1. Psalm 34:1-7 helped us to start our time with our God, the King of Israel.

    • I will bless YHWH at all times; His praise shall always be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in YHWH; the humble shall hear and be glad. Come magnify YHWH with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought YHWH, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears…This poor man cried, and YHWH heard, and saved him out of all his troubles. The Angel of YHWH encamps about those who fear Him, and delivers them.

      Psalms 34:1-7

    • Thank You that You said Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:27). We lean on that truth this morning.

    • We praise You for Your goodness and Your covenant love (Psalm 118:1; 136:1).

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

      Psalms 103:19

    • We praise You Yeshua, the Son of righteousness, with healing in Your wings (Malachi 4:2).

    • This is the day You have made. We will rejoice and be glad in You (Psalm 118:24).

    • O praise YHWH, all nations; praise Him, all peoples. For His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of YHWH endures forever. Praise YHWH!

      Psalms 117:1-2

  2. The police finally released their recommendations from their investigations against Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. While they recommend that he be charged with criminal intent, other voices are coming from the Attorney General's office. A-G Mandelblit is responsible to decide whether this should go to trial. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is still Israel's leader and there is so much going on in so many areas that he needs to be held up in prayer continually.

    • Abba, there is lots of confusion and since You are not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), we ask for this dense cloud of confusion be blown away by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13).

    • For Israel's, and for Your name's sake, expose the truth of these accusations quickly (Psalm 115:1-3).

    • Lord, sustain Bibi and enable him to concentrate on those issues of importance without this distracting him from what You have called him to do (Isaiah 44:26-45:6).

    • Surround him with wise and godly counselors (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22).

    • Close the mouths of the A-G and the State Prosecutor until they are ready to decide what to do.

    • We want justice to be done – and to be seen to be done (Job 8:3; 34:12; Zechariah 8:16).

    • When Netanyahu speaks with other world leaders, may his words still carry weight .

    • If there was criminal intent, may Bibi crumble under the pressure quickly (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

    • But, as we hope, if there was not any criminal offense, then use this trial to drawn Bibi and his family to You and to allow this test to purify Him (Malachi 3:2-3).

  3. We continue to pray for Netanyahu's successor. Whether he needs to resign if indicted or whether he continues to be prime minister, at some point he will leave that office and Israel will need a replacement.

    • Based on Amos 3:7, Lord, we would be blessed if You would reveal to us Your choice of who is to replace him so that we can pray for that person by name.

    • By Your Spirit, prepare Bibi's successor now for that to which You have called him (Psalm 105:17-19).

    • Lord, give Israel righteous leaders – as You have promised (Isaiah 1:26).

    • We lift up Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, and Knesset Member Gidon Sa'ar and ask You to confirm if one of them is the one we should be praying for to lead this nation (Leviticus 21:4; 1 Samuel 9:16; 13:14).

    • Yeshua, we declare You as the True Leader, the King of Israel (Isaiah 55:4; John 10:14; Acts 2:36).

  4. The security forces are instituting new security measure in Jerusalem. Around the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem's Old City, they have built a little booth to provide better protection to themselves and others. Yet there are already voices of dissent as there was when Israel placed metal detectors at the Temple Mount. Then there were riots and there could be the same today and in the near future.

    • Give much wisdom to the security forces – especially those who infiltrate the enemy undercover.

    • With Him is wisdom and strength; He has wisdom and understanding.

      Job 12:13

    • Impart wisdom to when Israel needs to add extra security.

    • Clear up all confusion in the command structure. Let there be one recognized leader (1 Kings 3:28).

    • Confuse and confound all who have hatred in their hearts towards Zion (Psalm 35:26; 129:5).

    • Protect the innocent among the Arabs and protect Israel's security forces from terrorists (Psalm 121:4).

    • Use this placing of security booths to confirm Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:20).

    • Lord Yeshua, ultimately this is Your city (Psalm 48:8). Watch over it for Your holy name's sake.

    • Intervene directly – even if invisibly – in all attacks and also place a host of angels to protect Jerusalem.

    • For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.

      Isaiah 37:35

  5. Last Shabbat Iran sent a drone over Israel along the Jordanian border. This led to a fierce Israeli response during which an Israeli fighter jet was shot down. This whole incident leads to much praise and thanks to the Ultimate Defender of Israel – the Lord of hosts.

    • Thank You Lord that Israel's response was not proportional and politically correct – but excessive. All the nations surround me, but in the name of YHWH I will destroy them. They surround me…but in the name of YHWH I will destroy them. They surround me like bees; they are put out like the fire of thorns; for in the name of YHWH I will cut them off. You have thrust hard at me so that I might fall; but YHWH helped me. (Psalms 118:10-13)

    • Thank You for revealing Iran's 'secret' military installations in Syria. If there are some others that Israel is not aware of, reveal them as well (Job 12:22; Daniel 2:22; Luke 8:17).

    • We bless You for saving the two pilots and for allowing their jet to crash on Israel's side of the border.

    • Now save them spiritually; reveal Messiah Yeshua to them (Matthew 16:17; Acts 22:7-8).

