1. Praise: This past week we have had a number of answers to our prayers. Israel is being soaked with rain and with snow in the higher elevations. Statistics for aliyah have shown that over the past decade more than 250,000 Jews have returned from over 150 nations! It has just been announced that Israel has developed a laser system, called Light Blade that will defend it against flying incendiary devices, like balloons and kites, as well as drones. Also Hamas just called off its weekly March of Return along the Gaza security fence at least until March. Finally, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu won the Likud leadership elections by a landslide. What a mighty God we serve!

    • Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.Psa. 50:15
    • This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.1 John 5:14-15

    • What a joy to know that You are alive and that You answer the prayers of Your saints (Psa. 34:15).

    • We also want to thank You for all the prayers which You have not answered which were not in line with You will or Your timing.

    • We are grateful for this encouragement to continue to intercede (Luke 18:1).

    • Thank You for the laser defense system that Israel has developed to protect Your people (Psa. 43:3).

    • Thank You so much for the water that Israel is receiving at this time (Matt. 5:45b).

    • Bless You for the snow which is often used by You for days of battle and war (Job 38:22-23).

  2. Government: Netanyahu's Likud party held its leadership elections yesterday and Bibi beat his rival Gidon Sa'ar by a huge margin – almost 75% to 25%. Now starts the election campaign for the March 2nd, 2020 national elections.

    • Lord, lead us by Your light as we pray about this election (Ex. 13:21).

    • Raise up a coalition that will be a blessing for this nation today (Psa. 75:6-7).

    • We ask for a righteous government for Your nation (Prov. 14:34).

    • Yeshua, King of the Jews, thank You that the government is already on Your shoulders (Isa. 9:6-7).

    • Forbid any Israeli politicians or parties who should not be part of the new government from being a part (Prov. 25:6-7).

    • We specifically ask for Avigdor Liberman to be locked out of the new coalition (Mic. 3:5).

    • Break the snare of human egos which has prevented a government from forming (Psa. 124:7-8).

    • If the Blue & White party will eventually divide, may they do it before the elections (Matt. 12:25).

    • Give Israel a government with wisdom to prepare for and – if need be – to wage war (Prov. 21:31).

    • We pray for PM Netanyahu based on Jeremiah 17:14: Lord, heal Bibi, and he shall be healed; save him and he shall be saved, and then be his praise.

    • Netanyahu has left a trail of broken relationships. Help him to humble himself and restore as many of these relationships as is needed to stop him from being so politically paranoid (Jer. 30:17).

  3. Elections: As the election campaigning proceeds, we prayed for a miracle – for truth to be spoken and for the tired Israeli electorate to have discernment.

    • Abba, remove all the discouragement and sense of helplessness from the two previous elections.

    • Speak to the heart of all politicians and move on them to line up with Your will (Prov. 21:1)

    • Forbid the personality attacks and enable them to talk about their policies (Prov. 8:7).

    • Reveal to many more Israelis the left-wing slanted bias of much of the Israeli media (Job 12:2).

    • Hedge in the media form manipulating the population (Num. 23:23).

  4. Aliyah: We are very encouraged by the figures of how many come home to Israel over the last decade – but a majority of Jews still live in what is biblically called exile or captivity.

    • Continue to gather Your people back to Your land – for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:21-24).

    • We bless You for all Ethiopians who are home and ask for all the rest to return in 2020 (Isa. 43:5-7).

    • Give us a government that will make aliyah one of its top priorities (Isa. 60:11-12).

    • Give us a government who will add to the rabbinic definition of who is a Jew [the mother is Jewish] – the biblical definition as well [either the father or mother are Jewish].

    • Clear out from Israel's interior ministry all stumbling stones from Your people's path (Isa. 62:10).

    • Lord, please replace the ultra-Orthodox Shas party from running the interior ministry (Psa. 109:8).

  5. Security: There is a not-so-secret war being waged today between Israel and Iran. Recently we have heard openly from Israeli leaders – including heads of the Mossad and the IDF – of the real possibility of an increase in this conflict. Meanwhile, Israel continues to hit Iranian equipment and bases in Syria and Iraq. Amazingly, with all that Iran is doing to bring death and destruction into the Middle East and further afield, it is only Israel who resists their demonic plans militarily.

    • Thank You for allowing Naftali Bennett to be Israel's defense minister at this time (Dan. 5:21b).

    • Protect his relationship with Netanyahu and the IDF's Chief of Staff Kochavi (Psa. 133:1).

