1. Praise - We began with reading Psalm 57:1- 5.

    • Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You, and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.  I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me.

    • Thank You for the refuge of the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 91:4)

    • We are refreshed by Your mercies that are renewed every morning. (Lamentations 3:22- 23)

    • You are our rock and our salvation and we rest in You. (Psalm 18:2)

    • Lord Yeshua, what a priviledge that You call on us to know You. (Psalm 105:4)

    • You are worthy of praise because You hear and answer prayer. (Psalm 116:1- 2)

    • Bless You for the width, length, depth, and height of Your love which is beyond the scope of our comprehension. (Ephesians 3:18- 19)

    • We rejoice that You are the Alpha and Omega and all the letters in between. (Revelation 1:8)

  2. Formation of a new government - We as a nation are in immediate need of a government. Since December last year when our first elections were called, the government has been in a holding pattern and things are slowly grinding to a halt. Two weeks into the mandate of Benny Gantz to form a coalition, things do not appear to be progressing. There does not seem to be a place of agreement between Gantz and Netanyahu’s Likud party. Negotiations are moving to explore the possibility of a minority government, but there are a number of roadblocks within that solution as well.

    • Lord Yeshua, the government is on Your shoulders. (Isaiah 9:6) In mercy, do not turn Your back on us.

    • Break the deadlock in these negotiations and lead to a government that will bring You glory. (Micah 2:13)

    • Abba, we recognize that For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) We desire that Your will be done in this impasse.

    • May no alliances that are outside of Your will be made and bring about those alliances that will honor You.

    • Please make Your voice heard in Gantz. Draw him away from those who would divide the land. (Hosea 2:6)

    • Protect him from making coalitions with those who despise Your people and Your land.

  3. Gaza - Last night there was again a rocket fired into Israel. There was no damage caused, but Israel attacked two military bases in Gaza. Today, as every Friday, there demonstrations scheduled at the Gaza fence.

    • Thank You for the many young families who choose to live in the Gaza border communities. Bless them today with a Shabbat of rest and looking to You.

    • As in the time of Joshua, You are the Commander of the army of the Lord. Protect and lead us today as You did then. (Joshua 5:13- 14)

    • Bless our soldiers who are guarding that fence. Give wisdom to their commanders and shield them all from harm. (Psalm 91:2)

    • Lord of Hosts, You have blessed us with Aviv Kochavi as the chief of staff of the IDF. Pour out Your wisdom into him.

    • We ask that as You did with Gideon, provide the IDF with new strategies. (Judges 7:19- 22)

    • Place the fear of God in the hearts of our enemies. (Judges 2:11)

    • May the equipment of the enemy malfunction. (Exodus 14:25)

  4. Lebanon - For the last few weeks, Lebanon has been in an upheaval of demonstrations against the government and Hezbollah as part of the government. Last week, Prime Minister Hariri offered his resignation. Sometimes governments will attempt to distract from internal problems by shifting the focus in another direction, even to the extent of causing a war. Our focus for prayer is on Israel’s course of action relating to Lebanon.

    • Provide us with the intelligence that will enable us to be prepared for whatever may come as a result of this unrest. (2 Kings 6:12)

    • Through that intelligence give wisdom to our leaders, that they may have discernment to know what, if anything, Israel needs to do. (1 Chronicles 12:32)

  5. Iran - With Iran’s unrelenting posture of hostility toward Israel, and the destabilization in the region following U.S. troop withdrawals in north- eastern Syria, Israel is preparing for the possibility of war. Neither side seems actively to be seeking military action, but it is important for Israel to be ready for the unexpected. While we are working at upgrading and acquiring of new aircraft, many of our air planes and helicopters have seen 30 to 50 years of service. We focus in prayer on the need for these practical preparations.

    • In the event of a war, we would need many more fire engines and ambulances than we currently have. Make this a priority for the government to provide.

    • Lord of Hosts, would You divinely pattern the training of troops and the placing of armaments for what You know that the need will be. Direct and target spending for only what will be needed. (1 Chronicles 28:19)

    • We ask You to cause Iran to have blind spots in their strategy and make mistakes in their plans.

    • Out of Your storehouses provide the spare parts for the repair of old equipment. (2 Chronicles 31:11)

    • You have promised that I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) We are a small nation, but we are Your people. You are the One Who has always conquered the enemy. We want You to receive the glory for this.

  6. Syria - Syria’s internal alliances appear to be shifting daily. Turkey sits poised at the north eastern border holding a fragile cease fire. The Kurds have allied themselves with Assad’s forces. Russia’s influence in the region is growing without the balance of an American presence. And there are signs of ISIS trying to regroup.

    • Within this ever changing landscape, we cry to You for accurate and precise information on the alliances and powers that are controlling this region. Protect all those who provide us with that information.

    • Guide Israel in knowing what we need to be doing for the wellbeing and protection of our land. (Psalm 141:9- 10)

    • Protect us from any breach in the border. (Nehemiah 4:7)

    • Keep our northern communities safe and strong.

    • Place Your angels along that border. (2 Kings 6:17)

  7. Aliyah - On November 12, the Court of Justice of the EU is expected to rule that settlement goods and services must be labelled as such, rather than “Made in Israel”. If this passes as law it cannot be appealed. This would open the door for pro- Palestinians to take legal steps against products “Made in Israel”. Actions of this sort are further evidence of the growing atmosphere of overt anti- semitism pervading the world at large. We are focusing our prayers on the cry that this hatred of Israel and Jews will result in an increase of Aliyah.

    • Abba, in the same way that You have planted a homing device in the brains of birds, plant a certain knowledge in the brains of Your people that this is the day to fly. Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their roosts? (Isaiah 60:8)

    • We beseech You that You will place an urgency in the hearts of Your people and an understanding that the time is now. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. (Psalm 95:7b- 8)

    • Bring Your people to Israel while they can still come with their wealth, not flying before the storm with only the clothes on their backs. (Exodus 12:35- 36)

    • In a new government, may the way be made easier and more welcoming for new immigrants.

    • Thank You for those whom You are bringing now as You have promised. (Isaiah11:11- 12)

We continue to pray for rain to fall in its season. (Deuteronomy 11:11- 14)

Chuck Cohen is finishing his time of ministry in the U.S. this weekend. We pray for the Lord’s anointing on him and for safety in travel as he returns home next week.

Blessings from Zion.

The IFI team