1. As we began this morning, we looked at Psalm 57:7-11.

    • My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will praise You, O YHWH, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great to the heavens, and Your truth to the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth.

      Psalms 57:7-11

    • We thank You for Your renewed mercies every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

    • We bear witness to the fact that the heavens do indeed declare Your glory (Psalm 19:1).

    • We also bear witness to the fact that Israel's restoration declares Your faithfulness to Your covenant promises (Psalm 89:33-34).

    • Bless YHWH, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

      Psalms 103:1

  2. This past week Islamic State in the Sinai was apparently responsible for four rockets being fired at Israel's southernmost city of Eilat. Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system hit three of them, while the fourth fell on open ground. Without the Iron Dome, it would have been a very different story.

    • Be merciful to me, O God…for my soul trusts in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings I will make my hiding-place, until these great troubles pass by. I cry to God most high…He shall send from heaven, and save me from the scorn of him who would swallow me up…They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me, they have fallen into it. Selah.

      Psalms 57:1-6

    • Abba, thank You for the Iron Dome – but do not allow Israel to hid beneath it when You say "Strike".

    • And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the weeping trees, then you shall strike. For then YHWH shall go out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.

      2 Samuel 5:24

    • Lord, arise! Protect Eilat and the surrounding areas from further attacks from ISIS (Psalm 68:1).

    • Give Israel accurate intelligence concerning the true situation in the Sinai.

    • Continue to allow close cooperation between the IDF and Egypt's security forces.

    • Protect Israel's sea borders in the Red Sea area (Psalm 147:14).

    • Let destruction come upon him, he will not know; and let his net which he has concealed catch him, let him fall in it, into destruction.

      Psalms 35:8

  3. It has now been reported that Hamas, the overlords of Gaza, have replenished their weapons and are preparing for the next war against Israel. We prayed for wisdom for Defense Minister Liberman and all of the IDF's leadership to know what to do and when to do it.

    • Lord, thank You that Liberman has been very harsh in his response to any attacks from the Gaza side.

    • May this result in Your fear falling with pain upon Hamas (2 Chronicles 20:29; Jeremiah 30:23-24).

    • Divide all the various terror groups in Gaza, and set them on each other (Psalm 129:5).

    • Reveal to Israel all of the plans of its enemies (Job 12:22).

    • Expose all weapons caches – wherever they may have been hidden (Psalm 139:11-12).

    • Deal with the terror tunnels that Hamas is continuing to dig.

    • Thank You for the continued collapse of many of them (Psalm 35:8; 57:6).

    • Aid Israel to complete its terror tunnel detection device.

    • Make the IDF experts on how to fight underground, in these tunnels (Zechariah 10:3b-5).

    • No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper… (Isaiah 54:17) We declare this truth over all of Hamas and the other Gaza terrorists weapons – whether mortars, rockets, drones, tunnels, dogs, etc.

  4. One of the best ways to secure the south is for a massive increase of Israelis living in that area.

    • Lord, remember with favor all our prayers for exactly this when on the January prayer tour.

    • … the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad [most likely, Spanish and Portuguese speaking Jews] shall possess the cities of the south [lit: Negev].

      Obadiah 1:20

    • Bring the Jews who are still in exile in Spain, Portugal, Central and South America – and settle them, according to Your word, in the Negev.

    • Thank You for the main IDF base which has been relocated into the Negev. Bless and protect it.

    • Use it as an attraction for major growth of the towns in that area.

    • Lord God, as You said, make the desert blossom (Isaiah 35:1).

    • Increase the amount of trees in the Negev and Arava to impact the very weather patterns (Psalm 74:17).

    • Help the farmers and agriculture experts to find new ways to utilize the huge amount of semi-saline water that is under the ground in the Negev.

    • Thank You for the wine and honey and so much else that is produced in this area.

    • Increase the ease of access to Israel's South from all other parts of Israel (Jeremiah 32:44; 33:13).

    • Increase Beersheba and other towns and villages there with people and businesses (Genesis 28:14).

    • As per PM Netanyahu's desire and efforts, make Beersheba a major center for all things cyber-related.

  5. PM Netanyahu and US President Trump will be meeting this coming Wednesday, Feb. 15th. This is a vital meeting for both nations and is important to keep in prayer. They are scheduled to talk about many issues relating to security, with Iran being at the forefront, but also there will be some discussion on the "peace" process – which while dead – still lives!

    • Lord Yeshua, all authority in heaven and earth are Yours now (Matthew 20:18), and that includes in the White House. So we ask You to rule and overrule in the midst of this meeting (Psalm 103:19).

    • For both these men and all their aides, we declare that, There are many purposes in a man's heart, but the counsel of YHWH shall stand. (Proverbs 19:21)

    • Whatever side meetings, whether scheduled or not, take place, guard over them also (Psalm 139:7-12).

