1. We began this morning reading from this Shabbat's prophetic portion.

    • How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, making peace heard; who brings good news, making salvation heard; who says to Zion, Your God reigns! The voice of your watchmen shall …lift up the voice together; they sing aloud. For they shall see eye to eye, when YHWH shall bring again Zion [or: when YHWH shall return again to Zion!]. Break out, sing together, waste places of Jerusalem; for YHWH has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. YHWH has bared His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

      Isaiah 52:7-10

    • Yes Lord, we declare to Zion this morning, Your God reigns!

    • We bless You for being a covenant keeping God (Isaiah 55:3).

    • Thank You that You have chosen both Israel and us (Isaiah 41:8; John 15:16).

    • We are so grateful for the table that You prepare for us in the midst of our enemies (Psalm 23:5).

    • We trust in Your Word - the revealed truth of God (Psalm 119:86a; John 17:17).

    • Hallelujah, that the Lord God Almighty reigns (Revelation 19:6)!

  2. This week's Torah portion starts with God's command to have righteous leaders (Deuteronomy 16:18-20). With the increasing pressure from a world that does not want to see Israel possess all that God has promised it, Israel's current leaders need courage, wisdom and prayer support. So we prayed for them - specifically for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

    • Abba, we thank You for Bibi. We surround him like Aaron and Hur did with Moses and we hold up his arms in the midst of his battle (Exodus 17:10-12) to lead this nation in line with Your will.

    • Yeshua, anoint all intercessors throughout the world who have Israel's leadership on their hearts. Enable them to pray that which is absolutely in line with Your will (1 John 5:14-15).

    • Lord, hedge Netanyahu in so that he does not cave in to the pressure and do that which is displeasing to You. A man's heart plans his way, but YHWH directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

    • Surround him with wise counsel (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 15:22).

    • Let Your hand be on the Man of Your right hand, on the Son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself.

      Psalms 80:17

    • Protect all of Israel's leaders from the enemy's deceitful ways.

    • Remind them of Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts up a nation, but sin is a shame to any people.

    • Guard the current government coalition so that they accomplish all that is on Your heart for them. For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house shall be destroyed. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this? (Esther 4:14)

    • Lord, in relation to Israel's government, watch over this word in all their deliberations: YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plots of the people. The counsel of YHWH stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. (Psalms 33:10-11)

  3. This coming week, Israel is supposed to release of 104 unrepentant terrorists with much blood on their hands - to facilitate 'peace' talks. While this is very agonizing and shameful to most Israelis, it is also unbiblical. God is a God of justice and there is nothing just about murders being set free! Yet it may not come to pass as the government just approved the building of homes for Jews in the 'settlements' - and the US and the Palestinians and the EU and the UN and if there are aliens living anywhere in the universe - all are extremely upset that Israel would dare to approve of Jewish homes in the Jewish homeland!

    • It says in this week's Torah portion: You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which YHWH your God gives you. (Deuteronomy 16:20)

    • Abba, use the approval of new homes for settlers to scuttle this unjust release of terrorists from taking place.

    • Lord, for Your holy Name's sake - overrule all unjust decisions of man in this nation!

    • God, in line with Your covenant with Noah, give courage to the Israeli justice system to enforce the capital punishment law that is already approved when it comes to terrorists who are caught in the act or who confess to their demonic crimes. Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood shall be shed by man; for He made man in the image of God. (Genesis 9:6)

    • Lord, stir up the hearts of Israelis to come out and protest this move by the government.

    • Abba, wake up the West to see how the Palestinians and their government exalt terrorists and terrorism.

    • Lord, comfort all victims, their families and survivors who are reliving the horrific events and are hurting - regardless of whether these murderers are released or not (Isaiah 40:1-2).

    • From this week's prophetic portion: I, I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear a man, who shall die…Yet you forget YHWH your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You dread continually, daily, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy, and where is the fury of the oppressor? (Isaiah 51:12-13)

    • Lord, prevent the oppressors from being released. Do not allow their cell doors to open (Isaiah 22:22).

    • God, expose the pressure US Secretary of State Kerry put on Israel's leaders to get them to agree to this.

  4. We then prayed against any 'peace' deal that resulted in the division of God's land which He gave to Israel for an everlasting inheritance. The goal of these negotiations is against God's will as revealed in His Word.

    • For, behold, in those days…when I will bring again the exiles of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations…into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will fight with them there for My people and for My inheritance Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided My land.

      Joel 3:1-2

    • Continue to strengthen Israel's leadership to not compromise with Your land (Leviticus 25:23).

    • Continue to use Jerusalem as a stumbling block (Zechariah 12:2-3).

    • Encourage the settlers that they are settling on land that is promised by You to them and their children - for an everlasting inheritance (Genesis 12:7; 13:14; 15:7, 17:8, plus at least 200 more times in the Tanach).

    • From this week's Torah portion: You may not remove your neighbor's landmark, which those in the past have set in your inheritance, which you shall inherit in the land which YHWH your God gives you to possess it. (Deuteronomy 19:14)

    • Abba, You clearly said that when nations speak against Your land, You consider that as 'blasphemy' because they are boasting against You (Ezekiel 35:12-13). Since this is exactly what the 'land-for-peace' process does, calling Your land the 'occupied territories', we ask for You to arise and deal with Your enemies (Psalm 68:1).

