1. Praise: We began with reading from Psalm 43.

    • Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.Psalm 43:3-4
    • Hope [in Hebrew includes the ideas of trust, expectantly wait and have confidence] in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.Psa. 43:5

    • Thank You that because of Messiah Yeshua's resurrection, we have confidence in You (Rom. 1:1-6).

    • Lord Yeshua, praise You for Your unchanging nature (Heb. 13:8).

    • Thank You that You are always with us (Matt. 28:20b) .

    • We bless You for Your light and truth and rejoice that they are found in Yeshua (John 1:9; 14:6).

    • You are the God of hope and our eyes are on You. (2 Chr. 20:12)

    • We trust in You for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (I Cor. 1:30).

    • Great is Thy faithfulness.Lam. 3:23

  2. Promises: Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has recent made promises and declarations about annexation and building homes around Jerusalem. Is this pre-election rhetoric or genuine intents of his heart? All that he is saying lines up with the Word of God and for that we praise Him.

    • Thank You that these words which line up with Your Word are being placed before the world.

    • We bless You for all the building that is happening in Jerusalem (Psa. 147:2).

    • To all those in the world and among the Palestinians who are telling Israel not to build in this Your city, we say, The God of Heaven, He will bless us, and we, His servants, will arise and build. But you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. (Neh. 2:20)

    • Prevent Israel's leaders from making promises that they have no intention to keep (Isa. 59:12-13).

    • If – as we believe – these commitments are truly where Netanyahu's heart is at, then we ask that You would honor him as he honors Your Word (Psa. 15:4b).

  3. Elections: A week from this Monday, Israelis, for the third time in a year, cast votes for a government. We believe God is leading us to pray for a strong right-wing victory with Netanyahu's Likud party leading the next government and Bibi himself being the next prime minister.

    • Lord, we need a miracle for this to happen, so our eyes are on You (Psa. 5:3; 123:1-2).

    • Change hearts of the electorate to vote in line with Your will (Prov. 16:9).

    • Remove discouragement from all who will vote in line with Your will – to actually vote (Zech. 9:13)

    • Since two elections with no final results did not take You by surprise, we ask for Your purpose in all of this to be clearly manifested in the third election results (Dan. 5:21b).

    • During this final week of campaigning, let the true heart intent of all parties be revealed (Eccl. 3:18).

    • We thank You for all the wonderful things Netanyahu has done in his time as Israel's political leader.

    • Please honor that and allow Bibi to lead this nation into the near future (Psa. 80:17).

    • Move by Your Spirit on the Israeli Body of Messiah to pray for these elections (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

  4. US President Trump's peace plan: There are many positives in this plan along with some negatives. Yet overall we see this as a win for Israel and as the next step in redeeming this land that God has promised to give to Abraham and his seed forever.

    • He has remembered His covenant forever, the Word He commanded to a thousand generations; the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac; and He confirmed it to Jacob for a Law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance';Psa. 105:8-11

    • We thank You for this peace plan which recognizes Israel's security needs and puts the pressure on the Palestinians to finally do something that shows the world that they truly want peace (Psa. 55:21).

    • Use this plan to once again show the world the real heart of the Palestinians and to show Israel that there is not true peace partner at this time on the other side (Psa. 120:7).

    • Continue to use the hard-heartedness of the Palestinian leaders to protect Israel from any further division of this land (Lev. 25:23; Prov. 22;28).

    • If, as we believe, this is Your next step for Israel, we ask for it to be done quickly (2 Chr. 29:36).

    • With US national elections in November, bring this plan to pass in Your timing.

    • If we are mistaken about this being on Your will, show us (1 John 5:14-15).

  5. Judea & Samaria: This is what the world calls the West Bank or the Occupied Territories – yet it is in truth the heartland of Israel as per the Bible. Most of the biblical stories – both in the Old and New Testaments – happened in these areas. And while most Palestinians would live in peace with Israel, yet as history has shown, all it takes is a small radical minority to rule over a cowed majority. Whether it was Communists, or Nazis, or today the very aggressive Gay movement or – as Israel faces – Islamic fundamentalists – these are the ones who determine the course of the societies they intimidate. Thus Israel has a serious security situation in Judea & Samaria.

    • Abba, place Your shield of protection on all Israeli settlers in this part of Your land (Psa. 119:114).

    • Keep them alert and alive and reveal Yourself to them through Messiah Yeshua (Luke 10:22).

    • Quicken the settlers to any dangers whether on the roads or in their communities (Deut. 33:28).

    • Bless, protect and guide the IDF units that nightly enter Arab villages and arrest terrorist and expose weapons caches (Isa. 41:14-16).

    • Provide accurate, actionable, intelligence to Israel's security forces (Josh. 10:17; Job 28:11).

    • Protect and hide all Israel's Arab collaborators (Josh. 2:4).

    • Send angelic aid to all the soldiers who are manning Israeli checkpoints (Psa. 91:11).

    • Forbid that the security forces get distracted by their mobile devices.

  6. Gaza: Hamas has threatened to restart the weekly riots soon. Israel is supposed to have a cease-fire with Hamas but still rockets are fired and incendiary devices are flown against the Israelis living in that Western Negev area.

    • Lord, during this "lull," do not allow the IDF to become complacent (Mark 14:37).

