1. We began by reminding ourselves of the ministry of our great High Priest Yeshua.

    • Because Yeshua has been given an everlasting priesthood, He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:22-25)

    • We thank You, Lord Yeshua, for constantly interceding for us so that all Your will will be done in our lives.

    • Therefore, we are confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in [us] will perform it until the day of Messiah Yeshua, (Philippians 1:6)

    • God, You made the heavens and the earth - so there is nothing too difficult for You (Jeremiah 32:1, 27).

    • Yeshua, standing here in Jerusalem, we proclaim You are Lord of all (Acts 10:36).

    • 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 (Matthew 6:10).

  2. We interceded first for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as he continues to try and put together a solid coalition to lead Israel at this time. He is the central figure in this process and he needs God to guide him. If there is no final agreement within a week, either President Peres appoints someone else to try and form a government or Israel goes to new elections. Neither option is good - so we prayed specifically for Bibi.

    • Abba, we want to thank You for PM Netanyahu. We believe You have raised him up to lead Israel at such a time as this (Esther 4:14b).

    • Please impart to him Your key to form a coalition that will glorify You (Psalm 115:1-3).

    • 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) Turn Bibi's heart toward Your will for this next Israeli government.

    • Strengthen Bibi's strong points and uphold him in his weak areas.

    • Cause him to cry out to You for help. Call on Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. (Psalms 50:15)

    • Break any strongholds that the ultra-Orthodox have over Netanyahu's heart and mind.

    • Give him Your vision for this nation (Proverbs 29:18).

    • Help him to form a government that can make radical - yet godly - changes in the way this nation functions.

    • 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. Do not allow pride to push Israel into new elections.

    • Since You rule in the kingdom of men, and appoint over nations the ones whom You chose (Daniel 5:21), we are confident that You will do that - and more - with this, Your nation.

  3. The two other men that need to come in line with God's will for this next government to be formed are Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid ['There is a future'], and Naftali Bennett, head of Beit Yehudi ['Jewish Home']. These men have made a commitment to not enter the government without the other - and Lapid refuses to be part of any government that has the ultra-Orthodox parties. Yet both these men are political novices - which has both positive and negative aspects to it.

    • Abba, give Lapid and Bennett wisdom concerning their ideological stances and what is really able to be done in Israel's current political scene.

    • Lord, work in the hearts of Lapid and Bennett to faithfully fulfill the responsibility that the people who voted for them gave them.

    • Hedge them in to walk only in the paths You have already ordained for them. A man's heart plans his way, but YHWH directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

    • Lord, bless them both with a healthy dose of humility so that Proverbs 18:12 can be manifested in their lives.

    • Move their hearts so that You can have Your way in the next Israeli government.

    • Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a shame to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) Because this is truth, we ask that both Lapid and Bennett deal with Netanyahu in a righteous manner.

  4. It is essential that the Israeli Body pray into the coalition negotiations over this weekend. When Yeshua taught His disciples the model prayer in Matthew 6, He was not sharing with them a 'religious' exercise, but was telling them - and us - that these are the necessary things for us to pray, for the Kingdom of God's sake. It is a mystery that God has deemed to run His Kingdom only in cooperation with His people, but with minor exceptions, that is exactly what He does. So if we do not pray for His will to be done on earth - it will not happen! (See Exodus 17:11; Psalm 50:15; 106:23; Ezekiel 22:30; 36:37; Ephesians 6:18-19 for just a few of the many examples of this foundational kingdom issue in Scriptures.)

    • Lord, this is Your precious Body we are praying for, and we thank You that there is a growing, maturing Body of Messiah in Israel in 2013.

    • Give the Israeli elders an understanding that the Body must stand in the gap for a government to arise that is in line with Your will.

    • Open the eyes of the Body to see the very real threats surrounding this nation in this very hour.

    • Cause 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to become rhema - a living word - to the elders of the Israeli Body. 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.

    • Give revelation to what really constitutes a 'godly' government as You have clearly stated in Romans 13:3-4.

