1. This Shabbat's prophetic portion ends with Isaiah 29:22-23.

    • Therefore thus says YHWH, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now become pale. But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they shall sanctify My name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

      Isaiah 29:22-23

    • This morning, we sanctify Your name.

    • We bless You Lord, that Your name Yeshua is synonymous with salvation.

    • We thank You that through that name, Abraham's redeeming God of is now known - from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

    • Thank You for humbling Yourself and dwelling among us, so that we might dwell with You for all eternity.

    • We are so grateful that not only are You zealous to fulfill Your word, but You have asked us to labor with You in deeds and through prayer.

    • Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art.

  2. According to Paul's admonition (1 Timothy 2:1-4), we prayed first concerning Israel's upcoming elections on January 22nd, 2013. While we put confidence in God and not the polls, still recent polls show a decrease in support for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's Likud-Yisrael Beytenu joint list. While Netanyahu will most likely be Israel's next PM, this would place his government in the very dangerous position of not being able to rule - because Bibi would need to make deals with many other parties, some of whom do not see eye-to-eye with him in many areas. So we prayed for the Israeli electorate vote overwhelmingly for Netanyahu and his party.

    • Abba, have mercy on this nation.

    • Do not allow the media to deceive this people.

    • We do thank You for Netanyahu being Israel's prime minister today and look forward to many more years with him at the helm.

    • Give him and his party enough of a mandate to be able to rule this nation effectively.

    • Abba, let Your favor shine upon Netanyahu.

    • Remove all apathy or fanciful notions from Israelis and get them to see how dangerous is the time we are living in and to consider whom they really want running this nation now.

    • Light a fire under those who would vote Likud-Yisrael Beytenu to get out and vote.

    • When it comes to the actual voting, we remind You of this verse: A man's heart plans his way, but YHWH directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

    • Lord God of Israel, for Your glory, give this nation righteous leaders. Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a shame to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

    • Lord, keep the ultra-Orthodox Shas party out of the next government. In fact, we ask You to diminish their number of Knesset [parliament] seats severely.

    • 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)

  3. We next prayed for Yeshua to show His Body in Israel both their responsibility and privilege to pray into the political scene - especially the elections.

    • Lord, please do turn more and more of Your disciples to what You said through Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

    • Wake up the shepherds whom You have given to the Israeli Body to have a revelation of our priestly function in standing in the gap for this nation as it chooses its next leaders.

    • Let there be a rising chorus of prayers from Israel as we approach January 22nd.

    • Move upon many Israeli-Arab brothers and sisters to pray in line with Your will for this nation.

    • We want to see them blessed according to Genesis 12:3a: And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you.

    • Impress on our Israeli brothers and sisters to both pray and vote in line with Your will.

    • I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who will not be silent day nor night. You who remind  YHWH, do not be silent, and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

      Isaiah 62:6-7

    • Lord, we bless You for all the Christians from the nations who have taken this verse to heart and intercede for You to be glorified both in - and from - Jerusalem. Now we ask You for a huge company of Israeli believers to take their place on these same walls with them. Please do it, for Your holy name's sake.

  4. We next prayed for the worldwide Body to have their eyes opened to what You are doing in Israel today.

    • Quicken many in the Body to see that You are fulfilling Your Word openly before the whole world.

    • Raise up the true prophetic voices who will declare what You are doing in Israel: I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you [Israel] have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am YHWH, says the Lord YHWH, when I shall be sanctified in you [Israel] before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:23)

    • Lay Your burden for Your people Israel on many congregational leaders.

    • [Please intercede in this area for the Church in your nation.]

  5. We are facing the potential of another intifada - an uprising - among Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. There has been both an increase in violence and boldness by the Palestinians against the Israeli army - the IDF. PM Netanyahu has also warned that Hamas, the terrorist group ruling in Gaza, could take over Judea and Samaria from the Palestinian Authority in a very short time. So we prayed.

    • When you go out to battle against your enemies and see...a people more than you, do not be afraid of them. For YHWH your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

      Deuteronomy 20:1

    • Abba, for both the sake of the Palestinians as well as Israel, give the government and the IDF the wisdom and courage needed to quench this flame before it rages out of control.

