1. It is raining in Jerusalem this morning – and that is an excellent reason to praise our God.

    • We thank and praise You for the rain (Psa. 68:9).

    • Lord Yeshua, we trust in You because You are the same – yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

    • We are so grateful that You know the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-10).

    • We stand in awe of Your judgements which are all totally righteous (Psa. 19:9; 119:160).

    • Oh send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill, and to Your tabernacles.Psa. 43:3

    • Thank You for Your constant care for us (Matt. 6:25-34).

    • We exalt You, Almighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16).

    • Thank You for bringing us into Your kingdom for just a time like this (Est. 4:14b).

    • Hallelujah! Even if we struggle You remain faithful to Your promises. If we do not believe Him, yet He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Tim. 2:13)

    • We give You thanks for You are good and Your covenant-love endures forever (Psa. 118:1; 136:1).

  2. Israel's governing coalition sailed through rough seas last week, but "Captain" Bibi Netanyahu managed to keep the ship of state afloat. We thank God for answering our prayers about this situation. Now several important portfolios need to be filled – especially the Foreign Minister's slot as Bibi is now both prime minister and defense minister and cannot continue as Israel's foreign minister as well.

    • Lord, may the next foreign minister do as good a job as Netanyahu has done (Dan. 4:17b, 25b).

    • Lead Netanyahu to choose the next foreign minister based on what Israel needs and not on political considerations (Prov. 16:1; 21:1).

    • Use Netanyahu mightily as Israel's defense minister, and impart to him Your wisdom (Psa. 80:17).

    • Thank You for the new IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi. Anoint him for this position (1 Sam. 2:10).

    • Strengthen the relationship between Netanyahu and Kochavi – for You holy name's sake (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • Enable Netanyahu, the new defense minister, and Kochavi, the new IDF head, to discern whether the reports of the IDF not being ready for war are true – and if it is, to fix it.

    • Forgive this nation for the wicked Oslo accords which turned our exceedingly great army (Ezek. 37:10), into a glorified police force. Restore the IDF swiftly (Isa. 41:15-16).

    • During Chanukah, impress on all Israel's leaders that Israel's national emblem has not just the Menorah, but this verse as well: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says YHWH of Hosts. (Zech. 4:6)

    • Hover over the current chaos impacting Israel and by Your Spirit bring forth light (Gen. 1:2-3).

    • By Your appointed leaders, lead this nation in paths of righteousness – for Your name's sake (Psa. 23:3).

  3. We next prayed for Netanyahu specifically as he has taken on himself the great responsibility of the security of this nation. He has said previously that he did not see himself as a prime minister who would bring forth peace, but who would make Israel more secure.

    • We are reminded that one of the most dangerous times for anyone is right after a great victory. Protect Bibi from the victory of keeping the government going and do not allow pride to blind him (Prov. 29:23).

    • We hold his arms up to You in prayer, asking You to sustain, protect and guide him (Ex. 17:11-12).

    • Restore him physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually through Your Word (Prov. 3:5-8).

    • Aid him to delegate so that he can clear his schedule from all unnecessary busyness (Ex. 18:17-23).

    • Give Your beloved sleep (Psa. 127:2).

    • Allow the current court case against his wife Sara to be resolved quickly.

    • Make all current investigations against Netanyahu to be resolved quickly as well.

  4. Today being Friday, Israel is expecting another demonstration on its Gaza border.

    • Lord, rain on Hamas' parade (Job 38:22-23). [Hamas is the terrorist group that rule in Gaza.]

    • Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; also let those who hate Him flee before Him…He scatters the people who delight in war.Psa. 68:1, 30b

    • Protect the IDF soldiers guarding there from losing their concentration in stormy weather (Prov. 19:21).

    • Strengthen the IDF to watch over and enforce its declared redlines (Josh. 10:25).

    • May all commands and communications between officers and soldiers be super clear.

    • Again, we plead with You to prevent all successful kidnapping attempts (Psa. 140:7).

    • Give new crowd control methods and weapons to the IDF (2 Chr. 26:11-15).

  5. There are reports of a deep division between Hamas' political leader in Gaza, Haniyeh, and its military leader Sinwar. This is also an answer to prayer and needs to be prayed into more.

    • Lord, You said a house divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:25), we ask You to apply that to Hamas and bring it down – in Your timing and in Your way to bring You the most glory (I John 5:14-15).

    • Deepen the division as You confound those who hate Zion (Psa. 129:5).

    • Abba, they curse Israel continually. Open their eyes as they are actually cursing themselves (Gen. 12:3).

    • If Hamas is removed, forbid that the last state of the house is worse than the first (Luke 11:26).

    • Give the Egyptians wisdom in dealing with this division in Hamas.

    • Abba, send a mighty revival to Gaza and bring multitudes into Your Son's kingdom (Col. 1:12-13).

    • Strengthen and use the small body of believers who are currently laboring there (Matt. 16:18).

