1. We started today by looking at Psalm 2.

   • Why do the nations rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh… Then He shall speak to them in His wrath… Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD has said unto Me, You are My Son; this day have I begotten You. Ask of Me, and I shall give You the gentiles for Your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron…  Be wise now therefore, O kings: be instructed, judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.

     Psalms 2:1-12

   • We are encouraged that whatever happens on earth does not take You by surprise.

   • The world may rage against You, but we bless You and love Your King.

   • Yeshua, we "kiss" You and place all our trust in You.

   • From this Shabbat's prophetic portion, I Kings 18:36-39. The prophet Elijah prays:

     [YHWH] God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel… [YHWH], hear me, that this people may know that You are [YHWH] God, and that You have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of [YHWH] fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice…When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, [YHWH], He is the God; [YHWH], He is the God.

2. Demonstrations are being called for throughout the Middle East against ruling governments this day. Since we suspect that the current turmoil is all part of God's end-time shakings, we prayed for His will to prevail with as much mercy as possible.

   • The LORD has prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom rules over all.

     Psa. 103:19

   • Since this verse reveals the reality behind the world, we ask that You would extend Your scepter and rule over all that takes place in the Middle East today.

   • Cut off all plans of the enemy to foster death and destruction - unless You are allowing this for Your purposes.

     When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

     Isa. 59:19

   • Protect Your people and nation of Israel from this "day of rage".

   • Give Israel's army - the IDF - wisdom to know how to deal with any demonstrations in Israel.

   • We also asked God that in the middle of His shakings, He would continue to save multitudes of Moslems and Jews, and to demonstrate to the Arabs that Islam is not the answer - Yeshua is.

   • Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

     Heb. 12:26

3. We prayed next for Israel's leaders to know what Israel needs to do in the current ME situation.

   • Abba, we bring before You Israel's new IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. We bless him in Your name.

   • Please give to him wisdom, courage, revelation and skill, and the ability to communicate.

   • Make him a son of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do… (1 Chr. 12:32b)

   • Lord, we ask that You strengthen and encourage Prime Minster Bibi Netanyahu in all areas in which he is in Your will and cut him off from areas that are not of You for him - and for Israel - at this time.

   • Empower both Benjamins - Netanyahu and Gantz - for their respective positions of authority.

   • Bring them into a real unity of mind and heart.

   • We thank You for raising them up to lead Israel at this time.

   • Help Bibi to never compromise truth and continue to enable him to use Your Word when he speaks.

     Is not my word like as a fire? …and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

     Jer. 23:29

   • Please surround both of these men with wise counselors (Prov. 20:18; 24:6).

   • Block Defense Minster Ehud Barak from having any influence on Israel's leaders that is not based on what is best for the nation at this time.

   • Cut him off from all of his political agendas.

4. There is a possibility that Foreign Minster Avigdor Lieberman will be indicted shortly for several serious legal offenses. If this happens, he will most likely resign - but it is important that he does not take his party, Yisrael Beiteinu, out of Netanyahu's coalition, which would cause the government to collapse. Israel does not need to go to new elections while all around her is turmoil. We prayed for political stability.

   • Lord, keep this current government in office until You say, "Enough!"

   • Bring out the truth concerning Lieberman. If he is guilty, then let it be revealed. But if this is more of a political act - then shut it down.

   • If Lieberman resigns as Foreign Minister, we suggest to You Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, as the man who can take his place.

   • Help the government ministers see how dangerous the situation is at this moment in history and then endeavor to serve Israel and her people and not themselves.

   • We wait upon You for a government that will eventually fulfill this command which You gave to the Levites:

     …serve now the LORD your God, and His people Israel.

     2 Chr. 35:3

   • Give to PM Netanyahu godly political wisdom at this time.

   • The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, His word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

     2 Sam. 23:2-3

   • Protect him from all the words spoken against him from the opposition and the media.

5. Iran is also experiencing days of rage, as many Iranians are trying to overthrow the very corrupt and evil government run by the mullahs. Iran continues to pursue her nuclear program and is trying to send two warships through the Suez canal into the Mediterranean Sea.

