1. We read some verses from this week's prophetic portion to start our prayer time together:

    • Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all who mourn for her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her comforting breasts; that you may…be delighted with the fullness of her glory. For thus says YHWH, Behold, I will hold out peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like a flowing stream. Then you will suck, be carried on her sides and dandled upon her knees. As one, whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

      Isaiah 66:10-13

    • You are good and our Good Shepherd (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11).

    • We bless You for setting a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5a).

    • Thank You for the grace You give enabling us to abide in You today (John 15:4, 7-8).

    • Hallelujah! We have Your peace because You, Yeshua, have overcome this world (John 16:33).

    • Ah, Lord YHWH! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm. Nothing is too difficult for You.

      Jeremiah 32:17

  2. Today is the last Friday of Ramadan, often the most dangerous of all the days of this Islamic "festive" month. We prayed for protection over Jerusalem, Israel and believers in general.

    • Behold, I am YHWH, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

      Jeremiah 32:27

    • We believe there is nothing too hard for You and therefore ask You to foil all deadly plans of Islam against Your people and this nation today.

    • Quench all violent spirits for Your glory's sake (Psalm 115:1-3).

    • Confuse all demonic plans against Your people from the Islamic spirit and bring shame to those who are attempting to accomplish them (Psalm 83:16-18; 129:5).

    • Keep all Israel's security forces alert – especially in Jerusalem and its Old City.

    • Prevent distractions from hindering the security forces from doing their job.

    • Abba, please watch over Your word in these days: He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep/ guard him, as a shepherd keeps his flock. (Jeremiah 31:10)

    • Give Israel a government that is in line with that godly government described in Romans 13:3-4. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Do you desire to not be afraid of the authority? Do good, and you shall have praise from it. For it is a servant of God to you for good. For if you practice evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is a servant of God, a revenger for wrath on him who does evil. (Romans 13:3-4)

    • Spread Your shield of protection upon our believing brothers and sisters throughout the world – especially those in the Middle East (Psalm 3:1-3).

    • Reveal to any of Your followers who are still confused – that Islam's god is not God (Isaiah 45:5a).

    • Bring a holy dissatisfaction, even disgust, upon many Muslims concerning their religion – and reveal to them the One True Savior, Yeshua, Israel's Messiah (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

    • Lord Yeshua, You said if any cause a little one to stumble, it would be very hard for them in this life and the next. Therefore, deal with all the imams, teachers and even parents that push their children to kill Jews, Christians or "infidels."

  3. The Gaza situation is very unstable. Hamas uses monies it gets for military preparations against Israel, so either the Palestinian Authority or Israel pay for most of Gaza's electricity. Now the PA has asked Israel to cut back on that supply as they are not paying for it anymore. Israel obliged and Egypt has helped with fuel being sent into Gaza.

    • Lord, we who are Israelis confess to You again, that the disengagement of Israel from Gaza was sin (Leviticus 25:23), as it was part of the tribe of Judah's inheritance (Joshua 15:1, cp. v 47; Judges 1:18).

    • If PA President Abbas is trying to start war between Israel and Hamas, deal with it (Jeremiah 17:10).

    • Expose to Israel all weapons caches and terror tunnels in Gaza (Job 12:22).

    • Abba, use this to break all ties between Hamas and Iran (Proverbs 11:21; 16:5).

    • Lord, remove Hamas' scepter of authority. And the king shall perish from Gaza… (Zechariah 9:5b)

    • Begin to show Israel's leaders Your plans to have Israel return to rule in Gaza (Zephaniah 2:7).

  4. While the Shi'ite Lebanese terror group Hizbullah is deeply engaged in fighting for President Assad in Syria, it still makes plans for warring against Israel. A high military leader in Israel said this past week that Hizbullah is Israel's most immediate threat.

    • Lord, reveal all the plans of the enemy (Psalm 139:11-12).

    • Confound this wicked organization and bring it down to judgment (Psalm 35:26; 129:5).

    • Let Hizbullah fall into the trap they are setting for Israel (Psalm 35:4-8).

    • Impart to Israel's soldiers in the north, a supernatural ability to expose and stop the enemy's plans.

    • YHWH, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many or with him who has no power. Help us, O YHWH our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O YHWH, You are our God. Do not let man prevail against You.

      2 Chronicles 14:11b

    • Prevent any successful kidnapping or infiltration attempts.

    • Protect innocent Lebanese who have been threatened by Hizbullah to hid rockets in their houses.

  5. There has been an uptick of violence between the US and Russia in the Syrian theater of war. Our concern is with Israel – the main burden that God has laid upon this ministry.

    • Lord, do not allow Israel to be drawn into this conflict (Proverbs 26:17).

    • Give much wisdom and grace to all Israeli government ministers to not say a word (Psalm 46:10).

    • Keep PM Netanyahu to his redline of whatever may happen in Syria, Israel will not allow any Iranian or Hizbullah bases to be set up next to Israel on the Syrian side of the Golan.

    • If this is not the time for another major war, please dampen the flames.

