1. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
    As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.
    For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
    Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts.
    As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity.
    Peace be upon Israel!Psalm 125

    • You are the same yesterday, today and forever. We trust in Your unchanging nature. (Hebrews 13:8)

    • Thank You for Your patience with us and that You always have mercy.

    • You are the good shepherd who goes to search for the one lost sheep. (Luke 15:4-7)

    • Hodu l’Adonai ki tov, ki leolam chasdo. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 106:1)

    • Thank You that You neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4)

    • We lift up our eyes to You, the Lord of glory.

    • You reign in righteousness.

    • There is none like You!

  2. Rain – This week we have seen the first rains of the rainy season in Israel. The blessing has been accompanied by some flooding and destruction.

    • We bless You and thank You for answering our prayers for rain.

    • Please send continuous, gentle rains to continue restoring and nourishing the parched land.

    • O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, Selah.  The earth quaked, the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God. Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.  You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God. You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.Psalm 68:7-9

    • Give wisdom to all those involved in visiting and taking others to visit areas susceptible to flash flooding.

    • Provide for the poor during the rains and cold weather. (Psalm 68:10)

  3. Jordan – Jordan has reached out to Israel for help in the rescue operation following a group of schoolchildren being caught in flooding due to the heavy rains. Israel was able to send help although many children lost their lives. Earlier in the week Jordan had announced its decision not to renew the lease on two small parcels of land on the border with Israel which have been leased to Israel for the past 24 years. This signaled a souring in relations between the two nations.

    • Lord, show the Jordanians that Israel is ready to bless them.

    • Bring Your purposes regarding the border lands and regarding relations between Israel and Jordan. (Psalm 143:10)

    • Comfort the families who have lost loved ones in the floods.

  4. Gaza – There remains no lasting solution in Gaza. While the violence has declined somewhat Israel’s leaders are looking increasingly indecisive and their past threats meaningless. The UN is again putting pressure on Israel not to act firmly against Hamas.

    • Please hedge-in the interference of the UN and the rest of the international community and the media. Expose their lies. (John 3:21)

    • Use the change in the weather to keep would-be rioters at home. Use the rain to extinguish any fires they might attempt to start.

    • Protect and encourage Israel’s soldiers stationed along the border. Protect them in body, soul and spirit and guard against kidnappings. (Psalm 121:5-8)

    • Bless the residents of Israel’s border communities. Give them hope in the midst of this now 7-month-long ordeal. Meet with them and give them grace to meet with You this Shabbat.

    • May Israel turn to You in repentance as they recognize these sufferings as the result of giving away the land.

    • Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.Psalm 81:13-14

    • Show Israel’s leaders what to do now.

    • We would like to see the end of Hamas, yet we ask You to keep them in power for just as long as they are useful to serve Your greater purposes. (Proverbs 19:21)

  5. The North – While Gaza is a nasty irritation for Israel, the true danger lies in the North. Hezbollah in both Lebanon and Syria have their stockpiles of arms aimed at Israel. They have established a new stronghold within the Druze community on the Syrian part of the Golan Heights. Russia also is seeking to limit Israel’s activities in striking strategic targets in Syria. Israel, on the other hand, has re-stated its readiness to take pre-emptive action if needed.

    • Give Israel’s leaders wisdom and anointing to keep to their ‘red lines’ and maintain the security of our borders.

    • Show them where they need to deploy our forces.

    • Give unity in the Security Cabinet and work through its decisions by the Spirit of God. (Proverbs 22:19-21)

    • Use the relationship between Binyamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin and give Israel’s PM wisdom in his dealings with Russia.

    • Keep Israel’s agents hidden and enable them to supply accurate information about every plan of our enemies.

    • Bring the enemies’ plans to nothing. (Isaiah 19:3)

    • Show our enemies that You are the keeper of Israel. (Joshua 2:9)

    • Keep our eyes on You. (Psalm 25:15)

    • Give the Syrian Druze people boldness to resist Hezbollah.

    • Protect the Israeli Druze and strengthen their allegiance to Israel. May they recognize that You are the true God.

    • Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.Isaiah 41:10-11

  6. Netanyahu – Police reports on the various corruption cases against the Prime Minister have been completed and sent to the Attorney General, who has to decide whether and when to indict Netanyahu for trial.

    • Protect Bibi from being distracted by all this business and prevented from doing his job in leading and protecting the country. Keep him focused. (Proverbs 21:1)

    • Deliver him also from bitterness or resentment. May this not be true of him.

    • For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.Acts 8:23

    • Give wisdom to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. May he act according to righteousness and justice. Guard both him and Netanyahu from acting according to political considerations – to indict or not to indict, to call early national elections or not to.

    • Keep Netanyahu as Prime Minister for all the days You have allotted to him.

    • Prepare the person who will be Israel’s next Prime Minister. May Netanyahu prepare and mentor his successor for the job.

    • Give Bibi and his whole family a blessed Shabbat. May they be nourished in their time together and by their reading of Your word.

  7. Municipal Elections – these elections take place on October 30th.

    • Direct the voters across Israel to vote according to Your plans and purposes. (I Timothy 2:1-2)

    • Provide righteous leaders for all the communities in the land.

    • Thank You, Lord for the leadership of Nir Barkat who has been mayor of Jerusalem for the past 10 years.

    • Please give us a new mayor in Jerusalem who has a vision for Your city, The City of the Great King. (Isaiah 1:26)

    • Anoint a man of justice and integrity who will be able to work together with the many varied communities which make up Jerusalem.

  8. Peace Plans – With continued delays over the unveiling of the much-trumpeted US peace plan, the French have announced that they will come up with one of their own.

    • Show Israel’s leaders what to do in the face of all this foreign interference.

    • May nothing come into the light except what You permit and in Your perfect timing.

    • Bring to nothing everything which is not from You! May the meddling of the nations, however well-meaning, fall flat!

    • Hedge-in President Trump and his team and guard them against forcing any plan on Israel.

    • Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.Psalm 2:10-11
    • And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.Zechariah 12:3

  9. China – Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan has been in Israel this week celebrating growing economic ties between the two nations. These ties include plans to rebuild the port of Haifa (Israel’s most important port) which will give the management contract of the port to a Chinese company for 20 years.

    • Lord, we ask that you will give Israel’s leaders wisdom regarding relations with China. Wake them up to all subtle buying of control which will undermine Israel’s independence and security. (Isaiah 39:1-7)

    • Guard against any temptation to seek wealth or influence through association with China. (Proverbs 1:19)

    • Root out all corruption.

  10. Marc Chopinsky – On Sunday 21st October our dear brother Marc went home to be with his beloved Lord, Yeshua. Marc had served for many years on the board of IFI and as worship leader at our annual prayer conference.

    • Thank You for the wonderful example Marc was of faithful, humble service to the King!

    • Please bring Your comfort to Marc’s widow, Leah and to all his family and friends.

    • Show IFI who You want to lead worship next January.

    • In the words of Isaiah which Marc used in one of his songs: Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. (Isaiah 2:3)

  11. IFI – Meanwhile Chuck Cohen completes his visit to the USA this weekend and returns to Israel next week.

    • Complete all Your purposes through Chuck on this visit and watch over his travels as he returns to his family.

Shabbat Shalom from the IFI team!