1. As we started, we lifted our voices to our blessed Lord and Savior, King Messiah Yeshua.

    • Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

      Psalms 100:4

    • Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, Rejoice!

      Philippians 4:4

    • We praise You for all that You are and thank You for all that You have done.

    • We are so amazed and grateful that Your mercies are renewed every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

    • Yeshua, we proclaim You as the Way, the Truth and the Life – the only path to the Father (John 14:6).

    • We rest confidently in Your ability to work out You will on earth in these days (Psalms 99:1; 103:19).

    • Thank You for opening up our eyes to see that You, God the Son, humbled Yourself to become the Son of Man – and that through Your name our Father is glorified (Philippians 2:5-11).

    • Hallelujah! Yeshua is Lord of all and all authority is in His hands (Acts 10:36; Matthew 28:18).

  2. The UN General Assembly voted yesterday 128 to 9 with several abstentions and absences from the plenary against US President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Is this part of the continuing fulfillment of Zechariah in 12:2-3? How did your nation vote? While Israel welcomed the many who did not vote against, still abstentions or absences will likely be seen by God as "lukewarm," and that is a very dangerous position to be in (Revelation 3:15-16).

    Lord, as You are making Jerusalem the issue that all the world is dealing with, how should we pray?

    1. We prayed for believers to understand that how their nations voted goes a long way to determine how God will deal with their nation.

      • Encourage American Christian Zionists to continue to pray for their government (1st Timothy 2:1-4).

      • Wake up believers in the EU to see how deeply anti-God their nations have become (Numbers 24:9b).

      • Abba, we know many Israeli-supporting believers in the UK, yet their nation voted for this resolution. Place upon them a deep concern for the direction their nation is going and show them if they are praying wrong or need to add something else to their prayers (Luke 11:1; 1 John 5:14-15).

      • Lord, cause genuine revivals to break out in all nations that stood with Jerusalem as Israel's capitol.

      • And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you.

        Genesis 12:3a

    2. We prayed for the Israeli government to know how to respond to this attack against Jerusalem.

      • Lord, forbid that Israel's leaders look to the nations for validation and not to You (Psalms 121:1-4).

      • We especially ask that Israelis would not make an idol of America/Trump/Haley (Isaiah 30:1-3; 31:1-3).

      • For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be counted among the nations.

        Numbers 23:9

      • Impart great courage and wisdom to them to support what You want done in Jerusalem (Psalms 147:2).

      • Lord, please be that wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem that You promised to be (Zechariah 2:5).

      • Give Israel's foreign ministry wisdom on how to relate to all its friends who voted for this resolution.

    3. What should the recent actions by the UN's Security Council and General Assembly against Israel's right to have Jerusalem as its capital tell intercessors about the times we are living in?

      • Give us all wisdom and courage to pray boldly – but not arrogantly.

      • Lord Yeshua, we need to hear Your voice even clearer in these days (John 10:27).

      • Speak, Lord, for Your servants want to hear (1 Samuel 3:9-10).

      • For the Lord YHWH does nothing until He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

        Amos 3:7

      • Abba, as we read and study Your Word, sharpen our discernment factor (Psalms 36:9; 119:130).

      • Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things out of Your Law.

        Psalms 119:18

      • Lord, grace us to receive a renewed hunger for Your Word. Your Words were found, and I ate them; and Your Word was to me the joy and gladness of my heart… (Jeremiah 15:16a)

    4. Trump and his UN Ambassador Haley issued strong statements about dealing with nations that take American aid yet vote against its sovereign right to place its embassy where it wants. We prayed that this not be just words but that Trump & Co. would know how to follow through.

      • Let Trump and his advisors make wise decisions and not just empty statements (Psalms 1:1).

      • Let them learn from Netanyahu who has stated Israel's red lines in Syria and has followed up on them.

      • Lord, might You lay it on their hearts to pull all their financial contributions out of the UN itself.

      • And why is America still one of the Palestinians main sources of finances? That is crazy (Isaiah 19:11)!

      • Show Israel if it is to follow this as well – as many of the nations that voted for this anti-Jerusalem resolution receive vital aid from Israel (Psalm 25:2).

  3. Although it hurts and at times shocks, the revealing of the deep corruption in many high places in Israeli society is an answer to prayer. And it shows us further things to pray about.

    • I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. (Isaiah 1:26) Thank You for working this out today.

    • Please reveal the truths about the various investigations surrounding Israeli PM Netanyahu, and do so quickly so that he is free to lead this nation or is removed and You set up another leader (Daniel 2:21).

    • Lord, raise up in Israel the shepherds You promised: I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their fold. They shall be fruitful and multiply, and I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they shall fear no more, nor be afraid; nor shall they lack anything, says YHWH. (Jeremiah 23:3-4)

    • Continue to shake up what needs to be shaken – in business, the military, politics, the rabbinate, the academia, NGOs, etc. (Joel 3:16)

    • Also reveal any corruption in the Messianic Israeli Body – and deliver us from it (1st Corinthians 15:50).

