continue our prayer watch concerning what we see developing in Iran.

   • If there are really preparations being made for an attack, we pray that wisdom would be given to all of those involved.

   • We ask that You would pour out Your mercy on the whole situation.

   • Lord, work out Your purposes and plans in all of this.

   • We pray for Your solution concerning this threat and not the plans of men.

   • Confound those who hate Zion and send the whole government into chaos in Iran.

   • For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

     Ephesians 6:12

     Help Your Body wake up to the spiritual realities at play here and bring them to prayer.

   • Use Israel to bring about Your purposes in the Middle East.

   • Glorify Your Name in the midst of this difficult situation.

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

     Jeremiah 31:10

     You have brought Israel back from where they have been scattered and we ask that you would keep them in safety.

   • May Israel turn to You and find their security in You and not other nations.

   • We ask that You would pour out blessings on our brothers and sisters (the Body of Messiah) in Iran. Thank You that there is a growing Body there. We want to bless them out of Zion.

     The LORD that made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

     Psalm 134:3

   • Mobilize the Body there in the power of Your Spirit to go out and harvest in that country.

4. This passed week, the PA applied and was accepted as a full member to UNESCO. This is the cultural and educational arm if the United Nations. Soon after that acceptance, the United States announced that it would have to cut its funding to the organization because of stipulations in US law. Canada and Israel followed suit soon after that. As a result, UNESCO's budget has been cut by one fourth which amounts to billions of dollars. This has thrown the UN into a panic and even the Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said that the Palestinians should not try to apply to any more UN organizations. The Palestinians had planned to apply for membership to many other UN organizations, but now they seemed to have backed away from this. We have prayed for many years the enemies of the Lord and the enemies of His Word would overreach. It seems to have happened this week and the PA has been thrown into massive confusion because of it.

   • Thank you Lord for allowing our enemies to overreach and we pray that they would continue to do so.

   • We pray that this would not drive the PA into the arms of Hamas and bring unity to our enemies. Please keep the enemies of Israel divided and confused.

   • Bring wisdom to the leaders of Israel to know what to do and what not to do in this situation.

   • Thank You for sending panic and confusion into UN who has been vicious in their treatment of Israel.

   • Rejoice not, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote you is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill your root with famine, and he shall slay your remnant. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; you, whole Palestina, are dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

     Isaiah 14:29-32

   • We trust in You Lord and we ask that You would smite this wicked organization, the PA, at its root.

5. Rockets have continued to fall in the south in the area surrounding Gaza. The rockets that have been used have a longer range and are more accurate that the ones previously used. In the city of Ashkelon, school was cancelled for the whole of last week for fear of the rocket fire. People in the south are living in terror of when the next rocket will fall.

   • Give Israel wisdom to know how to stop the rocket attacks.

   • If You want to use the army to stop these attacks, we pray that You would release it completely to do Your Will.

   • Bring relief to this entire young generation that is growing up in the shadow of this terror.

   • Bring peace into the hearts of the people who live around Gaza and who live continually in fear.

   • Use this situation to bring many to Yourself.

   • Thou shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day.

     Psalm 91:5

     We declare this over the people of the south.

   • Cause rockets to malfunction before they are fired.

   • Give the IDF supernatural intel to know where these rockets will be fired and what to do to stop them.

   • Renew a sense of responsibility in the government for the people who are suffering in the these cities.

6. We ended our time by turning our prayers once again to Aliyah. We see in Ezekiel 36 that one of the keys to Israel's ultimate salvation is that her people would be back in their Land. Aliyah has been up in recent years, but there is also something else that is very encouraging. 10,000 yordim (Israelis who have moved away from Israel) have returned. This is a cause for great rejoicing! We want the Jews to come, but they also need to stay!

   • Thank You Lord for this last year and the increase in Aliyah.

   • Pour out Your divine solvent to dissolve the glue that is keeping Jews in exile.

   • Help the Jews in North America to see that the comfortable and safe time there is coming to an end.

   • Remove the excuses many Jews have for not making Aliyah.

   • May that ancient bond to the Land rise up again in Your people and start to draw many who otherwise would never consider it.

   • Put it on the heart of more Messianic Leaders to make Aliyah so that their flock would see the example and follow.

   • Raise up more within the Church would are willing to help with Aliyah.

   • Thank You for all the Christian organizations that are helping Your people come home.

Please continue to pray for IFI as we make the preparations for our prayer conference in January. So much goes into that conference and we need strength to get everything done in time. Please continue to lift our leaders Chuck and Eliyahu as they will both be abroad ministering next week. Shabbat Shalom!