1. Next Friday is the Jerusalem marathon. That brought to mind Paul's admonition to run the race for God.

    • Do you not know that those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.

      1 Corinthians 9:24

    • I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.

      2 Timothy 4:7

    • Thank You for Your amazing grace that both saves us and carries us through to the finish line.

    • We are confident that despite what we read or see in the news, You reign (Isaiah 52:7).

    • We are blessed that there are no emergencies in heaven - that nothing takes You by surprise (Psalm 103:19).

    • Thank You for asking us to co-labor with You in prayer - in seeing Your kingdom coming and Your will being done on earth as it is already done in heaven.

  2. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is still struggling to put together a solid coalition to lead Israel into the near future. Current polls indicate that going to new elections - in Israel that is a possibility - would be disastrous for his Likud/Beytenu party. We remain convinced that our prayers before the elections were in His will - our goal being for God to raise up a government through whom He would be glorified (Psalm 115:1-3). So we continued in prayer for PM Netanyahu - whom we still see as the only realistic choice for Israel's leader today.

    • Lord, since You do not change (Malachi 3:6), we know that what You did for Solomon, You can do for Bibi. YHWH gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon. And the two of them made a treaty together. (1 Kings 5:12)

    • The king's heart is in the hand of YHWH…He turns it wherever He will.

      Proverbs 21:1

    • Pour out on Netanyahu and his negotiating team wisdom from on high to form a government that lines up with Your purposes for this nation at this time.

    • Give Netanyahu an ability to hear counsel from You.

    • A man's heart plans his way, but YHWH directs his steps.

      Proverbs 16:9

    • Help Bibi to lay aside all pride, personal vendettas, etc., that interfere with what You are wanting to do.

    • Have mercy on Your people and do not lead us into new elections.

    • You rule in the kingdom of men, and appoint over nations the ones whom You chose (Daniel 5:21). How much more do You want to do that in this nation.

    • Help us to understand how to pray into these negotiations.

  3. We prayed that the next government to be a fulfillment of God's promises concerning the rulers He would set up for Israel in the last days.

    • 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.

      Isaiah 1:26

    • Turn, O backsliding sons, says YHWH; for I am married to you; and I will take you one from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

      Jeremiah 3:14-15

    • I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their fold. They shall be fruitful and multiply. And I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them, and they shall fear no more…nor shall they lack anything, says YHWH.

      Jeremiah 23:3-4

    • Abba, is it not time for You to raise up Your shepherds - in all areas of Israeli society - to feed Your sheep?

    • Work in the hearts of new politicians to understand and undertake the responsibly thrust upon them.

    • Pour out the fear of God on Israel's political leaders (Proverbs 1:7).

    • We specifically ask for You to work in the hearts of Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid, and Naftali Bennett of Beit Yehudi, to see the responsibility that the people who voted for them handed to them - and that they would be faithful to fulfill that.

  4. This weekend, Jewish people throughout the world celebrate the holiday of Purim, based on the book of Esther. Although God's name is not mentioned in that book, His active work behind the scenes is very evident. And that is how we need to see all that happens both with this nation and her people as well as with the true Body of Messiah.

    • Lord, we bless You that You are always the same God whom we can depend on - even when we do not see or feel Your presence with us. Behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20b)

    • As is shown in this book and in many other parts of Scripture, You are the God who answers 'suddenly' and often 'at the last moment' (Esther 7:10; 9:1-2). Therefore, we ask for a Purim miracle - a government that is formed suddenly and at the last moment - and that is in line with Your will.

    • Raise up Esthers who will go to our leaders and speak God's words to them. Mordecai commanded them to answer Esther, Do not think within yourself that you shall escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house shall be destroyed. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this? (Esther 4:13-14)

  5. With Iran edging closer to having nuclear weapons, and with most of the world trying to 'sweet-talk' them out of it, it is urgent that the next Israeli government be in one accord with Netanyahu in seeing this Iranian threat as the #1 critical issue for Israel to deal with.

    • Lord, we thank You that in the Esther/Purim story, You set the Jews free to be able to defend themselves against their enemies (Esther 8:10-17). Do it again today.

    • Raise up a new defense minister who will be of one mind and heart with Bibi on this issue.

    • Since Tzipi Livni is now a part of the new government, please open her understanding to see this threat in a very clear way and use her to express this to folks who would not respect Netanyahu's views.

    • Abba, again we plead with You to directly intervene in destroying Iran's nuclear weapons program.

    • Aid the next government to resist pressure from the US administration and the rest of the West to not attack Iran - if in fact that is the way You will deal with this threat (Jeremiah 51:19-24).

    • If You do want Israel to attack, overrule all of their plans and strategies with Your will. It shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the weeping trees, then you shall go out to battle. For God has gone forth before you to strike the army of the Philistines. (1 Chronicles 14:15)

    • Trap the Iranian leadership, pressuring them to make major geo-political mistakes.

