1. Praise: We began by reading through Psalm 95. Here are a few of the verses:

    • Oh come, let us sing to YHWH; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms. For YHWH is a great God, and a great King above all gods…Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before YHWH our maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

    • We bless You for Your amazing grace and the gift of faith You give us to receive it (Ephesians 2:8).

    • You say in Psalm 95:10, that You were grieved over Israel for 40 years in the wilderness, yet not once did You remove Your presence, nor did the food and water You provided them fail. Amazing grace!

    • You care for the sparrows; how much more for us, Your people (Matthew 10:29-31).

    • While the world was surprised with Trump's victory in America, we know that nothing takes You by surprise, for as Yeshua said, You, Father, are Lord of Heaven and earth… (Matthew 11:25a)

  2. Donald Trump's victory in the US Presidential elections was a fruit of many American – and other – believers praying for God to have mercy once again on that nation. Whether it turns out to be mercy or not now depends on the American Church's continual intercession for their government leaders. Often, once a victory like this is won, the Church thinks their job is over – when in fact, it has only just begun. We see that in Israel as we persistently have to lift up Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in prayer, to hear him speak truth as well as avoid many of the traps that nations want to set for him and this nation.

    • Lord Yeshua, aid American believers to make a conscious effort to change their prayer from "Make America Great Again", to "Make God Great Again in America"!

    • Impress on believers Your command to pray – first of all – for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

    • Do not permit any other goal to be in the hearts of intercessors which competes with the ultimate goal of all our prayers – that Your name be glorified by Your kingdom coming and Your will being done on earth as it is already accomplished in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10).

    • Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You only are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your righteousness was made known.

      Revelation 15:4

    • Guide Trump as he selects those men and women who are to be his advisors and in his cabinet.

  3. Obama: Trump's victory could make the next few months a dangerous time for Israel. We are concerned that America's current President, Obama, might try to tie Trump's hands in many areas, including the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process". This could take the shape of a UN Security Council Resolution dictating the final parameters of a peace agreement – without any say so from Israel. This transition period between Barak O. and Donald T. must be a high priority to watch in prayer for those who stand with God's will for Israel.

    • Lord, hedge Obama in from trying to harm Israel any more than what his polices have already done.

    • Use Obama's arrogance and pride to trip him up (Proverbs 16:18).

    • Please impart to Israel's leaders much wisdom on what to say and not say during this critical time. Set a watch, O YHWH, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. (Psalms 141:3)

    • Protect Your nation from all devious schemes of the rest of the world's nations (Psalm 33:10-11).

    • Abba, while Israel's leader and America's next president work on their relationship, open Netanyahu's mind to catch anything coming from Trump that is just not kosher.

    • Anoint Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon to know what is being planned in that wicked organization and then give him plans to overturn all its strategies against Israel (Isaiah 40:21-24).

  4. Russia: As positive vibes flow between Russian President Putin and President-elect Trump, Israel finds itself in a precarious position. Israel also has good relations with Russia, yet if Trump supports Russian involvement in Syria, that means American support for furthering of the Iranian Shi'ite crescent – from Iran, through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. And what would that mean if Israel were to attack Hizbullah arm shipments which are under Russian cover today? Would Trump chastise us? Israel needs much wisdom from the God of Israel to navigate this increasingly chaotic Middle East situation.

    • We thank You for the good meeting between Netanyahu and Russian PM Medvedev yesterday.

    • We so appreciate Bibi laying down Israel's red lines – that Israel will not accept arms shipments from Iran through Syria to Hizbullah and will not allow Iranian military bases to be established in Syria. Now give him and the rest of the government courage and strength to back this up (2 Chronicles 32:7).

    • Please continue to give to us as intercessors how we are to pray in line with Your will concerning Russia's increased involvement in the Middle East (Amos 3:7).

    • Abba, use Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (who is from the former Soviet Union) to be a positive influence on Israeli-Russian relations.

    • Enable him to give Bibi much needed insight into the Russian mindset.

  5. Security: The security situation on Israel's northern border with Lebanon and its north-east border with Syria is a continual cause of concern – and therefore of intercession. Historically and biblically, Israel was usually attacked from the north.

    • Let the priests, ministers of YHWH, weep between the porch and altar, and say, Spare Your people, YHWH, and give not Your inheritance to shame…Why should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then YHWH will be jealous for His land and pity His people. YHWH will answer and say to His people…I will no more make you a curse among the nations. But I will remove the northern army far from you…Fear not, land; be glad and rejoice. For YHWH will do great things.

      Joel 2:17-21

    • Lord, as we, Your ministers, cry out for You to spare the people of Israel, deal with today's northern army threatening us – Hizbullah, and its Iranian overlords. Do this for Your name's sake (Psalm 115:1-3).

