1. Praise to the only One who is worthy of all praise.

    • In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken…Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He is my rock and salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.Psa. 62:1-2, 5-6 Berean Study Bible

    • Hallelujah! You are our Rock and protection in this world regardless of what 2019 holds (Psa. 57:1-3).

    • Whatever the year it is, You, Yeshua, are the same – yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

    • There is none like You, O YHWH; You are great, and Your name is great in might. Who would not fear You, O King of nations? For this is Your due, because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.Jer. 10:6-7

    • You are true and the truth. Thank You for revealing Your truth to us through Your Word (John 17:17).

    • Bless You for Your Word which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psa. 119:105).

    • You have firmly established Your Word in heaven for all eternity (Psa. 119:89)

    • Whether we are strong or weak, rich or poor, in You we have all we need (Phil. 4:13, 19).

  2. Israeli general elections will take place on April 9th. The Israeli political circus has moved into full swing and all the controversies, back-biting, rumors and vicious attacks are very hard to bear. Yet Israeli elections are always important – and with all that this nation is facing, this year's elections are crucial.

    • Lord God of Israel, You have made many promises to give this nation good leaders when You bring us back out of exile (Isa. 1:26; Jer. 3:14-14; 23:3-4; Ezek. 34:22-24; Zech. 12:6, etc.) Watch over Your promises and please fulfill them this very year (Jer. 1:12).

    • We do thank You for the many good leaders that You have already provided for Israel. More, Lord!

    • We recognize that it is You who raises up leaders and brings them down (Dan. 2:21; 4:25b; 5:21b), so we ask for You to show us for whom we should pray to win and lead this nation at this time (Amos 3:7).

    • By Your grace, Abba, overshadow the people to choose the right party and people (Zech. 4:6-7).

    • The current situation is very complicated. Please clarify things so we have a better idea of how You are wanting us to specifically pray (1 John 5:14-15).

    • Almighty God, overrule and have Your way in these elections (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • Lord Yeshua, deal with the father of lies from having any influence at this season in Israel (Matt. 16:18).

    • Thank You for a newly formed Arab party that wants to serve Israeli Arabs and not the Palestinians.

    • Forbid that the mainstream left-wing media control the hearts of the Israeli people (Isa. 5:20-24).

    • As the parties are breaking apart before our eyes, show us how to gather up the fragments in prayer so as to ask You for a government that will give You all the glory (John 6:12-13).

  3. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is under the threat of an indictment being issued against him in mid-February by Israeli Attorney General Mandelbit. While we have prayed for the truth of these cases against Bibi to be revealed, this timing seems to be much more of an attempt to manipulate the political scene against him before the elections than anything to do with real justice.

    • You already know what will happen, yet we ask the outcome glorify Your holy name (Psa. 115:1-3).

    • Lord, Mandelbit is a religious Jew; speak clearly to him as to what to do and not do. If need be, give him insomnia (Est. 6:10), a dream to his wife (Matt. 27:19), or just speak through his "donkey" (Num. 22:28).

    • Concerning his final decision, we proclaim, There are many purposes in a man's heart, but the counsel of YHWH shall stand. (Prov. 19:21)

    • Aid him to do the right thing as anything he does – at this stage – will be controversial (Zech. 8:16-17).

    • As of today, it seems that fairness to the elections would be to delay the indictment until after the polls close. If that is the case, then override anything that stands against it (Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • Impress on Netanyahu that the best thing he can do to show this nation that he is worthy to be reelected is to actually lead this nation and not get caught up in the cesspool of campaigning (2 Sam. 5:1-3).

    • As Bibi is being attacked – let him decide to let You defend him and not himself (Psa. 3:1-6).

    • Show Netanyahu the importance of preparing whomever will take his place when it is Your time to remove him from leading this nation (Deut. 34:9).

  4. Netanyahu was in Brazil this past week for the inauguration of the new Brazilian President Bolsonaro. There are strong indications that Brazil, Honduras and Moldavia will all be moving their embassies up to Jerusalem. This is a fruit of Bibi's brilliant foreign policy for which we are so grateful.

    • Lord, thank You for bringing us into the kingdom at this time to see more and more nations recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital (2 Sam. 5:5; Matt. 5:35).

    • Let the words that these leaders spoke to Netanyahu burn in their hearts until they do it (Matt. 5:37).

    • Move on our brother in the Lord Bolsonaro to defend his decision to move the Brazilian embassy up to Jerusalem through the use of the words of the Bible (Isa. 55:11).

    • Use this to provoke many other nations to follow in the wake of these three nations.

    • It shall be, everyone who is left of all the nations which came up against Jerusalem shall go up yearly to worship the King, YHWH of Hosts, and to keep Succot…[And] whoever will not come up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to worship the King…on them shall be no rain.Zech. 14:16-17

  5. Security: Some of US President Trump's recent statements about the Middle East have been very disturbing for many in Israel, in the US administration and in its military. His decision to pull all US troops out of eastern Syrian came across as a betrayal of the Kurds, who have fought with those troops against the Islamic State terrorists. Then reading that this decision is because he trusts Turkey's very anti-Semitic/anti-Israel dictatorial president Erdogan to finish off ISIS was unbelievable. Also, this week he told the press that Iran can do whatever it wants in Syria – again shocking many in Israel.

