1. At times, the situation in Israel feels very heavy in the spiritual realm. This impacts our whole walk and outlook, and so we read from Psalm 37 to encourage our hearts before the Lord our God.

    • Do not fret yourself with evildoers; do not be envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon wither like the grass; and fade as the green herb. Trust in YHWH, and do good; you shall dwell in the land, and shall be fed on truth. Delight yourself also in YHWH, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Roll your way on YHWH; trust also in Him, and He will work. He shall bring forth your righteousness like the light, and your judgment like the noonday. Rest in YHWH; wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of him who practices wickedness. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret yourself to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on YHWH, they shall inherit the land.Psa. 37:1-9

    • You who directed David to write this are the same today as You were then. Hallelujah (Mal. 3:6)!

    • We bless You that You are the One who watches over Israel and over us (Psa. 121:3-4).

    • We trust in Your overriding sovereignty – in all things (Psa. 22:28; 103:19).

    • We rest in You who knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-10).

    • Thank You for establishing Your word in Your presence forever (Psa. 119:89).

    • We are grateful for You telling us to not be anxious – but to turn our anxiety into prayer (Phil. 4:6-7).

    • And I heard as the sound of a great multitude, and as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns! (Rev. 19:6) Amen!

  2. The precarious situation with Iran and Hizbullah on Israel's northern border has intensified greatly recently. A report came out that Israel just attacked an Iranian site in Syria. The real potential for an all-out war was one of the reasons why PM Bibi Netanyahu pushed for the cease-fire in the south with Hamas in Gaza. We first prayed for Israel's border with Syria.

    • Thank You for the Israel Air Force (Deut. 32:10-13).

    • Continue to give them the liberty and ability to defend this nation (Isa. 31:5).

    • Encourage and protect all IAF pilots and give great wisdom to all IAF service people (Ezek. 37:10).

    • Lord, enable the two new F-35s that Israel recently received to become fully integrated quickly.

    • Remove all restraints from Israel defending itself (Isa. 33:0-13).

    • We bless You for directing Israel to take action this past week (1 Chr. 14:15).

    • Allow Israel to obtain accurate, actionable intelligence concerning all our enemies' plans (Psa. 139:12).

    • Give Israel wisdom to know how to deal with the Russian equipment in Syria – whether anti-aircraft missiles or anti-electronic jamming equipment (Psa. 20:7-9).

    • Lord God, infuse all the IDF soldiers along the Syrian border with alertness and courage (Psa. 127:1).

    • Impart wisdom and a unity to all security leaders in Israel – especially our prime minister and defense minister – who happen to both be Bibi Netanyahu at this time (Job 28:28).

    • Cause a deep division to occur between Russia and Iran in Syria (Psa. 55:9).

    • Like You confused the tongues at the tower of Babel, confuse the communications between the Arabic-speaking Syrians and the Farsi-speaking Iranians (Psa. 129:5).

    • Do not allow the demonically inspired move by Syria of giving all Hizbullah and Iranian troops in its territory citizenship prevent Israel from targeting terrorists who should be targeted.

  3. We turned out attention to Hizbullah in Lebanon. It was just reported that an Iranian civilian plane ferried advanced weapons to them. As Iran is also behind what Hamas has been doing down south and is also in Syria, Israel is being surrounded by this fanatical Shi'ite regime which has consistently, including this past week, called for Israel's annihilation.

    • Abba, pull Hizbullah into the trap which You have been laying for it (Mich. 4:11-13).

    • Arise God, scatter Hizbullah which delights in war (Psa. 68:1, 30).

    • Expose their hidden weapons and missile factories and use a great shaking to destroy all (Num. 24:9).

    • Deal with Hizbullah as it rages in pride against You (Psa. 83:16).

    • If Israel is to pre-empt, direct it to know when, what the targets will be and what the end-game should look like (Psa. 144:1; Prov. 21:30-31).

    • Bless You for raising up Netanyahu as both prime minister and defense minister at this time (Est. 4:14).

    • Enable Israel's cyber warfare to mess up all of Hizbullah's high-tech equipment (Psa. 129:5).

    • Give Israel a way to disrupt any further Iranian deliveries to Hizbullah by whatever means Iran uses.

    • Have mercy on Lebanon and bring it back into the calling for which You created it (Isa. 29:17-20).

    • Protect and guide Israel's undercover agents in Lebanon, and its spy satellites over that region, aiding them to uncover all that is being covered up (Dan. 2:28).

  4. Gaza is still a danger and today is Friday, another day of demonstrations. Also, incendiary devices are still flying over and setting parts of southern Israel ablaze.

    • Lord, if it is time to "mow the grass" again – that is to give Hamas a bloody nose so that they fall back for several years – show Israel and if so, lead them to do it (Psa. 44:1-8).

    • Give the IDF soldiers in this area wisdom, alertness and divine protection (Psa. 3:3).

    • Protect them from the spirts of hate and anti-Semitism that accompany the weekly demonstrations.

    • Encourage the Israelis living in that area to see Your hand of protection upon them through all these years of low-level warfare (Psa. 20:7-9; 121:4).

    • Increase the spirit of paranoia among the Hamas leadership. Let them see Israeli spies behind every rock in Gaza (2 Chr. 18:21-22)!

    • Continue to fuel the division that is appearing in the ranks of the Hamas leadership (Mark 3:25).

    • Reveal to the IDF any weaknesses they have if they need to fight a two-front war (Jer. 17:17).

    • Renew the natural love that should be between family members among the Gazans so that they are not so free with letting their "loved" ones go out to be killed for Allah (Psa. 106:37-38).