    • Thank You that the IAF shot down the Iranian drone and it too landed on Israeli territory. Help Israel to learn all there is to learn from that drone.

    • Give Israeli leaders wisdom to know how to deal with the mindset of Israel's enemies (Psalm 83:16).

    • Do not allow the Bibi investigations to interfere with any decisions on how to protect this nation.

    • Show the IAF what went wrong with the F-16i that was shot down.

    • Thank You for the miraculous truth that this was the first Israel jet fighter downed by Israel's enemies since 1982. You have spoiled this people – and for that we give You the glory and thanks (Isaiah 31:5).

  6. What is next concerning Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Russia, etc.

    • Lord, remove away all blindness that would distort Israeli leaders from seeing clearly as to what to do next. First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly… (Matthew 7:5a)

    • We ask for that for us as well. Show us what is on Your prophetic agenda for today – so that we can pray in line with Your will and timing (Isaiah 62:6-7; Amos 3:7; Luke 11:1; Romans 8:26).

    • If Israel should pre-empt, impart courage and wisdom and let it be at Your command (Joshua 5:13-6:5).

    • Download from heaven's war room to the IDF Your anointed strategies and tactics (2 Samuel 5:24).

    • Anoint individual commanders in the field to know what to do once the shooting starts (Psalm 144:1).

    • Continue to press Iran it make major mistakes and then direct Israel's response (Micah 4:11-13).

    • Help Netanyahu as he deals with two very different personalities – US President Trump and Russian President Putin. Prevent him from completely trusting in what these men say. It is better to trust in YHWH than to trust in man. It is better to trust in YHWH than to trust in princes. (Psalms 118:8-9)

  7. We prayed that the leaders of our respective birth nations would not make the dangerous error of treating Israel as if it is just another nation – and not God's elect. This is the reason why so many nations in the West are under His judgment now. [http://www.ifi.org.il/why-god-judges-nations/]

    • Lord, open their hearts to hear Your Word and sent those who will boldly speak it in the halls of power.

    • Give any believers surrounding them courage and wisdom to know when to just pray and when to speak truth (Proverbs 15:23; Isaiah 62:6-7; Mark 13:11; Acts 18:9-10).

    • For many of the leaders, like May of the UK and Merkel of Germany, move upon them to return to the faith under which they were raised (Proverbs 22:6).

    • A major part of the problem is how the churches view Israel, so please speak to elders throughout the world that Israel is not a nation like any other (Numbers 23:9b) – and show them the implications of that.

    • Blessed is he who blesses you [the nation of Israel], and cursed is he who curses you. (Numbers 24:9); For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you [Israel – when you are being restored], will perish. Yes, those nations will be completely wasted. (Isaiah 60:12); And it shall be in that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:9)

    • Lord Yeshua, wake up the believers to see that they must be involved in politics – by praying for their elected leaders, whether they voted for them or not (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

  8. Our next burden was to pray for the new immigrants [olim] in Israel, some of whom find life here very difficult and some even give up and return to exile. [By the way, as difficult as it is for us who are olim in this nation, we at IFI would not want to be anywhere else. This is home and yes it is hard at times. Yet to think that we are living the 2,000 year old prayer and desire of our people of being in Jerusalem – that is totally awesome. (Psalm 147:2)]

    • Lord, this is not Your will. Please plant them and let them not be uprooted again (Amos 9:14-15).

    • He shall cause those who come from Jacob to take root. Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit.

      Isaiah 27:6

    • Abba, we need a breakthrough in this nation for the new olim – financially, emotionally, mentally and spiritually (Isaiah 51:11; 55:12-13).

    • Aid Finance Minister Kahlon to put in place plans to lower the cost of living.

    • Lord, bless the Ethiopian Jewish community abundantly and provide all their needs (Ezekiel 36:8-12).

    • May the oil and gas profits be used to help the poor, and not just make the rich richer (James 5:1-6).

    • Enable Jews immigrating from the West to have realistic expectations and to see this as an adventure and not just a transfer of their lifestyle to Israel.

    • We pray for a huge "WELCOME" mat to be placed in the entry to the Interior Ministry and for all stones of stumbling from the path of Your people to be removed (Isaiah 62:10).

  9. We ended by praying for aliyah – the immigration of Jews from exile and captivity to freedom at home in Israel.

    • Comfort the people in Parkland Florida who just lost their loved ones in that demonic mass shooting attack, and let the Jews who also lost family members think about returning to Zion (Jeremiah 50:4-5).

    • Strip Jews in exile of the pride that says, "They will not chase us out, or scare us" – when in fact You are saying that it is now time to flee Babylon (Jeremiah 51:9-10).

    • We proclaim it is Your will for the exiles of Israel to be planted in the land Israel (Jeremiah 32:41-44).

    • Let them be gathered by Your love now (Jeremiah 31:3-5), as opposed to be driven home by the hunters in the very near future (Jeremiah 16:16).

    • 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; and 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; yes, I have made him.

      Isaiah 43:5-7

May the One who restored Israel miraculously restore all in your life that need it. As David said, He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. (Psalms 23:3)

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion,

The IFI team

Psalm 128:5