1. We used Jeremiah 31 to guide us in prayer today. First, we praised God for His goodness and love to us and to all Israel.

    • God says to Israel and to us, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you. (Jer. 31:3b)

    • We thank You for Your overriding faithfulness.

    • Thank You for watching over Your word to perform it (Jer. 1:12).

    • Thank You for the privilege of standing before You this morning in a restored nation of Israel and a resurrected Jerusalem.

    • We are confident that You reign (Psalm.93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1)

  2. The biblical feast of Passover starts the evening of April 18th. This feast recalls God's deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. It is also a wonderful picture of our deliverance from the bondage of sin through the blood of the lamb. Yeshua celebrated this feast, using the unleavened bread [matzah] and the wine as symbols of His broken body and poured out blood. Thus communion, the Lord's supper, has it's roots in Passover. As many Jews, both here in Israel and throughout the world, celebrate Passover, it is a perfect time to pray for their salvation.

    • For there shall be a day, that the watchmen [notzrim. In modern Hebrew this word means "Christians"] upon mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God. For thus says the LORD [to the notzrim], Sing with gladness for Jacob, shout among the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.

      Jer. 31:6-7

    • Abba, open up the eyes of Your people to see the Lamb of God who takes away their sins.

    • And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon [lit: unto] Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

      Zech. 12:10

    • May Your Spirit visit every household and enable Your people to look unto Him.

    • Yeshua, do at the seder what You did with Your disciples after You rose from the dead:

      It came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, blessed God, broke the bread, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him…

      Luke 24:30-31a

    • Deliver the children of Israel from religiosity and draw them into a relationship with You.

    • Have mercy on Holocaust survivors, whether they are in Israel or remain in exile.

    • Touch the hearts of all IDF soldiers who will need to remain on their bases during this feast in order to protect the rest of the nation.

    • Deliver many rabbis from spiritual blindness.

      For with You is the fountain of life: in Your light shall we see light.

      Psalms 36:9

    • We bless You for all the religious Zionists who have settled on the mountains of Israel. As per Your promise, give them a new heart and spirit this season (Ezek. 36:26-28).

    • Lord, because You desire for whole families to be redeemed (Acts 16:31), we ask for the salvation of unsaved family members of Messianic Jews.

    • Do something special spiritually with the children at the seder [Passover feast meal].

  3. In Jeremiah 31:8-9, God's answer to the prayers for the salvation of Israel is to bring His people home, that is aliyah, the immigration of the Jews in exile back to the land of Israel.

    • Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travails with child together: a great company shall return here. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them… for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.

      Jer. 31:8-9

    • Abba, every seder ends with "Next Year in Jerusalem." May You quicken the hearts of multitudes of Jews in exile that when they say this, they mean it!

    • For Messianic Jews in exile, as they say it, impress upon them that this is Your will for many more of them to return.

      And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

      Isaiah 35:10; cp. 51:11

    • We bless You for the approximately 250 Jews who returned to Israel just this week from various places - including South America, France and the UK.

    • Please keep open the doors for Ethiopian Jews to come home.

    • Cause Your people in exile to shake themselves out of their slumber, and rise up to come home - before You shake them.

    • Bring home, as per Your word, the weak ones whom Israelis might see as a liability to this nation - "the blind and the lame."

    • Lord, many Jews over the years have lost all proof of their Jewishness. Help them to find what they need to come home to Israel.

    • We thank You for all organizations - both Jewish and Christian - that are helping to bring Your people home. Supply all that they need, especially in the area of finances.

    • Lord Yeshua, help Your Body to see how vital aliyah is to You and how much You are wanting them to help in this process.

      Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the gentiles [especially those in the Church], and set up My standard to the people: and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

      Isaiah 49:22

    • Let gentile believers see that one way they can repay the debt that they owe to the Jewish people (Rom. 15:27), is by aiding them to make aliyah, whether through prayer or finances or actively seeking out the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

    • Speak to the heart of church leaders, that the regathering of Israel to her land is vital to the furthering of the Kingdom of God on earth and the return of Messiah Yeshua.

    • Yes, I will rejoice over them [the Jews] to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul.

      Jer. 32:41

      [As this is the only time in the Word where God says He will do something with all of His heart and soul, this is of supreme importance to Him. So this should be of supreme importance to His Church.]

    • Lord, we pray for aliyah - for Your glory.

      Fear not: for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather your from the west. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yes, I have made him… This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise.

      Isaiah 43:5-7,21

  4. God knew that when He reestablished the nation of Israel in the last days, they would be surrounded by enemies and much of the world would be offended by His miraculous fulfillment of prophecy. So in Jeremiah 31, the next thing God promises Israel is protection.

    • Hear the word of the LORD, gentiles [the notzrim of verse 6], declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep/guard him, as a shepherd does his flock.

      Jer. 31:10

    • Lord, you have scattered Israel. And now we see You gathering them. Therefore, we trust You to guard them from all those who want to wipe them off the map (Psalm 83:4).

    • We bring before You in prayer the leaders of Israel who are directly responsible for the security of this people: Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. Anoint them and use them for Your glory.

    • Guard over Israel during the week of Passover. Protect all gatherings - both large and small, public and private.

    • Stop all attacks or kidnapping attempts. May Your fear come upon the perpetrators.

    • Abba, we remind You of Your promise to protect Israel's borders whenever she celebrated Your feasts.

      Three times in the year shall all your men appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before you, and enlarge your borders. Neither shall any man desire your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.

      Exodus 34:23-24

    • Israel, surrounded by enemies, is actually in the midst of a "mini-war" with Hamas in Gaza. As Psalm 124 speaks into this situation, we proclaimed certain verses from it.

    • Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

      Psalms 124:6-8

    • Give the IDF and all Israel's security forces wisdom to know how to deal with the May 15th Third Intifada Facebook campaign which is summoning millions of Arabs to march on - and then into - the borders of Israel.

    • Empower Israel's navy to protect her from any sea attacks and from the end of May threat of a very large flotilla that will try to break Israel's Gaza sea blockade.

    • Bring division and strife among all of Israel's enemies. Set them upon themselves.

    • The nations are sunk in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which He executes. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands… Arise, LORD; let not man prevail. Let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

      Psalms 9:15-16,19-20

We ended by praying for the Body of Messiah, both here in Israel and in the nations, to embrace a biblical Zionistic vision. We are grieved that many of our brothers and sister seem to be resisting what God is doing with His nation and people in these days.

We do thank God for you and your stance in this battle over the truth of His word and will.

Shabbat shalom v'hag Pesach sameach
The IFI team

Sanctify them through Your truth.
Your word is truth.

John 17:17