    • Thank You that since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, You have always harden Palestinian leaders hearts so that no Israeli offer has been good enough. Do it again!

  5. We continue to take our stand against the threat of an Iranian nuclear device - hoping that God will deal with it sovereignly, but recognizing that Israel might need to go out to battle once again.

    • From this week's Torah portion: When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots, a people more than you, do not be afraid of them…For YHWH your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. (Deuteronomy 20:1a,4)

    • Lord, impart courage, strength and wisdom to Israel's leaders, as well as bringing about a godly unity among them concerning exactly what, when and how Israel is to deal with this threat.

    • Open up their eyes to the importance of Iran's Shi'ite Islamic theology to Iran's leadership and how that view of life would be inclined to start a war for Allah's sake - even if their nation was destroyed as a result.

    • Yeshua, Captain of heaven's armies, as You did with Joshua (Joshua 5:13-6:5), specifically impart Your divine plans and tactics to Israel's current leaders.

    • Help Israel's tacticians to think out of the box and develop attack plans that will confound Iran's defenses.

    • Lord, we plead for Psalm 129:5 to be applied it to Iran's military and political leadership, as well as to their nuclear technicians: Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

    • Guard and hide all of Israel's spies and collaborators in Iran.

    • Thus says YHWH of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam [ancient Persia = modern Iran], the chief of their might. (Jeremiah 49:35) Amen! Whatever is Iran's 'bow' today, break it so that they lack the capability of launching any of their offensive 'arrows' at Israel. Break all of Iran's rocket launchers.

    • I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy the king and the rulers from there, says YHWH. (Jeremiah 49:38) Lord, thank You for watching over the first part of this word - as many Iranians are coming to know Yeshua. Now watch over the last part - and 'destroy' Iran's current Islamic Shiite fundamentalist leadership, removing their scepter of authority.

    • Lord, rip the sheep skin off from Iran's new 'moderate' president Hassan Rouhani.

    • As You trapped Haman in ancient Persia when he had plotted to wipe out Your people, so trap all of Iran's current leadership who also have hatred in their hearts towards Israel and the Jews.

    • If Israel attacks, let the fear of Israel's God fall on all of the nations of the Middle East (Esther 9:1-2).

    • We thank You for making it obvious that Israel cannot depend on anyone other than You and itself to defend this nation at this time. And we thank You that You are all Israel needs (Psalm 20:7-9; Jeremiah 31:10).

  6. We prayed for protection along Israel's border with Lebanon. It is still our most dangerous border and while the Sunni-Shi'ite war in Syria has weakened both Hizbullah and Iran, this border could become 'hot' at any moment.

    • God, please continue to watch over this nation's borders - especially in the north (Psalm 121:4).

    • Lord, enable Israel's army to be extra watchful during this time of chaos in Syria. And all of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and do harm to it. But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. (Nehemiah 4:8-9)

    • Abba, prevent any successful kidnapping attempts against Israelis or Israel soldiers.

    • Continue to stir up enmity against Hizbullah from many of Lebanon's citizens and politicians.

    • We bless each Hizbullah terrorist with a personal revelation of Messiah Yeshua. …Love your enemies, bless those who curse you…and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

    • We ask that Your curse would be seen on Hizbullah as an organization as they have repeatedly cursed Your people (Genesis 12:3a).

  7. We are in Elul, the month of repentance, which prepares Jews for Tishri, the month which has the feasts of God - Rosh Hashanah,Yom Kippur and Succoth. Every Elul morning the shofar is blown in synagogues, calling Jews to wake up and repent.

    • Lord, as the shofar sounds wake up Your people to seek You (Jeremiah 29:13).

    • From this week's Torah portion: I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brothers, one like you [Moses], and will put My words in His mouth. He shall speak to them all that I shall command Him, and it shall happen, whatever man will not listen to My Words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)

    • Lord, draw Your people to this prophesied Prophet - Messiah Yeshua (Luke 7:16; 13:33; John 6:14; 7:40).

    • Lord Yeshua, as Joseph did to his brothers, so too reveal Yourself to Your brothers (Genesis 45:1).

    • Yeshua, during this time, confront all religious hypocrisy in Israel - whether rabbinic or messianic.

    • Use the increasing number of ex-Muslim believers to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:11).

  8. We finished by praying for rain. Israel enjoyed a wonderfully wet fall and winter last season and we are asking God for a repeat performance. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. He prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout. (James 5:16-a18)

May the Lord impart His wisdom and anointing to you as you stand in the gap for your nation and its relationship with the nation of Israel during this time of God's restoration of her (Habakkuk 2:1).

Shabbat shalom, and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

Though the fig tree shall not blossom, and fruit is not on the vines;
the labor of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food,
the flock is cut off from the fold, and no herd is in the stalls;
yet I will rejoice in YHWH, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
YHWH the Lord is my strength.
He will make my feet like hinds' feet,
and He will make me to walk on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19