  6. Apparently, the reason why a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was agreed in the south is because of the grave danger of Iran and Hizbullah in the north. While we would prefer for Israel to defend all of its civilians regardless of where they live, yet as Netanyahu said, we do not see the whole picture. May God comfort and calm the southern residents from this which comes across as betrayal. Yet the northern threat is very serious and could bring us into a major war – today.

    • Lord, now that the Lebanese army has said it will fight alongside Hizbullah against Israel, enable Israel to have its horses prepared for an all-out war against the nation of Lebanon (Prov. 21:31).

    • Wake up America to see what the Lebanese army has just declared. May it put a stop to the US shipping any more weapons, or sending any more instructors to Lebanon's army (Psa. 36:3).

    • With reports of Hizbullah having weapons facilities in which it is producing Iranian high tech missiles, show Israel if and when it should pre-empt (2 Sam. 5:24).

    • Increase the internal discord between Hizbullah, many in the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people (Psa. 35:26).

    • Bring this divided house down (Matt. 12:25).

    • Aid Israel to have up-to-date intelligence as to where all of Hizbullah's hidden rockets and missiles are in both Lebanon and in Syria (Job 12:21-22).

    • Help Israel to develop EMP weapons and also the way to defend itself against EMP attacks.

  7. The term "Lawfare" is a good description of how many groups try to stop Israel from defending itself through the use of a distorted view of international law in war and other areas. This has gained such importance that Israel now embeds military lawyers with most of its troops and they can actually override an officer's commands – even in battle! This is humanism gone wild.

    • Lord, let the IDF Military Advocate to instruct its lawyers to develop a biblical view of warfare and not a humanistic view (Num. 10:9).

    • Forbid that humanistic Israeli lawyers hinder the IDF from winning (Num. 31:3)!

    • Aid Israel to develop public relations to make its case for a justified war (Psa. 55:21; 120:7; 140:2).

    • Somehow may the embed lawyers be un-embed.

    • Remind these lawyers that they are Israelis as well as lawyers.

    • Slip some Messianic believing lawyers into this group to show them what the Scriptures say (Ex. 15:3; Deut. 4:34).

  8. We next prayed for both the IDF and the Israeli citizens to be prepared to fight and endure an all-out war.

    • Impart to all Israelis their responsibility to be prepared in the event of a war (1 Thess. 5:1-5).

    • May the IDF's Homefront Command to have all it needs to protect Israelis in wartime – finances, manpower, wisdom, strength, etc. (Eccl. 9:8a).

    • Prepare the hearts of new Israelis who have not had to face war in this land before (Isa. 41:10-13).

    • Remind the IDF of its goal of fighting a war on its enemy's territory and not in Israel itself.

    • Show the IDF what is lacking, if anything, in their preparations for the next war (Prov. 21:31).

    • Use Israel's submarines as a fierce and fearful battle-axe to cut any future war shorter (Jer. 51:20-23).

  9. Iran is still the huge gorilla in the middle of the room in all areas surrounding and threatening Israel. Called Elam and Persia in the Bible, it has been both an enemy and an ally of Israel throughout history. Right now, it is Israel's number one foe.

    • I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy the king and rulers from there, says YHWH.Jer. 49:38

    • Thank You for setting Your throne in the hearts of many Iranians as we are thrilled by the reports of the tremendous grow of the Iranian Church (Matt. 16:18).

    • Use believers to leaven all of Iran and pull out some from every strata of Iranian society (Luke 13:21).

    • Lord of the harvest, we ask You to send more laborers into the Iranian harvest (Luke 10:2).

    • Abba, continue shaking that nation – physically, financially, socially and spiritually.

    • Deal with the king and rulers and remove their scepters of authority (Dan. 4:24-25).

    • Increase the pressure of renewed US sanctions on Iran, forcing it to make major political mistakes.

    • Break apart the ties between Iran, Russia and Turkey – until it is Your time to fulfill Ezekiel 38:2-5.

    • Set Turkey against Iran and vice-versa over who should lead the Islamic world (Prov. 13:10a; 28:25a).

  10. We thank God for the rain and the forecast of more over this weekend. But we have seen too many forecasts that have not come to pass. So we pleaded with God for the rain and water that he has promised to give this land. Please join in with us in this vital request.

  11. We also prayed for many salvations among the Jewish people – both in Israel and in exile – over the soon coming Chanukah holiday. Please pray for specific groups of people or even Jewish people that You know personally. While He has promised that all Israel will be saved, God has also instructed the Body of Messiah to ask Him to do it! 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'. (Jer. 31:7)

Finally, we ended by praying for our January Prayer Conference. Agree with us in prayer that all who are supposed to be here – will be and that the leaders will know what to pray about and what to share when expounding the Word.

One final note: There are only a few limited spaces left on the prayer tour that follows the prayer conference. If you want to go with us, we need to receive your registration as soon as possible.

For the IFI team

Shabbat shalom