1. This week's prophetic portion is Ezekiel 37:15-28:

    • Thus says the Lord YHWH: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel…with the stick of Judah…and they shall be one in My hand…Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, will gather them on every side, and will bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation…on the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be king to them all…I will save them…and will cleanse them, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. David My servant shall be King over them, and there shall be one Shepherd… and they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant…forever, and My servant David shall be their ruler forever. I will cut a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant… and I will be their God, and they shall be My people, and the nations shall know that I YHWH sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forever.

      Ezekiel 37:15-28 various

    • Abba, thank You for Your more sure word of prophecy in which we can trust (2 Peter 1:19).

    • We praise You for watching over Your Word to do it (Jeremiah 1:12; cp. Isaiah 55:11).

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

      Psalm 119:105

    • We are so blessed that all of Your promises – both in the Old and the New Testaments – are yes and amen in Messiah (2 Corinthians 1:20).

    • Yeshua, we exalt You. I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! And He sitting on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11)

    • Lord, while at times we are confused as to where we are at on Your prophetic timetable – You know!

  2. Israeli Prime Minster Bibi Netanyahu is under another investigation for possible wrong-doing. This time it concerns financial gifts he received from friends. He needs our prayers as this is not a good time for him to be distracted or diverted from defending Israel on the world's stage.

    • Lord, we thank You for Israel's prime minister.

    • We thank You that as of now, all previous investigations against him have proven to be just smoke.

    • Give him all the grace He needs to get through this time without being distracted from the critical issues Israel is facing (Psalm 80:17; Zechariah 4:6-7).

    • As there seems to be a war of attrition against Bibi by both the political opposition and the media, we ask for You to be a shield about him and the lifter of his head (Psalm 3:1-3).

    • Protect him and do not allow any unjust weapon formed against him to prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

    • Like Joseph and Daniel did when unfairly accused, let Bibi also turn to You (Psalm 50:15).

    • Abba, bring this investigation to a quick resolution (Psalm 64:1-10).

  3. This past week, that soldier who killed a subdued terrorist in Hebron was finally convicted of manslaughter. While sentencing will not be for another month, there was no joy in Israel over this verdict. Some agreed, some disagreed and thus this week's prophetic portion speaks into Israel's current mindset. We need God to make us one.

    • Lord, shut the mouths of all politicians and the media when their goal is personal gain (Daniel 6:22).

    • Raise up in this nation those judges and counselors that You promised (Isaiah 1:26).

    • Lord, regardless of how we feel, we desire for truth and justice to prevail (Psalm 89:14).

    • Abba, enable the IDF to learn a lesson from allowing this trail to be done publically.

    • When the sentence is given, may the judges take into account that the terrorist who was killed – was a terrorist who tried to kill innocent Jews (Genesis 9:5-6).

    • May mercy triumph over judgment in the sentencing (Habakkuk 3:2; James 2:13).

    • Please prevent this verdict from inhibiting soldiers from defending this nation and themselves.

    • Give divine wisdom to IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot and the rest of the commanders on how to gain the most benefit from this very convoluted and divisive situation (Romans 8:28).

    • Continue to surprise us all with the wisdom coming from the mouth of Defense Minister A. Liberman.

  4. We prayed for God's wisdom to know what is on His prophetic schedule – that is, what He is doing or allowing today. There is some confusion as we pray into these issues as to what is an actual fulfillment of prophecy or what is the enemy trying to pre-empt God's timing.

    • As we lack perfect clarity in this, we ask You in faith to give us all the wisdom we need (James 1:5-8).

    • Make us like the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, (1 Chronicles 12:32; cp. Amos 3:7).

    • I will instruct you and teach you…I will counsel you… (Psalms 32:8) Thank You Lord.

    • Abba, we want Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done – on earth. Help us to know what to pray for so that we can co-labor with You to see this happen (Matthew 6:10; 1 Corinthians 3:9).

    • Give us discernment to see Your hand moving and also the hand of the enemy (Hebrews 5:14).

  5. France is hosting a "peace" (actually "piece") conference starting January 15th to press for a solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Seventy nations will be there, but Israel refuses to attend. The danger is that if they agree with US Secretary of State Kerry's parameters of what peace should look like, or some other parameters, then France, or the Middle East Quartet [US, UN, EU, Russia] or another entity could present a resolution to the UN Security Council before January 20th – with Obama still in office.

    • Lord, this wicked conference wants to do whatever they want to Your land and Your nation. Arise God, and scatter Your enemies (Psalm 68:1; Joel 3:1-2).

    • Lord, You can even stop this event from taking place, as Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

    • Pour into the planners a spirit of confusion and fear (Psalm 129:5; Isaiah 33:7).

    • YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plots of the people. The counsel of YHWH stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

      Psalms 33:10-11; cp. Isaiah 40:17, 23

    • If there are genuine believers who will be involved – whether foreign ministers or their aides – cause Genesis 12:3 to become a flashing light, a harsh warning to them, even sending it to them in the night.

