1. We blessed our God while overlooking Jerusalem from the Pavilion Prayer Tower early this morning.

    • Praise YHWH; for it is good to sing praises to our God; for praise is delightful and becoming. YHWH builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

      Psalms 147:1-2

    • Thank You for restoring Jerusalem, the city of the great King, to Your people Israel.

    • Thank You for protecting Jerusalem - especially at this time.

    • Bless You for bringing Your children back from all over the world (Isaiah 43:5-7).

    • From Jerusalem, we say to You, precious King Yeshua, Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai - Blessed are You who comes in the name of YHWH (Matthew 23:39).

    • What a joy to see Your word literally coming to pass. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. (Zechariah 8:5)

    • We are so thankful that Israel is still an island of peace and stability in a very chaotic Middle East.

  2. Egypt: This past week the Egyptian Army overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood [MB] government. While many in the West so worship 'democracy' that they cannot see reality, we as intercessors must not do that. The MB government was establishing an Islamic Sharia-based nation that would have been very dangerous to Israel. In fact, the MB are still the most cohesive group in Egypt. Their role in that nation is far from over.

    • Abba, today is the Islamic holy day. Please watch over all that You are doing in Egypt - for Your glory.

    • Reveal Your will to us - and even Your timing if need be - so that we can pray both with the Spirit and with our understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15a).

    • We know that at some point in history You will say, Blessed be My people Egypt… (Isaiah 19:25b) Therefore we plead with You to reap a mighty harvest out of all that is happening there at this time.

    • Use the mass demonstrations in the streets of Egypt - with all of the signs declaring that Obama is a friend of terrorists and a betrayer of the Egyptian people [he supported and apparently still supports the MB to be in charge] to wake up Americans to how some people now see their democratically elected leader.

    • Lord, who is this 'cruel lord and a fierce king' whom You say You will raise up to rule over Egypt for a time (Isaiah 19:4)? Please reveal to us how to pray about this.

  3. We asked God to show us the Egyptian Christians current viewpoint and how they would have us pray.

    • Lord, why are Western leaders insisting on civilian rule being quickly restored in Egypt when the civilian rule of the last government enabled an increase in persecution of both Christians and all others who were not fundamentalist Sunni Muslims?

    • For they shall cry to YHWH because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a deliverer, and a great one, and will deliver them.

      Isaiah 19:20b

      Amen. Do it for those who cry unto You at this time.

    • Help the Church in Egypt send the truth of their situation out to their brothers and sisters in the nations.

    • Open up the eyes of the Western Church to see the real story of our family in Messiah under Islamic rule and to pray outside of their mostly-liberal western mindset.

    • Thank You for all of the para-church organizations that do stand with and help the persecuted church. [For example: Voice of the Martyrs http://www.persecution.com/; Barnabas Fund http://barnabasfund.org/]

    • Encourage Western church leaders to speak up for our family in chains. Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, those who suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. (Hebrews 13:3)

  4. The 'electoral reform bill' that we have been praying about has passed the first reading in the Knesset - Israel's parliament. This will increase the percentage needed to be a Knesset party from 2% to 4%, eliminating small parties that contribute very little to Israel's overall good. It would also raise the number of Knesset members needed to bring forward a non-confidence motion and limit the number of cabinet ministers to a reasonable 18 maximum - thus saving finances and manpower.

    • Abba, since You are not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) but a God who brings order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2-3), we ask for this bill to pass quickly so that the all too often chaotic happenings in the Knesset would end.

    • Thank You Lord for seeing this legislation passed this first hurdle - the preliminary reading in the Knesset.

    • May righteousness reign in Israel's government (Proverbs 14:34).

    • Hasten the day when this promise is fulfilled: And I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. (Isaiah 1:26)

  5. As we did last week, we again prayed for Israel's government ministers by name - asking God to bless and guard them and lead them in paths of righteousness - for His name's sake (Psalm 23:3b).

    • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Protect, defend and use him for Your glory (Psalm 115:1-3).

    • Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon: Impart to him clarity of thinking and planning and surround him with wise advisors (Proverbs 20:18; 24:6).

    • Finance Minister Yair Lapid: Give him all the grace he needs for this very steep learning curve he is on and at the same time hedge in his ego.

    • Trade and Economy Minister and Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett: Guard him in all his ways. Give him an anointing to speak truth concerning the land of Israel and the 'peace' process.

    • Internal Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar: Help him to reform the Interior Ministry

    • Justice Minister Tzipi Livni: Use her in the areas where she is in line with Your will and block all of her efforts that are not.

    • Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz: Give him deep insight concerning all of the current threats facing this nation - especially from Iran.

    • Benny Gantz is the IDF's Chief of Staff

    • Lord, as with the elders of Israel in the wilderness, place Your Spirit on them all. (Numbers 11:16-17)

    • For a list of all current ministers: http://knesset.gov.il/govt/eng/GovtByNumber_eng.asp

  6. The IDF is tasked with an almost impossible job of protecting this nation from all of its enemies - both inside and outside of its borders.

    • We bless and thank You for all of Israel's security forces.

    • We thank You for watching over Your prophetic promise in raising up an exceeding great army from Israel's dry bones in the days following the Holocaust (Ezekiel 37:1-12).

    • Yeshua, Lord of the armies of heaven (Joshua 5:13-6:2; Revelation 19:11-16), we proclaim You as the true Chief of Staff of the IDF.

    • Give wisdom to Ya'alon and Gantz as they have to deal with a decrease in the IDF's budget this year.

    • Help them to cut what needs to be cut - but block them from cutting anything that is needed now.

    • Do not allow any necessary training programs to be hindered or stopped.

    • Lord, we look to You to give courage, strength and grace to the young men and women of the IDF.

    • Keep them alert to all that is happening around them.

    • God, stop any successful kidnapping attempts. We thank You for all the attempts that have been foiled.

    • Anoint Messianic Jews in the IDF to be vessels for Your glory. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

    • We bless You for the increasing number of Israeli Arab Christians who want to serve in the IDF and defend this nation. Use them to provoke Jewish Israelis to jealousy (Romans 11:11).

  7. We specifically prayed for the IDF guarding Israel's northern border - with both Syria and Lebanon.

    • Pour out Your divine caffeine and keep the soldiers on Israel's northern border super alert.

    • Do not allow the enemy to trick, trap or deceive them in anyway.

    • Let Israel's enemies reap what they are trying to sow for this nation. They have prepared a net for my steps…they have dug a pit before me, they have fallen into it. Selah. (Psalms 57:6)

    • We are so grateful that Israel still retains the Golan Heights. Prevent it from ever being given away.

    • Prevent Israel from being dragged into the quicksand of the current Syrian situation.

    • Watch over this promise of Yours which is given in response to corporate prayer (Joel 2:17): I will remove the northern army far from you, and will drive him into a barren and deserted land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his rear toward the western sea. And his stench…his ill odor shall come up, because he was doing great things. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice. For YHWH will do great things. (Joel 2:20-21)

  8. Iran: Time is running out to prevent the Islamic republic of Iran from developing nuclear weapons. If Israel is whom God has appointed to stop this - it needs to be moving on this sooner rather than later.

    • God, intervene and destroy Iran's nuclear ambitions - whatever it takes.

    • I will set My throne in Elam [ancient Iran], and will destroy the king and rulers from there, says YHWH.

      Jeremiah 49:38

    • Lord, thank You for setting Your throne in Iran and saving multitudes. Now fulfill the rest of this word by destroying the authority of the current Islamic king and rulers.

    • Give to Israel's current leadership wisdom and courage to know what to do, and when to do it.

    • Show them that at this time - Israel seems to be the only one willing to do what is needed.

    • Do not allow them to place false hopes in anyone or anything else, except You. Call on Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. (Psalms 50:15)

    • Prepare the IDF to be used in this mission and enable them to think out of the box - to totally surprise and confuse the enemy (Psalm 129:5).

    • If Israel does need to attack, help the attack to be overwhelmingly successful.

    • Abba, You brought us back not to be destroyed, but to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). So we plead with You to arise and protect this nation - for Your holy name's sake (Ezekiel 36:22-23).

  9. We continued to stand on this word that the Lord brought to our attention last week. Using the spiritual principle declared in Luke 11:17-18, we asked God to bring the whole house of Islam down as a fruit of the current 'not-so' civil war raging between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in many Arab/Islamic nations. There is a great danger if you decide to take on the principality of Islam yourself. Please do not do it. Ask God to deal with it.

    • Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. And a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?

      Luke 11:17b-18a

    • Abba, at the same time, have much mercy on Muslims, bringing multitudes out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Your dear Son (Colossians 1:12-13).

  10. We finished by praying for the local body of Messiah throughout Israel. We asked for the shepherds to be anointed in all they do; for encouragement, protection, support and true unity for the whole Body - both Jew and non-Jew; and for a renewed submission to the headship of Yeshua under the leading of the Holy Spirit. We also are exceedingly gratefully that there is a living and growing Body of Messiah in Israel in 2013!

Shabbat shalom, and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13