1. Tomorrow is the Shabbat of Repentance, the Shabbat in the midst of the Days of Awe – between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Micah 7:18-20 is one of several prophetic portions which are read.

    • Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not keep His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will turn again; He will have pity on us. He will subdue our iniquities. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob, and covenant love to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

      Micah 7:18-20

    • We confess that there is none like You. You alone are God (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 86:10).

    • Since You never change (Malachi 3:6), You are always willing to forgive our sins.

    • Bless You for turning unto us and for turning us back unto You (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19; Lamentations 5:21).

    • We are so grateful that You "subdue our iniquities."

    • Our God is merciful, full of grace, slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6-7).

    • Hallelujah, for the steadfast love of our Lord never ceases (Lamentations 3:22-23).

  2. We began by interceding for Israel's government (1 Timothy 2:1-4), in particular, with an eye on the increasingly dangerous situations on Israel's immediate borders.

    • Abba, we ask for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to be in complete unity concerning what Israel needs to do and not do at this time.

    • Make them a strong three-fold cord (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

    • Be the fourth man in their midst (Daniel 3:24-25).

    • Give them clear wisdom and guidance from Your throne (Psalm 103:19).

    • With their hearts in Your hand (Proverbs 21:1), turn their minds in the direction of Your perfect will.

    • You have not brought us back to be slaughtered (Jeremiah 31:10), therefore impart to all responsible Israeli leaders guidance for Israel's safety and prosperity.

    • Lord, we need a miracle, so we ask You to please bring unity into the security cabinet and draw these politicians into a kind of one accord that is both guided and guarded by You (Psalm 133:1-3).

    • Aid the security cabinet members to lay down their egos and work together for Israel's sake.

    • Abba, there are damaged relationships between some of these folks. Convict them over this Shabbat of Repentance to make things right as they enter into Yom Kippur the following week (Matthew 5:21-24).

    • Give the IDF wisdom as to what intelligence they should pass on to the security cabinet and what would just end up being "information overload".

    • Guard Israeli leaders from the world's pressure telling them to refrain from doing what is needed to protect this nation (Zechariah 10:5).

    • And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will return to save them; for I have pity on them. And they shall be as though I had not cast them off; for I am YHWH their God, and I will answer them.

      Zechariah 10:6

  3. The situation on Israel's northern and northeastern borders has become even more chaotic and dangerous recently. Russia's move into Syria, and the lack of any real resistance from America, or the rest of the West, has made this Syrian quagmire more deadly in itself and more dangerous for Israel.

    • Lord, is the destruction of Damascus that we see today that which we read about in Isaiah 17:1, or in Jeremiah 49:23-27, or is it both?

    • Please show us so that we know how better to pray in line with Your will (Amos 3:7).

    • Reveal to Israeli intelligence Russia's plans and goals in the Middle East.

    • Continue to confound all armies and terrorist groups who hate Zion (Psalm 35:26; 129:5).

    • You who are the Guardian of Israel (Psalm 121:4), protect its borders with Lebanon and Syria.

    • Keep the IDF super alert to all that is happening across those borders (Isaiah 41:10-16).

    • Hinder all kidnapping attempts.

    • Give Israel the wisdom to know when and how to respond to all incursions whether by missile or man.

    • We again ask for the Kurds to be protected, to be blessed and to receive a true revelation of Yeshua.

  4. This past week the American State Department and the White House both strongly condemned Israeli building plans for less than 100 homes in Shiloh. This bitter response from our "friend" for only wanting to build homes for Jews in a land that has been ours for better than 3,000 years, was way over the top! Add to that, Obama's statements when in Jerusalem for Peres' funeral and it looks like Israel is facing a lame-duck president with evil intent. Rumors are that Obama will either present a resolution to the UN Security Council, or not veto a UNSC resolution, against Israeli settlements – which to the world is all the territory God restored to Israel 50 years ago in the 1967 Six Day War – including Jerusalem.

    • Lord, we know You are in control and are is challenging the nations with Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2-3). Yet we do ask for You to give great wisdom and direction to Israel's leaders to know how to respond to the vicious attacks that are aimed at this nation.

    • Raise up modern Nehemiahs, who declare, The God of Heaven, He will bless us, and we, His servants, will arise and build. But you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:20)

    • Give the Israeli government wisdom on how to respond to this latest US administration attack.

    • Lord, is this another step in answering our prayer to see the unbiblical cord between Israel and America be cut (Isaiah 30:1-3; 31:1-3)?

    • Anoint Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon to have grace and wisdom in all he does in that dark place.

    • What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That YHWH has founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it.

      Isaiah 14:32

    • Abba, hedge in Obama so securely that he cannot do any more damage to Israeli-American ties.