    • Deal with the lies and fake news, etc., that constant spew forth from the media.

    • Thank You for answering our prayers for You to shine Your light in all dark areas (Psalm 139:12).

    • I will sprinkle clean waters on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols.

      Ezekiel 36:25

  4. Security is always on our heart. Israelis have learned to remain alert to the hatred of our enemies being manifested in various ways. Yet it is exhausting to always need to be alert.

    1. Jerusalem: The various violent demonstrations in response to Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capitol have fallen well below what was feared – praise God. Still, they continue daily.

      • Lord, keep security forces alert in Jerusalem's Old City, at checkpoints, and elsewhere (Psalms 121:4).

      • Guard over Israel's mass transportation system of trains and buses (Isaiah 31:5).

      • Aid the security forces, many of whom are only teenagers, to be quick to know who are the perpetrators of violence and who are the innocent caught in the wrong place and the wrong time (Jeremiah 31:10).

      • Aid the Palestinian security forces to protect all Christmas activities in Bethlehem over this weekend.

      • Remove all distractions from Israeli security forces – whether mobile phones, friends, the opposite sex, the weather, etc. (Psalms 48:12-13)

      • We trust in You to constantly watch over Israel (Psalms 37:40).

    2. Gaza Strip: Hamas has called for a day of rage today. So what else is new? Yet they have called it for Judea and Samaria – not in Gaza where they would have to take responsibility. Still, this Gaza border has seen several missile attacks and strong Israeli responses – as well as the uncovering and destruction of several terror tunnels. War with Hamas is only one mistake away.

      • We give You glory for all the protection You have already provided for this nation (Psalms 115:1-3).

      • Lord, prevent another war until it is Your timing and Israel is after Your goals (Joel 3:9-17).

      • Thank You Abba that there have not been any successful kidnappings or terror attacks recently.

      • Defend this nation from all missile and rocket attacks (Psalms 3:3).

      • Continue to expose all terror tunnels and continue to aid Israel in destroying them (Job 12:22).

      • Watch over all the Gaza border crossings and help Israel to find all weapons smuggling attempts.

      • Confound Hamas and set it against all the other radical Islamic groups in Gaza (Psalms 129:5).

    3. Israel's northern border with Lebanon and northeastern border with Syria: Israel is facing a strengthened Hizbullah in Lebanon and Iran trying to establish itself in Syria.

      • Again, we look to You to control the timing and the goals of the next war in the north (Psalms 44:4-5).

      • Set the Lebanese against Hizbullah, and Sunni Muslims and Maronite Christians against Shi'ites. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor together who magnify themselves over me. (Psalms 35:26)

      • We bless You that we still have a Golan Heights to protect.

      • Show Israel how to deal with any Iranian bases being set up in Syria (Psalms 20:6-9).

      • Continue to shake Iran – physically, politically and spiritually (Jeremiah 49:36-38; Elam = ancient Iran).

      • Uncover all weapons transfers from Iran to Hizbullah and help Israel to totally destroy them.

      • Expose the reality behind Russia's entry into the Middle East and its plans concerning Israel.

      • Use nature – like rust – to corrupt Hizbullah's missile stockpiles in Southern Lebanon (Matthew 6:19).

      • We ask for encouragement to all the IDF border patrols: But we should not lose heart in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint. (Galatians 6:9)

  5. The local Israeli Body.

    • Abba, thank You for the growing Body of Messiah in Israel.

    • Thank You for raising up more Messianic Jews with a burden to intercede who are now standing on the walls of Jerusalem with all of our Christian brothers and sisters (Isaiah 62:6-7).

    • Show us how to pray against the strongholds opposing You, Yeshua, in today's Israeli society.

    • Remove all shepherds in the Body whom You have not placed there and give us all the shepherds who are after Your won heart (Jeremiah 3:14-15).

    • Aid those in the Israeli Body who minister in the nations to only speak words from You (Isaiah 2:3a).

    • Thank You for all the generations being represented in the current Israeli Body.

    • May the elders pass on wisdom and insight unto the next generations (1st Peter 5:1-7).

    • Please defend us from all spirits of discouragement (Daniel 7:21-27).

    • Grant a deeper hunger for Your Word to all those who follow You into the next year (Psalm 119:32-35).

  6. We ended by interceding for water: We have clouds but no rain. Please pray for the rain to fall in the right places, and in the needed amounts. While Israel's desalinization techniques have provided this nation – and many other nations – with sufficient water for most uses, still the ecology and agriculture needs rain from on high. Plus, we are zealous for God to receive the glory for this, as He said in Isaiah 43:19-21. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall sprout; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field shall honor Me…because I give waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people that I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.

For those of you who celebrate the birth of Messiah at this time of the year, may Your celebrations be filled with the light and the love of the Lord Yeshua.

Blessings from Zion

The IFI team