1. We entered His gates with thanksgiving and praise.

    • Lord Yeshua, thank You for humbling Yourself and becoming a man. For let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)

    • We are awed by the mystery of You being manifest in human flesh that all we can do is praise and thank You for becoming one of us to save us (1 Timothy 3:16).

    • We are so grateful that You care for us (1 Peter 5:7).

    • Thank You for all the snow and water that Israel received this past week.

    • Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful on high, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion…the city of the great King.

      Psalms 48:1-2

  2. This past week, an IDF soldier was killed while driving along Israel's northern border with Lebanon. Although both Lebanese and Israeli sources say that a rogue Lebanese soldier did this, with the extremely chaotic situation in Lebanon and Syria at the present, the potential is for incidents like this to increase. So we prayed into Israel's security in this area.

    • Abba, please bring Your comfort to the dead soldier's family and friends (Psalm 23:4).

    • Help Israel's soldiers to keep supernaturally alert - and warm - during this winter season.

    • We thank You for everyone who watches over Israel's borders.

    • We especially bless You for keeping watch over this nation - day and night, winter and summer, rain, snow or sunshine.

    • Hallelujah! We can always depend on You. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalms 121:4)

    • Lord, enable IDF commanders to release their soldiers to do whatever is necessary to protect this nation, as well as themselves (Isaiah 41:15-16).

    • Protect all of Israel's spies and collaborators in both Lebanon and Syria.

  3. We transitioned from the above to praying for the protection of this whole nation - on all of its borders as well as internally.

    • Hear the Word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the isles afar off, saying, He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep/guard him, as a shepherd keeps his flock.

      Jeremiah 31:10

    • Do as You said, and make the security forces of Israel an exceedingly great army (Ezekiel 37:10).

    • Enable there to be excellent communications between all chains in the IDF's command structure.

    • In Your name, Lord Yeshua, we bless all of those who are guarding this nation at this time.

    • When soldiers enter into Arab villages to apprehend terrorists, let them be as fierce as need be as well as being merciful to the innocent bystanders (Romans 13:3-4).

    • Remove all the politically correct chains from off the army and other security forces so that they can do whatever it takes to protect this nation of Israel and all innocent peoples who live here.

    • Lord, many of these soldiers are still teenagers. Help them to mature quickly, yet do not allow their humanity to be destroyed in the process of dealing with satanically inspired terrorists.

  4. The current government coalition has been dealing with internal shakings recently - especially over the appointment of the next chairman of the very influential Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. While we do not want to see one of the parties to leave, forcing PM Netanyahu to bring the ultra-Orthodox into the government, yet we do trust that as we pray, God's will will prevail.

    • Father God, give to Bibi Netanyahu the courage and wisdom he needs to navigate these rapids while remaining 100% in Your will.

    • May Yours be the deciding vote in who gets to chair this Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

    • Lord, hinder the media from blowing this up as bigger than it really is.

    • Lord, stop the media and opposition from placing all the blame on Netanyahu.

    • Protect him and us him for Your glory (Psalm 80:17).

    • We are so grateful that ultimately the government is upon Your shoulders (Psalm 47:2; 103:19).

    • For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of YHWH of Hosts will do this.

      Isaiah 9:6-7

      Amen!

  5. Iran continues to spin centrifuges, while the nations dither about completing the so-called deal made in Geneva. Although the deal was to halt parts of Iran's nuclear development for six months, since it has not even been signed, Iran has received several months of 'grace' to do with as they wish. Will the deal ever be signed? And if so, will Iran keep it? First, we looked to God.

    • Lord of Hosts, You prophesied that You would set Your throne in Elam, and [would] destroy the king and the rulers from there… (Jeremiah 49:38)

    • We bless You for setting Your throne in the hearts of thousands of Iranians by revealing Your Son, Messiah Yeshua, to them (Colossians 1:12-13).

    • Protect and defend them from the vicious anti-Christ government currently in charge of that nation.

