1. We read the first two verses of this Shabbat's prophetic portion to begin our time before God.

    • Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of YHWH has risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but YHWH shall rise on you, and His glory shall be seen on you.Isa. 60:1-2

    • Thank You for choosing to reveal Your glory through Your chosen people, both Israel and the Body of Messiah, at this specific time of deep darkness descending upon the world (1 Thess. 5:5-6).

    • Nothing takes You by surprise as You already know the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-10).

    • Thank You that we find rest in You even when facing the increasing unrest of this world (John 16:33).

    • Yeshua, You are the light of the world and as we abide in You, we also can live in the light (John 8:12).

    • Who are these who fly like a cloud, as the doves to their windows? Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of YHWH your God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.Isa. 60:8-9

    • Hallelujah! You are restoring Israel for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:23-24).

  2. The current situation in Syria is extremely confusing and dangerous for Israel. While both the US and Russia say they want all Iranian troops and proxies out, Syria just closed a deal with Iran to allow them to remain and aid Syria's recovery. This enables Iran to have a foothold right on Israel's border.

    • Lord, in the confusion of the current reality – teach us how to pray (Luke 11:1).

    • Abba, we call on You, to arise and scatter Your enemies, those who take pleasure in war (Psa. 68:1, 30).

    • Continue to confound those who hate Zion – in particular the Iranian leadership (Psa. 129:5).

    • Thank You that despite efforts from past Israeli governments, the Golan Heights remains part of Israel,

    • We bless You for all the Israelis who are living there and ask for the government's plan to bring 100,000 more Israelis up there to be fulfilled quickly (2 Chr. 29:36; Isa. 48:3).

    • Clarify what is truth from the rumors of war that we constantly hear (Matt. 24:6).

    • Enable Israel to be ready to deal with reality and not fight against shadows (1 Cor. 9:26).

    • Impart wisdom to Israeli military intelligence to know all of Iran's military buildup in Syria (Job 12:22).

    • Do not let the fear of man or the nations prevent Israel from a pre-emptive attack if needed (Isa. 51:12).

    • Give Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu deep insight into both Russia's Putin and America's Trump so that he knows how to relate to each of them and what their true goals are in the Middle East (Prov. 3:13).

    • Remove all fear and exhaustion from all the IDF soldiers who are guarding on the Golan (Psa. 57:8).

    • Use the Messianic believing soldiers as a source of comfort and strength to their comrades (Isa. 40:1-2).

    • Forbid any friendly fire accidents and do not allow there to be any successful kidnappings (Psa. 121:4).

    • Thank You for the recent major IDF exercise on the Golan. Show the IDF any weaknesses or other areas that need to be shored up.

    • Turn the heart of many Syrian civilians towards You and to see that Israel as not their foe (Matt. 5:44).

  3. The Lebanese border is another current danger. Most experts think that another war with Hizbullah is not a matter of "if" – but "when?" UNFIL, the UN forces ordered to separate Israel and Hizbullah – has a new man in charge, a Maj. Gen. Del Col from Italy, who could actually be a plus for Israel as opposed to a fig-leaf for the enemy. Israel is encouraging him to do his job.

    • Lord, make Del Col take his new responsibilities seriously and not be manipulated by Hizbullah threats.

    • Please reveal all Hizbullah weapons movements to Israel.

    • Enable Israel to have an up-to-date map of where all Hizbullah missile and weapons factories are where all their storage facilities are located (Job 26:6; 34:21-22; Dan. 2:22).

    • Refine the IDF plans for the next conflict so that it lines up with Your plans (Prov. 21:31).

    • May the next conflict be dealt with quickly and completely and do not allow Israel to be more merciful with its enemies than You want them to be (1 Kings 20:31-43).

    • We ask for You to send Your servant "rust" to mess up the hidden Hizbullah missiles (Psa. 107:25).

    • Hizbullah's leader Nasrallah is constantly cursing Your people. Remember Genesis 12:3 and Numbers 24:9 upon him and let him know it is You whom he has cursed (Job 34:24-25; Psa. 107:40; Prov. 16:18).

    • Wake up the US administration to see that all money and weapons sent to the Lebanese army actually aid Hizbullah – the terrorist group that has murdered more Americans that any other over the recent past.

    • Through all this please have mercy on the Lebanese people, as well as restoring to Israel all the land which You promised to it – which includes all of south Lebanon (Gen. 15:18).

  4. Iran's current situation is that while it's expanding its Shi'ite threats outwardly, internally God is shaking that nation violently and is in the process of answering our prayers.

    • Call on Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. (Psa. 50:15) Amen!

    • We thank You for the growing Body of Messiah in Iran and ask that You would allow our brothers and sisters there to be like that leaven which represents the Kingdom of God (Matt. 13:33).

    • Protect them from all deceptive doctrines and from all spirits of antisemitism/anti-Zionism (Eph. 3:14).

    • Protect and save many of the other people groups in Iran: the Kurds, Baha'is, Sunni Muslims, etc.

    • Bless You for President Trump having pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal and how that is impacting Iran's economy. Use this to add pressure to Iran's current leadership.

    • Praise You for the public protests that are still on-going against the current government and its foreign military outreaches. Use this to bring down this wicked regime (Psa. 69:22-26).

    • Lord, deal with the EU which refuses to abide by the US sanctions and is trying to support both the Iranian deal and the current Iranian government – even when the Iranian people are against it!

