1. We started by reading a section from this Shabbat's prophetic portion.

    • Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion. For behold, I come, and I will dwell in your midst, says YHWH. Many gentiles shall be joined to YHWH in that day, and shall be My people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that YHWH of Hosts has sent me to you. And YHWH shall possess Judah, His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, all flesh, before YHWH; for He has risen out of His holy dwelling place.

      Zechariah 2:10-13

    • We bless You Lord because You are still a miracle working God today.

    • Thank You for this season of Chanukah that reminds of that fact with each candle we light.

    • What a privilege You have given us to come before Your throne and pray. Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

    • We are so grateful that You have sent Your Holy Spirit to indwell us and guide us both in prayer and in our daily walk with you. Again, from this Shabbat's prophetic portion: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says YHWH of Hosts. (Zechariah 4:6b)

  2. Last week we prayed about the potential of seeing another intifada - an uprising - among the Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. We are beginning to see an upturn in violence by Palestinians against the Israeli army - the IDF. This week, a 17 year old - at night - pointed what turned out to be a toy gun at the head of a soldier and was shot dead by another soldier. This resulted in riots at this teen's funeral, and an overall increase of violent incidents almost daily. We need to keep the IDF, especially in these areas, covered in prayer.

    • Lord, overrule all of the enemy's plans to discourage and destroy this nation and its people.

    • Yeshua, You who are YHWH of hosts (Joshua 5:13-15; Revelation 19:11-16), provide IDF leaders with all the wisdom they need to prepare the army for the days ahead.

    • Enable the IDF to have foreknowledge of events so as to cut off all acts of terror before they occur.

    • Release the IDF to do whatever they need to in order to protect this nation, so that Israeli citizens are not tempted to take the law into their own hands.

    • Abba, use the weather to dampen the rage of the Palestinians. Have you entered into the storehouses of the snow? Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have kept for the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? (Job 38:22-23)

    • In the January elections, raise up a godly leadership that will terrorize the wicked and protect the innocent. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Do you desire to be not afraid of the authority? Do the good, and you shall have praise from it. For it is a servant of God to you for good.For if you practice evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is a servant of God, a revenger for wrath on him who does evil. (Romans 13:3-4)

    • Abba, hinder all media reports that will take what is happening, relate it only to Israel's reactions and thus spread vicious lies about this nation and its soldiers.

  3. That last prayer led us to pray more intensely about the media war against this nation. Just like mainstream media - and many others media outlets - tend to see the true Church as a major problem in the world, so the same spirit causes them to see Israel and the Jewish people with the same mindset. After all, both Israel and the Church are living witnesses to the reality of a God who is not dead, but active in history, fulfilling His Word openly. And the spirit of this world wants to see God, His Word and His people discredited, or destroyed.

    • Lord, muzzle the mainstream media and all other lies about You and Your people in these days.

    • Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man curses You daily.

      Psalms 74:22

    • Protect our brothers and sisters in Messiah from being deceived by what they see in the media.

    • Enable them to walk by faith in Your Word and not by sight - what they see on the BBC, CNN, etc.

    • Lord Yeshua, draw Your Body back to Your Word. Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things out of Your Law. (Psalms 119:18); Forever, YHWH, Your Word is settled in heaven. (Psalms 119:89); Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. (Psalms 119:105)

    • Pour out the gift of the discerning of spirits upon Your body (1 Corinthians 12:10).

    • Lord, by Your Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), strengthen the voices of truth, whether they be in the media, on the internet, through newsletters, or by speaking one-on-one or to groups.

    • Anoint all of Israel's spokespersons - both here and in the nations.

    • We specifically ask for a strong anointing to proclaim truth to come upon Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Israel's US Ambassador Michael Oren, Israel's UN ambassador Ron Prosor, and all of the rest of Israel's frontline spokespersons.

    • Thank You for more and more Israeli newspapers that are not ashamed to stand behind a Zionist point of view - like Israel Hayom.

  4. Next on the Spirit's prayer list was the upcoming Israeli elections on January 22nd, 2013. Yesterday, after investigating Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for better than a decade, the Attorney General's office brought charges of fraud and breach of trust, yet dropped several much more serious charges. Lieberman is deciding whether he should resign or not. Yet all of this is ammunition for the opposition and the left-wing media to continue to aim their guns at PM Bibi Netanyahu.

    • Abba, we thank You for Netanyahu being Israel's prime minister at this time.

    • Give him much wisdom to know what to say and do about this situation (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    • Do not allow Bibi to be deflected or deceived in any events that occur between now and the elections.

    • Abba, we also thank You for Lieberman who is also a man who speaks truth.

    • Please hedge Lieberman in so that he does that which is right in Your sight.

    • All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but YHWH weighs the spirits. (Proverbs 16:9); A man's heart plans his way, but YHWH directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:2)

    • Lord, what the enemy has purposed for evil - the timing of this indictment - please turn to good.

    • Again we ask You to give Netanyahu and his Likud/Yisrael Beitainu joint list an overwhelming mandate to lead this nation in the foreseeable future.

    • Help those who love this land and its people to have campaign strategy that has been birthed in the counsels of heaven.

