1. With all that happened this last week, we sensed the need to start by affirming the absolute Lordship of Yeshua, God the Son.

   • Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.

     Revelation 19:6

   • We trust in You - the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13) - who knows all that will come to pass even from the beginning of time.

   • Bless You Yeshua, for being the Great Overcomer! (John 16:33; Revelation 3:21)

   • You are faithful and true through all generations.

   • We trust in You explicitly - even when it appears that our prayers go unanswered.

2. Faced with the US election results, our brothers and sisters in that nation, who prayed, spoke out and voted - hoping for a change in the White House - need our prayers of encouragement and support. Many of us in Israel experienced something similar when we fervently prayed against the Gaza withdrawal - and still had to watch with great angst as that which we prayed against came to pass.

   • Lord of heaven and earth, send comfort and encouragement to all those who were praying and hoping for some other result.

   • Abba, impart Your wisdom to American believers to know what to do and how to pray post-election.

   • Enable them to press on for Your Kingdom's sake and not give up the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).

   • Let them know how to pray for the President You have allowed to continue to rule in the US.

     First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

     1 Timothy 2:1-3

   • We confess that You are still on the throne (Psalm 103:19).

   • Speak to any elders in the Church in the US who did not encourage Your people to pray about this election.

   • If there is any way in which we at Intercessors For Israel, or any others, have prayed amiss, correct us and teach us to pray in ways that are always pleasing to You.

3. We next prayed for Israel's current government to know what to do in the face of US President Obama's re-election. Although many in the government and in this nation were hoping for a different result, we prayed for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and his government to know how to deal with the situation as it now stands.

   • There are many thoughts in a man's heart, but the counsel of YHWH shall stand.

     Proverbs 19:21

   • Abba, whatever contingency plans Netanyahu and his advisors had concerning another four years of Obama, all that is from You, confirm - and anything not of You, eliminate.

   • It is obvious that You have anointed Bibi to lead this nation, therefore give him all the discernment he needs to do that which is in line with Your will for just a time like this.

   • We bless You for him and we bless Netanyahu in the mighty name of Messiah Yeshua.

4. With the US election results, the upcoming election in Israel (Jan. 22, 2013), becomes even more important. We will be praying much about this. Today, we broke this up into a number of various topics.

   1. It is vital that Netanyahu and his Likud-Yisrael Betainu joint party get an overwhelming mandate from the people of this nation to lead.

      • Lord, intervene in this campaign.

        YHWH shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion; rule in the midst of Your enemies. Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power…

        Psalms 110:2-3a

      • Give to Bibi and his party wisdom from on high to state the truth of Israel's situation clearly and simply.

      • Do not allow what happened to Paul, happen to Netanyahu:

        So then did I become your enemy speaking to you the truth?

        Galatians 4:16

      • Enable Israelis to know how to vote so that Israel goes forward towards fulfilling Your will and purposes and not backwards towards the ways of man.

        Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth [and in Israel] as it is in Heaven.

        Matthew 6:10

      • Cause Israelis to see that we need a strong government to resist the manipulations of Obama and the rest of the world who desire to see Your land and Your city divided.

      • Do not allow Israelis to be swayed by fear tactics and the lies of the opposition.

      • Do not allow Israeli to be swayed by the fear tactics and lies of Israel's mainstream media.

   2. With Obama's win, there are those in Israeli politics who are now thinking of running for office. Some of them have left office in disgrace and need to remain out of politics - like former PM Ehud Olmert. Although he has been convicted of certain crimes, the court did not define the offense severe enough to block him from running. His previous term as PM was a disaster and it would be the height of folly to vote him back in.

      • Abba, as the Supreme Court reviews his case, may they make a righteous decision to sentence him as he deserves.

        The house of the wicked shall be overthrown…

        Proverbs 14:11a

      • Please bring this promise to pass in this case:

        I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning…

        Isaiah 1:26a

      • Wake up the Israeli public to not want - or vote for - someone who committed crimes while in office.

      • Olmert's initial sentence was too light for someone who was in high office at that time. Yeshua said, For to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48) Therefore, we ask that You do whatever it takes to prevent him from coming back into politics.

      • Bring all Israeli politicians into public disrepute whose only platform is "I'm not Bibi."

