1. It was dawn as we looked over Jerusalem from where our prayer meeting is located. We praised the Lord for seeing with our eyes His prophetic word in action.

    • YHWH builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

      Psalm 147:2

    • Thank You for this feast of Succot and for all the booths that we see on the roofs below us.

    • Thank You that Your steadfast covenant love is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

    • What a joy to hear You consistently call Yourself, "YHWH, the God of Israel" [Here is an example where Moses even adds Lord before this: Three times in the year your men shall appear before the Lord YHWH, the God of Israel (Exodus 34:23).]

    • Lord Yeshua, while we see an increase in tribulation throughout the world, we bless You that You told us, I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

    • We give You thanks for You are good and Your covenant love endures forever (Psalm 118:1).

  2. The Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria and the Hamas terrorist overlords in the Gaza Strip have made serious moves towards reconciliation under Egyptian auspices this past week. Hamas wants to hand over the daily running of the Strip to Abbas while it keeps all its terrorists and weapons to continue the battle against Israel. Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu has already called this a "false" move which Israel will not recognize. Yet we expect that the world will see this differently, and so this can be a very dangerous situation for the Jewish State.

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

      Psalm 129:5

    • Lord God, as all hearts are in Your hands (Proverbs 19:21, 21:1), we ask for You to harden the hearts of the leaders of both these groups and stop this dangerous reconciliation from coming to pass.

    • Use their pride against Israel to bring contention into this the whole process (Proverbs 13:10; 28:25).

    • Expose to the world that these leaders are terrorists and some are even Holocaust deniers – like Abbas.

    • Forbid that Egypt's backing of this cause Israel to fall into this demonic trap (Isaiah 30:2; 31:1).

    • Reveal all Hamas' hidden plans to destroy Israel – including all terror tunnels (Job 28:11b).

    • Lord Yeshua, the government is on Your shoulders (Isaiah 9:6; Revelation 1:18), so we ask You to forbid any Chamberlin-type spirit [compromising for a false peace] from descending on Israel's leaders.

    • Shield them from all outside pressure to force them to do just that because of this reconciliation.

  3. Israel's security situation along its northern and north-eastern borders still needs much prayer covering. Iran's influence grows in those areas and Hizbullah is a very dangerous terrorist organization that is actually a part of the Lebanese government.

    • Lord, watch over this wonderful word for these borders: And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, YHWH will be magnified beyond [or upon] the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:5)

    • Again, we plead with You to throw these haters of Zion into deep confusion (Psalm 35:26).

    • Protect all Israelis courageous enough to live in the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights (Psalm 121:4).

    • Lord, my foes have increased! Many…rise up against me…saying of my soul, There is no help for him in God. But You, YHWH, are a shield for me; my glory, the One who lifts up my head.

      Psalm 3:1-3

    • Reveal to Israeli intelligence every missile emplacement that Hizbullah has.

    • Reveal to Israeli intelligence all the plans of Iran in all the areas under its control.

    • Abba, as both these entities are very proud, use that to destroy their connection one with the other (Proverbs 13:10; 28:25).

    • Pour upon Russian President Putin a deep discomfort over his "good" relationship with Iran's leaders.

    • Overrule US President Trump's decision this week as to whether to certify for the next three months that Iran has been keeping the Iranian nuclear deal (Proverbs 16:9).

    • Use Trump's displeasure with this deal to accomplish Your will (Psalm 33:10-11).

    • Help Israel to know how to respond if in fact Trump does decertify it.

    • May Your Spirit give courage to Israel if and when it needs to pre-empt any of its enemies plans.

    • Lord, show us specifically how to pray for all these situations (1 Chronicles 12:32).

  4. We prayed for Bibi Netanyahu and whomever it is that the Lord wants to raise up to take his place when his time is over.

    • We thank You for Israel's prime minister and his family.

    • Give him grace to endure these investigations against him and his wife (Zechariah 4:6-7).

    • During Succot, remind him that he is only a man and needs to groom the next leader (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

    • When it is Your perfect timing, give Bibi a gracious spirit to pass the baton onto the next person (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

    • Abba, as per Amos 3:7, we ask for You to show us who this next person is so that we can pray for them.

  5. We then prayed for Israel's leaders in general – and in all areas of this nation.

    • Forbid that ambitious politicians touch that which is not of You for them (Numbers 4:15).

    • Bring a greater sense of unity to Israel's government and military leadership (Psalm 133:1).

    • Raise up the right ambassadors from Israel to the nations (Proverbs 13:17; 25:13).

    • Make the next leader of the IDF be exactly the right person for Israel at this time (Joshua 17:1).

    • Anoint and use the IDF's current leader, Gadi Eisenkot, and strengthen his relationship with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.

    • Bless Finance Minister Kahlon to make the right decisions to lower the cost-of-living in Israel.

