1. As Tisha B'Av was observed last week, this week starts the prophetic readings which are to comfort the people of Israel. Tomorrow, Shabbat, Isaiah 40:1-26 is read.

    • Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God. Speak lovingly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is done, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received of YHWH's hand double for all her sins.Isa. 40:1-2

    • We do bless You for Your renewed mercies to us every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).

    • Abba, as You have said, Israel has paid double for its sins, which is another proof that You are a loving Father who chastens Your son (Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:5-6; Amos 3:2)

    • Lord Yeshua, thank You for the awesome good news that You are seated on the right hand of Your Father (Psa. 110:1; Heb. 1:13) – ruling over all (Matt. 28:18).

    • The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.(Deut. 33:27a) Amen!

  2. Israel is being told almost daily that the IDF is preparing for another war against the terrorist groups that rule in Gaza – in particular Hamas. And despite a ceasefire last week, Israel is still being attacked from Gaza by both flying flaming devices and sniper fire.

    • Give us revelation of what Your goal is with Gaza so that we can pray for Your will to be done (Ezek. 22:30-31; Amos 3:7; Matt. 6:10).

    • Impart clear strategy to Israel's leaders so they will see what the end goal should be as well.

    • Raise up those in the IDF and the government who can hear Your voice (2 Sam. 5:24).

    • May Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Liberman and the IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot come into one accord over both strategy and tactics in this volatile situation (Prov. 21:1, 30-31).

    • Lord, spread Your shield of protection over all the IDF soldiers – especially against recently effective sniper attacks that have killed one soldier and injured another (Psa. 140:7).

    • Protect the IDF soldiers from the extreme summer heat (Psa. 121:5).

    • Forbid all successful kidnapping attempts (Psa. 7:9).

    • Enable all communication between commanders and soldiers to be super clear.

    • Do not allow IDF soldiers to be distracted from dangers – especially by smart phones (1 Cor. 7:35).

    • Forbid that Israel is more merciful than You against its enemies, yet at the same time, prevent us from being a nation and an army that desires the death of its enemies (Jer. 51:19-23).

    • Increase the division internally and externally in the terror groups in Gaza (Psa. 55:9; 129:5).

    • Use Israel and Egypt's excellent security relations to fight side-by-side against all terrorism.

    • Release Your angelic protection over all Israeli communities in the Gaza border region (Psa. 35:4-8).

    • Protect Israel from any attacks from the sea (Jer. 31:10).

    • May the fear of God come upon both the Israelis and the Palestinians (Josh. 4:23-24; Psa. 67:1-7).

    • Your eyes shall see, and you shall say, YHWH will be magnified on the border of Israel.Mal. 1:5

  3. Syrian troops are right along Israel's Golan Heights border – possible in the demilitarized zone that was established by the 1974 UN cease-fire agreement. This was said to be something that Israel would not allow even at the cost of going to war against Syria. There have also been some spillover from the final battles in Syria to which Israel has responded this past week.

    • Abba, thank You that the two rockets from ISIS fell into the Sea of Galilee and not in any populated areas in the Galilee region (Psa. 121:4).

    • Aid Israel's leaders to remain firm in walking their talk and doing what is needed to keep their redlines.

    • But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no. For whatever is more than these come from evil.Matt. 5:37

    • Thank You for the clear communications that have been established between Netanyahu and Russian President Putin. Allow this to continue – in truth (Gal. 4:16; Eph. 4:15a).

    • Overrule all IDF decisions when responding to attacks so that Your will be done (Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • Lead Syrian President Assad to fulfill Your will in creating him (Prov. 21:1; Rom. 9:20-23; Rev. 17:17).

  4. A large stone fell from the Western Wall this past week – but thank God, it did not hit anyone. It was from the area south of where most of the prayers are held. Still, Palestinian leaders have used this and recent earthquakes to accuse Israel of wanting to destroy the Al-Aksa mosque on the Temple Mount. This cry to protect Al-Aksa has led to deadly riots in the past. And last night there was a deadly terror attack in a settlement near Jerusalem – with one Israeli being stabbed to death and two others injured.

    • Comfort the families of the terror victims and heal the two that are still alive (Isa. 40:1; Jer. 33:6).

    • Use this as a wake-up call to all the settlers in Judea and Samaria (Isa. 62:6; Rom. 13:11).

    • Bless all Israel's security forces working in Judea and Samaria and lead undercover units to uncover all evil plans (Job 12:22).

    • What a blessing to hear the current American peace team holding the Palestinian leadership to account.

    • Use this to keep the Palestinians away from all peace negotiations (Psa. 55:21; 120:7; 140:1-2).

    • Continue to divide the Palestinian leadership so that this house will fall (Luke 11:17).

    • Guard over the Temple Mount and may Your Spirit overrule all satanic plans that are hatched there.

    • 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.Psa. 33:10-11

    • Lord, shake the Temple Mount and remove all Islamic structures from it (Heb. 12:26-28).

    • Reign over Jerusalem – Your city (Psa. 48:1-2, 8) – during this time and protect all public transportation and entertainment sites from suicide or other terror attacks (Deut. 33:26-29).

    • Is there any spiritual significance to the stone falling – or is it just because the wall is old?

  5. Israel will be holding local elections this October, including for the next mayor of Jerusalem. So far many candidates have thrown their hat into the ring – including an ultra-Orthodox, an Arab and a woman. What is concerning is that while most ultra-Orthodox will vote for the ultra-orthodox, and most Arabs will vote for the Arab, the rest of the candidates will split the rest of the votes and we could end up with an ultra-Orthodox or Arab mayor. Neither one would be good for this city.