    • Raise up prophetic voices in both the political arena and in the churches to warn Europe of its dangerous decisions to support a nation which is Your enemy (Psa. 83:2-4) and which is trying to destroy what You are doing with all of Your heart and all of Your soul (Jer. 32:41).

    • Abba, we see earthquakes hitting Iran many times a day. Shake that nation in a very clear and precise way and shake out the leaders from their thrones (Jer. 49:38).

    • Increase the pressure so that Iran's leaders make major geo-political mistakes (1 Kings 22:22-23).

    • Enable the US and other nations to be ready to defend the freedom to sail the Persian Gulf if Iran tries to block the straits of Hormuz (Prov. 20:18).

    • We hope Israel has at least one submarine in that area, but wherever Israel's subs are, please keep them hidden and protected and ready to fight (Psa. 107:23-24).

    • For I will cause Elam [ancient Iran] to be dismayed before their enemies…and I will bring evil on them, even My fierce anger, says YHWH. (Jer. 49:37) Lord, arise and dismay Iran's wicked leadership.

  5. Today is Friday and we expect another demonic demonstration against Israel's Gaza security fence. Also, there are rumors of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas which can be good in some areas but terrible and compromising in others.

    • Lord, as Israelis, we confess the sin of the Gaza disengagement by ex-Israeli PM Sharon. Israel, return to YHWH your God, for you have fallen by your iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to YHWH. Say to Him, Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously… 'I will heal their backslidings; I will love them freely; for My anger has turned away from him'. (Hosea 14:1-2, 4)

    • Abba, as there is a deep division between Abbas and Fatah in Judea and Samaria and Hamas in Gaza, we ask You, based on Mark 3:25, to destroy both and set many Palestinians free from their wicked rulers.

    • We thank You for this division, seeing it as an answer to our prayer from Psalm 55:9: Destroy, YHWH, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and fighting in the city.

    • Give Israelis living in the south a voice to influence the government to make sane decisions.

    • Forbid that the threat of an Iranian/Hizbullah attack from the north would hinder Israel from doing whatever it takes to defend its southern citizens.

    • Lord, You heard this week's threats by Hamas' leaders to attack Tel Aviv unless a cease-fire is signed (Gal. 6:7). Do not allow Israel to be blackmailed but to do that which is right in Your eyes (1 Chr. 13:4).

    • In all demonstrations on the Gaza border, enable the IDF to deal as You said a righteous authority should operate: For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the bad. (Rom. 13:3a)

  6. PM Bibi Netanyahu is a walking miracle. With all the pressure that he has to deal with, both inside Israel and from outside enemies, the fact that he still makes, for the most part, godly decisions and speaks truth, must be credited, in part, to all those who lift him up to the throne of his God in prayer. As Israelis, we thank you and ask that you continue to pray for him based not on the headlines – but on God's lines!

    • We continue to pray: Let Your hand be on the Man of Your right hand, on the Son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself. (Psa. 80:17)

    • We especially thank You for the historical perspective that Netanyahu brings to every situation. May he ever have the insight to learn the lessons of history (Psa. 77:11).

    • Lord Yeshua, stir up more Israeli believers to stand in the gap for their God-given leader (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

    • Surround Netanyahu with wise and godly counsel and separate him from all other advice (Psa. 1:1).

    • Protect Bibi from any and all deception (Num. 23:23).

    • Stir him up to find and mentor his eventual replacement – and if You would be pleased to let us know whom you have in mind, we will pray for him (Amos 3:7).

    • Lord Yeshua, if Netanyahu does not know You – reveal Yourself to him this Shabbat (Luke 24:30-31).

  7. Israel has a severe water crisis. We have been in drought mode for five years and meteorologists are warning of a sixth this coming rainy season.

    • Lord, this is not what we read in Your word of what would happen when You returned us to Your land, and although we are not a righteous nation yet – still Your Son told us that You rain on both the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45b).

    • Lord, you promised to make this land like the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 36:35), and were waiting for us to ask You to do it (36:37). Abba, we are asking for You to provide all the water this land needs and we are asking this for Your holy name's sake (36:22-23, 36).

    • You even said that You would create new water sources (Isa. 41:18) with the end result being that many in Israel will 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. (41:20)

    • Lord, we look to You to do this, and if You choose to do this through government agencies, then open their eyes and ears to understand what You want them to do (Psa. 32:8-9).

    • Aid the government to see this as a top priority – and to put all the time, effort and finances in to do whatever it is that they are supposed to do.

    • We are asking for heavy rains in the right places over this rainy season (Job 37:5-6).

    • Please save and replenish the Sea of Galilee and forbid that it becomes saline.

  8. We finished by praying for aliyah – the return of the Jews from exile to Israel – and for the salvation of many Jewish people over the so-coming fall feast season. Please pray for this for your specific nation, and remember that all prayers that are prayed in line with His will – He hears and answers – in His way and in His timing – but He does answer them (John 5:14-15). Basically, John is saying that when we pray what we know to be His will – no matter how impossible it seems (Jer. 31:17, 27) – it is never a waste of time. We thank You for Your continued faithfulness to intercede with us for this nation so that one day very soon, the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YHWH, as the waters cover the sea. (Hab. 2:14)

Shabbat shalom

The IFI team