1. This week's Torah portion tells the story of the Red Sea crossing by the children of Israel.

    • Moses said to the people, Do not fear. Stand still and see the salvation of YHWH, which He will do for you this day. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again. YHWH shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.Ex. 14:13-14
    • I will sing unto YHWH, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea. YHWH is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will glorify Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him.Ex. 15:1-2

    • Thank You for saving us from those who persecute us – even if it is at the last minute (Psa. 124:7-8)!

    • We choose to exalt You and call upon Your name this morning (Psa. 5:3).

    • You do not change (Mal. 3:6) therefore You are still a Man of War (Ex. 15:3; Rev. 19:11-16). Amen!

    • Thank You for fighting for Your people (2 Chr. 14:11).

    • We bless You for who You are and for what You have already done with Israel and Your Church.

    • Our God is a God of victories and we rest in Him (Phil. 4:6-7).

    • Who is like You, YHWH, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Ex. 15:11) Lord, there is none like You. Yeshua, You are Lord of all (Acts 10:36).

  2. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is also Israel's Defense Minister and Foreign Minister, and holds several other portfolios. Right now with national elections on April 9th, it must be even harder to be all that while he is also running his party's [Likud] election campaign. On top of that is the threat of Bibi being indicted. Israeli Attorney General Mandelblit will likely make a decision before the elections. We prayed for this legal battle to be resolved with justice and will all due speed.

    • Lord, let justice be done and be seen to be done. Justice and judgment are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth shall go before Your face. (Psa. 89:14)

    • Forbid that this nation reverts to being lawless, like it was under the judges (Judg. 17:6; 21:25).

    • Forbid that the justice system and the police get to a place where the people distain them (Prov. 10:12).

    • Forbid non-elected Israeli Supreme Court judges from being even more dictatorial than they already are. -Deal with them and show them their proper place in Israel's democratic system (Isa. 40:23; Rom. 2:1).

    • In Your mercy – give us leaders who will not compromise in doing what is right and just (Isa. 1:26).

    • Anoint AG Mandelblit to make the right decision and not cave in to the left-wing and media pressure.

    • In Netanyahu's case, we desire for truth to be revealed and justice to be done (Zech. 8:16).

    • At this time, as Israel's leader, let Bibi declare his policies and leave his defense to You (Psa. 3:1-3).

  3. We prayed into the Israeli elections. Israel is still in a season of chaotic news concerning parties and politicians. It is difficult to discern who is honest and who is just in the running for their power and fame.

    • Lord, we look to You who are the One who appoints leaders of nations (Dan. 2:21; 4:17, 25).

    • Abba, overrule in these elections – for Your holy name's sake (Psa. 103:19).

    • May Your choice of the man/woman/party to lead Israel into a very dangerous, yet exciting, future win an overwhelming number of seats.

    • Shine Your light on Your choice so that we know how to pray (Amos 3:7).

    • Press those running to make this election season be about policies and not personalities.

    • Lord, remember this word over Israel's election season: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of YHWH has risen on you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but YHWH shall rise on you, and His glory shall be seen on you. (Isa. 60:1-2)

    • Raise up leaders with servant-type hearts to really serve this nation (2 Chr. 35:3b).

  4. The Likud primaries (Feb. 5th) are vital as they are polling to take the most seats in the next government. This mean Netanyahu, their leader, will most likely be the next prime minister. But this also means that the people on that list will be given important positions and that one of them will most likely follow Netanyahu as leader when Bibi's time is done.

    • Lord, rearrange the list to line up with Your priorities (Isa. 55:8-9).

    • Show us the people whom You want to raise up at this time. For promotion comes not from the east, nor the west, nor the south. But God is the judge; He puts down one and sets up another. (Psa. 75:6-7)

    • Please, for prayer purposes reveal to us who is the one to be Israel's next prime minister (Isa. 46:9-10).

  5. Security in the face of an election campaign is an even greater challenge than it is in normal times for this nation. Anything that Netanyahu, as both prime and defense minister, does will be seen through the filter of his personal political gain. Yet we rejoiced to hear the just-retired IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot say that in all security decisions that he saw Bibi make, political considerations where never involved.

    • Lord, make the relationship between Netanyahu and Kochavi – the new Chief of Staff – be good and get better as they work together (1 Chr. 29:24; 2 Chr. 32:3).

    • Enable the current government to make security decisions to protect Israel – regardless of the political cost (Isa. 41:10-16; Zech. 12:6).

    • Forbid that the current government would make any security decisions for political gain (Ezek. 34:7-10).

  6. Specific security situations: Judea & Samaria, aka "the West Bank," is where the most deadly terror attacks have taken place in 2018. While the number was less than the previous years, still death by terrorism is a tragedy and leaves huge holes in the hearts of Israelis.

    • Lord, thank You for restoring Judea & Samaria to Israel as it is the biblical heart of our land (Jer. 32:41).

    • We bless You for the Israelis who have settled there and made that area a prophetic reality (Jer. 31:3-5).

    • Increase the sharpness of all security forces who are assigned to protect Judea & Samaria (Zech. 10:4-6).

    • Grant discernment to the security forces manning the checkpoints in these areas, to know the Palestinian who is dangerous from the one who is not (Job 12:16).

