Every three months IFI has a prayer meeting at a location in the North of the country. This week's prayer points are based on the gathering held in the Galilee town of Karmiel at Kehilat HaDerekh ("The Way" Congregation). As we were on the way to lead the meeting we learned of two terror attacks this afternoon in Israel and the murder of five Israelis.

  1. A couple of days had passed since the previous attack, thus provoking the question, "Is it over?" Again it was no surprise that the wave of terrorism had not stopped. Yet we know that God is not taken by surprise by today's events and He is still watching over Israel. We began the prayer meeting proclaiming and singing Psalm 121:

    A song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

    • Lord, after this difficult day in Israel You are still on Your throne.

    • Thank You that You neither slumber nor sleep.

    • You are the source of our help. You are our keeper, our shade at our right hand.

    • You are Lord most high, the holy Lamb, the all-powerful King. Who is like You. You are the greatest!

    • O give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His mercy endures forever.

      Psalm 136:1

  2. Israel's government - How should they respond to these murders? We believe that God wants the government to deal with this situation and to put His plan into action through the government, specifically Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his senior colleagues.

    • First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come the knowledge of the truth.

      1 Timothy 2:1-4

    • Put Your ideas, Lord, into the minds of our leaders so they will know what to do and what to say.

    • Thank You, Lord, that if You can speak through a donkey (to Balaam in Numbers 22:28-30) You can surely speak through our Prime Minister.

    • Thank You that Prime Minister Netanyahu reads the Bible. Speak to him through Your word.

    • Thank You that the government is on Your shoulders. (Isaiah 9:6)

    • Of the increase of (Your) government and peace, there will be no end.

      Isaiah 9:7

    • We have no answers and even Israel's government have no answers. Give us Your answers.

    • O my God, I trust in You. Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me. (Psalm 25:2) Don't let our enemies triumph over us.

    • Lord, You appointed Mr Netanyahu to be Israel's Prime Minister. You have authority over his heart. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; like the rivers of water He turns it wherever he wishes. (Proverbs 21:1)

    • Put a good team of ministers around Mr Netanyahu who will support Your purposes for Israel and work in unity rather than playing political games to further their own careers or pursue narrow interests.

    • Give us ministers who will be instruments in Your hands, who understand the holy work they have been called to and will seek Your wisdom for the way Israel should go.

    • If there are those who are not willing to work in this way, change their hearts or replace them with others who are willing to be used by You.

  3. Security Forces - So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land… (Ezekiel 22:30) The role of the police and soldiers and all the security services is just this - to stand in the gap on behalf of the rest of the population. Many of the attacks in recent weeks have been against those in uniform. These (mostly) young men and women make themselves a target when they wear their uniform.

    • Thank You for those appointed to guard the nation standing in the gap for us.

    • Help the rest of the population to encourage, bless, exhort and even watch over them.

    • Protect them with Your angelic protection round about them.

    • Give them soundness of mind, courage and alertness despite any fear they may experience.

    • Guard them against complacency or drowsiness. May they neither slumber nor sleep when they are on duty.

    • Guard them also against panic reactions to their fears.

    • Give supernatural insight regarding those who are planning to commit attacks.

    • Give wisdom to those in authority to know where to place their forces to snuff out all danger.

    • Give wisdom regarding the use of security cameras both to prevent terror and identify those who seek to commit murder.

  4. Terror in the Nations - France has been devastated by the horrific attacks of last Friday night. Part of the reaction has been a sharp response from her President Hollande that France is at war with ISIS. Many in the world have responded with wholly appropriate expressions of support for the victims and their families, for France and for the French people. However, when terror strikes in Israel there is not this kind of response. Sweden's Foreign Minister made an outrageous comment linking the attacks to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. How much will these events be taken as a wake-up call to the people of the West who have been asleep while Islam has moved in and built a platform for Radical Islam to begin to seize control?

    • Thank You for the strong response of President Hollande. May he do what he needs to do in response to these terrible attacks.

    • Cause a huge reaction in Sweden to the words of the Foreign Minister. Raise up those willing to confront her with the wickedness of her remarks so she will retract her words and maybe even be caused to resign.

    • Wake up Your people among the nations to the real dangers of Islam in their midst. While most prefer to hide their heads in the sand, let a remnant of Your Church be willing to see the truth.

    • Let the Church recognize the double standards which do not acknowledge that the same violence is perpetrated against Israel on a regular basis. And as a result cause many more to come behind Israel in support.

    • And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

      John 8:32

  5. Aliyah - The Paris attacks appear to be yet another sign that God has released the hunters to cause the Jewish people to come home to Israel. (Jeremiah 16:16) The number of Jews making Aliyah from France was already expected to be a lot more than last year. Israel is the only safe place for the Jewish people to make their home. It is also the place where God promises to cleanse His people from their sins, give them a new heart, causing Israel and the nations around them will recognize the Lord for who He is. (Ezekiel 36 especially verses 25,26,36,38)

    • Lord, call Your people from the north, the south, the east and the west.

    • Let the Jewish people respond to Your call, recognizing that they have no other home but Israel.

    • Cause nations to release their hold on the Jewish people helping them to return home without driving them out. (Ezra 1:1-4)

    • Inspire many in the Church to urge and support and encourage and give and exhort the Jews to return home. …and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. (Isaiah 49:22)

    • Stir their hearts. By the waters of Babyon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion…How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1,4)

    • Pray for the Jews dwelling by the waters of Paris and London, New York, Cape Town, Melbourne, and Berlin etc., etc., etc. to weep when they remember Zion.

  6. Unity in the Body of believers - Over the years it has been easier for Arab and Jewish believers in Yeshua to live and work and worship together in the Galilee than in other parts of the country. In recent years, however, this has become more difficult as various pressures have worked to keep Jews and Arabs apart. In particular Arab believers have been deceived into emphasizing their national identity as "Palestinians" and encouraged to aspire to being part of a Palestinian state. This has inevitably promoted a weakening of their understanding of the authority of the Bible.

    • For He Himself is our peace, Who has made us both one… that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace.

      Ephesians 2:14-15

    • Lord, bring Your people into true unity, not bland co-existence, but unity based on Your truth, Your word, Your person.

    • Expose the lies of Nationalism and Liberation Theology which are leading Your people astray.

    • Raise up and strengthen those who will be willing to confront the lies.

    • By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

      John 13:35

  7. Salvation of Israel - Towards the end of the meeting in Karmiel we learned that some members of the anti-missionary and anti-Yeshua organization, Yad L'Achim, were outside the doors, seeking to prevent people from attending the meeting. We prayed for them as well as for the salvation of all Israel.

    • May they know You. Touch their hearts and reveal Yourself to them, for the glory of Your name!

    • Lord have mercy!

    • …All Israel will be save, as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob, and this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins.

      Romans 11:26-27

    • Pray for different specific groups in Israeli society to be saved as well as the religious zealots of Yad L'Achim.

Shabbat Shalom from the IFI team