1. With the very hard week Israel has had, as there have been several successful terror attacks in Judea and Samaria, it was a challenge to praise God. Yet we were reminded of what Jeremiah prayed when told to buy land in Anathoth although he knew Judah was going into Babylonian exile.

    • Ah, Lord YHWH! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm. Nothing is too difficult for You.Jer. 32:17

    • Lord, we believe that and know that nothing takes You by surprise, so we rest in Your overriding care for this nation and its people (Psa. 121:4; Isa. 46:9-10).

    • We praise You for being the Creator and Sustainer of all (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11).

    • Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit who can lead us in prayer (Rom. 8:26).

    • Hallelujah! Your mercies are renewed every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).

    • Lord, we recognize and confess that Your ways are higher than our ways and trust You to work out Your will in this land and on the earth (Isa. 55:8-9; Psa. 33:10-11).

    • YHWH has prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom rules over all. (Psa. 103:19) Amen!

  2. There has been an uptick in successful terror attacks in Judea and Samaria – or what the world calls "the West Bank". The thinking at this time is that this is not a flash in the pan, but a sign of what the near future will look like. There have been several deaths and many injuries. Yet this week's prophetic portion specifically states that God will make us one in King Messiah's hand in this very area!

    • …Thus says the Lord YHWH: Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone…and will bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be king to them all.Ezek. 37:21-22

    • Abba, we plead for Your mercy to be poured out on this nation – especially on those who have lost loved ones in recent terror attacks or have been left injured (Psa. 25:6; 103:11).

    • Lord, we are back in Your/our land. Arise and scatter Your/our enemies (Psa. 68:1).

    • Diminish this upsurge by whatever means necessary and scatter those who delight in war (Psa. 68:30b).

    • We ask that You would give wisdom to the IDF to know how to halt this terrorism (Jam. 1:5-8).

    • Give courage, strength, wisdom and protection for the physical intercessors, the security guards and IDF soldiers who stand in the gap between this nation and its enemies (Ezek. 22:30).

    • Thank You for the successful stopping of several car-ramming attempts this past week (Psa. 118:1).

    • Encourage the residents – the settlers – who live in Judea and Samaria.

    • We thank You that they live exactly where You said Your people would be replanted (Jer. 31:3-5).

  3. Many settlers are very frustrated and angry over the lack of government policy on how to deal with this terrorism. This leads to some taking revenge by their own hands.

    • Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Eccl. 8:11) May this cycle be broken in Israel today!

    • Download Your strategy and tactics to Israel's leaders and let them know it is from You (Prov. 19:21).

    • Impart Your vision for what You are wanting in Judea and Samaria and bring government policy in line with Your end goal (Psa. 28; 79:9).

    • Bring the current government into unity over this issue, and strip from its members all thoughts of personal political gain from these decisions.

    • May they look to You. For YHWH is our defense; the Holy One of Israel is our King. (Psa. 89:18)

  4. The settlers need God's comfort, protection, and His restraining hand to prevent them from lashing out in all directions.

    • Abba, while we see their frustration, do not allow their response to make things worse (Prov. 4:27).

    • Work out Your strategy with the government so that the settlers will have renewed confidence in it.

    • Comfort all who mourn in Zion (Isa. 40:1-2; Zech. 1:17).

    • Prevent all price-tag attacks and other more dangerous assaults on innocent Palestinian Arabs.

    • Shield settlers' minds from the hate and death coming against them from jihadists (Deut. 33:29).

    • Use settler leaders and rabbis in these communities to be voices of sanity, comfort, strength and truth.

    • You who love YHWH, hate evil; He keeps the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.Psa. 97:10

  5. Israeli security forces are very active in Judea and Samaria and have stopped hundreds of attacks in the past year alone. They are needed now to continue to do that.

    • We do thank and praise You for all that has been prevented (Psa. 21:11).

    • We bless You for giving Israeli security forces such success against the forces of Islam (Num. 14:9).

    • Thank You for the finding and eliminating of several terrorists this past week alone (Psa. 34:16).

    • May all remaining Hamas terror cells in this area be exposed and dealt with (Lam. 4:22).

    • Send much confusion and disunity to all terror cells in Israel (Psa. 129:5).

    • As You do that, lead them to make major mistakes and expose their plans (Psa. 140:8).

    • Dry up all sources of weapons and finances to these Islamic jihadists (Isa. 14:29-30).

    • Give to the IDF new methods of deterrence – even if they are politically incorrect (2 Chr. 17:10)!

    • Enable there to be clear communications between all branches and levels of Israel's security forces.

    • Continue to give success to Israel's spies and collaborators among the Palestinians (Psa. 139:11-12).

  6. The hope of a peaceful life for the common Palestinian is futile. Either their leaders rule over them with a rod of iron, and steal all monies given for their benefit, or the jihadists cause such havoc that Israel needs to interfere with their daily lives. Their only hope is in Messiah Yeshua (Jer. 12:14-17).

    • Lord, we thank You for whatever remnant of the true church is still among the Palestinians – in Judea, Samaria and in Gaza. Strengthen and use them for Your glory (Matt. 16:18).

    • Reveal Yourself to many of Your enemies in these areas (Psa. 83:2, 16).