    • Lord, You have someone in mind for Jerusalem's top position. Please show us so that we can pray for Your will to be done here in Your city (Dan. 2:19-23).

    • Unless we are totally off the mark – do not allow an Arab or an ultra-Orthodox win the election.

    • Please pare down the huge pool of candidates as we get closer to the voting (Judg. 7:2-4).

    • If Ze'ev Elkin, the Likud candidate and the one whom Netanyahu is backing, is Your man, we ask for him to make an excellent impression on Jerusalem's voters (Prov. 3:3-4).

    • As this is Your city, and You are the Great King, choose the one whom You want to rule under You.

    • We ask for a mayor who has Your heart and Your zeal for Zion (Isa. 62:1; Zech. 8:2).

    • Give Jerusalem a shepherd who will advance this promise: I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding…At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of YHWH; and all nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of YHWH, to Jerusalem. Nor shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart. (Jer. 3:15, 17)

    • Give Jerusalem a mayor with the heart of a Nehemiah: And I answered them and said to them, 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. (Neh. 2:20)

    • Give the new mayor Nehemiah's attitude: But the former governors that had been before me were too heavy upon the people, and had taken bread and wine from them, besides 40 shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not do this, because of the fear of God. (Neh. 5:15)

  6. The newly passed Jewish nation state bill has become somewhat of an embarrassment. Politicians who had supported it, now realize that they could have worded it better. And some of Israel's minority communities – especially the Druze – are very unhappy with it.

    • Lord, clear up this confusion as this law states what is already said in the Declaration of Independence of this nation from 1948 (1 Cor. 14:33).

    • As it is being reworded, let it be more sensitive to the minority communities without compromising in the truth of Israel as being the national homeland of the Jews (Zech. 8:16; Eph. 4:25)

    • We do bless the Druze, the Bedouin and many other parts of Israeli society who – while not Jewish – stand with and love this land and help to defend it (Gen. 12:3a; Num. 24:9b).

  7. The immigration of Jews in exile to Israel – called aliyah in Hebrew – is always something to pray for – as it is specifically linked with our God's glory.

    • Fear not; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not keep back; bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone who is called by My name; for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yes, I have made him.Isa. 43:5-7
    • I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the gentiles, which you have profaned in their midst. And the gentiles shall know that I am YHWH…when I shall be sanctified in you [Israel] before their eyes. For I will take you from among the gentiles and gather you out of all lands, and will gather you into your own land.Ezekiel 36:23-24

    • Lord, thank You for the consistent 25,000-30,000 Jews who have made aliyah every year for the past decade or so.

    • We are asking that this year we would see double that number (Mark 11:22-24).

    • Many Jews who have made aliyah have family members still in exile. Lord, unite families in Your land.

    • Lord, please gather all the Jews from Ethiopia and India – as most of them want to return (Jer. 31:10).

    • Abba, set the trapped Iranian Jewish community free to return this year (Psa. 124. 6-8).

    • Thank You for all the lone soldiers who are volunteering with the IDF this summer. When their tour of duty is over, impress on them the joy of staying in their biblical homeland (Isa. 62:4-5).

    • We thank You for blessing Israel's economy so graciously, Let some of the abundance go to support poor Jews who want to come home, yet struggle financially – like Holocaust survivors, the lame and elderly, the handicapped, orphans, etc. (Jer. 31:8).

    • May the new Jewish Agency head, Isaac Herzog, support aliyah more than he opposes Netanyahu.

    • Wake up Your people to the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK and other Europeans nations (Jer. 16:16).

    • Show them that things will not get better and now is the time to flee Babylon (Jer. 51:8-10).

    • Let the rabbis change their attitude and instead of waiting to be the last one to leave, let them lead Your people home (Psa. 143:10; Jer. 23:3-4).

  8. We went back to a security concern and prayed about Iran.

    • Watch over Your word about Iran – ancient Elam: I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy the king and the rulers from there, says YHWH. (Jer. 49:38)

    • With reports of the Iranian church growing tremendously, we thank You that You are setting Your throne in "Elam" – in the hearts of these Persians who are becoming our family (Col. 1:12-13).

    • We ask for more laborers in the harvest-field that is Iran today (Matt. 9:37-38).

    • Give the believers much wisdom in sharing the gospel (Mark 13:11; 1 Pet. 3:15).

    • Deliver all believers from any spirits of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism – and show them that they should bless what You are doing in Israel (Gen. 12:3; Jer. 32:41-42).

    • Lord, thank You for shaking that nation physically, economically, socially and politically.

    • Continue the shaking until the wicked rulers of Iran are relieved of their authority (Ezek. 34:1-10).

    • Use the quickly approaching American sanctions to shake Iran's economy even more than it is now.

    • Use the pressure of the sanctions to press Iran's leaders into making geo-political errors (Jer. 49:16).

    • Divide the Iranian leaders; make them absolutely paranoid about each other.

    • Divide Iran from its relations with both Russia and Syria (Job 12:16).

    • Make Syrian President Assad super-paranoid about Iran's ultimate plans for his nation.

May our God enable all of us to hear His voice and know when and what he wants to hear from us in intercession. We do appreciate all the feedback we receive from you. May YHWH, who made the heavens and earth, bless you out of Zion. (Psa. 134:3)

Shabbat shalom

The IFI team