   3. The last item for intercession under this topic was a request that God would equip Israel's current government to do whatever they need to do in order to rule this land in righteousness and with justice - regardless of electoral concerns.

      • Lord, do not allow campaign considerations to halt this government from doing - or not doing - whatever You have them in office to do at this time.

      • May all those in authority - like PM Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, the IDF's Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and the President of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer - do that which is pleasing in Your sight, or give advice in line with Your will, without allowing the elections to hinder what they say or do in any way.

      • Hedge in all of Israel's enemies so that none of them use this season for their own advantages.

5. That last prayer led directly into the next topic - Israel's army. With Hizbullah in Lebanon and chaos in Syria to the north, and with Islamic terror groups in Gaza [Hamas], the Sinai, and in Egypt [the Muslim Brotherhood], to its south, Israel is surrounded by those who want to see her dead. Yet God has brought us back for His purposes, therefore He will not allow that happen. But that does not mean we will not see wars and skirmishes that bring death and destruction to the people of this nation. We must stand in the gap and plead for God's mercy.

   • I sought for a man among them who should wall up a wall for the land, and stand in the break before me, that I should not destroy it. But I did not find one.

     Ezekiel 22:30

     Lord, find us!

   • Abba, we remind You of Your prophetic promise:

     Hear the Word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the coastlands afar off. And say, He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep [guard] him, as a shepherd keeps his flock.

     Jeremiah 31:10

   • Give the IDF wisdom and counsel from on high (Proverbs 20:18; 24:6).

   • May the choice of the new deputy Chief of Staff be the man whom You have ordained for the job.

   • Keep all IDF soldiers awake and alert.

   • Enable all Messianic Jews in the IDF to be paired up with another brother or sister in the Lord (Mark 6:7).

   • Forbid any further successful kidnapping attempts.

   • Give the IDF wisdom to know how to deal with all of the mortars and bullets that have hit the Golan from the fighting in Syria (while not aimed at Israel yet…).

   • Speaking of Syria, impart to us wisdom on how to pray into that terrible situation.

   • Thank You for continuing to confound Israel's enemies (Psalm 129:5).

6. The ever present threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon was next on our prayer agenda. As this remains the only real existential threat to Israel, we cannot move away from our watch until released by the Lord. Yet we are beginning to see answers to prayers - specifically as Iran's leaders seem to be making mistakes. Recently, they tried to shoot down an unarmed US drone over international waters. International sanctions are hurting and we are hearing of division among Iran's leaders. Then there are the earthquakes, and Iran's concern about the end result in Syria. Now is the time to press in and plead with God for His ultimate answer.

   • Lord, show us how to pray even more specifically into this issue.

   • Whatever it takes, Lord of hosts, prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

   • Shake that nation - physically, economically, politically and spiritually.

   • So says YHWH of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam [ancient Persia - where Iran is located today], the chief of their might. And I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven on Elam, and will scatter them toward all these winds. There shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be afraid before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring evil on them, even My fierce anger, says YHWH, and I will send the sword after them until I have destroyed them. And I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy the king and the rulers from there, says YHWH.

     Jeremiah 49:35-38

   • Impart heavenly wisdom to the Iranian Church to know how to pray for their nation and its relationship with Your nation - Israel.

7. Rain is forecast over Israel for the weekend. This is always a sign of God's blessings.

   • Lord, we do ask for rain at this time (Zechariah 10:1).

   • As it says in Psalms 68:9, confirm Your inheritance by sending a good soaking rain.

   • Let the rain fall in all of the right places - like over the Sea of Galilee and the aquifers - and do not allow too much water to run off into the Mediterranean Sea.

   • We bless You for giving Israel wisdom to be the world's leader in desalinization.

8. We ended our time together by praying for the local Messianic Body.

   • Yeshua, raise up all of the elders whom You have ordained to lead the Body at this time, and aid them to do that which they are placed there to do.

   • Anoint the ones that are from You and remove any that are not.

   • Allow the Israeli Body to break out of the Western pattern of the pastor as the one who does all the work. Instead, enable us to see godly team leadership and fit us together to be all we need to be - for Your holy Name's sake (Ephesians 4:11-16).

   • Thank You that there is a local, growing Body of Messiah in Israel in 2012.

Blessings and Shabbat shalom,
The IFI team