1. This past Wednesday was the last day of Passover/Unleavened Bread, when tradition has it that God divided the Red Sea - allowing the children of Israel to pass through on dry ground but destroying Pharaoh's army when they tried to attack God's people.

    • "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto LORD [YHWH]...saying, I will sing unto LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider has He thrown into the sea. LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. LORD is a man of war: LORD is His name."

      (Exodus 15:1-3)
    • We bless You Lord for exposing the Hizbullah plot to attack both Israel and Egypt.
    • We thank You that You never change. You are always consistent with Your nature. For I am LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)
  2. We have consistently had some rain since the election of this new government. Israel is still in the midst of a water crisis, but God has given us signs of His mercy.

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

      (Matthew 5:45)
    • We bless You Lord for every drop of rain and snow that You send to this land.
    • We need much more - yet we trust You to provide in whatever way You choose.
    • Lord, help Israelis be more conservative in their use of water.
    • Aid our scientists to develop faster and cheaper ways of desalinating water.
    • Please give us heavy dew this summer and keep the temperatures mild. [Dew provides about 20% of Israel's water.]

    • You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby You did confirm Your inheritance, when it was weary.

      (Psalms 68:9)
  3. US' special Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is back in Israel - telling us that US President Obama's administration will accept nothing less than a Palestinian State being established on God's/Israel's land - and that Israel needs to trade the Golan Heights to Syria for a piece of peace paper! So far, Israel's PM Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman - and others in the current government - have said, No! And for that we say, Hallelujah! Amen!
    • Abba, we desire for You to glorify Yourself through Israel's current government. Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory, for Your mercy, and Your truth's sake. Why should the nations say, Where is their God? But our God is in the heavens: He has done whatsoever He has pleased. (Psalms 115:1-3)
    • Lord, we thank You for the stance taken by this current government so far.
    • We want to hold up the hands especially of Benjamin Netanyahu, that You would strengthen him so that he will not sacrifice Israel's very real security needs - just to please America or any other nation.
    • We ask that You give Netanyahu clarity, strength, courage and wisdom.
    • Strengthen the ties between Netanyahu's Likud and Lieberman's Yisrael Beitanu party.
    • Give Defense Minister Ehud Barak of Labor, a deeper revelation of Israel's real situation with both the "peace" process and other security concerns.
    • Over all of Israel's government leaders, we declare, A man's heart devises his way: but LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

  4. The Iranian threat needs to be dealt with - before Iran gets the bomb.

    Although every Israeli military option is difficult, any of them are better than allowing Iran to get nuclear weapons of mass destruction - which will threaten not just Israel or this region, but all of Western civilization. Even if Iran would not use the bomb themselves, they would have no qualms about giving nukes to the various terror groups already linked with them - like Hizbullah or Hamas.

    • Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered. Let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

      (Psalms 68:1)
    • Lord God, we ask You to deal with Iran - whether by saving multitudes, crippling their economy, using natural disasters or having Israel strike them militarily. Please Abba, do something soon - before Iran has a nuke. Rebuke the company of spearmen...scatter the people that delight in war. (Psalms 68:30)
    • Cause there to be heard among Iran's leaders the same cry of dismay as was heard from the Egyptian army in the Red Sea: ...Let us flee from the face of Israel; for LORD fights for them against the Egyptians. (Exodus 14:25b)
    • May all Israelis and Jews worldwide, say and mean it, Never again!
    • Give Israel's leaders an anointing to present the real threat of Iran to the rest of the world.
    • If Israel needs to attack, prepare all aspects of Israeli society to deal with the aftermath.
    • If Israel needs to attack, let it occur according to Your timing.
    • If Israel needs to attack, give her the wisdom and courage to finish the job completely. Behold, all they that were incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; they that strive with you shall perish...they that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought [i.e., that ceases to exist]. (Isaiah 41:11-12)
    • Use this famous Arabic saying, The enemy of my enemy is my friend. to help the Arab nations, especially Egypt, recognize that in this battle, they and Israel are on the same side. [Note: Iranians are not Arabs.]
    • Raise up more Iranians who understand and are willing to say that their current leaders are leading them on the path of disaster.
    • Lord, save multitudes of Iranians. You are doing that now, but please add many more each day. And I will set My throne in Elam [ancient Persia - modern day Iran], and will destroy from there the king and the princes, says LORD. (Jeremiah 49:38)

  5. Next week in Geneva, what is known as "Durban 2" will be held.

    Supposedly an international forum against racism - it is one of the most anti-Semitic, anti-Israel meetings that the UN sponsors. Canada, Italy and Israel herself, will not be there. The US as of this morning is still debating about whether to show up or not. Yet most other nations - especially those in Europe - are planning to attend. It is being held Monday through Wednesday. Monday evening begins Holocaust memorial day observances in Israel. Also, the European Coalition for Israel is meeting in Evian, France, to pray into the 1938 Evian conference at which the world basically gave Hitler the green light to do whatever he wanted to the Jews.

    Eliyahu Ben Haim, IFI's director, will be attending this meeting.

    • Lord Yeshua, wake up Your Body to have the wisdom and courage to see what is happening right before their eyes and to speak out on behalf of Your people Israel.

    • Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of LORD's hand double for all her sins.

      (Isaiah 40:1-2)
    • Please prevent Durban 2 from turning into Evian 2.
    • Bring confusion to this meeting. Let there be no unity when they try to deal with Israel. Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. (Psalms 129:5)
    • Give many Western nations courage to stay away from this UN farce.
    • Abba, how can Iran's Holocaust denying President Ahmadinejad be going to the Geneva meeting and still most nations are willing be there. Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah. (Psalms 9:19-20)
    • Lord, we desire to know Your timing in the fulfillment of Your prophetic word. How close are we to seeing all the nations coming against Jerusalem? Reveal where we are at to your servants. Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He reveals His secret unto His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7) [Note: the prophets were often called to be intercessors.]

  6. We next prayed that all of the above would help Jews still living in exile to come home this very year.

    • We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Abba, we hold this truth before You for the Jews in exile, knowing that while many do not yet love You, still, they are "the called" according to Your purpose.
    • Wake up the Jews in the nations, that they can see the handwriting on the wall - and flee to Israel for safety.
    • Open up the eyes of the Jews in the West to see that their safety net is all but gone.
    • Remove all the stones of stumbling from the path of any Jew who wants to return to Israel (Isaiah 62:10).
    • Bring home all Israelis who have settled in exile.
    • Speak to the hearts of any Messianic Jew whom You want to come home this year. This year in Jerusalem!

    • Remove whatever is blocking Jewish hearts from having a deep love and desire for Zion. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalms 137:5-6)

  7. We finished by praying for all intercessors/watchmen in Messiah's Body.
    • Give us a deeper revelation of where we are at now in Your prophetic scheme of things.
    • Give us a deeper revelation of where we are at now in Your timing of end time events.
    • Do not allow our hearts to run from the painful things that You need to show us.
    • Show us the roots of the issues that are preventing Your Kingdom's purposes from being carried out and how we are to intercede about them.
    • Help us to rise up to the challenge of Your calling on our lives: I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day nor night. You that make mention [lit. are the reminders] of LORD, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7)

Shabbat shalom and blessings from the city of the Great King Yeshua,

The IFI Team