    • Forbid that the soldiers are not totally alert and sharp while on duty (Neh. 4:9).

    • Protect the young ones from the demonic bomb or fire balloons which are specifically aimed at killing or maiming Jewish children (Luke 17:2).

    • Lord, where are all the hypocritical NGO's who cry out against child abuse yet are totally silent when it comes to Islamic terrorists from trying to abuse Israeli children (Matt. 23:27-28)?

    • We ask for the Western Negev Israeli communities to cry out to You for protection (Psa. 50:15).

  7. Syria: Currently, there is a possibility of a major conflict between Syria and Turkey in Syria's northeastern parts. Russia, an ally of both nations, tried to mediate yet as of now its attempts have failed. The leadership of both these nations is haters of Zion. We prayed for Israel to know what to do – if anything – if a war does break out, and to know what Iran's is up to in Syria will be.

    • Let them all be ashamed and turned back, those who hate Zion.Psa. 129:5

    • God, please protect the Kurds and Yazidis who live in that area and for those who are now refugees. Watch over, feed and comfort them (Jer. 49:11).

    • Lord, draw Iran deeper into this quicksand of Islamic arrogance and hatred (Ezek. 38:4).

    • We trust in Your overall sovereignty to rule in the midst of Your enemies (Psa. 110:2).

    • Continue to allow Israel to have free reign to attack Iranian strongholds in Syria (Mic. 4:11-13).

    • All accurate and actionable intelligence that Israel's sources send, please make sure it gets to the right people in the right time.

    • If any of Israel's satellites need to be tweaked in a certain direction to expose enemy activities we ask for You to do just that (Deut. 26:15).

  8. Coronavirus & locust invasion: The rapid spread of the coronavirus and the fear it has birthed are beginning to affect our global economy, as well as Israel's economy in trade and tourism. The Chinese church is taking advantage of a difficult and frightening situation to evangelize with good effect.

    • In the face of this, our God remains sovereign. YHWH has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psa. 103:19)

    • Thank You for the reports of the boldness of the Chinese church (Rom. 1:16-17).

    • Protect them and direct them in Your paths (Psa. 23:1-6).

    • Use this disaster to shake up the Chinese government (Dan. 2:21).

    • May the spread of this pestilence cause many to seek Your face (Matt. 24:7-8)

    • But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.Gen. 50:20

    • As Israel takes precautions by closing its borders to tourists from the Far East, would You protect Israel from the spread of the virus as You protected Goshen in the time of Moses (Ex. 9:26).

    • Help Israel to see its areas of vulnerability (e.g. ports, freight planes, Israelis returning from abroad) and give wisdom in knowing how to develop and maintain proper effective means of isolation.

    • Grant wisdom in the development of a vaccine (Psa. 107:20).

    • Lord, locust swarms are devastating northeastern Africa and Asia. Please protect the innocent and provide for those who have been devastated (Psa. 9:18).

    • Lord of Hosts, blow these locust swarms away from the borders of Israel (Ex. 10:19).

  9. Diasporavirus: This is how an Israeli commentator described the sickness of Jews in exile who choose to live in a strange land even though Israel has been reborn.

    • Thank You that You have already described the cure – aliyah – the return to Zion (Jer. 51:9-10)!

    • For Your holy name's sake, bring Your people home (Ezek. 36:21-24).

    • For Your glory's sake, bring Your people home (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Use the increase of anti-Semitism in the West to wake up the Western Jews and bring them back to Jerusalem (Zech. 8:7-8).

    • Abba, forbid Jews from making a false aliyah – from going to another nation instead of Israel.

    • Touch the hearts of all the tens of thousands of Jewish youth who have had trips to Israel, and make them lovesick over this land (Isa. 62:4-5).

    • Change the rules of Israel's representatives in the nations and allow them to encourage aliyah.

    • Use the next government to open wide the doors here in Israel to receive any and all Jews who want to come home (Isa. 62:10).

  10. The Israeli Body of Messiah: God has restored – in line with His Word – Israel in these last days and now He is restoring within her a living body of Messiah. The Israeli Body has roots that go back to the very beginning – to the book of Acts. Messianic Judaism is not some modern move of God but a resurrection of the very first move of the Spirit of God that specifically glorified Messiah Yeshua

    • Thank You for bringing us into Your kingdom and that our eyes are seeing what generations have longed to see (Matt. 13:17).

    • We bless You for Your gifting the Body with anointed leaders (Eph. 4:11-12).

    • Grant them humility and a servant's heart. And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to YHWH…serve YHWH your God and His people Israel,2 Chr. 35:3

    • Give them wisdom to lead the Body as it grows into maturity (Jer. 23:3-4).

    • Bless all the believers – both Jewish and others – who are serving in the IDF. Send them out, as You did Your disciples, two by two (Mark 6:7).

    • We bless You for the generations of believers that we are beginning to see. We ask that the new generations would have a real relationship with You and deep roots in Your word (Psalm 119:133).

The IFI leadership team met this past week and after prayer and discussion we can say that it was good to the Holy Spirit and to us to continue this ministry in its current format – including our prayer conference in Jerusalem every January. Thank all of you who have been praying for us to hear the Lord clearly. We were reminded once again that this ministry is His and up to this point in time, Ebenezer – he has helped us (1 Sam. 7:12). Amen!

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team