1. From Shabbat's prophetic portion:

    • Thus says YHWH: If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not given the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, then I will cast away the seed of Jacob, and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will bring back their captivity, and have mercy on them.

      Jeremiah 33:25-26

    • We bless You Lord, for Your mercy which endures forever.

    • For as you [gentiles] also then disbelieved God, but now have been shown mercy through their [Jews] disbelief, even so these also have not believed now, so that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy. For God has shut up all in unbelief, so that He might show mercy to all.

      Romans 11:30-32

    • We confess that it is Your mercy that makes Israel and island of sanity in the midst of a chaotic Middle East - and for that we thank and praise You.

  2. In line with 1 Timothy 2:1-4, we began by praying for Israel's government, especially Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. In Davos, at the World Economic Forum, Bibi said to many of the world leaders gathered there that Israel is not what is wrong with the Middle East - but what is right!

    • Abba, bless Netanyahu with all the health and strength he needs to do all You have raised him up for (Psalm 80:17).

    • Give him a sound mind and peaceful soul.

    • Bless his family and their personal relationships one to another.

    • Yeshua, if he does not know You, remove the veil and reveal Yourself to him quickly (Acts 2:37-40).

    • As per Proverbs 21:1, turn his heart to be in tune with Yours.

    • Be his shield against all satanic attacks. Lord, how my foes have increased! Many are the ones who rise up against me. Many are saying of my soul, there is no help for him in God. Selah. But You, O YHWH, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter of my head. (Psalms 3:1-3)

    • Impress upon him the things that are vital for him to deal with and help him to delegate all other issues.

    • Surround him with wise, godly advisors and protect him from all others. Without wisdom, purposes are defeated, but by many wise men they are established. (Proverbs 15:22)

  3. We prayed next for Netanyahu's relationship with leaders from nations who are supposed to be Israel's friends - yet who pressure Israel to do things that are against God's will.

    • Lord, we thank and praise You for the current governments in Canada and Australia which are proving to be a huge blessing, encouragement and support to Israel and Israel's current leadership at this time.

    • Based on Genesis 12:3b, we ask You to bless these nations and these governments, abundantly.

    • Meanwhile, protect Bibi and Israel from all its other so-called 'friends'.

    • Shield this nation from all manipulation coming from the Obama administration and US Secretary of State Kerry's obsessive attempts to 'make peace' between Israel and the Palestinians (Numbers 23:23).

    • We thank You for how often Netanyahu has spoken truth to Western leaders and ask that You would encourage him to continue to do that - regardless of whether they want to hear it or not. …for the Law shall go forth out of Zion, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:2b)

    • Are leaders deceived by You because they have rejected Your truth? (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11) If so, have mercy and shake some of them out of their dangerous delusions.

    • Lord, You see how the EU is putting pressure on Israeli settlements and settlers, even penalizing those who live in what they call 'the occupied territories' by decreasing pensions due them. This is wickedness. Do not allow this to continue. Arise, O YHWH; let not man be strong. 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)

    • Wake up the EU Church to see how dangerous the path that their leaders are taking them is (Joel 3:1-2).

    • We ask the same for the American Church and all other national church bodies whose leadership stand against that which You are doing with all of Your heart and soul (Jeremiah 32:41).

  4. The previous topic for prayer led us to intercede for the whole Israeli settlement/settler situation. As most of you know, these settlers in the so-called 'occupied territories' are in the exact places to where God has promise to bring Israel back (Jeremiah 31:5-6 'Samaria'; Zechariah 12:2-9 'Jerusalem and Judea'; Obadiah 1:17 'possess their possessions'; Amos 9:14-15 'planted, never to be uprooted again'.)

    • Thank You that we know from Your Word that You are supporting the resettling of Your land by Your people (Ezekiel 36:1ff).

    • Help the 'settlers' in their response to all the attacks upon them - physical, legal, media, etc. - to respond in a righteous manner. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a shame to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

    • Lord, since this resettling is Your doing, protect them from all harm (Jeremiah 31:10).

    • Messiah Yeshua, draw them closer to Yourself at this time (Zechariah 12:10).

    • We bless all the government ministers who do support the total resettling of Your land.

    • Encourage and strengthen them, and give them wisdom from above to deal with all adversities.

    • Thank You for Netanyahu's insistence in keeping many of the settlements.

  5. The Jordan Valley has recently become an area of contention. Israel insists on maintaining at least a military presence to protect it from infiltration from the east. The Palestinians are equally insistent that not one Israeli - or Jew - will remain in the future state of 'Palestine'. Yet there are about 5,000 Israeli civilians who live and work there, making this area of the desert blossom and bear fruit. Defense Minister Ya'alon is one of the few government ministers who insists that these civilians need to stay there as well.

    • Lord, what You have planted, guard and grow.

    • You said Israel's border would be from the Jordan. Watch over Your word. And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the end of it shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with the borders of it all around. (Numbers 34:12; cp. Ezekiel 47:18)

    • Thank You for DM Ya'alon. Increase his influence in this government and enable him and Bibi to walk in very close unity with each other.

