1. We awoke to a Jerusalem being soaked in rain. We used this as an encouragement to expect God to answer us when we pray - as often many people pray but do not really believe that God will/can answer.

    • ...you have not because you ask not.

      James 4:2b

    • It is so wonderful - and amazing - that You, the Creator of the universe, are a God who loves to hear the prayers of Your children.

    • The sacrifice of the wicked is a hateful thing to YHWH, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

      Proverbs 15:8

      YHWH is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

      Proverbs 15:29

    • Lord, we bless You that while You often delay in answering our petitions, it is not because You are incapable of answering but because You are wanting us to mature in faith.

    • In everything that we pray about, we desire for You to be glorified and recognize that despite how things may look from down here - our God does indeed reign! (Psalm 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; Isaiah 52:7)

  2. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon are faced with needing to make very tough decisions in relation to Israel's security. There have been some rocket attacks from Gaza, riots in Judea and Samaria that could lead to a third intifada, some attacks from the Syrian side of the Golan, and the continual threat of Iran and their development of atomic weapons. These two men in particular are the ones who need to decide what Israel needs to do and when and how.

    • Abba, we want to thank You for PM Netanyahu and DM Ya'alon.

    • Enable them to have an excellent working relationship.

    • Give them clarity of mind and heart concerning all these issues and prevent any cloudiness from the enemy to hinder them in making decisions that are in line with Your will.

    • Surround them with wise counsel, as You have said, Where there is no wisdom, the people fall; but in the multitude of wise counsel there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14)

    • Also, since You emphasized that nations should plan their war strategy by wise counsel, we ask especially for those type of people to be raised up to help Netanyahu and Ya'alon today (Proverbs 20:18; 24:6).

    • Use these men for Your glory - as You have often done with Israel's leaders in times past (Exodus 14:13-18).

    • [King] Asa cried to YHWH his God and said, YHWH, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many or with him who has no power. Help us, YHWH our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. YHWH, You are our God. Do not let man prevail against You.

      2 Chronicles 14:11

    • Enable Israel's prime minister and defense minister to communicate to the nation clearly and truthfully.

    • When they do communicate, please prevent the media from distorting their words and meanings.

    • Prevent them from making strong declarations and then not following through.

    • Provide accurate intelligence information on what our enemies are doing - including when and where.

    • Enable the sum of these two men working together be greater than the individual parts.

  3. The situation in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem - what most of the world calls 'the occupied territories' or 'the West Bank' - has been enflamed by the spreading of malicious lies by the Palestinian leadership. There have been riots and some Palestinians have lost their lives when attacking IDF soldiers with Molotov cocktails and rocks. As of now, things appear to be escalating. PA President Abbas - one of the instigators who actually blamed Israel for the death of a Palestinian terrorist in an Israel jail who died of cancer - just said that if a third intifada [uprising] happens, it's all Israel's fault. So we prayed.

    • Lord, we confess that You are totally sovereign and nothing catches You by surprise.

    • We ask for Your sovereign control to direct all the IDF actions and responses.

    • Abba, we remind You of Your word and take great encouragement from it: There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against YHWH. The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but safety is from YHWH. (Proverbs 21:30-31)

    • Enable Israel's political and military leaders to allow the IDF in life-threatening situations to defend Israeli citizens and soldiers - without regard to what is politically correct.

    • Lord, is it not time for the IDF to take off the kid-gloves and demonstrate to Your/Israel's enemies exactly whom they are dealing with (Zechariah 12:6, 9)?

    • Give courage and wisdom to Israel's leaders to resist the pressure of the nations to not defend itself.

    • Protect all of the Israeli settlers and soldiers who are in this area - the biblical heartland of this nation.

    • Use these riots to open up the eyes of more Israelis to see that at this time there is no real peace partner on the Palestinian side - regardless of what US President Obama and US Secretary of State Kerry say.

    • Concerning Abbas, a terrorist, a liar and a Holocaust denier: 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. (Psalms 55:21)

    • Use his arrogant statements to trip him up (Proverbs 16:18).

    • Cause the counsel of Abbas' wise men to be turned inside out and upside down like the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 16:15-17:23).

  4. Syria continues to implode and affects Israel more and more each day. As we wrote last week, "More nations are training and equipping Syria's 'Rebel Alliance' - which unfortunately is not necessarily the good guys in this war. This is a lose-lose situation for Israel. While President Assad's downfall would put a huge stumbling block in the path of Iran's goal to create a Middle Eastern Shiite Caliphate, yet a victory by the rebels would bring radical Sunni Islamic forces, such as al-Qaida, the Muslim Brotherhood and others, right up to Israel's Golan border." So this is another very dangerous situation that Israel faces and it needs our intense prayer covering.

    • 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

    • Lord, use this situation to open the eyes of Israelis to see the callousness of the nations and to understand that only the IDF can be counted on to protect Israel.

    • Since this is a lose-lose situation, we ask for Your will to be done in Syria as it is already decreed in heaven.