    • Continue to protect and use all of Israel's collaborators and spies in Palestinian Authority areas.

    • Guide the right intelligence information to the right people and then guide their decisions on how to deal with that which they have received (Psa. 16:7; Prov. 2:6-76).

    • Watch over and guide the special nightly infiltrations by the IDF into Arab areas (Psa. 139:12).

    • Lord, hold the government to its promise to build more homes in these biblical areas (Amos 9:13-15).

  7. The Gaza border is still not quiet. Every Friday there is another Hamas-inspired demonstration with Gazans being killed or injured.

    • Thank You Lord that since these marches started on March 30th last year, there have been no successful infiltrations into Israeli territory. Please keep it that way (Psa. 121:4).

    • We bless You for aiding the IDF to make that border secure (Ezek. 37:10).

    • Send massive discouragement on all demonstrators that come out weekly and who see no results but only deaths and injuries (Isa. 37:26-29).

    • Release Your heavenly hosts against this attempted invasion by the spirit of Islam. Let them be as chaff before the wind; and let the Angel of YHWH drive them away. Let their way be dark and slippery; and let the YHWH of Jehovah pursue them. For without cause they have spread their net for me in a pit; without cause they have dug for my soul. (Psa. 35:5-7)

    • God, dry up all the funds from Iran that keep these riots going (Prov. 23:4-5; Jam. 5:1-3).

    • Protect all of Israel's forces on that border and our undercover units inside Gaza.

    • Invade all of Gaza using the small living church that is there (Gal. 5:9).

  8. We prayed for the borders with Syria and Lebanon as one because behind it all is Iran. This is why Netanyahu is focused on wherever Iran is trying to dig in and just recently openly said that Israel has attacked, and will continue to attack, all Iranian attempts to infiltrate areas that make it a greater threat to Israel – even if Israel needs to attack them in Iraq!

    • Thank You for Operation Northern Shield that discovered and destroyed Hizbullah's terror tunnels.

    • If there are any tunnels that the IDF missed please uncover them (Job 12:22).

    • Place Your angelic protection on all of Israel's borders (Mal. 1:5).

    • Protect all the IDF soldiers and keep them alert – especially in this wet and cold weather (Job 38:22-23).

    • Lord, as we hear rumors of Hizbullah's head Nasrallah having a heart attack and/or a stroke, if this is Your time to remove him – then do to Hizbullah as You did to Alexander the Great's kingdom: divide it and set one part against the other (Mark 3:25)!

    • Continue to give Israel ability to see what Iran is doing in Syria and to successfully attack and destroy all its armors and weapons caches (Isa. 31:5).

    • Forbid that Iran takes over Iraq.

    • Strengthen the relatively small steps some Iraqis are taking to develop a relationship with Israel.

    • Lord, concerning Iran, break the bow of Elam (Jer. 49:35).

    • Lord God of Israel, almost daily the Iranian leaders curse Your nation and threaten it will destruction. Watch over Your word to preform it and let them reap what they are sowing (Num. 24:9; Jer. 1:12).

    • Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.Gal. 6:7

    • Set the common Iranian people free of this wicked regime (Jer. 49:38).

  9. The water situation has improved. We have just had a very wet and snowy week. Yet the water crisis is still here and so we are trusting and praying for a full Sea of Galilee by the end of the rainy season.

    • Thank You for all the water that this nation has received from heaven this past week (Psa. 68:9).

    • Bless You that the Sea of Galilee has risen as much as it has, but we are asking for its fullness.

    • Lord, is not this that time for You to create new water sources like You promised, with the result being that Israel would come closer to acknowledging You (Isa. 41:17-20)?

    • God, please impart wisdom to Israelis that they might develop a way to collect all the water that runs off the western part of this nation into the Mediterranean Sea. We are asking in faith for this (Jam. 1:5-7).

    • Because You care for this land, please continue to water it (Deut. 11:11-12).

We briefly prayed into the turmoil that we saw in the UK this past week, as well as all of the reports of an increase of anti-Semitic attacks throughout the West. We asked God to use all of this to wake up the Jews in exile to set their sights on Zion (Psa. 137:1-6), and to wake up the Church in the West so that it sees that we have moved into those prophetic times we were told about just before the return of our King Messiah, Yeshua (1 Thess. 5:1-6; 2 Tim. 3:1-7).

The IPCJ, the annual IFI prayer conference in Jerusalem, starts next Monday evening. This will be our last Friday Prayer Alert until February 8th.

We would appreciate your prayer covering for His unity to be evident among the leadership team and the whole congregation; for the intercessions to be guided and anointed by His Spirit; for the preaching to be piercing and timely; for safety in the hotel and in all our travels around this nation.

We were reminded of a declaration from our Messiah Yeshua that we are trusting to occur during this time, as He did say this without any conditions. So we take this as His truth for us. My sheep hear My voice… (John 10:27a)

This applies to you as well, whether you are joining us in Israel or staying at your post at home. Believe that this is true – all the time – and our Great Shepherd will be faithful to fulfill His word. O YHWH, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done a wonder; Counsels from afar; faithful faithfulness. (Isa. 25:1)

Blessings from Zion

The IFI team