    • Hedge him in especially if he has any ungodly plans in the UN against Your nation (Ecclesiastes 10:8).

    • As You dealt with Balaam, so make Obama's envoys bless Israel and not curse (Numbers 23:8)!

    • We proclaimed: YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plots of the people. The counsel of YHWH stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is YHWH; the people He has chosen for His inheritance. (Psalms 33:10-12)

  5. The American elections are only a month away – November 8th. We continue to pray into this because the results will have a definite impact on Israel and on your nations as well.

    • May Your kingdom come and You will be done in these elections (Matthew 6:10).

    • Help American believers to raise their eyes from looking at what is best for their nation, and to pray and vote for what is best for Your kingdom purposes and Your glory (Psalm 115:1-3; Matthew 6:9).

    • Use this chaotic election to drive the America Church to its knees and cry out to You (Psalm 50:15).

    • Give to the American Church wisdom on how to pray and how to vote (Luke 11:9).

    • Bring clarity on vital issues during the second presidential debates this Sunday, October 9th.

    • Hinder both the mass media and the pollsters from manipulating Your people in America.

  6. Aliyah – the return of Jews from exile to Israel – is always a priority to God's end-time plans. The scriptures are clear that "all Israel" comes to a saving knowledge of Messiah Yeshua when back in the Land (Jeremiah 32: 37-42; Ezekiel 36:23-27; Zechariah 12:10) and that this happens before His return.

    • On Yom Kippur at the end of the service, Jews say, "Next Year in Jerusalem!" Lord, convict many of them that when they declare this – that they actually mean it this year.

    • For Messianic Jews to say this and not mean it can be dangerous to their spirits, as Yeshua said, Let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no. For whatever is more than these comes from evil. (Matthew 5:37)

    • We do thank You for all the Jews who have returned home to Israel during the last Jewish year – around 28,000. This year, we ask, "More, Lord!"

    • Yet there are still Jews in exile – most who do not want to come home – and we ask that You would shake them to see that this is where You want them to be (Isaiah 43:5-7).

    • Thank You that the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is raising the funds to help bring back many of the Ethiopian Jews [Click Here for more information].

    • Lord, move upon the government to make more funds available to bring Your people home.

    • While we do not welcome or pray for the "hunters" of Jeremiah 16:16, still we ask that when You send them, they do exactly the kind of job You have called them for and to chase Your people home.

    • [Please take some time to pray for the Jews in your nation, area, city, etc., that over the rest of the holy days they will be moved upon by His Spirit with a divine homesickness and that it will not be satisfied until they set their eyes on Zion (Jeremiah 50:4-5).]

  7. Of course, salvation is one of the central focuses for pray over Yom Kippur. [Leviticus 16 is the main chapter describing in detail the Yom Kippur ceremony, centering on the high priest and the Yom Kippur sacrifice – two young goats (v. 5). The high priest was the mediator between God and Israel and the sacrifice atoned for and removed all of Israel's sins, iniquities and transgressions (v. 21). It was also applicable to any gentiles who came under the wings of Israel's God (v. 29). Messiah Yeshua is our High Priest and our Mediator today, yet there is still much we can understand about what He accomplished by studying this chapter in Leviticus.]

    • Lord, this is Your moed ­(Leviticus 23:2, 27, 28) – a time that You have set aside to meet with Your people. Wake up the Church to see that this moed applies to them as well.

    • Abba, as most Israeli Jews and many of the Jewish people in the world will fast and seek You for forgiveness and salvation on this day, please place it on the hearts of many in the Body of Messiah to at least pray for – if not fast with – the Jewish people, asking You to save them.

    • For thus says YHWH, Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations. Cry out, give praise and say, O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.

      Jeremiah 31:7

    • Lord, remove the divine veil that has is on the minds and hearts of Your people (Romans 11:25).

    • Give them dreams and visions – just like You are doing with many Muslims today.

    • Lord Yeshua, touch the unsaved loved ones of Messianic Jews – those who have heard the message and have not yet responded (Acts 11:14; 16:31).

    • Messiah Yeshua, be the center and circumference of all Messianic Jewish Yom Kippur services.

    • Comfort those who have lost loved ones in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and bring them into a relationship with You through Messiah Yeshua.

    • Yeshua said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

       John 14:6

This coming week Chuck Cohen, one of IFI's directors, will join Steve Lightle and the IFI Germany leaders, as well as the leader of Operation Exodus - Ebenezer Emergency Fund on a prayer assignment in Germany. They will travel to several towns, praying for the stones of stumbling that are hindering the Jews in Germany from coming home to be removed (Isaiah 62:10). Please cover this team in prayer – for safety, guidance and the wisdom to do all that He directs – nothing more nor less. For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) Thank you in advance.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team