    • Move the leaders in both the media and academia away from a far left, anti-nationalistic, pro-globalist stance – to a biblical Zionistic outlook (Psalm 137:5-6; Isaiah 33:20).

    • Make the mayors of all Israel's cities visionaries, and use them to better the life of those in them.

    • Continue to give Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat wisdom and insight on running Your city (Psalm 48:1-2).

    • Lord Yeshua, is it not time to place messianic Jews in positions of influence in this nation?

  6. The sukkot – the booths – that are erected at this feast are supposed to be fragile so that one is reminded that even at this abundant harvest time, life is fragile and our real stability is in God Himself. This is one of the reasons why the rabbis instruct Israel to read through Ecclesiastes during this feast. We used the idea of fragility to pray for Jews in the nations – in exile – to come home to Israel.

    • For Your holy name's sake, bring Your people home (Ezekiel 36:23-24).

    • Lord, impress on Your exiled people the fragility of life and the need to be where You want them to be.

    • Deal with the lie that it is more dangerous to live in Israel than in exile today (Jeremiah 31:10).

    • Wake up the Jews in Germany to see what is happening around them and to flee to Zion (Jeremiah 4:6).

    • Make the Jews in all Spanish speaking nations homesick over this Succot feast (Isaiah 62:4-5).

    • Open up highways for Jews from all over the world to return home (Isaiah 43:5-7).

    • Open up hearts of the gentile members of Your Body so that they see that You are calling them to carry, pay and pray for Your people to come home (Isaiah 49:22; 60:3-6; Jeremiah 31:7-9).

    • May the various groups that are aiding the aliyah, whether Christian or Jewish, become more effective.

    • Show them how to work even more closely with one another.

    • Open wide the gates in this land for Messianic Jewish aliyah (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11).

  7. We specifically prayed for the Ethiopians, the Bene Menashe, Jews from India, and thanked God for the breakthrough answer to pray for French speaking professionals.

    • Thank You for the 60 Ethiopians Jews who returned recently, but Lord make a way for the thousands who are left to also come home. I will say…to the south, 'Keep not back'… (Isaiah 43:6b).

    • Enable the acclimation of these Ethiopians to become easier and more joyful (Jeremiah 33:10-11).

    • Open wide the gates for all the Bene Menashe. I will bring Your seed from the east… (Isaiah 43:5b)

    • Thank You for Israel finally accepting the medical degrees of professions from France.

    • Show Israel if there are other nations with which it can do the same to encourage those Jews to return.

    • Remove the barrier that language issues make for people to be successful in their homecoming.

    • And say to them, Thus says the Lord YHWH: 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. And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be king to them all. And they shall not still be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

      Ezekiel 37:21-22

      Amen!

  8. We prayed for security over the feast as thousands of extra people come up to celebrate Succot in Jerusalem. Also, we prayed for the Christians among them to see not only what God has promised He will do in the near future – but also what He is doing today to fulfill His kingdom purposes.

    • Lord, You are Israel's ultimate Guardian throughout all the land during this season. I will cry to God most high, to God who does all things for me. He shall send from Heaven, and save me from the scorn of him who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. (Psalms 57:2-3)

    • Expose all potential attacks and foil them (Isaiah 41:10-16).

    • Do not allow Israel's security forces be distracted from any real threats.

    • Open up the eyes of believers to see what You are doing here today – for Your own sake.

    • Let them not be blind to see where You are walking now (Luke 24:13-32).

    • Show the Church that You are wanting them to be involved with this restoration of Your people (Isaiah 40:1-2; 49:22; 52:7; 60:10-12; 62:6-7, etc.).

    • Thank You for using this feast to tear down barriers between Your Body and unsaved Israel.

    • Watch over the Word that goes forth at the various conferences – and all that is said by You, guard in believers hearts. Yet anything that is not of Your Spirit, erase from hearts and minds immediately.

  9. We finished by asking God to save His people during this feast season.

    • 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

    • May many Jews hear again what Yeshua Himself cried out at the last day of this feast: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water'. (John 7:37b-38)

    • We bless You that the Israeli Body is growing. May the numerical growth be matched by a spiritual maturity as well.

    • Pour out at this season Your Spirit and give Your people dreams and visions of Messiah (Joel 2:28-29).

    • Anoint Your Word as it is read in synagogues and in the booths (Jeremiah 23:29).

    • Thank You that PM Netanyahu, at a bible study in his office, said, "There is no Jewish existence without the Bible; it doesn't exist…In my opinion, there is also no Jewish future without the Bible." Amen!

IFI director Chuck Cohen is traveling to America [Memphis TN, Burlington NC], and then to Berlin Germany to minister. Please keep him in prayer for an anointing on what he shares and for health and safety as he travels.

Hag Succot sameach, and Shabbat shalom

The IFI team