1. The opening verses of Shabbat's prophetic portion are very fitting to the current world chaos.

    • Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of YHWH has risen on you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but YHWH shall rise on you, and His glory shall be seen on you.

      Isaiah 60:1-2

    • Lord Yeshua, You are the light of the world and have become our light. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

    • Thank You for giving us Your Spirit who opens our eyes to see more clearly (Psalm 119:18).

    • We bless You for Your Word - which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

    • But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you. For you know that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they shall say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But you are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you…You are all the sons of light and the sons of the day. We are not of the night, or of darkness.

      1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

  2. With the Gaza war halted - at least for now - the government coalition is back to life as usual - bickering, backbiting, and striving for political gain. Israel needs leaders who truly want what is best for the nation and not for what is best for their political careers.

    • I will also make your overseers to be peace, and your rulers to be righteousness.

      Isaiah 60:17b

    • Lord, strengthen and encourage Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu (Psalm 80:17).

    • As needed, give him the courage to exercise the authority legally mandated to him as PM.

    • Continue to protect Bibi's relationship with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon.

    • Abba, as Israel is preparing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with Israelis trying to get right with You and with man, use this time to convict the coalition members of their pride and infighting.

    • Only by pride comes contention, but with those who take advice is wisdom.

      Proverbs 13:10

    • Lord, arise and hinder all enemy attempts to fracture this current Israeli governing body.

    • Thank You for President Ruby Rivlin. Continue to use him to minister to the nation as a whole.

    • God, arise and muzzle the Israeli left-wing press from pouring fuel on the fire.

  3. Even with all of the recent crises - Israel's war against Hamas, increased anti-Semitism and now the US' declared war against IS [aka ISIS, ISIL] - we dare not take our eyes off the most serious threat to both Israel and the West, which is Iran's march towards nuclear weaponry.

    • Abba, we prefer for You to arise and deal with this sovereignly. You hinted that that is what You would do, so we remind You of Jeremiah 49:35. Thus says YHWH of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

    • Concerning Iran's wicked leadership, Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; also let those who hate Him flee before Him…Lord, scatter the people who delight in war. (Psalms 68:1, 30)

    • Continue to stir up one Islamic group against another, as You continue to confound all who hate Zion (Psalm 129:5).

    • Use their arrogance and pride to trip them up. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

    • Use their warring against each other to bring down the stronghold of Islam (Luke 11:17).

    • As Haman was hung on the gallows he prepared for the Jew Mordecai (Esther 7:10) - in ancient Persia [modern day Iran] - so 'hang' Iran's leaders on their nuclear program.

    • However You do it, watch over this word: I will set My throne in Elam [Iran], and will destroy the king and the rulers from there, says YHWH. (Jeremiah 49:38)

    • If You want to use the IDF to destroy this nuclear threat, please prepare it for battle (Psalm 140:7).

    • Help Bibi to continue to hit arrows on the ground concerning an Iranian nuke (2 Kings 13:18).

  4. We next prayed for the IDF, which had a very strenuous and tense - but victorious summer. While many Israelis disagreed with the government's decision to halt the war against Hamas, most felt that the IDF did great.

    • Lord, we thank You for the IDF - a literal fulfillment of Your prophetic promise (Ezekiel 37:10).

    • Watch over the relationship of IDF Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, with both Bibi and Ya'alon.

    • We were blessed by how You enabled all of the various branches of the military to work together.

    • Draw them into an even closer working relationship (Psalm 133:1; Ezekiel 37:21-22).

    • Encourage the commanders and the soldiers who wanted to go further and finish off Hamas.

    • Lord, as the IDF has started to investigate itself concerning possible 'war crimes', we ask that the truth would be revealed and that Your will alone will prevail (Proverbs 18:21).

    • Comfort all families who lost soldiers in the recent war (Isaiah 40:1; 49:14-21).

    • Restore the soldiers who are still recovering in the hospital.

    • For any IDF warriors who are now facing a life handicapped because of war injuries, draw them to Yourself and reveal Messiah Yeshua to each one (John 6:44).

  5. Just before Rosh Hashanah, [25th of Sept.] cease-fire talks with Hamas are supposed to begin. So far, we are no closer to a deal than we were when this battle began better than two months ago. So we prayed for Israel and the IDF to be ready for - whatever!

    • Place your limits on how far the Israeli government should go to facilitate an end of hostilities.

    • Give wisdom, clarity and courage to all leaders - both in the government and in the IDF.

