1. We read these verses from this Shabbat's prophetic portion.

    • Thus says the Lord YHWH: When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and have been sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely in it, and shall build houses and plant vineyards. Yes, they shall dwell safely when I have executed judgments on all those who despise them all around them; and they shall know that I am YHWH their God.

      Ezekiel 28:25-26

    • Thank You for doing that which You have declared (Jeremiah 1:12).

    • We bless You for Your steadfast love which is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

    • Hallelujah - You never change (Malachi 3:6)! Therefore we can trust in You at all times regardless of our outward situations.

    • What a privilege it is to be called into Your kingdom at a time like this. Thank You precious Lord.

  2. We started with intercession for Israel's internal security. This past week has seen an IDF civilian worker, an Israeli Bedouin, killed on the Gaza border, a stabbing attack against an Israeli policeman, numerous rock attacks on cars and an attempt to blow up a bus with a bomb. The alertness of a passenger and the driver prevented this from being a disaster.

    • Abba, we look to You to defend this people (Psalm 121:4; 124:1-8).

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

      Jeremiah 31:10

    • Enable Israel's security forces to be on heightened alert (Isaiah 41:14-16).

    • Do not allow them to take any situation for granted.

    • Move the security forces around so that they will be in the right place at the right time.

    • Lord, 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.

  3. We next prayed for Israel's leadership to do whatever it takes to defend this nation.

    • God of Israel, impart to Israel's leaders the anointing, discernment, strategy and tactics that are needed.

    • Give them courage to make the hard decisions in order to protect this nation at this time (Joshua 1:6).

    • Remove any and all 'politically correct' restrains from them in defending Israel from its enemies.

    • Make Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ya'alon and IDF Chief of Staff Gantz, a strong threefold cord (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

    • Give them and the rest of the responsible authorities, unity of purpose.

    • Remove all desire to be either a man pleaser - or a nation pleaser (Proverbs 29:25).

    • Speak into their spirits, YHWH is for me, I will not fear; what can man do to me? YHWH is for me among those who help me; and I will see my desire on those who hate me. (Psalms 118:6-7)

    • Protect Israel's leaders from all satanic attacks - either physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.

    • Watch over this word at this time: And 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)

    • Lord, give PM Netanyahu fresh anointing to resist the demonic plans of the US administration and yet to be able to not alienate either the Congress or the American public.

  4. This coming week, more terrorist murderers are supposed to be released to keep the Palestinians at the negotiating table. As with the previous two releases, the government will announce new building permits in the 'settlements' - areas of consensus that Israel will keep regardless of the outcome of any 'peace' deal. While all of this was agreed upon between Israel, the US and the Palestinians, now the US, the EU and the Palestinians are threatening Israel - if it goes ahead with what was already agreed!!

    • Lord, thank You for all of the building that is going on in areas surrounding Jerusalem (Psalm 147:2).

    • Abba, we are grieved with all of this - as the world wants to reward murderers and penalize Jews for building in areas that You have declared are to be an inheritance to Your people. He has remembered His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations; the covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac; and He confirmed it to Jacob for a Law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance; (Psalms 105:8-11)

    • Help Israel to both build and to punish in line with Your will - and not the will of the nations (Genesis 9:5-6: Psalm 33:10-11).

    • Give boldness to the government to accept the Levy Report on the legal right of Israel to all of the land.

    • Lord, let Your Spirit rest on Netanyahu as he defends this nation's rights to live and grow (Isaiah 11:2).

  5. Rumors are that US Secretary of State Kerry will return to Israel in January with an outline for a peace agreement and that he will then pressure Israel and the Palestinians into signing. Besides the arrogance he has already shown, the negotiations have gotten nowhere. Yet pressure from the US - or any other nation - usually falls heaviest on Israel. According to God's will as revealed in His Word, any deal that will divide this land is not of Him and brings nations that try it into the valley of His judgment (Joel 3:1-2).

    • Lord, defend this Your land - for Your holy name's sake (Ezekiel 36).

    • Abba, we are asking for a response from heaven concerning this demonic attempt to divide Your land.

    • The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is Mine. For you are strangers and pilgrims with Me.

      Leviticus 25:23

    • We thank You that the Golan Heights was never traded to Syria for peace.

    • We grieve that the Gaza Strip was given away and the result has been anything but peace!