    • Trump is at best a new believer – maybe two years in the Lord. Thus, this warning by Paul seems to be what is happening. He must not be a recent convert, so that he won't become arrogant and fall under the devil's condemnation. (1 Tim. 3:6)

    • Abba, if he is truly Your son, help him mature quickly; aid him to read Your Word (Matt. 13:18-23).

    • Guard his tongue from starting so many fires (Jam. 3:5-6).

    • Show Trump his need to listen to good counsel (Prov. 15:22; 20:18)

    • Use his statements to turn the eyes of the Israeli military from America to You (Psa. 20:7-9; 121:1-2).

    • Enable Israel's leaders to be quiet about what they say publically concerning this (Psa. 141:3).

    • Keep Netanyahu and the new IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi above the fray.

    • Lord, arise and protect the Kurds in eastern Syria from the demonic plans of Erdogan (Gen. 12:3a).

  6. The American church must take this seriously and intercede for their nation – today. We are not concerned about Israel's survival as that is guaranteed by God's promise (Jer. 31: 35-37). But all other nations' destiny depends on how they deal with God's land and His people. Trump's moving away from American involvement in the ME may be a blessing for Israel as it will set it free to defend itself without having any leash from America to hold it back. But Trump's decisions impact greatly America's destiny.

    • Lord, wake up the American church to stand in the gap for their nation (Ezek. 22:30-31).

    • Lord Messiah, all nations distaining Your plans for Israel are being judged now (Joel 3:1`2)! Show their national churches that the believers are the only safeguard to their nations demise (Ezek. 22:30-31).

    • Prevent American conservative evangelicals to think so highly of their president that they are not able to see some of the areas in which he is not in line with Your will for the US at this time (Psa. 118:8-9).

    • Thank You for the open fruit seen in Brazil from the prayers of Brazilian Christian Zionists (Prov. 15:8).

    • [There were in our prayer meeting this morning believers praying for their nations from America, the UK, South Africa, China, Sweden, and Canada. Please take spiritual responsibility for your nation's relationship with God's nation and let Him hear your pleas continually this year.]

  7. Security: The most dangerous border in Israel today is with Lebanon where Hizbullah sits, and has amassed tens of thousands of rockets and missiles, waiting for word from Iran to attack Israel.

    • Lord, if Israel needs to pre-empt – which seems to be the right thing to us – then impart to it all it needs to formulate the right strategy and tactics and to know the right timing (Psa. 3:7-8; Prov. 21:31).

    • If Israel does pre-empt, let it result in total destruction of Hizbullah's capacity to wage war (Deut. 7:2).

    • Lord, is it not time to bring Hizbullah down into Your judgment as it has cursed Your nation for so many decades (Gen. 12:3a; 27:29b; Ex. 23:22; Num. 24:9b).

    • Abba, we confess that leaving South Lebanon was a sin against You as that is part of the land You promised to Father Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21; 25:34). Forgive us and cover our sin (Hos. 14:1-3).

    • Move on the people of South Lebanon to rebel against their wicked Hizbullah rulers who use their homes to store their missiles and who hid behind their wives and children.

    • Whatever the government does from now until April 9th will be seen as electioneering – yet if Israel's current government needs to act, then let it regardless of the political cost (Josh. 23:6; Isa. 41:10).

  8. Security: The Syrian border separates Israel from Iranian troops – mostly proxies, but still under Tehran's command. This area could explode when Israel pre-empts Hizbullah.

    • Abba, help Israel to keep its red-lines re: Iran establishing itself in Syria.

    • Continue to provide revelation as to what is really happening in this war-torn nation (Psa. 44:3-4).

    • Aid Israel to rebuild a good relationship with Russia – especially its military which is in Syria and has no plans on leaving.

    • Bring great enmity between Russia, Iran and Turkey (Psa. 129:5).

    • Open Russian President Putin's eyes to Iran's real plans for Syria – to take complete control.

    • If needed, redirect Israel's spy satellites to see exactly what they need to see in Syria (Prov. 16:9).

    • Then give the IDF wisdom to know what to do with all actionable intelligence it receives (Psa. 144:1).

    • Aid those in the American government who want the US to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights – biblical Bashan (Jer. 50:19-20).

    • Bless the Golan residents and increase exponentially the number of Israelis living there (Ezek. 36:12).

We ended by praying for the security of the southern border with Gaza and for more rain and snow to cover this land – especially in the north to replenish the very low Sea of Galilee.

Thank you for standing with us over the years. We expect that the fulling of His Word before our eyes over this year will increase in frequency and intensity – like the pains of a woman ready to give birth.

But we are not children of the night, but of the day so that the Day of the Lord will not overtake us by surprise (1 Thess. 5:1-5).

Therefore let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober-minded.1 Thess. 5:6

Blessings from Zion and Shabbat shalom

The IFI team