    • As You said in Jeremiah 49:35, break the bow – the Shi'ite crescent – of Elam, modern day Iran.

    • Arise God and defend Israel from all Your/its enemies (Psalm 68:1; 83:1-4).

    • As You declare in this Shabbat's prophetic portion, defend us by making the IDF an army having teeth! Do not fear; for I am with you; be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will make you strong; I will help you; I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all those who were angered against you shall be ashamed and confounded; they shall be as nothing. And those who fight with you shall perish. You shall seek them, but shall not find them…For I, YHWH your God, will hold your right hand, saying…Do not fear, you worm Jacob and men of Israel; I will help you, says YHWH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I make you a new sharp threshing instrument, having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, and a tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in YHWH and shall glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:10-16)

    • Lord please protect all Israel's spies and collaborators, and give them accurate, actionable intelligence.

    • Then give to Israel's political and military leaders the wisdom and courage to act on that intelligence.

    • Be strong and of good courage, for you shall divide for an inheritance to this people, the land which I swore to their fathers, to give to them.

      Joshua 1:6

  6. Aliyah: This past Tuesday, Israel celebrated its newest holiday – Aliyah Day. [Aliyah is the Hebrew term for the immigration of Jews from exile to Israel.] This day is set according to the Hebrew calendar, to be held yearly on the 7th of Cheshvan, which this year just happened to fall on the day of the US elections. This was most interesting as one of the items we prayed consistently into was that the election result would go towards increasing aliyah from America. And since most Jews voted for Clinton…

    • Bring back Your people, Lord, from all the nations – including America (Zechariah 8:7).

    • God, this is for Your glory, as You clearly stated: Fear not; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; to the south, Do not keep back; bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone who is called by My name; for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; I have made him…This people that I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise. (Isaiah 43:5-7, 21)

    • Use Trump's triumph to upset so many Jews that they begin to see Netanyahu as a moderate!

    • Use the success of the UK's Brexit referendum to stir up many British Jews to come home.

    • Prevent Jews from making false aliyah. If they are going to leave their nation, hedge them in so that to come home and not go elsewhere.

    • With as much mercy as possible, uproot Jews in Europe, Britain, and America (Jeremiah 17:17).

    • Open the eyes of Jews in the West to see the rise of anti-Semitism and to flee now while they can.

    • Send a spirit of homesickness on all Jews living outside of Israel (Psalm 137:4-5).

    • We bless You for the approval from Israel of bringing 9,000 more Ethiopian Jews home.

    • Somehow, God, release from captivity all of the 25,000 Jews still in Iran.

    • Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will truly plant them in this land with all My heart and all My whole soul. For thus says YHWH, As I have brought all this great evil on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.

      Jeremiah 32:41-42

      Amen!

  7. Water: Israel needs water from on high, or from other sources, for its rivers, lakes and its agriculture. We reminded God of His promises on this topic.

    • You, God, sent a plentiful rain, by which You upheld Your inheritance when it was weary.

      Psalms 68:9

    • The poor and needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue fails for thirst, I YHWH will hear them, I the God of Israel will not leave 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…so that they may see, and know, and look on, and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

      Isaiah 41:17-20

    • They shall say, This land that was wasted has become like the garden of Eden, and the wasted, deserted and ruined cities now are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I YHWH build the ruined places and plant that which was wasted. I YHWH have spoken it, and I will do it.

      Ezekiel 36:34-36

    • For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

      Matthew 5:45b

  8. We completed our time today by praying for the Israeli Body of Messiah. While it is growing – it is still a relatively young body and needs protection from all winds of doctrine that blow through this nation – especially Jerusalem.

    • Lord Yeshua, we bless and thank You that there is a growing Body of Messiah in Israel today.

    • We ask for You by Your Spirit, to lead many on into a deeper maturity in You.

    • Please increase the numbers – but also the spiritual maturity as well – as we want people to become true disciples of You, Lord (Acts 6:7).

    • Guard over and prosper the messianic day schools and bible colleges (Acts 12:24).

    • Increase the discernment of the Body to be able to know what is of You and what is not.

    • As You said You would do, raise up more pastors after Your own heart (Jeremiah 3:14-15; 23:3-4).

    • We pray for a strong word to come forth from the pulpits throughout this nation (Acts 19:20).

    • While we welcome all outside ministries whom You are sending, we ask for You to block from coming all those ministries who are not coming from You and for Your glory.

    • Continue to use believers in the IDF to be salt and light in that very difficult place (Matthew 5:13-16).

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

And now, brothers [and sisters, we] commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Acts 20:32