    • We do thank You for allowing our enemies to fight one another (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).

    • Enable the IDF to know exactly what is being planned in the areas of Syria bordering Israel, and to pre-empt any threats against Israel.

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

    • Lord, we bless You for the Golan Heights - biblical Bashan - which is a place to where You said You would bring back and save Your people (Jeremiah 50:19-20).

    • For Your holy name's sake, arise and scatter all who would threaten this part of Your land and the people living there (Psalm 68:1).

    • Have mercy on multitudes of Syrians - both in Syria and in the refugee camps in the surrounding nations. Thank You for the reports of salvation of Syrians in the camps (John 6:44).

  5. Iran's confidence in developing nuclear weapons increases as they watch how the world deals with their ally North Korea.

    • Lord, use this very dangerous North Korean situation to help at least some folks see why it is imperative to stop Iran before they get nukes.

    • Open up the hearts of some high up US military generals to make this vital connection.

    • Use this North Korean threat and the US response to help more nations understand Israel's concerns with Iran and to support Israel if and when it feels it has no choice but to attack Iran.

    • Of course, we prefer for You to deal with Iran sovereignly, but if not, then give to Israel all the plans and weapons and timing it need to attack and do the job so completely that the world will see once more 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)

    • Make Ya'alon and Netanyahu of one heart and mind concerning Iran.

    • Expose what really happens at the P5+1 [5 permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany and the EU] 'negotiations' that are taking place in Kazakhstan today.

    • Open the eyes of the P5+1 leaders to see the Iranian manipulations.

    • Also openly expose the relationship between Iran and North Korea to the world's powers.

    • May this P5+1 meeting with Iran be the last and let it end with an ultimatum being given to Iran.

    • Thank You also for the strong stance that the UN's IAEA under its current leader Yukiya Amano is taking and their recent declaration that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, proving what Israeli intelligence has been saying for years.

    • Trap the Iranian leadership, pressuring them to make major geo-political mistakes (Psalm 55:9; 57:6).

    • Give the Iranian Church wisdom on how to pray, and live, at this time.

    • Watch over this Word concerning Iran/ancient Elam: I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy the king and the rulers from there, says YHWH. (Jeremiah 49:38)

  6. US President Obama came to Israel and 'charmed' or 'enchanted' many. Now it's US Secretary of State John Kerry's turn to come and turn up the heat. He will arrive this weekend trying to 'jump start' the Israeli-Palestinian 'peace process'. Why jump start? One has to 'jump start' a battery when it is dead - and this 'peace process' is dead. The Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel as the Jewish State and refuse to give up their anti-aliyah,their so-called 'right of return' of, at last count five plus million refugees. And they insist that these 'refugees' settle inside what is left of Israel - not in a newly formed Palestine. So what does the world expect Israel to do - roll over and die?

    • Lord, strengthen PM Netanyahu to withstand all of the world's manipulations - including the most dangerous ones that come from our American 'friends'.

    • Hedge Kerry in so that he only can do that which You allow him to do.

    • If possible, open his eyes to see the real situation here on the ground.

    • Enable the American Church to see this as another crisis moment for their nation and to stand in the gap against the US attempts to divide Your land and scatter Your people (Joel 3:1-2).

  7. The hacker group Anonymous has declared war on Israel and is threatening to wipe Israel off the internet this Sunday - the day before Israel's Holocaust memorial day. The whole area of cyber-warfare will become more and more important as more of the world is linked together over the net.

    • Lord, thank You for the IDF's advanced cyber-warfare division.

    • Make them and the rest of the protectors of Israel's internet footprint super sharp to stop this attack and even turn it back from where it comes (Galatians 6:7).

    • Let these internet anarchists fall into the net they are trying to set for Israel.

    • Protect Israel's infrastructure - it's banking, electric grid, IDF computers, airports, etc.

  8. We finished by praying for aliyah. With Israel's strong economy and with the rise of anti-Semitism throughout the West, it is time for many more Jews in exile to come home. But for that to happen, the Church in those nations will need to see this as one of God's top end-time priorities, as well as to understand their obligation to intercede for this and help in any other ways that the Lord directs.

    • So says the Lord YHWH, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the gentiles, and set up My banner to the people; they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

      Isaiah 49:22

    • Lord, wake up the Church to see what Your will is in this area.

    • Abba, wake up the Jews to see that life in exile is over - that Israel is being restored and they are both needed and wanted here.

    • We bless You for the 17,000 or so that came home last year. More Lord!

Please pray over this weekend for many Holocaust survivors to recognize their Resurrected Messiah and Savior.

Shabbat shalom, and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings,
making peace heard; who brings good news, making salvation heard;
who says to Zion, Your God reigns!
The voice of Your watchmen shall lift up!
They lift up the voice together; they sing aloud.
For they shall see eye to eye, when YHWH shall bring again Zion.
[or, 'when YHWH shall return unto Zion!]

Isaiah 52:7-8