1. This Shabbat's prophetic portion which is read in the synagogues ends with Isaiah 51:1-3

    • Listen to me, pursuers of righteousness; seekers of the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the LORD shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

      Isaiah 51:1-3

    • We bless You that all of Your promises - including all of those to Israel in the Tanach [O.T.] are 'Yes and Amen in Messiah Yeshua'. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

    • Thank You God that You do not lie or change Your mind (Numbers 23:23).

    • We trust in Your word because we know You. And You are absolutely faithful to do all You have spoken.

    • We praise You for being the ultimate Comforter of Zion.

  2. Iran: We are quickly approaching the time when Israel's leaders will need to make a decision on whether to bomb Iran - or live with an Iranian bomb. And most of the leaders who will need to make that decision, say that that second choice is unacceptable! They need our prayer support to make the right decision at the right time more today than yesterday, and will need those prayers more tomorrow than today.

    • Abba, enable the leaders in Israel who will need to make this fateful decision be like the sons of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do… (1 Chronicles 12:32)

    • We lift up to You Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak and the IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, that You would place Your very counsel in their hearts (Proverbs 16:9; 19:21).

    • Bring all who will be involved in the decision making process into one accord - a complete unity of mind and heart and purpose.

    • Continue to provide all of the intelligence that is needed to make a well-informed decision.

    • Anoint the Mossad and the Military Intelligence to know what is true from what is disinformation.

    • Purposes are established by counsel; and with good advice make war. (Proverbs 20:18); For by wise counsel you shall make your war; and in a multitude of wise men there is safety. (Proverbs 24:6)

    • Do not allow any spirit of confusion to hinder Israel's leaders concerning this.

    • Almighty God - overrule all of the enemy's plans (Psalm 103:19).

  3. A section of the prophetic portion talks about God dealing with Israel's enemies. Since we would much prefer for God to deal with Iran sovereignly, we prayed into this.

    • But thus says the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the fearful ones shall escape. For I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your sons. And I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunk with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

      Isaiah 49:25-26

    • Precious Lord - our desire is for You to receive the glory. Please intervene sovereignly.

    • Iran's leadership constantly threatens the destruction of Your people. Arise and defend Israel - for Your holy name's sake (Psalm 115:1-3; Isaiah 37:35).

    • Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.

      Galatians 6:7

    • Let them fall into the trap that they are setting for Israel. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me, they have fallen into it. Selah. (Psalms 57:6)

    • Put a hook in their nose and draw them into the trap of Your making (Isaiah 37:28-29).

    • Pour out a spirit of panic on Iran's leaders. Push them into making bad strategic decisions (1 Kings 22:22-23).

    • Panic them because of the situation in Syria as they see that the most likely outcome is their ally, Syrian President al-Assad, coming to the end of his bloody rule.

    • Like You did at the Tower of Babylon, confound their ability to communicate with each other.

    • Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

      Proverbs 16:18

      Amen!

    • Oh that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down, that the mountains might flow down at Your presence, as when the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil - to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!

      Isaiah 64:1-2

  4. This past week, Israel's southern border with Sinai turned into a very hot border. The IDF killed a large group of terrorists who tried to cross the border in an armored vehicle. Many of them had suicide bomb belts. Since they slaughtered 16 Egyptian border guards to steal the vehicle, Egypt has now asked for permission to bring attack helicopters into the Sinai to seek out and deal with these roving bands of terrorists. Israel has agreed - and therein lays the danger. We need to pray that this does not set precedence.

    • Abba, we see this as a direct answer to our prayers for Israel's protection - and we thank and bless You.

    • Continue to give the IDF Southern Command wisdom and courage to defend Israel's southern flank.

    • Continue to provide Israel with excellent intelligence as to what is happening in the Sinai. [Israel actually warned the Egyptian intelligence chief about an attack, but he dismissed it - and is now out of a job.]

    • Enable the government to know when to say 'no' to any Egyptian request to bring in more heavy military equipment and troops.