   • If the political upheaval in Iran's cities is Your way of answering our prayers, then intensify the anti-government demonstrations and use it to change the current government.

   • Expose the reality of where Iran's nuclear program is really at and their real goal.

   • Watch over this word concerning Iran:

     And I will set my throne in Elam [ancient Iran], and will destroy from there the king and the princes, says the LORD.

     Jer. 49:38

   • Set Your throne in Iran. Save multitudes.

   • Destroy from Iran the king and the princes - remove all of the ruling government soon.

   • Place Your prayers on the hearts of the Iranian believers.

   • Give Israel excellent intelligence concerning the Iranian warships - regardless of where they end up.

   • Do not allow the Egyptian military to permit these ships to go through the Suez canal.

6. Although many other ME events have been capturing the headlines, the pressure remains on Israel to enable the creation of a Palestinian State on land given to her by her God. Today, the Palestinians and friends are presenting the UN Security Council with a resolution condemning all Israeli "settlements" over the pre-1967 cease-fire line. This includes over 300,000 Jews living in various Jerusalem neighborhoods. Yet the last international decision about this area was the League of Nations Palestinian Mandate [1922] which specifically stated that Jewish settlement was legal - and to be encouraged - between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

   • Lord, raise up respected international legal experts to proclaim the truth of the legality of the Israeli settlement enterprise.

   • Raise up Israeli spokespersons as well to argument with wisdom the legality of Israel's case.

   • Let the settlers arise and build (Neh. 2:20).

   • Lord, help the Body of Messiah realize - and proclaim - that Israeli settlements in Jerusalem, Judah and Samaria is that which was spoken of by the prophets!

   • Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

     Zech. 12:2-3

     Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel…You shall yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

     Jer. 31:4-5

     The LORD builds up Jerusalem: He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

     Psa. 147:2

   • Bring this proposed UN resolution to nothing - as You said You would do with the counsel of the nations that was against Your counsel, Your Word (Psa. 33:10-11).

   • Empower Israel's current UN representative, Merom Reuben, to speak with clarity and with truth in the UN Security Council meeting today.

   • Abba, this is ultimately a battle over Your Word. So arise Lord, and scatter Your enemies (Psa. 68:1).

7. The water situation is still a crisis. Israel has gotten some wet weather, although it is mostly light showers and not consistent. We understand that for some of you that would be a blessing - but for us in the Middle East, we need lots of wet weather.

   • We thanked God for the rain and snow Israel has already received, and asked Him for a miraculous increase of what He gave us in the natural.

   • Lord, we ask for rain at this time of the latter rain (Zech. 10:1).

   • Let the rain fall in the right places - over the Golan and the Sea of Galilee, over the mountains of Israel - and let it flow into the underground aquifers.

   • Whatever ways You use to provide the water Israel needs, may Israelis see Your hand of provision and give Your the glory.

     When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none… I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water… That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

     Isa. 41:17-20

8. We ended by praying for the Body of Messiah - both in Israel and globally - to be set free from humanistic leanings, especially when it comes to the issue of reconciliation. Our call as ambassadors of reconciliation is to focus on that gap which separates sinful man from a holy God. Once saved, we are reconciled in Messiah Yeshua to God and to one another. Then we have walk out the reconciliation that is already a spiritually reality between us - whether Jew and gentile [Biblically, Arabs are gentiles.], man and women, etc. Yet reconciliation must be based on truth. To compromise truth about any clear biblical issue - such as Israel's end-time restoration to her land and her Lord Yeshua, or the divinity of Yeshua, God the Son - for the sake of unity, results in a unity that is not of the Spirit of truth, and therefore not of God.

   • Therefore if any man be in Messiah, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. All things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Messiah Yeshua, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Messiah, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Messiah, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Messiah's stead, be reconciled to God.

     2 Cor. 5:17-20

Shabbat shalom and thanks for standing with Israel and us at this "exciting" time!

The IFI team