    • Lord Yeshua, all authority is in Your hands (Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:9-11). Please block Obama, Kerry and all other 'well-meaning' but deceived Western leaders from pressing Israel to divide Your land.

    • We ask You to guard over the Jordan valley communities and let them remain, grow and be encouraged.

    • Arise, YHWH; let not man prevail. Let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, YHWH, that the nations know they are but men. Selah.

      Psalms 9:19-20

    • Open the eyes of the Church to see what You call this land in the New Testament (Matthew 2:20-21)!

  6. With that last prayer in mind, we turned to the disastrous inroads that Palestinian Liberation theory has made in the Western Church. It is accepted by those who believe in Replacement theory, as well as by those who have been misled into thinking they must make a choice between the fulfillment of prophecy or social justice. Yet if God cannot do both at the same time, then He is not God! And if He can, then the restoration of Israel must be what is best for the Palestinians as well.

    • Lord, cleanse Your temple from this anti-biblical, anti-historical, point of view (1 Peter 4:17).

    • This teaching is an attack against the revelation of Your character as revealed in Your Word. Therefore Lord - arise! Take the field against Your enemies (Psalm 68:1).

    • Protect Your sheep from the false prophets who are preaching this heresy (Matthew 7:15-27).

    • Abba, challenge these people that they are not submitting to Your word, but exalting their own thinking (Proverbs 28:4-5).

    • Lord, show Your sheep that they need to believe Your Word over all that the media says or shows.

    • For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we shall see light.

      Psalms 36:9

      Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

      Psalms 119:105

    • Yeshua, use ex-Muslim believers to reveal the demonic deception of the replacement and the Palestinian Liberation theories.

    • Release true shepherds from being manipulated by fame, fortune or power.

    • Give insight to the Church concerning its grafted-in nature with Israel. Do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, it is not you that bears the root, but the root bears you. (Romans 11:18)

  7. PA President Abbas declared this week that Jesus was a Palestinian. So far, there has been a lot of silence from the Church - yet there has been a reaction from a number of Jewish Israelis, including the Foreign Ministry, which said that it was obvious that Abbas has not read the gospels. We have seen this before, where Jews start defending Jesus' Jewishness in the face of historical revisionism. Please pray that God will honor this defense of His Son, by revealing to many Jews that Yeshua is not only a Jew, but He is also Messiah, Savior and Lord (Romans 8:28).

  8. 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?

    • Lord, strengthen us as we continue to take our stand against this very real threat from the spirit of Persia.

    • Abba, this is an attack against Your Word, Your land and Your people. Therefore, we cry unto You as the Psalmist did: Keep not silence, O God. Do not be speechless. Do not be still…Behold, Your enemies roar. Those who hate You have exalted themselves. They take shrewd counsel against Your people, plotting against [them], declaring, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, so that the name Israel may be remembered no more. (Psalms 83:1-4)

    • Be glorified as God Almighty, and deal sovereignly with this nuclear threat.

    • Lord of Hosts, break Iran's 'bow' and destroy the 'king and princes' (Jeremiah 49:35, 38).

    • Abba, dry up the funds of all the companies that are still doing business with this terrorist state.

    • Empower Israel's leadership to know how to deal with this threat if indeed, You want to use the IDF as Your weapon of war and battle-axe (Jeremiah 51:20).

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

    • 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).

    • 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)

  9. Intercessors for Israel's 30th annual International Prayer Conference Jerusalem is exactly a month away. Many of the leaders are already meeting weekly to share and pray about what God is saying to us. There is also a good number of our brothers and sisters from the nations who have already registered to be here - standing in the gap as we start another 'exciting' year in Israel. We prayed:

    • Lord, this is Your conference. Take total control of every aspect.

    • Help both the leadership team and the congregation do all that You have on Your program.

    • Prevent us from touching anything that is not to be dealt with at this time, in this place.

    • Make us all like the children of Issachar, who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do… (1 Chronicles 12:32b)

    • According to Your Word in James 1:5, we ask for Your wisdom for all aspects of the conference, especially on what to minister and how to lead in prayer.

    • Lord, bring everyone whom You have chosen to be here at this time and keep away all for whom You have a different assignment.

    • Provide protection in all areas for all the congregation and leaders.

    • Draw many from the 'next generation' to be here - especially from the Israeli Body.

Thank you for standing in the gap for this nation, the Israeli Body, and for IFI.

Shabbat shalom from the IFI team

O YHWH, You have been gracious to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sins. Selah.

Psalms 85:1-2