    • We thank You for aiding Israel to hit Iranian bases repeatedly with great effectiveness (Deut. 20:1).

    • Open up the eyes and ears of all Israel's' intelligence gathering sources and continue to provide Israel with actionable accurate intelligence (2 Kin. 6:17).

    • Realign Israel's satellites and submarines if they are aimed wrong or out of place (Isa. 31:5).

    • Give Israel wisdom to take advantage of all the anti-Iranian demonstrations taking place in Lebanon, Iraq and in Iran itself (Psa. 35:4, 26).

    • Impart wisdom to Israelis to use the breakthrough in laser weaponry to develop more effective offensive and defensive laser weapons.

    • Provide the IDF all the finances that it needs at this time and in the foreseeable future (Eccl. 5:19).

    • Move on the new government to appoint the right person to be the Defense Minister and forbid that it becomes only a political appointment (Prov. 16:9).

  6. Iran: Obviously, we would prefer for God to deal with Iran's wicked leaders sovereignly. And while we see this happening in many ways, we suspect that the final outcome will be like in the days of the Bible, when Israel's army went forth to battle and God went out before them (2 Sam. 5:24).

    • Lord, deal with this modern Haman spirit that has infiltrated Iran today (Est. 7:9-10).

    • Wake up all the modern Mordecais and Esthers to do that which You are directing them to do.

    • Impart to Your Body in Iran divine wisdom on how to pray at this time (Col. 1:9).

    • Send the fear of the IDF and Mossad into the hearts of all Iran's top leaders (Est. 9:2; Prov. 29:25a).

    • Break apart Iran's relations with Russia and China (Psa. 33:10).

    • Cause Russian President Putin to see that he cannot trust the Iranian ayatollahs (Prov. 19:21).

    • Wake up European leaders who do business with the Iranians. Warn them that if they continue to aid a regime which has an open policy of genocide against the Jews – they and their nation will be judged very severely (Isa. 60:12).

    • Wake up UK PM Boris Johnson to pull his nation out of the deal with Germany and France to bypass the US sanctions against Iran.

    • In the next Israeli government, raise up a Foreign Minister who will be bold as a lion and speak the truth regardless of what the world thinks (Prov. 8:7; 28:1; Zech. 8:16).

  7. Security: While there have been terrorist attempts to kill Jews in Judea and Samaria, most have been stopped. Yet Palestinian Authority President Abbas is still on the PA throne and at his age could be deposed or die any time. Israel needs to be ready for the day after Abbas.

    • Lord, aid Israel's military strategists to prepare for the day after Abbas (Prov. 21:31; Eccl. 9:18a).

    • Any intelligence information that has not been uncovered, please uncover it today (Job 12:22).

    • Be with all the IDF soldiers who are guarding checkpoints, communities and other areas in Judea, Samaria and near Gaza – especially during this cold and wet time of the year (Psa. 140:7).

    • Do not allow the soldiers along the Gaza security fence to drop their guard.

    • Somehow help the IDF to provide a "sense of security" along with the security needed on the ground to all Israelis – especially those in the vicinity of Gaza (2 Sam. 5:1-6).

    • We do thank and praise You for all Your divine protection that You provide (Psa. 121:4).

    • Use Messianic Believers in the IDF as sources of truth and comfort in their units (Eph. 4:15).

    • Again, we ask that there would be no successful kidnappings (Psa. 140:4).

    • Remove all distractions from soldiers on guard or who are traveling – like their smart phones or soldiers of the opposite sex, or whatever else may divert them from danger (1 Chr. 12:33).

    • Thank You for Avi Kochavi, the IDF Chief of Staff (Psa. 136:23-26).

    • Continue to use him and keep him separated from any political ambitions at this time (Psa. 80:17).

In closing, we prayed blessings from Zion upon all of you – dear wonderful brothers and sisters – who intercedes along with us so faithfully during the year. We also thanked God for all of you precious translators for the fantastic work that you do. While praying is always beneficial, knowing that what we are led by His Spirit to pray is then prayed by you in the nations encourages us to press on in this burden of intercession that Messiah Yeshua has placed on us (Luke 18:1).

Finally, Isaiah 66:10-13 in this Shabbat's prophetic contains precious promises to you who have faithfully prayed for God's city and His glory this past year.

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her: That you may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that you may…be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For so says YHWH, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall you suck, you shall be borne on her sides, and dandled on her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion,

Next year in Jerusalem!

The IF team