    • Inspire some Israelis to come up with effective anti-incendiary measures (Prov. 16:3).

    • Dry up all of Hamas funds – especially from Iran (Jer. 51:36).

    • Defang Hamas, but keep them in control for as long as You will – to use them to prevent any unity government that puts the Palestinian Authority in charge of Gaza (Psa. 55:9).

    • Give Israel an endgame strategy and wisdom to know how to deal with Gaza the day after Hamas.

  5. This Sunday the government is supposed to pass the new Haredi – Ultra-Orthodox – draft bill concerning Haredi male citizens in Israel to serve in the IDF. This could bring down the government as the Haredi in the government are opposed to it although it is a weak bill and the alternative is much more severe.

    • Is this the time for new elections, Lord (Eccl. 3:1)?

    • We leave this in Your hands asking You to do that which is right in Your eyes (Prov. 21:1).

    • We thank You for the hundreds of Haredi young men who do serve in the IDF.

    • Bless them and use them for Your glory (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • Reveal to them the real Lord of Hosts, Yeshua their King Messiah (Rev. 19:11-19).

  6. The current Israeli government is hanging on by one vote and its internal struggles cause us to see that every day this government continues is a huge miracle from the King of Israel.

    • Abba, help PM Netanyahu to shed all the extraneous portfolios he is currently carrying and delegate them to trustworthy men and woman (Prov. 11:14; 15:22).

    • Show him Your choice either for a new defense minister or a new foreign minister (Prov. 16:9).

    • The king's heart is in YHWH's hand as the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He will.Prov. 21:1

    • Turn Naftali Bennett's heart from seeking after political gain into a true son of Zion. Do the same with Yair Lapid and many others in the government as well (Jer. 17:5-8).

    • Raise up a righteous government to rule Israel at this critical time (Prov. 14:34a).

  7. We turned our prayers to the US "peace" plan. While President Trump has been one of the best friends Israel has had in the White House, some of his recent comments and his stated intention to deal with Israel's land as a "real estate" deal should cause great angst for Bible believers – especially those in America. Trump is a proven friend, so it will be much harder for Israel's leaders to "just say no". Yet they will need to do that if his plan wants Israel to do anything against our God's revealed will.

    • Abba, we proclaim this is Your land (Lev. 25:23) and not just another piece of real estate

    • To Israel's leaders, we say, It is better to trust in YHWH than to trust in man. It is better to trust in YHWH than to trust in princes [or presidents!]. (Psa. 118:8-9)

    • Impart to Bibi both the historical and biblical danger of dividing Your land.

    • Open Trump's eyes to the danger of dealing with Your land in any way that is not in line with Your will and word (Ezek. 36:5; Joel 3:1-2).

    • Give Trump brave, wise, believing counselors who will warn him and help him to walk humbly enough to listen to them (Prov. 16:18).

    • Bless Trump as he has, up to this time, blessed Israel (Gen. 12:3; Num. 24:9).

    • Prevent him from crossing the Rubicon and ending up on the curse side of those promises.

    • Thank You for the hardness of the Palestinian leaders' hearts – especially Abbas – to reject anything Trump says, even before they hear it (Rom. 9:14-18).

    • Wake up that large part of the true American Church that does not even have this existential issue for their nation on their radar (Isa. 60:12; Zech. 2:8; 12:2-3, 9).

  8. We prayed for Israel's foreign relations in general.

    • We pray for Israel to look to You so that You do not need to say to it, Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and lean on horses and trust in chariots, because it is great; and in horsemen, because they are so very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor do they seek YHWH! (Isa. 31:1)

    • Keep a watch over Israel's relations with Russia – especially with their President Putin (Psa. 41:9).

    • Open Israel's eyes to the danger of Turkey under current president Erdogan (Prov. 11:21).

    • Forbid that Israel go too far in its growing relations with China (Prov. 6:1-5).

    • Let the next foreign minister confront all those nations who are begging to have relations with us in many areas – yet constantly vote against us in international forums (Prov. 17:17).

    • Remind Israel's leaders that ultimately Israel is a nation that is to dwell alone and not be reckoned with the other nations (Num. 23:9).

    • Enable Israel to be realistic in its relationships with "moderate" Muslim nations (Deut. 11:16).

    • Strengthen the connection between Israel and Brazil, especially with their new President Bolsonaro.

    • May he do that which he promised and move the Brazilian embassy up to Jerusalem (Psa. 48:1-2).

  9. We spend some time praying for eyes to be open in Israel over the Chanukah season which starts this Sunday evening and continues for 8 days. Please pray for specific groups of Israelis and Jews in exile to come to a saving knowledge of the true Light of the World, Yeshua haMashiach.

    • The Feast of Dedication [Chanukah] took place at Jerusalem, and it was winter, and Yeshua walked in the temple in Solomon's Porch. Then the Jews encircled Him and said, 'How long will You keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. (John 10:22-24) Do just that this season Lord.

    • The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; they who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined. (Isa. 9:2) Amen!

  10. We ended by praying into Israel's dire water crisis. Continue to ask the Lord to open the heavens and replenish this very dry and thirsty land (Isa. 41:17-20; Zech. 10:1; Matt. 5:45b).

You have no idea how encouraging your prayers are to those of us who stand in Zion. We bless you in the mighty name of our Messiah and Lord of all, Yeshua! May YHWH, who made the heavens and earth, bless you out of Zion. (Psalms 134:3)

Shabbat shalom v'hag Chanukah sameach

The IFI team