1. Besides our brother Eliyahu, there have been a number of other Israeli believers who have gone on to glory recently. As we gathered this morning, we were lead to proclaim His Lordship over all, even in the face of these very great losses.

    • For this end Messiah both died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.Rom. 14:9

    • We proclaim You Yeshua, as Lord of all (Acts 10:36), our God who reigns on high (Psa. 103:19).

    • Even when it will be the height of the Anti-Christ's rule, You will still reign (Rev. 17:17).

    • …Ascribe greatness to our God; He is the Rock; His work is perfect, for all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness and without evil; just and upright is He.Deut. 32:3b-4

    • We trust and believe that You, Lord Yeshua, now rule in heaven and on the earth as You have declared that all authority in both these realms has been given to You (Matt. 28:18).

    • Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit who aids us to glorify You (John 16:14).

  2. Gaza: Yesterday a Hamas member was killed by IDF fire as he approached the security fence. Their story is that he was only trying to stop other Gazans from being there – yet he was armed and because of the recent Hamas violent demonstrations along that border, he was shot. In reality, even if this was a mistake, this man's death is Hamas' responsibility because of its active war against Israel. They threaten to kill Israelis and tear their hearts out; they train children to hate and want to kill Jews, so we need the IDF to respond in a strong manner with an armed terrorist drawing near the security fence.

    • Lord, only You know what was in this man's heart (Jer. 17:9-10). If in fact, he was trying to keep the "peace" – then please have much mercy on his soul.

    • Forbid any guilt to overcome the one who shot this Hamas member (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • Continue to protect Israel from any attempts to breach that security fence (Psa. 121:4).

    • Use today's very hot weather to keep the Friday demonstration to a bare minimum (Psa. 48:6-7).

    • Prevent IDF soldiers from dropping their guard regardless of weather or circumstances (Psa. 144:1).

    • Do not allow a spirit of fear to be the root cause of any of Israel's decisions security-wise (Hag. 2:4-5).

    • Prevent Israel from giving any further concessions to Hamas (2 Cor. 6:14).

  3. Security: Israeli communities in the Gaza area have been under intense attack for years. It is miraculous that most of the Israelis choose to remain and that this area is doing much better than what one would expect – except as one sees the Lord's hand restoring His people to all the areas of His land.

    • Abba, as much as possible, please pour out on these Israelis Your peace (Psa. 4:8).

    • Cement them in Your land (Amos 9:14-15).

    • Mercy, Lord, mercy, especially on the youth and younger children (Isa. 54:11-13).

    • Thank You that despite years of deadly attacks so few have been killed. Let more Israelis see this and give You glory for it (Isa. 31:5; Isa. 41:10-14).

    • Use all believers and ministries in this area to be extraordinarily effective in bringing comfort and truth and the Spirit of Messiah to all those living under the continuing Hamas barrage (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

    • Since the first time the gospel left this land it went through Gaza (Acts 8:26-30), allow it to come back from that general area to this entire nation.

  4. Security: We prayed into the overall security for the rest of this nation.

    • Lord, we are convinced that Israel is the safest place in the world for Your Jewish people to be at this time. While it is not totally "safe" – it is the safest. Bless You for Your constant protection (Psa. 121:4).

    • Hear the Word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the coastlands afar off, saying 'He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd keeps his flock'. (Jer. 31:10) Amen.

    • Alert all Israel's various security forces to know where and when any attacks will occur (Psa. 32:8-9).

    • While we do not trust in Israel's chariots and horses (Psa. 20:7), we do thank You for them: Israel's Air Force, its Navy, the rest of the IDF, including its cutting edge cyberwarfare division.

    • Aid the IDF leadership to prepare all its horses for the day of battle (Prov. 21:31).

    • Lead Israel's naval commanders to place its submarines exactly where You direct them (Prov. 19:21).

    • Provide protection to all the IDF soldiers who travel home from base on Shabbat (Psa. 140:7).

    • May they not be so exhausted or distracted that they miss the murderous intents of the enemy.

    • We thank You for the exposure of another terror tunnel from Gaza (Job 12:22).

    • Any that are not exposed yet, please uncover them quickly (Psa. 139:11-12).

    • Give the IDF wisdom to know what to share with ally nations and what to not share (Isa. 39:1-7).

    • Maintain Israel's excellent security in all main entry points and travel hubs in this nation: airports, seaports, harbors, bus and train stations, etc. (Deut. 28:6)

    • Thank You for Your many promises that the IDF will be a very effective army in these days (for example see: Isa. 41:10-16; Ezek. 37:10; Mic. 4:11-13).

    • Abba, please aid Israelis to reduce the deaths that happen because of traffic accidents (2 Kin. 9:20).

  5. Iran: The International Atomic Energy Agency just confirmed what Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu had exposed at the UN last September – that Iran had a huge storage facility in Tehran for nuclear equipment and other dangerous material. While this does not surprise us, the rest of the blinded West – except for America's Trump administration – wants to hide its corporate head in the sand. The Iranian regime is being strongly pressed back against a wall. It can either give up its nefarious plans to destroy Israel and create global chaos to bring in the second coming of their Mahdi, or it can increase its activity, which would result in a war at least in the Middle East very soon.

