1. We began by looking at Shabbat's prophetic portion - Isaiah 54:11-55:5

    • In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

      Isaiah 54:11-14

    • Behold, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come…buy wine and milk without money…Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and you labor for that which never satisfies? Listen carefully to Me. Eat what is good. Let your soul delight itself in fatness. Bow down your ear, and come to Me. Hear, your soul shall live, and I will make [lit: cut] an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

      Isaiah 55:1-3

    • Bless You for establishing in Yeshua, the everlasting covenant of David with Your elect.

    • Thank You for comforting Your people at this time.

    • We rejoice that Your ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), so that even when we do not understand what You are doing, we still trust in You.

    • We are encouraged to press on, because You never change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8).

    • Praise You for Your faithfulness to watch over Your word to do it (Isaiah 55:11; Jeremiah 1:12).

    • Hear our cry, O God. Attend unto our prayer. From Jerusalem we cry unto You. When our hearts are overwhelmed, lead us to Your exalted Rock - Messiah Yeshua.

      Psalms 61:1-2 paraphrased

  2. Israel's security cabinet is starting to bicker - and in the current Gaza war situation, this is not right. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya'alon are leading the war in the way that they see as best. While they have given opportunity for all other members to give input, ultimately they are responsible. Some think they are not being aggressive enough, others that they are not doing this, or that, or whatever. Our responsibility is to pray for them whom God has raised up to do His will at this time.

    • We do thank You for Netanyahu and Ya'alon and the unity they have between them.

    • Protect that unity so that Your will can be done in Israel - for Your glory (Matthew 6:9-10).

    • Abba, bless them with Your wisdom and authority (Isaiah 22:21).

    • May the truth of Proverbs 21:31 become very real to them at this time: The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but safety is from YHWH.

    • Surround them with Your wise counselors (Proverbs 20:18; 24:6).

    • Anoint them to make all the right decisions in the right timing.

    • Lord, halt all attempts by other security cabinet members to say things just to gain political points.

    • Forbid either Netanyahu or Ya'alon to make any decisions for their political future - but only those that are in Your will for this nation today.

    • Shield these two men from all of the critics - whether in the Parliament, the media or in the nations.

  3. Operation Protective Edge is still being fought. Hamas has broken every cease-fire they have asked for. Then when Israel responds to their rocket attacks, most of the world ignores who started it and deals with a sovereign law-abiding nation and an openly anti-Semitic, anti-Christ Islamic terrorist group as if they are equals. That is absolutely wicked and draws down the wrath of God (Isaiah 5:20).

    • Lord, as You did to King David (2 Samuel 5:24), reveal Your battle plans unto the security cabinet.

    • Thank You for enabling Israel to cut off some of Hamas' main leaders.

    • If there are others whom You want to see appear before Your throne soon, help Israel to find them!

    • With three major Hamas leaders now dead, send confusion and panic into the ranks of Israel's enemy.

    • Destroy YHWH, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

      Psalms 55:9

    • Let them all be confounded and turned back who hate Zion.

      Psalm 129:5

    • Press the remaining Hamas leaders to make major errors in judgment and be caught in their own snare.

    • They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me [like a tunnel - something hidden in the ground!], into which they have fallen. Selah.

      Psalms 57:6

    • Lord, You said, All who take the sword shall perish with a sword, (Matthew 26:52b), and, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap. (Galatians 6:7) So we ask You to apply these verses to Hamas as a whole and let them reap what they have sown.

    • If there are any in Hamas who can be turned from their wicked ways, have mercy and do it quickly.

    • We thank You for the Iron Dome. Please help Israel as it develops other game-changing, cutting-edge weaponry, like the Iron Beam and terror tunnel detection devices.

    • Impart Your goal for this situation to Israel's leaders.

    • If Your goal is to retake Gaza now, then bring the nation into unity as the IDF does this.

    • Lord, protect all of Israel's spies and collaborators in Gaza and in other enemy areas.

    • Abba, since You said You would curse those who curse the children of Israel (Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9), we ask that You would curse all of Hamas' plans to kill Jews and destroy this nation.

  4. We prayed for the IDF soldiers who have been on the border with Gaza for better than a month. Although some have been relieved, still they are there wondering whether they will need to enter Gaza again. Along with that is all of the tension, fears and doubts that rest in a man's heart before he goes into battle. While the battle does belong to the Lord, yet most often He uses men and men do die in His wars (Deuteronomy 20:1-9).

    • Lord, give these IDF soldiers encouragements, alertness, stamina and a willingness to fight for their nation, family and friends. We bless them in the name of Messiah Yeshua, King of Israel.