    • Let them be 'hung' on the 'gallows' that they have openly declared they are preparing for the Jews and Israel! So they hanged Haman [the Persian/Iranian] on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai [the Jew]. (Esther 7:10a)

    • From this week's supplemental Purim synagogue readings: Remember what Amalek did to you by the way, when you came forth out of Egypt, how he…struck those of you who were behind, all the feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary. He did not fear God. And it shall be when YHWH your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around in the land which YHWH your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens. You shall not forget. (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) [Haman is a descendent of the Amalekites - Esther 3:1, cp. 1 Samuel 15:8]

  6. The latest figures from the chaos and bloodshed in Syria is of more than 70,000 dead.

    • Lord, have mercy on multitudes of Syrians - both in Syria and in the refugee camps in the surrounding nations. Reveal Yourself to many of them (John 6:44).

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

    • Keep the IDF alert on our northern border with Lebanon and with Syria.

    • If it be Your will, let the threat of the Free Syrian Army to attack Hizbullah come to pass.

    • Enable the IDF to pre-empt with all the skill and force needed when there is a situation that would threaten the lives of the people of Israel.

    • Continue to provide real-time accurate intelligence to all those in Israel responsible to make these life-and-death decisions.

    • Lord, 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)

    • Use this Syrian chaos to destroy communications and relationships between Iran, Syrian and Hizbullah (Psalm 129:5).

    • Use this situation to destroy Iran's plans to dominate the Middle East (Jeremiah 49:38).

    • Use this horrific situation to open up the eyes of Israelis to see that we cannot depend on the world - even our friends - to protect us. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where shall my help come from? My help comes from YHWH, who made Heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalms 121:1-4)

  7. Praise God that the Kinneret - the Sea of Galilee - has been rising steadily. As of today, it is less than 1.5 meters below being full. America's space agency, NASA, recently reported a major water crisis in the Middle East and yet Mekorot, Israel's water authority, recently declared Israel's water crisis over! This is an answer to prayers and another sign that God is restoring Israel just as He said He would. Since we still have another month of the biblical rainy season [until Passover], we prayed for the Kinneret to be full to overflowing when all is said and done.

    • Abba, we thank and bless You for Your goodness and mercy to Your land and Your people (Jeremiah 31:3).

    • We ask for an overflowing blessing - as You continue to open the heavens and send the rain (Psalm 68:9).

    • We bless You for helping Israel to be a leader in the area of desalinization and for how that has helped both Israel's water situation as well as other nations.

    • Lord, since it is apparent that You are changing weather patterns, please stretch out Israel's rainy season so that the surrounding nations will say, This land that was wasted has become like the garden of Eden. And the wasted, deserted and ruined cities now are fortified and inhabited. (Ezekiel 36:35)

    • When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue fails for thirst, I YHWH will hear them, I the God of Israel will not leave them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant the cedar in the wilderness, the acacia tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree. I will set the fir tree in the desert, and the pine, and the box tree together; so that they may see, and know, and look on, and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

      Isaiah 41:17-20

  8. Aliyah, the return of the Jews from exile back to Israel, continues to be on our prayer radar.

    • Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord YHWH: I am not doing this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will sanctify My great name…and the nations shall know that I am YHWH, says the Lord YHWH, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all lands, and will gather you into your own land.

      Ezekiel 36:22-24

    • Lord, thnak You for Israel's strong economy which attracts Jews in exile and sustain them when they return.

    • Cause the next government to make an increase in aliyah a major goal.

    • Continue to stir up Christians to help carry Your people home (Isaiah 49:22).

    • We bless You for the recent return of 100s of the B'nei Manasseh from India, and we ask You to facilitate a quick return for the remaining 7,000.

    • Lord, speak to the 30% of American Jews who did not vote for Obama, and get them to think about making Israel their home - both now for them and for their children.

    • Release the millions of Jews who reside in the greater New York area and in the greater Los Angeles area from their unbiblical attachment to the Exile.

    • Destroy the lie that America - or Europe, or anywhere else - is home to a Jew.

    • God, with anti-Semitism rising in many European nations, wake up many European Jews to come home now.

    • Bring home holocaust survivors, young Jews families, Messianic Jews, and Jews from south of the equator.

We finished by praying for the Israeli Body of Messiah. We can always use a fresh touch of Messiah's Spirit, as well as courage to walk through all the doors that Yeshua opens for us and to not try to force open doors that He has shut before us (Revelation 3:7). We also prayed for a unity of the Spirit - one that comes from Him and brings glory to Him. And we asked for Yeshua to open up all of His Word to His sheep. Open my eyes, so that I may behold wonderful things out of Your Law. (Psalms 119:18)

Shabbat shalom and hag Purim sameach,

The IFI team