    • Lord, thank You that once again Israel's intelligence gathering is seen as accurate (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • May the fear of Israel's God fall on all the nations in the Middle East (2 Chr. 20:29).

    • Abba, if Israel needs to pre-empt, give them the courage and wisdom to know when and how to do it.

    • Thank You that the arrogant Iranian leaders have repeatedly said they intend to destroy Israel – giving Israel legal and moral right to attack in a defensive preemption action (Psa. 83:1-5).

    • Let Israel think out of the box in its plans to destroy the current Iranian nuclear threats.

    • Iran's well protected and underground nuclear plants are not hidden or protected from You. Lord, shake the ground under these demonic structures and bury them like You did to Korah (Num. 16:30-33)!

    • No weapon that is formed against you shall be blessed; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn.Isa. 54:17a
    • Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, YHWH. Let them be ashamed and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame, and lost; so that men may know that Your name is YHWH and that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.Psa. 83:16-18

    • While we thank You for the very strong stance that US President Trump has taken against Iran – do not allow Israel look to Trump for its protection as opposed to looking to You (Psa. 118:8-9).

    • We bless You for the growing Iranian Church and bless our brothers and sisters there (Psa. 134:3).

    • Lord Yeshua, teach them how to pray and also lead them to bless Israel (Num. 24:9b).

  6. Elections: The September 17th national election in Israel was our next target in intercession.

    • This redoing of the elections has not taken You by surprise. So we ask that the result will be nothing less than the sanctification of Your holy name (Psa. 115:1-3; Ezek. 36:32).

    • Overrule in the hearts of Israelis and raise up the government of Your choice for today (Psa. 16:9).

    • Even now move on the people so that they come out to vote.

    • And I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. (Isa. 1:26) Yes, Lord, do this for Your name's sake.

    • Remove the appeal of all those who You do not want to be in the next government (Ezek. 37:9-10).

    • Give this nation the government it needs and not the one it deserves (Prov. 14:34).

    • Wake up the Israeli Body to take its place in prayer for the election (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

    • While no one candidate checks all the boxes, still lead us to know whom You want to be the next prime minister (Amos 3:7).

    • Do not allow the campaign lies and innuendos to deceive the people (Jer. 29:8).

    • Forbid that "peace" deceive the people (Jer. 8:11, 14).

    • Raise up Aylet Shaked to the position which You have prepared for her (Est. 4:14).

    • Protect Bibi Netanyahu's campaigning so that he points out his accomplishments and not just the character flaws of his opponents (Gal. 4:16).

  7. Aliyah: With the exponential rise of anti-Semitism – cloaked in the disguise of anti-Zionism – and it acceptance by many in the West, it is time for the Jews to flee Babylon and return to Zion.

    • In those days…says YHWH, the sons of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together, going and weeping. They shall go and seek YHWH their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces there, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to YHWH in an everlasting covenant never to be forgotten.Jer. 50:4-5

    • Remove the pride of many Jews in exile who say they will not be moved – they will not be driven out – when it is You who is behind this in order to bring Your people home (Jer. 16:16)!

    • Tear apart all their false comfort zones and let them see the hate-filled writing on their walls (Jer. 51:9).

    • Speak to them to move their lives and not their lifestyles (Jer. 51:10; Zech. 8:7-8).

    • 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.Jer. 32:41-42

    • When Your people flee, may they flee to Israel and not to any other place.

    • Enable those who want to come to be able to come and provide all that they need – in finances, papers, language skills, etc.

    • Wake up the Church to be an active part of this end time prophetic fulfillment (Isa. 49:22; 60:5-11).

    • Lord, use the next Israeli government to remove all stones of stumbling from the path of Your returning outcasts (Isa. 62:10).

    • Move on rabbis and Jewish leaders in exile to come home and to call their followers to join them here.

    • YHWH builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.Psa. 147:2

  8. We finished by praying for the Israeli Body.

    • Thank You for the growing and maturing Body of Messiah in Israel in July 2019.

    • Anoint and protect all elders who are Your gifts for the growth of the Body (Eph. 3:8, 11-13).

    • If there are elders who are not supposed to be there – for whatever the reason – please remove them.

    • Raise up more shepherds after Your own heart to feed Your flock: And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jer. 3:15)

    • Thank You that we are not saved by our theology (Eph. 2:8-10), but to be useful in Your Kingdom our theological thinking should line up with Your Word (Eph. 4:15; John 17:17). Please correct any thinking in anyone in the Israeli Body that is not in line with Your word.

Please continue to pray for the Ben-Haim family as they make the transition to life after Eliyahu. Also pray for the IFI team as we too have to make that transition as well.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team

But the end of all things has drawn near. Therefore be of sound mind, and be watch in prayer.1 Peter 4:7