    • Give them wisdom and courage to know when to share about Yeshua and when to remain quiet.

    • Reveal to the Iranian Church its deep connection with Israel and the Jewish people. …it is not you that bears the root [i.e., God's promises to Israel's forefathers], but the root bears you. (Romans 11:18)

    • Hide our family in Messiah from Your enemies as they celebrate Your birth this coming week.

    • We trust that just as You are fulfilling the first part of this word, You will also fulfill the next part.

    • Quicken that day when You take the scepter of authority away from the Spirit of Islam in Iran.

  6. There was a warning this week from the US that Israel might go ahead and attack Iran even in the midst of the six-month Geneva agreement period. We prayed for Israel to be ready to go - or not - at the direction of Israel's God.

    • Lord, impart to Israeli leaders - especially Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ya'alon, and IDF Chief of Staff Gantz - wisdom and courage to do that which You direct them to.

    • While they are not - as far as we know - believers, yet that has never stopped You from speaking to people in the past. So speak clearly to them.

    • Abba, we ask that whatever it is, You will break the 'bow' of Iran (Jeremiah 49:35).

    • Hide and give excellent intel to all of Israel's spies and collaborators in Iran.

    • If Israel attacks, impart courage, wisdom and skill to the pilots, sailors, special forces, etc.

    • Lord, again we aks that You would help Israel's strategists to think out of the box on how to deal with Iran. [The words 'drone attack' came to one of the leaders.]

  7. Many Israelis are attracted to the celebration of Messiah's birth that will happen mid-week. They organize visits to churches, or take in a Christmas Carol concert. Jews in exile might feel threatened by all of this, yet Israeli Jews are confident enough in their identity to experience Christmas and remain secure in their Jewish identity. What a wonderful opportunity for God's Word to go forth and bear fruit in the lives of His people (Isaiah 55:11). Think about this: while many modern worship choruses are 'biblically-lite', many Christmas carols are 'theologically-right'!

    • Lord, bring thousands of Israelis to these celebrations and open up their eyes to their Messiah Yeshua.

    • Make them wonder at why Christians are worshipping 'the King of the Jews' (Matthew 2:1-2).

    • Reveal to Jews throughout the world that the birth of 'Jesus' is a fulfillment of their Hebrew Scriptures.

    • We reject the lie that Yeshua was a Palestinian. We proclaim that He was, is and will always be the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2; 27:37), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5)!

    • Reveal to all Christians who do not see You as still linked to Your people that in the gospels, the birth narratives are overflowing with joy at the fulfillment of all the prophetic promises to Israel that Your birth accomplished (See the birth narratives in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2).

    • Blessed is YHWH, the God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from eternity; that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham, that He would grant to us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

      Luke 1:67-75

  8. We ended by praying for aliyah - the immigration of Jews from exile to Israel.

    • Thank You Lord, that there is a steady flow of Jews who are returning home from the nations yearly.

    • Since aliyah is linked with the sanctification of Your holy name, do whatever it takes to increase the number of Jews returning home. I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the gentiles shall know that I am YHWH…when I shall be sanctified in you [Israel] before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all lands, and will bring you into your own land. (Ezekiel 36:23-24)

    • But before You fully release the hunters (Jeremiah 16:16), bring more of Your people home.

    • Abba, rebuke all Jewish leaders in exile who speak against aliyah.

    • Wake up the Jews in exile who feel threatened by this Christmas season to see that they are in reality 'strangers in a strange land' and it is time for them to return home.

    • Use this season to make all Israelis living outside of Israel - homesick.

    • Use this season to make all Messianic Jews in exile - homesick.

We ended by asking God to protect the Israeli Messianic Body. It is growing numerically, but basically is still a young Body and needs your prayers for protection and maturity, and for God to raise up shepherds after His own heart to guide and disciple His flock.

Thank you for standing in the gap for this nation, the Body here, and for us as we continue to take our watch on Jerusalem's walls.

Shabbat shalom

The IFI team