    • YHWH shall send the rod of Your [Messiah's] strength out of Zion; rule in the midst of Your enemies. Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power…

      Psalms 110:2-3a

    • May all of Israel's soldiers, wherever they may be, learn to wait on You. But those who wait on YHWH shall renew [lit: exchange] their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

    • Abba, draw many of these young soldiers unto Yourself by revealing Messiah Yeshua to them. No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draw him… (John 6:44a)

    • Continue to give them support from all of Israel's civilians.

    • Set a table for them in the presence of their enemies (Psalm 23:5).

    • We stand against any further successful kidnapping attempts, in the mighty name of Yeshua.

    • As You have prophesied, use the IDF to bring glory to Your name (Isaiah 41:15-16; Micah 4:11-13).

    • Use believing soldiers as Your instruments of truth and revelation to the rest of their units.

    • Lord YHWH, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

      Psalms 140:7

      Blessed be YHWH my Rock, who teaches My hands to war, my fingers to battle.

      Psalms 144:1

  5. We, the people of Israel, have also been under tremendous tension. We've had over 3,500 rockets fired at us in the last month alone, as well as all the cease-fires with hopes of quiet, only to be broken as Hamas decides they have not killed enough Jews. On top of that there is the demonic media slant against Israel in most of the reporting, the rise of vicious anti-Semitic demonstrations and attacks against Jews in the West, and the sense that Israel is damned if we defend ourselves and damned if we don't - well, it is a battle to live in peace here now. Yet Jews are returning and God is still on His throne!

    • Lord, comfort this people as You said You would in this Shabbat's prophetic portion (Isaiah 54:11-14).

    • Strengthen the people of Israel to endure whatever it takes to see You being glorified from here - unto the ends of the earth. And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, YHWH will be magnified beyond the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:5)

    • Use the rabbis this Shabbat to encourage their congregations to cry out to You for help. Call on Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. (Psalms 50:15)

    • Send Your Spirit on the youth in this nation. Wake them up to seek You.

    • Because of who You are and Your covenant with this people, draw them to Yourself (Jeremiah 31:3).

    • Help the Messianic Body be part of the solution.

    • Help the Messianic Body grow up and look to You - and not to man. It is better to trust in YHWH than to trust in man. (Psalms 118:8)

  6. We prayed for the Church to stand in the gap for Israel and their nations.

    • Open many eyes to behold the wonderful things in the Old Testament/Tanach (Psalm 119:18).

    • Show Christians that Israel is still Your special treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6-9), into which they are grafted (Romans 11:15-26).

    • Help the Church to do that which is written and not to rely solely on words and dreams and visions.

    • Lord, You have taken the sting of death away from the believer (1 Corinthians 15:55) - now remove the fear of death so that we may be strong regardless of the fanatical foes that face us (Hebrew 2:14-15).

    • But it is now having been manifested by the appearing of our Savior Yeshua the Messiah, who has made death of no effect, bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel;

      2 Timothy 1:10

    • Remove from Your Body the desire to be politically correct and fill that place with an urgency to be biblically correct! To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because no light is in them. (Isaiah 8:20)

    • Raise up anointed teachers for the younger generation to learn of Your plans for Israel.

    • Strengthen the Church outside the West and help them to stand for truth about You and Your people.

    • Deliver the Church from all spirits of anti-Semitism and anti-Christ/humanism.

  7. In the midst of Israel's current situation, Jews have been coming home and many Israelis have been returning as well. Both of these are answers to prayer. Yet we dare not stop praying.

    • Lord, we thank You that You have heard our prayers that are in line with Your will and for Your glory (1 John 5:14-15; Isaiah 43:5-7, 21).

    • Abba, continue to use the rising anti-Semitism to wake up Your people in exile.

    • Lord, move upon the Jews in Europe to see the handwriting on the gravestones and synagogues.

    • Remove from the Jews in Ukraine any fears of coming to Israel.

    • Lord, bring home the families of Israel's 'lone soldiers' [Someone serving in the IDF who is the only member of their family in Israel].

    • If you are driven out into the outermost parts of the heavens, YHWH your God will gather you from there, and He will bring you from there. And YHWH your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers.

      Deuteronomy 30:4-5

    • Lord, wake up more Messianic Jews that they as well are to return home.

    • As many youth come to visit on various Jewish programs, marry them to this land as per Isaiah 62:4-5.

Again, we are so appreciative of your prayer support. Only when we get to glory will we really see what our standing in the gap in intercession have truly contributed to His Kingdom purposes.

Shabbat shalom

The IFI team

But the end of all things has drawn near.
Therefore be of sound mind, and watch unto prayer.

1 Peter 4:7