    • Provide for this nation righteous leaders. Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a shame to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

    • Remember Your promise to this people in Isaiah 1:26: And I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.

    • Rule over all situations from now to the elections that will affect how this nation votes.

    • May the next government make aliyah, the return of Jews back to Israel, a major priority.

    • Give us leaders that have the spirit of the sons of Issachar, who know the times we live in and what Israel needs to do (1 Chronicles 12:32)

    • Overshadow the people to elect the government of Your choice.

    • Protect them from all media manipulation and the extreme left wing section of this society.

    • We take great comfort in the truth that You are the One who will raise up as Israel's next leader, the person of Your choice. …the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and…He appoints over it whomever He will. (Daniel 5:21)

  5. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, with its director Yukiya Amano, has become one of the few bright spots in the UN modern-day version of the Tower of Babel. IAEA inspectors are in Iran today, trying to get to some suspicious sites and bring back a report.

    • Abba, Iran has already said there are places these inspectors will not be able to go. Open up those doors.

    • Since You said that You would curse all those who curse Your people (Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9), we ask that You curse all of Iran's plans to hide what they are really doing.

    • Open the inspectors eyes to see what is really going on with Iran's nuclear development program.

    • Use the report that comes out of this trip to wake up Western nations that are still in denial about Iran's intentions.

    • Thank You for Netanyahu's willingness to stand alone at times and for the past several decades, continually warn the world about the danger of an Iranian Islamic regime obtaining or developing nuclear weapons.

    • Enable Israel to act - even if alone - before it is too late to stop Iran.

  6. For his second term in office, US President Obama will be appointing a new secretary of state and a new defense minister. Since these are the two most important positions concerning America's direct relations with Israel, we spent some time praying into this. The two frontrunners are not friends of Israel - and that is bad news for America if they are appointed. We asked God to overrule and have mercy on the US (Psalm 96:10). We also asked Yeshua to help the America Church see how these two positions can bring either a blessing or a curse according to how the people appointed relate to God's people and His land (Joel 3:1-2). We also asked God to show many more America believers that not only is it right to pray into political situation, but it is actually one of our priorities (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

  7. We are in the midst of celebrating Chanukah, tonight being the 7th night. Since so many Jews celebrate this holyday and light the Chanukiah [the Chanukah menorah], we asked God to use this season to draw those in exile back home to Israel.

    • Lord Yeshua, as the lights of the Chanukah menorah are lit and increase in brightness every night, increase the desire of the Jews in exile to come home.

    • Remove the blinders that cause many Jews to ignore the ever increasing truth that outside of Israel is a very dangerous place for a Jew to live in these days (Jeremiah 16:16).

    • Wake up the Jews in Denmark who were just warned that it is becoming increasing dangerous to wear anything that would symbolize their faith outside the synagogue or home.

    • Bring to their attention the increase in anti-Semitic incidents in many parts of the West - especially the UK, France, Germany and Sweden.

    • Abba, provide all the finances Nefesh b'Nefesh needs to bring the thousands of Jewish families in North America who are waiting to come back.

    • Make 2013 a huge year for Western aliyah.

    • Remove all stones of stumbling in Israel that prevent the return of all Your people - regardless of skin color or religious preference, or any other dividing line that man has laid. Go through the gates; prepare the way of the people. Raise up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a banner for the peoples. (Isaiah 62:10)

    • Open up the hearts of gentile believers to understand that helping the Jews come home is part of what You are saying to them today: So says the Lord YHWH, 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)

    • Lord, please speak to our Messianic brothers and sisters to be open to hear You say, 'Come home.'

  8. So far this has been a very good rainy season, with many areas throughout the land of Israel reporting a higher than average rainfall for this time of year. Yet, we must not be lulled to sleep and stop praying for this essential blessing from our God.

    • Abba, we thank and bless You for all of the water You have allowed to fall on this land so far.

    • You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, by which You upheld Your inheritance when it was weary.

      Psalms 68:9

    • Continue to pour out this blessing - until the Sea of Galilee and the aquifers are full to overflowing.

    • Thank You for helping Israelis be much more conservation-minded.

    • Send lots of snow on Mount Hermon and many other places throughout this land.

    • We bless You for helping Israel become a leader in desalinization in the world and for its willingness to share what You have shown us to many other nations. And I will make you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2).

  9. We finished interceding for IFI's International Prayer Conference in Jerusalem next month. Please pray along with us for the leadership team to know the voice of their Shepherd and to be sensitive and quick to go where His Spirit leads; to be able to impart the prayer burdens that are on Yeshua's heart and to know what to share on when called to preach. Ask God to bring all those whom He wants to be here and to keep away all those whom He wants elsewhere. Also, that He would anoint and strengthen the administration team and all volunteers. We need His guidance for the prayer tour, especially as some areas are right under the nose of the surrounding enemy. Finally, that God would raise up the next generation of prayer warriors, and bring to the conference many Israeli believers.

Hag Chanukah sameach and Shabbat shalom from Zion,

The IFI team

Brothers, pray for us.

1 Thessalonians 5:25