    • Stop some jihadists while they are literally on the way to commit acts of terror (Acts 9:1-6).

    • Save village and tribal leaders and even some Palestinian politicians (Prov. 21:1).

    • Open their eyes like You did to Ba'alim who could not curse Your people (Num. 24:2-5).

    • Remove the "Pharaohs" who will not turn regardless of what You do to them (Rom. 9:17).

  7. Israel needs an overall strategy to know who we are supposed to be to then figure out what we are supposed to do. The life-and-death crises that surround Israel are so many and so great that its leadership seems to run from one emergency to another without any coherent plan.

    • Abba God, You regathered Your nation from exile. Show us Your strategy and Your plans (Amos 3:7). 

    • Overrule all strategies and plans in the leadership that are not from You and may Your counsel prevail.

    • YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plans of the people. The counsel of YHWH stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.Psa. 33:10-11

    • As nothing takes You by surprise, please impart Your wisdom to Israel's leaders (1 Chr. 12:11-12)

    • Send Your fear upon them and drive out the fear of man (Psa. 118:8-9).

    • Give them ears what You say – regardless of the vessel You use to say it (Ex. 18:19; Num. 22:28)

    • Protect Israel's leaders from being driven by the media or the polls.

    • O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great company which comes against us. Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.2 Chr. 20:12

  8. The Gaza border could be very "hot" today as the successful terror attacks in Samaria this past week have been claimed by Hamas as their doing. Again, Israel is facing off against the spirit of Islam that only demands either submission or death to all Jews and any others who are not Muslims.

    • Impart Your strategy to the IDF to deal with these continuous demon-strations (Josh. 6:2-5).

    • Help the IDF to come up with new tactics that work against the enemy masses.

    • Lord of heaven's hosts, please send a huge contingent of warrior angels to stand on the Gaza side of the fence and to literally scare the hell out of these deceived Gazans (2 Chr. 20:29).

    • Give an extra dose of alertness to the IDF as we suspect the Gazans will be very encouraged by the recent deaths of Israelis in Samaria.

    • O Lord, how my foes have increased; many are the ones who rise up against me. Many are saying of my soul, there is no deliverance for him in God. Selah. But You, O YHWH, are a shield for me; my glory, the One who lifts up my head…I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set against me all around.Psa. 3:1-3, 6

  9. The IDF has uncovered a third Hizbullah terror-tunnel along the northern border with Lebanon. This situation could lead to a major war with Lebanon/Hizbullah and Iran at any time.

    • Lord, expose all other tunnels that have not been found yet (Job 12:22).

    • Lord, expose all other plans and threats of Hizbullah that Israel may be unaware of (Job 34:21-22).

    • Thank You for hearing prayers against successful kidnappings. Please continue to do that (Psa. 121:4).

    • Uncover all weapons caches and factories in Lebanon so that the IAF has an up-to-date target list.

    • Drain the funds and the confidence of Hizbullah. May the revealing by Israel of their tunnel project bring heavy discouragement on all its leaders which shall drag them into Your trap (Isa. 37:27-29).

    • Or if their pride has grown because of what they learned in Syria, use that against them (Prov. 16:18).

  10. We prayed next for the Church in the world, which for the most part seems deaf and blind to what God is doing in Israel to wrap up this age with the return of His Son Yeshua.

    • Lord, may the prosperity in Western nations not blind believers to what Your Word says (Mark 4:19).

    • Open Your children's eyes to see that You view the world through the filter of Israel (Zech. 2:8).

    • Raise up elders who will proclaim the truth of Your Word – even if it gets them into trouble (Gal. 4:16).

    • Remove evil shepherds who are only interested in feeding themselves and so do not proclaim the full counsel of God (Ezek. 34:10; Acts 20:26-28).

    • Encourage all those in the Body who have a true understanding of the times (1 Chr. 12:32).

    • At this season of gift-giving, gift Your Body with the vital importance of seeing the Old Testament as still very much the God's Word in today's world (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

    • Thank You for sovereignly choosing Israel (Deut. 7:6-9), and thank You for choosing us (John 15:16).

  11. Aliyah: As the Christmas season is uncomfortable for many Jews, we asked God to use that to cause them to come home.

    • How shall we sing YHWH's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth; if I do not prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.Psa. 137:4-6

    • Send the "gift" of uncomfortableness on Jews in exile at this time (Jer. 50:4-5).

    • As they see the increase of Islamic jihad attacks in the West, let them set their sights on Zion.

    • For the many who want to come home, like Ethiopians and many in South America, remove all barriers – whether Israel's bureaucracy or finances or employment or whatever (Isa. 43:5-7; 62:10).

    • What are Jews in the EU waiting for? Lord, You are shaking them up. Now move them out (Jer. 16:16)!

    • Shake up US Jews and let them see that exile is exile – no matter how gilded the cage is (Joel 3:1).

  12. We ended by praying for the IFI conference in January. Obviously, there was much we did not touch this week – like rain [thank You Lord of the recent wet weather]; Bibi Netanyahu and the government; Iran, etc. But the above is how the Spirit led us, for which we are very grateful. Thank you for praying with us.

Blessings from Zion

The IFI team

Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit in all nations.Psa. 82:8

Amen!