    • Although this border has been relatively quiet and safe, do not allow the IDF to become lethargic there.

    • Yeshua, we know that You walked there, as You passed through Jericho several times. King Messiah, please walk through this area again, opening up blind eyes of both Jews and Arabs living there.

  6. Israel's security was next on our prayer list. In the north, on the Lebanon and Syria/Golan borders, Hizbullah and the radical Sunni Muslim forces - basically grouped under the Al Qaeda tag- are fighting against each other, yet all have a goal of destroying Israel. Along the Gaza/Sinai border, rockets were flying into Israel over the past several weeks, but after some very harsh responses from the Israeli Air Force, Hamas has been seen patrolling the Gaza border to prevent other terrorists from firing on Israel. There are also attempts, both in the north and south, to dig tunnels into Israel to kidnap Israelis - soldiers or civilians.

    • Lord, expose all tunnels and help Israel to destroy them.

    • Give Israeli scientists wisdom to develop cutting-edge technology that finds all tunnels quickly.

    • Prevent, at all costs, any successful kidnapping attempts.

    • Confound, confuse and divide Hizbullah and Al Qaeda. YHWH is righteous; He cuts off the cords of the wicked. Let all who hate Zion be ashamed, confounded and turned back. Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which dries up before it grows up. (Psalms 129:4-6)

    • Abba, deal with and destroy all armies to Israel's north that are threatening it (Joel 2:17-21).

    • Are You gathering Al Qaeda nearer to Israel so that Israel can destroy it (Micah 4:11-13)? If so, show us how to pray.

    • Lord, we thank You for guarding Israel (Psalm 121:4).

    • Continue to guard over it from all rocket attacks from Gaza.

    • We bless You for continuing to divide the house of Islam. Bring it to total ruin (Luke 11:17) and save multitudes of Muslims.

    • Let terrorists, wherever they may be, fall into the net that they set for the innocent (Psalm 35:8).

    • Thank You for every Syrian who has been treated in Israeli hospitals and ends up with eyes opened and words of praise - recognizing that Israel and the Jews are not their enemy. Hallelujah!

    • Anoint Israel's army, air force and navy to protect this nation from all forces of the enemy.

    • Lord, watch over all of Israel's borders, including the Mediterranean seacoast - for Your holy name's sake. And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, YHWH will be magnified upon [or beyond] the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:5)

  7. The P5+1 Geneva deal with Iran has become a source of great confusion - as the P5+1 nations say that Iran must stop enrichment and dismantle centrifuges, while Iran says, 'No way. That is not what we agreed on!' Meanwhile, sanctions are being lifted and Iran has been welcomed back into the family of nations. This is very dangerous on many levels - to Israel, the Arab nations and to the West.

    • Lord, quickly disannul this 'covenant with death and agreement with hell' (Isaiah 28:14-19).

    • Make it super obvious that Iran is playing games with the P5+1 leaders.

    • Somehow, use this totally differing interpretation of the deal to wake up at least some Western leaders from their delusionary states.

    • Continue to save multitudes of Iranians (Jeremiah 49:38a).

    • Lord, earthquakes would be a great way to swallow up all of Iran's nuclear facilities without causing ecological damage to the whole Middle East. And since You have done something similar with Korah, Dathan and Abiram, in the wilderness… (Numbers 16:23-34).

    • With this deal supposedly enacted for the next six months, please guide Israel's leaders to know what they need to do to protect this nation from the existential Iranian threat.

  8. Towards the end of January, US Secretary of State Kerry is to return to lay out his framework agreement for peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Neither Israel nor the PA is happy with the proposal and this definitely will not end the conflict. Hamas in Gaza have already stated that they will not agree to anything less than the total destruction of the nation of Israel. Yet Kerry is - as Ya'alon said - obsessed with this goal.

    • Lord, arise! This is a plan to divide Your land that You have given to Your people for Your glory!

    • Hedge Kerry in. If possible, prevent him from returning anytime soon.

    • Break all demonic strongholds over this man that causes him to be so obsessed with this 'peace'.

    • Wake up Kerry to his Jewish background. May this begin to really mean something to him.

    • Make Bibi and Ya'alon like those stubborn and stiff-necked Jews of old, as they deal with America.

    • Continue to harden the hearts of all of the PA leaders just as You did with Pharaoh and for the same goal. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth. (Romans 9:17).

  9. We start Intercessors for Israel's 30th International Prayer Conference, Jerusalem, this coming Monday evening. We will be attempting to bring you a video update every day, starting Tuesday. Please check either our website or your e-mails for notifications of when they are posted. We need your prayer covering for this week, plus for the 5 day Prayer tour after which will focus on Jerusalem.

    • Lord, everyone whom You have decreed to be here - bring here - regardless of weather conditions.

    • Bless everyone who is coming to stand in the gap for this nation, sacrificing time and finances (1 Samuel 2:30).

    • Give the leadership team open ears to hear You clearly (John 10:27).

    • Enable the whole congregation to guard the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3), and not be deceived by any other so-called unity that is of man, or Satan.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion - the IFI Team

Note: Our next Friday Prayer Alert will be on February 14th.