    • Prepare hearts to be led by Your Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

    • Bless our brother-in-Messiah, US VP Mike Pence, and use him to further Your kingdom purposes.

    • Make Netanyahu bold to use Your Word in making his case for issues surrounding Israel (Isaiah 55:11).

    • Give these men wise counselors and remove all ungodly counsel far from them (Proverbs 11:14).

    • Bring them into one accord concerning how to handle the Iranian threat (Psalm133:1).

    • Hedge in the Jews in the Trump administration from trying to appear so balanced that they actually come out against what is best for Israel.

  6. One of the issues that will come up in these meetings is Israel's just-passed settlement regulation bill and its settling its ancient homeland. This is a great opportunity for Netanyahu to tell Trump the truth about Judea, Samaria, and international law. Israeli settlements anywhere west of the Jordan River are absolutely legal, while that recently passed UN Security Council Resolution 2334 which is illegal. [Jerusalem Post - Mr. President: the Isreali settlements are legal; Israel Today - The 'Legal Grounds' for Israeli settlements]

    • Again, Lord, press Netanyahu to use scriptures as a major part of his argument (Psalm 119:89).

    • Give Netanyahu a strong will to defend the settlement regulation bill and give Trump ears to hear what is actually being said.

    • Forbid that Netanyahu – or any other Israeli – looks to Trump as Israel's savior (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

    • Guard Israel's leader from using manipulation or being manipulated himself.

    • For YHWH will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land; and the stranger [ger – the gentile believer in Israel's God] shall be joined with them, and they shall cling to the house of Jacob.

      Isaiah 14:1

      Wake up the American Church to see how vital this meeting is to America's destiny and to pray much that their government not push Israel into any anti-God, anti-Biblical places (Isaiah 60:12: Joel 3:1-2).

  7. We prayed for the kingdom of Jordan. King Abdullah is between a rock and a hard place. While 60% or so of his people are Palestinians, yet without a strong security relationship with Israel, he knows he would never survive. The stability of his kingdom also helps to protect Israel's longest land border.

    • Thank You for the good relationship between Israeli and Jordanian security forces.

    • Increase this relationship in line with Your perfect will and timing.

    • Continue to use Israel as a bulwark against an ISIS invasion into Jordan from the east (Joshua 2:9-11).

    • Give Abdullah wisdom to know how to keep his head in the midst of this dangerous – but necessary – balancing act.

    • At some point, we know that the northern part of that kingdom comes back to its rightful owner – Israel (Jeremiah 49:1-2). May it happen in Your timing and in Your way, with as much mercy as possible.

    • Increase the true Church in Jordan and use it like leaven to leaven the whole nation (Matthew 13:33).

  8. Israel still needs rain. We had a bit of rain that was not in the forecast last week and it increased our faith that God really does not depend on those weather forecasts to figure out when to send the rain! Still, the forecast for the next few days is for rain and snow on Mount Hermon up north.

    • Lord, may the forecasters get it right this time!

    • For Your holy name's sake, send the water that You prophesized would come. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water…so that they may see, and know, and look on, and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isaiah 41:18, 20)

    • Thank You for the rain and snow we have had so far.

    • Let the rain and snow fall in exactly the right places.

    • We are still asking and trusting for the miracle of a full Sea of Galilee by the end of this rainy season.

    • We bless You for the wonderful desalinization techniques You have given to Israeli scientists.

    • Lord, watch over Your Word to make this land like the garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:34-36).

  9. We finished by praying for spiritual water – the salvation of the people of Israel.

    • Thank You Lord Yeshua, that today in Israel, You are building Your Body (Matthew 16:18).

    • Remove the veil from thirsty hearts who are seeking the truth and have not found You yet. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come; buy wine and milk without money and price. Why do you weigh silver for what is not bread? And your labor for what never satisfies? Listen carefully to Me, eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Bow down your ear, and come to Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:1-3)

    • Thank You for all who have recently received You in Israel.

    • Settle them in a good fellowship and give them a deep hunger for Your Word (Acts 2:41-42).

    • Continuing with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Body daily those who were being saved.

      Acts 2:46-47

    • Make the Body in Israel shine for You Lord, in all it does (Matthew 5:14-16).

    • Help all of us who believe to sanctify the Lord God in [our] hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] a reason of the hope in [us], with meekness and fear; (1 Peter 3:15)

    • Draw Israelis who are living outside the land to Your Son, their Messiah Yeshua.

    • Draw all the Jews in exile to the One whom they do not know that they need (John 1:41).

May God grant you a peaceful Shabbat and a wonderfully fruitful week.

Blessings from Zion,

The IFI team