    • Lord, give to the IDF a fresh set of targets in the event of a renewal of fighting.

    • Violence [Heb: hamas] will no more be heard in your land, wasting nor ruin within your borders; but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.

      Isaiah 60:18

    • Refresh the soldiers as well. I laid down and slept. I awoke, for YHWH kept me. (Psalms 3:5)

    • Do not allow their frustration with how the war ended impact any future battles.

    • Abba, reveal any further terror tunnels, whether any that were missed or are being rebuilt.

    • Dry up all of Hamas' weapons supplies.

    • Use the Egyptian army to be part of the solution as they shut down weapons traffic from the Sinai.

    • Based on Isaiah 2:4, we ask for You to severely rebuke Hamas' leadership.

  6. Israel needs to pass a budget by the end of the year or the government falls, and we go to new elections. Because of Operation Protective Edge, the military budget needs to be increased, yet most of the other ministries will need to take a cut. This can be a very tricky political hot potato for Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Netanyahu to tackle.

    • Lord, we bless and thank You for giving Israel one of the strongest economies in the world today.

    • …[Remember] YHWH your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, so that He may confirm His covenant which He has sworn to your fathers, as it is today.

      Deuteronomy 8:18

    • Lord, may the new budget provide for all of the IDF's needs - to resupply, to develop new weapons, to keep career soldiers in the command structure, etc.

    • Yet we do ask that the IDF would find and eliminate all waste. For bronze I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver; and for wood I will bring bronze, and for stones, iron. (Isaiah 60:17a)

    • Abba, overrule all decisions so that Your counsel prevails concerning this budget.

    • Surround Lapid with wise financial counselors and may he not be hesitant to talk with Netanyahu, who has lots of wisdom re: financial strategy.

    • Lord, may righteousness prevail over both the process and the final outcome (Proverbs 14:34).

    • The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says YHWH of Hosts.

      Haggai 2:8

      Amen.

  7. Aliyah, the return of Jews to their land and nation, is biblically connected with God's glory. This is the reason why we continually ask God to bring His people home.

    • Fear not; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not keep back; bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone who is called by My name; for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yes, I have made him.

      Isaiah 43:5-7

    • Lord, you indicated that Jews living in exile outside of this land are in some way profaning Your name (Ezekiel 36:20-21). You also said, that for Your holy name's sake You would bring Your people home (Ezekiel 36:23-24). Therefore, God be glorified by increasing the number of Jews returning to Israel this very season.

    • Our heavenly Father. We want Your name to be sanctified by Your kingdom coming and Your will being done on earth - as it is already done in heaven. So increase the aliyah as this is tied in with the sanctification of Your name.

    • Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands where I have driven them in My anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath. And I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely…Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will truly plant them in this land with all My heart and all My whole soul.

      Jeremiah 32:37, 41

    • Lord, move upon Jews in areas of increased anti-Semitic actions, that now is a great time to move home - France, Ukraine, the UK, Germany, Turkey and even America.

    • Lord Yeshua, what will it take for Your brothers and sister, the Messianic Jews living in exile, to stop saying 'Next year in Jerusalem,' and begin to hear You beckoning them home.

    • Work a deep longing in their hearts for Jerusalem during this feast season (Psalm 137:5-6).

    • Somehow switch the default position in their thinking to see that according to the Word, Your will is for them to be here, therefore Israel needs to be their goal unless You tell them to stay! [Praise report. Two individuals very close to the IFI team received their Israeli citizenship yesterday!]

  8. Our final topic for intercession was the disturbing rise of violence in Jerusalem - from the Arab sector against the state. It is very noticeable on the Temple Mount, but also in many Arab areas that are next to primarily Jewish neighborhoods in the capital.

    • Lord, we thank You for the Israeli police and ask that You would help them to keep the 'peace'.

    • Show them how to stop any potentially dangerous situation before it gains momentum.

    • We specifically ask for Your wisdom, courage and protection for the police in Jerusalem's Old City.

    • Enable the city leaders to line up with the godly government description that Paul gives in Romans 13:3-4. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to bad…For if you practice evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is a servant of God, a revenger for wrath on him who does evil.

    • Give Mayor Nir Barkat courage to speak out and act out against this current increase in riots.

    • Abba, are You trying to say something through this increase in violence? Speak, for we want to hear.

Thank you and blessings from the city of the Great King.

Shabbat shalom

The IFI team