1. Hallelujah for the wet weather in Jerusalem this morning! We began our time overlooking the city from the prayer tower, and praised God for watching over His world to do it (Jer. 1:12).

    • YHWH builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.Psa. 147:2

    • Thank You Lord for doing just that as we can see with our eyes!

    • What a blessing to be called into Your kingdom for such a time as this (Est. 4:14b).

    • Thank You for the rainy weather we have experienced over the past few days (Psa. 68:9).

    • Lord, You are good and Your mercy – Your covenant-love – endures forever (Psa. 118:1; 136:1).

    • The redeemed of YHWH shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy on their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.Isa. 35:10; 51:11

  2. Many Israelis – and many others in the Middle East – were shocked and shaken by US President Trump's announcement to pull US troops out of Syria. He said the war against Islamic State was won, which is not true, and he was fed-up with all the money and American lives the US was wasting by being the ME policeman. While from an American point-of-view, we understand his thinking, as Intercessors for Israel, we ask what is God saying? How does this fit into His overall prophetic picture today? We prayed for Israel to have wisdom to know what this US move means for them.

    • Lord, please use this Trump decision for Your glory (Rom. 8:28).

    • Strengthen Israeli PM Netanyahu to depend on You more and on Israel's allies less (Psa. 118:6, 8-9).

    • Remove all fear of man from Israel's leadership – both political and military (Prov. 29:25).

    • Let them know that You will never leave nor forsake this nation (Jer. 31:35-37).

    • Reveal to Israel's leaders what to do, what not to do and when to do it. YHWH, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many or with him who has no power. Help us, YHWH our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. YHWH, You are our God. Do not let man prevail against You. (2 Chr. 14:11)

  3. What will happen next in Syria? While only God really knows, yet He can show us how to pray.

    • Reveal to us how to pray into this suddenly changed scenario (Amos 3:7).

    • If this move is not of You, please speak to Trump or halt it some other way (Prov. 16:9; 21:1).

    • Increase Israel's ability to obtain accurate intelligence from inside Syria (Job 24:1).

    • Impart wisdom about Israel's relationship with the Kurds who are feeling very betrayed by Trump.

    • Use this betrayal to unite the Kurds as one throughout the Middle East.

    • Watch over Israel's relations with Russia and use them for Your glory (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • Lord, Iran sees this Trump disengagement as a victory. May it end up being just the opposite.

    • Abba, Iran is seeing its plan to establish a Shi'ite crescent from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea coming to pass. Yet You said You would break the bow [crescent-shaped] of Elam (Jer. 49:35). Do it today.

    • 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

  4. Israel has uncovered a 4th Hizbullah terror tunnel along its northern border with Lebanon. While some nations hesitantly backed Israel's right to defend itself, the UN Security Council could not pass a resolution condemning Hizbullah's terrorist activities and war crimes. Israel has basically been left to defend itself and defeat this Iranian-backed Shiite proxy threat.

    • Lord, thank You for showing Israel that they need to look to You and not to man (Psa. 124:6-8).

    • Sustain and protect all the IDF soldiers in this cold and wet weather.

    • Give them a deep joy to know that they are defending Your nation (Jer. 51:20-23).

    • Thank You for answered prayer in giving Israel the tunnel detection devices it needs (1 John 5:14-15).

    • If there are any tunnels Israel is not aware of, show them this very weekend (Nah. 3:5).

    • If Israel is planning to pre-empt the rocket and missile stockpiles in Hizbullah's arsenal, guide them to the right time and to all the right targets (Josh. 23:10).

    • Bless all Israeli attacks against Your enemies exceedingly abundantly to Your glory (Eph. 3:20-21).

    • Lord, cut off all US military aid and training to Lebanon's army – who are only subservient to Hizbullah.

  5. Entering deeper into a winter season of cold and, God willing, very wet weather, and considering all the challenges facing Israel – north, south and in its center – we prayed for the IDF in general.

    • Protect and use the soldiers to protect this nation (Psa. 121:3-4).

    • Keep them sharp, healthy, warm and prevent all distractions.

    • Speak this word to their spirit: Trust in YHWH with all your heart; lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5-6) .

    • Increase the efficiency of Israel's Navy and provide for all its current and future needs (Psa. 107:23-24).

    • Protect soldiers from drive-by shootings, car ramming and all other kinds of attacks (Psa. 140:7).

    • Defend them as they travel and as they stand to defend this nation (Psa. 89:18).

    • Provide the lone soldiers with encouragement and fellowship (Jer. 3:14-15).

    • Thank You for the snow on Mt. Hermon. Please keep the IDF's snow patrol alert and safe.

  6. With our attention riveted to the very real threats on Israel's northern and southern borders, Judea and Samaria have often been absent in our intercessions. Yet more deaths and injuries have occurred in those areas this past year than the other places. While God is answering our prayers for the areas we pray over, we think He is asking us to include Israel's biblical heartland as well.

    • Until the fulfillment of Psalm 10:16 comes to pass, show us how to pray.

    • Protect all IDF checkpoints and give alertness and sensitivity to IDF soldiers posted there (Psa. 144:1).

    • Spread Your protective wings over all the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (Psa. 3:3).

    • Enable the security forces to connect the dots and stop many "lone-wolf" attacks (Psa. 139:12).

