"Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.Psalm 105:4-11

1. In the wake of an amazing speech by Netanyahu, the government is faced with many challenges. Members of the far right part of the coalition are rising up against Netanyahu. The PA immediately rejected the WHOLE speech showing the world where they really stand. The international community was quick to support the speech, but the US State Department has continued its demand to freeze all settlement activity.

   We prayed:

   • Netanyahu and his advisors would have wisdom on how to deal with the internal dissent in the coalition.

   • That gains made through the speech would not be undercut by the demands to cease settlement activity.

   • May the government unite under Netanyahu's leadership the way the Israeli people seem to have in the last week.

   • Thank you Lord that he began his speech with the prophets and emphasized that Israel's right to this Land is not simply a result of the Holocaust. Israel's right to the Land extends through history according to the promises of God.

   • Help the people and the government to not give into fear or intimidation that will come in the wake of the speech.

   • Give Netanyahu the wisdom of Solomon to discern truth and to be able to act with Godly Justice.

   • May his counselors be sent from You Lord. May Netanyahu listen to good counsel and nothing that is meant to manipulate or control.

   • Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king's Son. He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.

     Psalm 72:1-4

   The following is the leadership's response to Netanyahu's speech from the IFI conference in Scotland.

   We have just concluded our 6th annual Israel Prayer Conference in the Ellel base at Blairmore House, Scotland. This year we decided to have the conference a week earlier than usual and we can see (now) the Lord's hand in it.

   We were able to have 5 good days of prayer for P.M. Netanyahu and the speech he gave on Sunday. We believe the Lord answered our prayers and the prayers of His People around the world.

   When President Obama spoke, the bad outweighed the good by a great deal. When P.M. Netanyahu spoke, the good was evident and the bad was limited to one word: State.

   Some of you may have been so upset and discouraged by this one word that you have lost the good in his message.

   Politics is not a theological exercise though we always pray for a Biblical standard and result. We too believe that a Palestinian State on the Land that God promised to the Jewish People for an everlasting inheritance is unbiblical and would be a great sin before the Lord.

   That said, let us look at what the P.M. said:

   In opposition to what Obama said in Cairo, Netanyahu declared that our title to the Land was not because of the Holocaust but because of our history from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

   • He demanded that before a Palestinian State was formed that the Palestinians would recognize Israel as the Jewish State.
   • He demanded that such a state be demilitarized.
   • He refused categorically the return of Palestinian refugees to Israel.
   • He proclaimed that Jerusalem would remain the undivided Capitol of Israel.
   • He insisted on secure and defensible borders.
   • He also refused to stop natural growth in existing settlements

   Given all that he said, and we must pray for him to be strong and not back down on any of these points, there will NOT be a Palestinian State. It has been said for a long time: The most that Israel can give is far less than the Palestinians demand.

   Please remember that Israel is "between a rock and a hard place", being pressed diplomatically from all sides. What P.M. Netanyahu did with his statements and his history lesson was throw the ball back into the Palestinian court and to some small measure defy the USA and draw a very clear red line.

   Let us not be like the far right political parties in Israel who have stood so strong on what they understand as "principle" that they have brought down 2 good governments (Shamir & Netanyahu) and given us far left governments in their place which made disastrous decisions for Israel.

   We prayed for the P.M. to have wisdom and we believe that this prayer was answered. We believe that we have had a victory in prayer and we must continue to hold the ground.

   Please continue to stand with us as we stand with the Lord and Israel.

2. We prayed that the true spirit moving in Iran would be revealed and it has in a big way. President Obama himself is saying it doesn't matter who gets elected, the two men have the same nuclear policy. In fact, it was under Mousavi as Prime Minister that the nuclear program was started. Prayer about what is happening in Iran as it relates to Israel is still vital.

   We prayed:

   • May the Lord continue to unravel the plans of the enemy in Iran.

   • He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans.

     Job 5:12

   • That Israel would not be waylaid and would continue to speak the truth concerning Iran.

   • Let Israel continue to be in a place of preparation for what it will eventually face with Iran.

   • May the leaders of the military be able to rightly discern the timing of when things should happen.

   • With the information clamp down in Iran, we pray that Israel would continue to have a solid intelligence presence in Iran.

   • That mercy would be poured out on the Iranian people and that bloodshed would be prevented.

   • Protection on the believers and the Jewish community in Iran that could be seen as scapegoats at some point.

3. Over the past month, 2 checkpoints and 3 roadblocks have been removed in the West Bank in order to improve the movement and ease the pressure on the Palestinian population. There is talk of more of these things being removed and an easing of the closure around Gaza. This will potentially put travelers and settlers in danger. The IDF must now patrol a much larger area when the movement is improved for the Palestinians. The internal security of Israel must be covered in prayer.

   We prayed:

   • That Ashkenazi would continue in his push for readiness in the military.

   • May the Lord be watchful of those who are planning attacks on Israel and reveal the plans to those in the IDF who can act.

   • Give the government the readiness and understanding to do what is needed to win the battle.

   • May the government not be blinded or lulled to sleep by the "vision" for peace. Let them see reality for what it is.

   • May Israel receive security through waves of salvation He wants to see sweep through the Palestinian people.

   • As Israel watches internally and far away towards Iran, may the Lord watch over the borders so that they would not be overlooked or forgotten.

   • But the LORD has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.

     Psalm 94:22

4. Not many people are aware that a Gay Pride Parade is scheduled for June 25^th in Jerusalem. This parade got massive amounts of media coverage last year and was widely protested. This year, it has almost slipped under the radar. In the wake of the riots by the Orthodox community last week over the opening on a parking lot on Shabbat, it is feared that more violence is coming this week. For this parade to happen in the city which God has chosen to put His name it is like giving a slap in His face.

   We prayed:

   • May this parade be cancelled which rises up to insult the God of Israel and His reputation.

   • Let the mayor Nir Barket and the police chief be given the wisdom to know how to act.

   • That there would be know violence or rioting by the Orthodox Jews.

   • May the Lord turn back this perverse spirit that seeks to invade His city.

   • Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness; For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is His name.

     Isaiah 48:1-2

5. There is challenge ringing out from scripture that asks us how great a burden is Israel's Salvation for us. Are we seeking His face continually for Him to save His people? In Exodus 32:32 Moses gives voice to this burden, "Yet now, if you will forgive their sin- but if not, I pray, blot me out of your book which you have written." How great is our burden?

   We prayed:

   • May God fulfill His plan concerning Israel.

   • Let salvation pour into each synagogue on this Shabbat and may His people emerge changed.

   • That God would take away the roadblock that would prevent the Jewish people from seeking out Yeshua. May they not give into the fear of losing their family and friends as a result of belief.

   • Open their eyes and remove the veil that blinds them to this day.

   • Give them dreams and visions of their Yeshua.

   • Let their desire for relationship with the God of Israel overwhelm the religious spirit that has them trapped.

6. The Body of Messiah here in Israel needs the prayer and support of the Body around the world. The Body here is tired, discouraged, and in desperate need of refreshing.

   We prayed:

   • Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

     Matthew 11:28

   • May we realize the greatness of the God we serve and who has been gracious to call us His children.

   • That the leaders here would find the rest they need and be able to rightly divide their time. May the leaders be given the strategy necessary to bring the Body together in unity.

   • Let our unity be a strong witness to the Lord in this Land.

   • Strengthen the faith of the people who have been working many years and have seen little fruit.

   • Allow the young generation to rise up, to grow in maturity, and take their place in the Body.

   • Give the Body here a new and fresh understanding of Your heart for this nation.

The IFI Team