Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow upon the mountains. He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. He delights not in the strength of the horse: he takes not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders, and fills you with the finest of the wheat.

Psalm 146:7-14

  1. Today is something called "Land Day" in the Arab world. It started many years ago when Israeli Arabs protested the annexation of land by the Israeli government. It has turned into a day to support, sometimes violently, the Palestinian "right" to all of Israel. There is supposed to be a "March on Jerusalem" beginning today. Internationals who support the Palestinians have gathered in countries around Israel to march on the borders of Israel along with portions of the Arab populations. Palestinians within Judea and Samaria will take part in this "March to Jerusalem". Things on our borders and within our nation could get violent very quick. We feel like this is a major focus for us this morning, so we divided the prayer into three parts. The first part is for the IDF and security forces to be prepared for whatever happens.
    We prayed:

    • Thank You Lord that You neither slumber nor sleep and that You are the one guarding Israel - Psalm 121:4

    • Thank You that You are never taken by surprise.

    • Please strengthen every soldier in body, mind, and emotion to be able to deal with whatever happens today.

    • May all the security forces be well organized and cooperate well with one another.

    • Make all the commanders decisive in dealing with the disruption so there would be no shedding of blood on either side.

    • Give discernment to all the leaders and soldiers to have the correct strategies to deal with today's challenges.

  2. Land Day part 2

    And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with you to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on you, and in your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you. So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil. And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

    2 Chronicles 14:9-12

    We continued our prayer into this situation by asking the Lord to put his fear into these people who want to march on Jerusalem. We also prayed that the Lord would send his judgment as well, because when judgment and fear of the Lord comes, there can be a turning to the Lord.
    We prayed:

    • Pursue those who come against the borders of Israel.

    • So persecute them with your tempest, and make them afraid with your storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek your name, O LORD.

      Psalm 83:15-16

    • Strike the enemies of Israel with the fear of the God of Israel.

    • Appear in Your glory - so that Your enemies would turn to you in their fear.

    • Thus says the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

      Ezekiel 28:25-26

    • Send Your judgment so that they may know there is a God in Israel.

    • Let those who come against the borders of Israel have their eyes opened to the Your hosts standing around this nation.

  3. Land Day part 3

    We turned our prayers to the places that could potentially be the most volatile today. Syria may be looking for any excuse to distract people from the strife that is going on there. This day could be used to shift attention away from themselves and cause something on Israel's northern border. Jerusalem is the "endpoint" of this march and it could very well be a flash point. We prayed for security forces and for general protection for these two areas.
    We prayed:

    • May the police and the security forces in Jerusalem be alert what may be coming.

    • We ask protection and covering for the whole Western Wall area.

    • We ask that You would quench the spirit of rebellion connected with this event.

    • Watch over all the trains and buses in Jerusalem that have been frequent places for attack in the past.

    • Defend our northern border against any infiltrators - set Your angels to guard there.

    • Give the IDF the wisdom and strength to defend that border.

    • Prevent any kidnapping plots that may try to use this day as a distraction.

    • Give our intelligence gatherers the ability to hear what is said even in the chambers of leaders of Syria and the PA.

    • Send rain to the north to extinguish anything that is brewing there.

    • We ask that intercessors would stand there posts to pray

      I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: you that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence.

      Isaiah 62:6

  4. We continued our prayer watch concerning the situation in Iran. Over the past week, there have been many reports "leaked" by the United States talking about how impossible it would be for Israel to act alone against Iran. It seems like America is doing all it can to stop any attempt of Israel to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. These reports have the ability of causing division in the leadership of Israel and putting fear into the people of Israel concerning action against Iran. America is not alone in this pressure. The rest of the West seems to be doing all it can to tie Israel's hands.
    We prayed:

    • Protect our leaders from being pressured in ways that are not from You.

    • Give them discernment to know exactly what or what not to do as it relates to YOUR plan.

    • We pray that You would closet with the leaders of Israel and show them what needs to be done on behalf of Your people.

    • Shield our leaders in body, mind, and spirit.

    • Don't allow a spirit of fear to come into our leadership.

    • Only be thou strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper where ever you go.

      Joshua 1:7

    • May the leaders have their eyes fixed on what You have ordained for them to do.

    • Keep our leaders free from confusion - Keep their minds clear.

    • Protect the people of Israel from the fear brought by these "leaked" reports

    • May the people of Israel begin to put their trust in You

      The fear of man brings a snare: but who puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

      Proverbs 29:25

    • We ask that Israeli Intelligence would have true information and know where all these Iranian sites are.

  5. Passover is next week and it is a wonderful thing to know that Yeshua is our Passover Lamb. We pray constantly that our Jewish brothers and sisters would know that same reality. As people prepare their homes for the Passover, may they also be preparing their hearts to receive from the Lord. May the Jewish people see, this Passover, that they have salvation waiting for them in Yeshua.
    We prayed:

    • Search us with Your light and set us free from the leaven in our lives - help us to proclaim that the Blood of Yeshua has set us free!

    • Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

      Exodus 12:21-23

    • Yeshua, reveal Yourself as the Passover Lamb!

    • As the children of Israel go through the Seder, lift the veil from their eyes and allow them to see.

    • Help them to cry out to You in a spirit of repentance.

    • Bring many to salvation in this season.

    • Remember Your word and use this time to meet with Your people.

  6. Every Passover Seder meal ends with the declaration "Next Year in Jerusalem"! We pray that the Lord would make this a declaration a reality for many this year. We prayed that Aliyah would increase dramatically this year.
    We prayed:

    • As the people speak these words, make them real in their heart.

    • Manifest Yourself in the speaking of these words by Jews who are still in Exile.

    • May there be a yearning in their hearts to make Aliyah.

    • We ask that 2012 would be a sign and a wonder with the number of Jews making Aliyah.

    • Let the Jews who just come to Israel for the feasts realize that this is their home.

    • Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, says the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, says the LORD.

      Zechariah 2:6

      Help them realize that they need to flee from the nations to whom they have been scattered.

    • May they be led by Your Spirit to come back home.

    • Give them a divine restlessness that would only go away when they are home in Israel.

    • Continue to open doors for Messianic Jews to make Aliyah.

    • Bring back those Israelis who have emigrated away from Israel.

  7. We ended our time of prayer by lifting up the congregations around the country. We prayed that the Lord would visit His Body this weekend in power as we are meeting together. May we receive new revelation of who the Lord is!

Blessing and Shabbat Shalom from the IFI team!