    • Provide for a greater degree of safety on the roads from attacks and accidents.

    • Increase the good relations between the settlers and both the IDF and the Arabs in those areas.

    • Lord Yeshua, especially at this season, move upon the Israeli Arab Christian Body to see You as the King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2), the King of Israel (John 1:49; 12:13), and the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5).

  7. We prayed for the Gaza border as today is Friday and further demonstrations are expected.

    • Lord, rain on their "parade" and let the mud be so deep that they cannot move (Judg. 5:20-21)!

    • Yet cover the IDF soldiers and give them fresh alertness and purpose (Psa. 44:4-5).

    • Forbid that Israel be more merciful than You in dealing with its enemies (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • Show the IDF when to pre-empt and when to stand still and see You work (Ex. 14:13-14).

    • Do not allow the northern threat distract Israel from dealing with the Gaza threat as well.

    • Abba, reveal all tunnels that Hamas is digging under the Gaza border (Job 12:22).

  8. PM Netanyahu is still carrying too many portfolios – prime minister, defense minister, foreign minister and several other ministries. Even though he is doing a good job, he needs to off load most of these burdens – for his mental and emotional health and because of legal restrictions.

    • Lord, You have raised Netanyahu up and we bless You for miraculously sustaining him (Psa. 80:17).

    • Bring alongside of him competent men and women to whom he can delegate (Ex. 18:21-22).

    • Give Israel an anointed foreign minister and not just some political appointment (Deut. 34:9).

    • Make his home a haven from the storms of leading this nation (Psa. 107:30).

    • Thank You for the relationships he has developed with many diverse foreign leaders (2 Chr. 2:11-12).

    • When it is time for a new prime minister to take the reins from Netanyahu, show us who it is so that we can pray for him/her (Amos 3:7; Luke 11:2).

    • Expose the truth behind all the investigations against him and resolve them in truth and in Your timing.

  9. This coming week many in the Body of Messiah will be celebrating the birth of Yeshua. Whether He was actually born at this time or not, is secondary, as this season gives wonderful opportunities for Israel's to hear the good news of their Messiah. And because Israelis are confident in their identity as Jews, they are very willing to discuss Yeshua and thousands go to Christmas Carol concerts. This is a great time to pray for the "Babe of Bethlehem" to be born in the hearts of many unsaved Jews.

    • Lord Yeshua, thank You for humbling Yourself to come to us as a baby to save us from our sins.

    • [Miriam] shall bear a son, and you shall call His name Yeshua: for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matt. 1:21); For let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. (Phil. 2:5-7)

    • Pour out that spiritual rain upon this nation, saving multitudes from the power of darkness unto the kingdom of Your Son (Col. 1:13).

    • Draw Israelis to want to read the birth narratives in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. As they do, shock them with how "kosher" these reports are. (Matt. 1:1, 21-25; 2:1-6; Luke 1:54-55, 66-79; 2:21, 29-32).

    • Empower the Body of Messiah to be all You are wanting it to be at this season (Matt. 5:13-16).

    • Give to all Your disciples a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit during this time (Eph. 5:18).

  10. Yet for Jews in exile, this Christmas season can be very uncomfortable. We used that to pray not for the uncomfortableness to disappear but for the Jewish people living outside of Israel to see that they are strangers in a strange land and need 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

    • Abba, use this uncomfortable season of trees and Santas, to make Your people homesick (Jer. 50:4-5).

    • Move on many of the older Jewish people to refuse to have their bones buried in whatever Egypt they are currently living in (Gen. 50:5-6, 24-25).

    • Use the very steep increase of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic attacks in the West to wake up the Jews who are still playing the ostrich game (Jer. 16:16).

    • Bring back home the families of those who have already made aliyah (Jer. 3:14).

    • Lord Yeshua, have mercy on the Ethiopians who want to return to Israel and move upon the Israeli government to actually bring them home and not to just speak nice words (Jam. 2:18).

    • We thank You for all the organizations that are aiding Your people to return – like the Jewish Agency, Nefesh b'Nefesh and the Ebenezer Emergency Fund/Operation Exodus (Isa. 49:22).

    • At this season gift these groups with all the resources they need to do a more effective work in 2019.

    • Wake up the global Church to see that the aliyah is an open move by You for Your holy name's sake (Isa. 43:5-7; Ezek. 36: 23-24), and for them to prayerfully and financially support this in a major way.

    • But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it has pleased those of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Truly it has pleased them, and they are their debtors, for if the gentiles have been made partakers of the Jews' spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to the Jews in physical things.Rom. 15:25-27

    • Lord, we pray You would remove the stones of stumbling that are in Israel's Ministry of the Interior which hinder Your people's return (Isa. 62:10). Whether they are the people or the bureaucracy, remove the hindrances quickly.

Please continue to pray for the upcoming January IFI prayer Conference. We desire all who are called to be here – to be here. Also the leadership team needs to be led by the Spirit of Messiah to know how to lead the people in intercession and what it is that He wants them to share during the times of preaching. Please also remember the precious administration team that makes sure things run smooth in the background so that the leaders can concentrate on the spiritual issues (Acts 6:4).

Shabbat shalom and hag Messiah's birth sameach (Isa. 9:6-7)!

The IFI team