    • Yeshua, exalted YHWH of hosts (Joshua 5:13-15; Revelation 19:11-16), provide IDF commanders with all the intelligence and resources 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.

    • Show the security forces whom they should arrest, and help them to do that without riots starting.

    • Provide new techniques to infiltrate the enemy camp.

    • As You did with Rahab, protect all of Israel's spies and collaborators among the Palestinians.

    • 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. He has delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; for there were many with me. (Psalms 55:18)

    • Help more Israelis see that the difference between PA President Abbas and Hamas is only in technique - but that the goal of both is the totally eradication of the 'Zionist entity', the Jewish State.

    • Give our brothers and sisters in Messiah among the Palestinians wisdom on how to pray and what to do.

  6. The upgraded figures for the deaths in Syria stand now at better than 60,000.

    • Lord, draw many Syrian Muslims and Muslims in other nations who are watching as Muslim kills Muslim all in the name of Allah, to Yourself.

    • Protect the believing community and use them for Your glory.

    • God, prepare the IDF for whatever may spill out over the Golan from the Syrian war and for the day after the war ends. The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but safety is from YHWH. (Proverbs 21:31)

    • As Israel is rumored to be working inside Syria to keep an eye over the chemical and biological weapons - we ask for protection for all of our undercover agents.

  7. The Iranian threat was the next focus of prayer.

    • Abba, raise up a government in Israel that will deal with Iran with courage and wisdom, and in Your timing.

    • Anoint whoever will be Israel's new defense minister and new foreign minister to work very closely with Netanyahu and explain very clearly to the world the real threat if Iran obtains nuclear weapons.

    • Lord, whatever it takes, do not allow Iran to obtain these weapons of mass destruction.

    • Arise, O YHWH; let not man prevail. Let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O YHWH, let the nations know they are but men. Selah.

      Psalms 9:19-20

    • Continue to allow Israel's military industries to develop new weapons to keep this nation one step ahead of those who have sworn to destroy it.

    • May a fruit of the terrible Syrian conflict be a major blow to Iran's plans to rule over the Middle East.

    • With Obama's choices of secretary of state [John Kerry] and probable secretary of defense [Chuck Hagel], it seems evident that Israel will need to deal with the Iranian threat by itself. Yet, Lord, we know that Israel is not alone - because You have promised to watch over and defend this nation. Hallelujah!

    • 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

    • Thus says YHWH... I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your sons.

      Isaiah 49:25

  8. This has been a very good rainy season, as many areas throughout Israel report a higher than average rainfall for the time of year. And we have a very wet forecast for the following number of days - including snow on Mt. Hermon.

    • Abba, thank You for the water You have poured out on this land.

    • 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.

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

    • Protect Israelis from devastating floods and deaths during the next days.

    • Thank You for this word: Have you entered into the storehouses of snow? Or have you seen the storehouses of hail, which I have kept for the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? (Job 38:22-23)

  9. We next prayed for a spiritual outpouring - for the salvation of many more people in this nation.

    • For thus says YHWH, Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations. Cry out, give praise and say, O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.

      Jeremiah 31:7

    • We thank You for the many in this nation who are having the veil removed from their eyes and receiving Yeshua as their Messiah and Lord.

    • We ask You to deeply root in Your word all those who came into Your kingdom in 2012.

    • Then let them bear fruit for Your glory. The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward; (Isaiah 37:31)

    • Thank You for all the Christian-run ministries in this land that provoke many Israelis to jealousy. Help them bear even more fruit in 2013.

    • Abba, give many Orthodox Jews a deep hunger for Your word.

    • Place in them a desire to have a relationship with You like David, or Moses, and draw their heart out to seek You continually. Then you shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

    • Use the believers in the IDF to draw other Israelis to Your Son.

    • Raise up more shepherds and disciples in the Israeli Body.

  10. We finished interceding for IFI's International Prayer Conference in Jerusalem this month. Continue to pray for the leadership team to know the voice of the Shepherd and to be sensitive and quick to lead as His Spirit guides; to be able to impart the prayer burdens on Yeshua's heart and to know what to share when preaching. 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.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

The IFI team