    • If this is Your time for another major war, show us how to pray (Isaiah 34:8).

    • Either way, as much as possible, have mercy O Lord (Habakkuk 3:2).

    • In line with Revelation 17:17, hedge in Trump, Putin, and all the rest of this world's proud leaders to only do that which is in line with Your prophetic will.

    • Isolate Iran and use the Iranian church in a mighty way in that nation (Ezekiel 22:30-31).

    • Bless the new heir to the throne in Saudi Arabia with a revelation of Yeshua as his Lord (Acts 10:36).

  6. The US administration of President Trump is attempting another absurd peace push. It is absurd for so many reasons – the chief one being that there is no one in the Palestinian leadership who really wants peace. Their oft stated aim is Israel's destruction. Also, any "peace' agreement will necessitate the division of God's land and that is positively not in His will.

    • The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is Mine. For you are strangers and pilgrims with Me.

      Leviticus 25:23

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

      Joel 3:1-2

    • How long Lord, will we need to hear Peace, peace, while there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11)?

    • Arise and scatter all these empty messengers of peace (Isaiah 33:7).

    • Lord, You see that Trump has sent the Jews who work for him – Friedman, Kushner, Greenblatt. Yet Jews who work for a gentile government often do not clearly see what You say concerning this land – otherwise they would move home and work for Bibi! Therefore, while they are here, use this land to reveal Your truth to them.

    • I will turn back the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the cities which are desolate, and they shall live in them, and they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine…and I will plant them on their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says YHWH your God.

      Amos 9:14-15

    • Bring all hidden plans and schemes to light (Psalm 64:6).

    • Give the wisdom of Solomon to Israel's leaders (Proverbs 19:21; 21:1).

    • Lord, we need a miracle. Unite Israel's current government to resist any plans to divide Your land.

    • Expose all spirits of deception and manipulation in Abbas and let Trump's advisors see his true anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish heart (Jeremiah 17:9).

    • Thank You for Bibi's approval of building plans for Jerusalem just as Kushner came (Psalm 147:2).

    • Place this declaration of Nehemiah's in the hearts of Israel's leaders against all who oppose Israel's ownership of Jerusalem: 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. (Nehemiah 2:20)

  7. Aliyah – the immigration of Jews from exile to Israel – was our next prayer topic.

    • What are the Jews in the West waiting for? Wake them up Lord (Isaiah 60:1-2).

    • Wake up the Jews in the UK to see how many of their countrymen voted for the anti-Semite Corbyn's Labour party in the latest elections – and then let them see the handwriting on Big Ben!

    • Forbid that the Jews in the West hide from the reality of the increasing danger of terrorism there and be deceived into thinking Israel is more dangerous, when in fact, we are winning the war on terror and their nations are asking us for help (Genesis 12:2a)!

    • Let the younger generation start asking some pointed questions about aliyah.

    • Burn Israel into the hearts of the hundreds of thousands of young Jews who have visited it on various tours – especially Birthright (Isaiah 62:4-5).

    • Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you. (Jeremiah 31:3) Amen. Lord, do this for Your holy name's sake (Ezekiel 36:23-24)

    • Open the eyes of the Western Church to see that they are supposed to be a part of this by carrying Your people home – whether by prayer, finances or physically (Isaiah 49:22; 60:3-6, 10-11).

  8. The Body of Messiah in Israel always needs the prayer support of our brothers and sisters in the nations. We thank you in advance for helping to lift our arms up in this battle.

    • Lord, energize us as the enemy is attempting to wear us out (Daniel 7:25a).

    • Remove all pride in Israeli believers. Expose it and help us to hate it (Proverbs 8:13).

    • Touch the youth in the Israeli Body. Provide for them mentors in the faith (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

    • Protect all the young couples and young families.

    • Provide for them the fellowship that they need.

    • Bring a unity of the Spirit into this constantly growing Body (Ephesians 4:3).

    • Anoint elders to know how to minister to those whom You placed in their care (1 Timothy 5:17).

    • Spread Your shield of protection over the elders in Israel – both in and without the Body of Messiah (Psalm 3:3; Hebrews 13:7, 17).

    • Forbid that the Body do anything for the sake of money (Luke 16:11-13; 1 Timothy 6:10).

    • Give the elders discernment concerning all foreign ministers and speakers – whom to welcome and whom to say no to.

    • Make us living witnesses to the truth of Your Word and Your Son (1 Timothy 3:15)

    • Remove any spirits of intimidation that would hinder us from declaring Your truth (2 Timothy 1:7).

    • Because You placed us in the Living Word, help us to be bold in proclaiming Your written Word.

We thank you for all your prayer support for the recent IFI ministry trips and conferences. We believe that the Lord had His way, and many hearts and minds were opened to the centrality of Israel in God's plans in these days. The times of intercession were also very effective and unified.

During the last weeks many of the team members experienced – and some are still experiencing – very difficult situations. We do appreciate your continued prayer covering for us – especially as the IFI leadership meets next week to seek God about the current and future state of this – His – ministry.

Blessings from Zion

The IFI team