    • We declare: Band together, you peoples, but be shattered! Listen, all you distant countries! Strap on your armor, but be shattered. Take counsel together, but it will all be for nothing; go ahead and talk, but it will all be for nothing, for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:9-10 ISV; cp. Isaiah 44:24-28)

  6. We continued to pray for Russian President Putin to veto any further anti-Israel UN resolutions, as well as for God to hedge in the Obama administration in its last days.

    • The king's heart is in the hand of YHWH…He turns it wherever He will. (Proverbs 21:1) Amen!

    • As You used Cyrus, so use Putin to build up the nation of Israel (Isaiah 44:28-45:4).

    • May the increased tension between Russia and America recently turn Putin's heart so that he decides to resist Obama and Kerry until their final days in office.

    • Hedge in Obama and Kerry so that they cannot do any more damage to Israel.

    • Make the US Congress a pain in the neck to Obama & Co., diverting their attention away from Israel.

    • Give Netanyahu wisdom on what to say or what not say about the US administration (Proverbs 10:13a).

    • Lord Yeshua, wake up the American church to see that their divided nation is what their governments, for the past 28 years, have tried to do to Israel (Galatians 6:7).

    • May the Church in all nations who are resisting what You are doing with all Your heart and soul (Jeremiah 32:41), stand in the gap and cry out for mercy for their nations (Ezekiel 22:30).

  7. Ever since the Oslo Accords were signed, the main hindrance to seeing this land divided has been the hard-heartedness and hatred of the Palestinian leadership. Golda Meir once said that there will be no peace until the Arabs love their children more than they hate us. We're still waiting. Meanwhile, God uses this heart attitude to protect His land and His people.

    • We thank You for the Palestinians missing another opportunity as they actually rejected Kerry's peace parameters, saying "No" to Jerusalem being shared; "No" to giving up the "right of return" of their so-called refugees; and no to recognizing Israel as the Jewish State.

    • We thank You that this rejection actually puts them at odds with most of the Arab nations!

    • Let them all be ashamed and turned back, those who hate Zion.

      Psalms 129:5

    • Increase the ever-present division between all of the various Palestinian factions (Luke 11:17).

    • Cause the US Congress to stop America's financial aid to the Palestinian Authority over its brazen teaching of hatred towards Israel and the Jews in its textbooks, its paying salaries of terrorist murderers in Israeli jails and its incitement on the street and in its official media.

  8. We asked God to awaken the Israeli Body of Messiah to the dangers of this hour.

    • Lord Yeshua, You told us to watch and pray (Mark 13:33). Help us to do it increasingly (Romans 8:26).

    • Messiah, may this verse come alive to many of the teaching elders throughout this land. But the end of all things has drawn near. Therefore be of sound mind, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7)

    • Pour out prophetic revelation of the centrality of the restoration of this land to Your kingdom purposes (Ezekiel 36:21-37; Malachi 1:5).

    • Pour out prophetic revelation of the centrality of the restoration of this land to Your Son's return (Zechariah 12:1-10; 14:2-4; Matthew 23:37-39).

    • Use the children of the Messianic believers to impact this nation for Yeshua (Isaiah 8:18).

    • Inoculate the Israeli Body against all the winds of doctrine that blow through this land (Ephesians 4:14).

    • Use the Messianic Jews in the IDF as that leaven that leavens the whole batch (Luke 13:21).

    • Lord, give us discernment to know what is from You and what is not from You that comes from the nations into this nation – in the name of Yeshua (Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 24-25).

    • Help us to guard the unity of the Spirit and to reject all other unities (Ephesians 4:3).

  9. Israel still needs much rain or snow during this season.

    • Ask rain from YHWH in the time of the latter rain. YHWH shall make storm clouds, and He gives them showers of rain, grass to everyone in the field. (Zechariah 10:1) So we are asking You for rain.

    • But the land which you are entering to possess it is a land of hills and valleys, drinking water from the rain of the heavens. It is a land which YHWH your God cares for.

      Deuteronomy 11:11-12a

    • Abba, please open up the heavens directly over the Sea of Gallilee and fill it up this season.

    • Continue to let it snow upon Mt. Hermon and other places in this land.

    • Aid Israeli scientists to come up with more water technology breakthroughs.

    • You, O God, sent an abundant rain, by which You sustained Your inheritance when it was weary.

      Psalms 68:9

  10. IFI's International Prayer Conference, Jerusalem starts January 16th.

    • Please pray for us to have a hearing ear as we endeavor to be led by His Spirit in every aspect of the conference and the prayer tour that will follow.

    • Pray for the daily video reports on most of the conference days that we want to send out to you.

    • Cover us for health and strength, for unity in the Spirit and for His joy coming from us knowing that we are doing His will during this time.

Be blessed and be alert

Shabbat shalom from Zion

The IFI team

Psalm 134:3