  5. The news out of the White House about US President Obama's March 20th visit to Israel is not good. Although one is never sure what is rumor and what is truth, the fact that he is still determined to come - even if a new Israeli government is not in place - is very troubling. Obama wants to 'connect' with the Israeli people - especially the young people. With his mesmerizing manner, and his anti-Biblical stance on most issues, this is an opportunity for the enemy of God to inflict much damage on this nation.

    • Lord, You have placed watchmen upon Jerusalem's walls (Isaiah 60:6-7). Stir them up to pray up a protective spiritual hedge around this nation during the next several weeks.

    • Abba, we declare that which You had Balaam declare: Surely, there is no spell against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What God has worked! (Numbers 23:23)

    • Protect Israelis from the wiles of the enemy that too often come forth from our 'friends' in the nations.

    • Specifically, raise a shield about Israeli from all lying and seducing spirits (1 Timothy 4:1).

    • May the fear of the God of Israel fall upon Obama as soon as his feet touch this land! The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: he who rules over men justly, ruling in the fear of God, (2 Samuel 23:3)

    • Lord, wake up American believers to the utter danger their nation will face in the event that Obama tries to seduce or manipulate anyone in this nation - especially about dividing this land (Joel 3:1-2).

    • May believers worldwide understand that You mean what You say about those who curse Israel will be cursed (Genesis 12:3: Numbers 24:9). For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you will perish. Yes, those nations will be completely wasted. (Isaiah 60:12)

    • As we prayed into Obama's visit, Psalm 55:21 came to two intercessors at the same time: The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

    • Lord, if possible, cancel this trip all together.

  6. We then asked the Lord to give Israel a government that would not bow down to the demands of the nations or be beguiled by Obama and the rest of the American administration.

    • Abba, give us a government that is respectful - yet not submissive.

    • Concerning Iran, may the next Israeli government have the courage to do what needs to be done to protect this nation and not to submit to the delaying tactics of an appeasing, cowardly world.

    • Raise up Israel leaders who will not be ashamed of our inheritance - the land of Israel - and will not be persuaded to divide this land to form a 'Palestine' (Leviticus 25:23).

    • Lord, sooner or later, Israel will have courageous leaders who are willing to say no to the world, because Zechariah 12 will come to pass. And it is in the midst of that - when all Israel gets saved (12:10). So Abba, why not make this next government that which You prophesied about? Amen.

    • Raise up the Sons of Zion against the Sons of this world (Zechariah 9:13).

  7. With the kidnapping of 20 UN peacekeeping forces from the Israeli-Syrian border, the Syrian conflict has finally involved Israel. There are rumors that the UN is considering leaving the Israeli-Syrian cease-fire zone, which would leave Israel face to face with Islamic Jihadists.

    • Lord, we bless You for the Golan Heights - biblical Bashan - and remind You that Your servant Moses was the first one to conquer it at Your command for the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 3:1-20).

    • As the Golan/Bashan is also where You said You would bring back and save Your people (Jeremiah 50:19-20), therefore Lord, for Your holy name - arise and scatter all those who threaten this part of Your land.

    • Protect all Israelis that live there, as well as the multitudes of tourists that visit.

    • Enable the IDF to know exactly what is being planned in the area of Syria that borders with Israel.

    • Enable the IDF to pre-empt with all the skill and force needed any situation that threatens Israel.

    • Reveal to Israel where every Syrian weapon of mass destruction is and how to destroy them all.

    • 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).

    • 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).

  8. 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, how long will You allow this enemy of Yours and Your people rage (Psalm 83:1-5)?

    • If You will not deal with this threat sovereignly - then give to Israel all the plans and weapons and timing it will need to attack and do the job so completely that the world will see that it is You fighting for this nation. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that YHWH fought against the enemies of Israel. (2 Chronicles 20:29)

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

    • If possible, raise up a Churchill who can rally the nations against the global threat of Iranian nukes.

    • Trap the Iranian leadership, pressuring them to make major geo-political mistakes (Psalm 55:9).

    • Impart to the true Church in Iran wisdom on how to pray at this time.

    • May they bless Israel so that they can stand in the gap against Your judgment on that nation because of all the curses that have come forth from the Iranian leadership against this nation and people (Genesis 12:3).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, YHWH will be magnified from the border of Israel.

Malachi 1:5