    • Lord, we ask You to watch over these verses against any Sinai based terrorists: In that day Egypt shall be like women; and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of Hosts, which He shakes over it. And the land of Judah shall be a terror to Egypt; everyone who mentions it shall be afraid toward it, because of the purpose of the LORD of Hosts, which He has purposed against it. (Isaiah 19:16-17)

    • Use this attack to drive a wedge between Egypt and the terrorist overlords of Gaza - Hamas.

    • Lord of Hosts, please anoint the IDF's Chief of Staff Gantz to lead Israel's military at this specific time. In that day I will make the governors [allufim - 'generals' in modern Heb.] of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire…They shall devour all the peoples all around, on the right hand and on the left. And Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her place - in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:6)

  5. Syria: The situation goes from bad to worse. Obviously, Israel is paying very close attention to all that is going on in this nation on the eastern part of her northern border.

    • Lord, have mercy and protection on all the innocent people in Syria caught in this fighting.

    • Especially watch over all of our brothers and sisters in Messiah.

    • Prepare Israel for whatever the situation will be when the al-Assad regime finally falls.

    • Abba, do not allow Syria's chemical and biological weapons stockpiles to fall into the wrong hands.

    • If Israel will need to destroy them, show it how to do that with the least amount of collateral damage.

    • May one of the results of the Syrian outcome be a weakening of Iran's and Hizbullah's influence in this area of the globe.

    • Concerning Damascus: Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard bad news…Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee, and trembling has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor…So her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be silenced in that day, says the LORD of Hosts. And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus…

      Jeremiah 49:23-27

  6. Another part of Shabbat's prophetic portion includes Isaiah 49:22. This verse is an appeal [?], a directive [?], a sign [?] - or maybe all of them - to the gentile part of the Body to actively help in aliyah, the immigration of Jews in exile back home to Israel.

    • …Behold, I will lift up My hand to the gentiles, and set up My banner to the people; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

      Isaiah 49:22

    • We bless You for all those in the Body of Messiah who are involved in bringing Your people back home.

    • Strengthen and encourage them to continue to press on.

    • Provide for all of their needs to do this holy work (see Ezekiel 36:23-23).

    • For the rest of the gentile part of the Body that has no clue that You are speaking to them out of this verse, Lord Yeshua, cause it to jump off the page the next time they see it.

    • We also have a more sure Word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Daystar arises in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture came into being of its own private interpretation.

      2 Peter 1:19-20

    • Messiah Yeshua, enable Your Body to truly 'take heed' to Your prophetic word in these days!

    • Lord Yeshua, wake up all of the elders whom You have given to the Body, to know and declare Your Word.

    • Raise up more intercession for aliyah.

  7. Of course, the above directive to the Body of Messiah would be easier to accomplish if Jews in exile really wanted to come home.

    • Abba, impress on Messianic Jews in exile that You said twice, the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy on their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10 - and 51:11)

    • Impress upon many Messianic Jewish Shepherds to preach on and prepare their flocks to come home.

    • We bless You for Nefesh b'Nefesh. Supply all of their needs to increase the number of Jews they can aid to return from the West.

    • If the older, more mature, Jewish people are too stuck in their nice Western lifestyles to want to uproot and come home [which is not an easy task even if one really wants to do it!], then raise up many of the younger generation to lead the way back to Zion.

    • Thank You for the 350 US teenagers who this summer are making aliyah and going directly into the IDF!

    • We remind You of all of the Jews still in the former Soviet Union and those who have settled in Germany. Release them to return to Zion.

    • Increase the aliyah from France and Great Britain.

    • Thank You for the Bnei Menashe tribe that is returning from India.

    • Lord, miraculously release the 25,000 strong Iranian-Jewish community to be able to return en masse.

    • We bless You for the report that Israelis are coming back from the nations in larger numbers and that less and less Israelis are leaving. Hallelujah!

We finished by praying for the Body of Messiah here in Israel. We asked for God's protection and that we would operate like a Body. Also, that Yeshua would be glorified in all that happens in our meetings and in our fellowship with one another.

Blessings from the King's city (Psalm 48:1-2; Matthew 5:35)

Shabbat shalom,

The IFI team

You shall arise, and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come…
So the nations shall fear the name of YHWH, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.
When YHWH shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory.

Psalms 102:13,15-16