1. Today is the day when most of the Church observes the crucifixion of Messiah Yeshua – and this year it also corresponds with the beginning of Passover, which is celebrated this evening with the traditional festival meal, the Seder.

    • Thank You Lord Yeshua. You are the Lamb of God who bears the sins of the world (John 1:29, 36).

    • We bless You for the portrait prophetically given to us in the original Passover in Egypt that shows so clearly that it is the lamb's blood which protects us from God's righteous wrath (Exodus 12:12-13, 23).

    • Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and riches, wisdom, and strength, honor, and glory, and blessing.
      Revelation 5:12

    • Thank You for Your nation Israel keeping this feast for more than 3,000 years (Exodus 12:14, 24).

    • What a joy to read of the great multitude of souls saved by the Lamb's blood (Revelation 7:9)!

    • A voice came out of the throne, saying, 'Praise our God, all you His servants, and you that fear Him, both small and great'. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and …mighty thunders, saying, 'Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!'
      Revelation 19:5-6

    • You are the God of the resurrection – as we see both with Messiah Yeshua and modern day Israel. Therefore, You are the God of the impossible; nothing is too difficult for You (Jeremiah 32:17, 27).

    • Hallelujah! Messiah is risen indeed! (Matthew 28:6-7; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:20)

  2. Today starts a period of seven weeks – until the middle of May – in which Palestinian violence from all quarters is expected against the Jewish State of Israel. Today is Land Day, when decades ago an Arab demonstration got out of hand and several Israeli Arabs were killed by Israel's security forces.

    • Lord, while these Israeli citizens have a right to demonstrate, they have no right to become violent. Arise and hinder all plans to do just that (Psalm 55:9; 68:1).

    • May Israeli Arabs recognize how good they have it in Israel, as the fact that they openly demonstrate and it usually ends without death or imprisonment shows them that very truth.

    • Enable Israel's security forces to quickly spot all who have evil intentions this day (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

    • Protect the innocent – both Jews, Arabs, and all others (Exodus 23:7).

  3. Also today, Hamas, Gaza's terrorist rulers, are encouraging hundreds of thousands of Gazans to march "peacefully" against the Israeli border fence. Hamas usually fights using women and children as shields, so if that is who is sent out first, pictures of Israeli soldiers possibly needing to fire on these folks will be a huge public relations victory for Hamas, regardless of the results.

    • God of Israel, place a huge host of angels along that border and impart Your fear into the hearts of all Gazans approaching the fence (Exodus 14:26; Psalm 68:17; Zechariah 9:13-15).

    • Thank You for allowing the IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot to clearly articulate the rules of engagement, and warn that Israel has 100 snipers in place to protect Israeli territory.

    • Give great wisdom, courage and restraint to the soldiers who will be stationed there (Zechariah 10:5).

    • If there are any terror tunnels Israel is not aware of – reveal them now (Job 12:22).

    • May all the new crowd control devices and techniques Israel has developed be used to disperse all mobs before things get deadly.

    • Prevent panic on the Israeli side – but send it in waves on Hamas and its cohorts (Zechariah 10:10-12).

    • There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides upon the heaven in your help, and in His majesty on the sky. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before you, saying 'Destroy!' Israel shall then dwell in safety alone…Blessed are you, O Israel. Who is like you, O people saved by YHWH, the shield of your help, and who is the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall be found liars unto you, and you shall tread upon their high places.
      Deuteronomy 33:26-29

  4. Israel's northern and northeastern borders are also on the edge of exploding. With Hezbollah, Iran's proxy, basically controlling Lebanon, and entrenched – with other Iranian backed forces – in Syria, Israel is facing an Iranian threat sitting right on its borders.

    • While it seems to the natural eye that Israel is surrounded, we take great comfort and encouragement from the various declarations in Your word that Israel cannot be destroyed – like Jeremiah 31:35-37.

    • Also this verse is a huge encouragement: Blessed be YHWH, 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 YHWH, maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 124:6-8)

    • Abba, if what we are seeing is that which was spoken by the prophet Micah (4:11-13), then prepare Israel to arise and thresh – for Your name's sake.

    • Not unto us, YHWH, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory, for Your mercy, and Your truth's sake. Why should the gentiles say, 'Where now is their God?' But our God is in the heavens, and He has done whatever He has pleased.
      Psalms 115:1-3

    • Allow the Iranian leaders' arrogance and pride to be used against them (Proverbs 16:18).

    • Lord God of Israel, demonstrate before all the world that You are God and not Allah (Psalm 83:16-18).

    • We again ask for Your heavenly host to be sent forth to defend Israel at this time. 'Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them'. And Elisha prayed, saying, 'YHWH, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see'. And YHWH opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:16-17)

  5. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is continuously in need of supporting prayers. Besides all the investigations into his conduct, this week he was physically ill. Yet it is at this very time that Israel needs a prime minster of security – as he has described himself – and not a prime minister of 'peace'.

    • Lord, forbid that these investigations distract him from what You have called him for a this time. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself. (Psalms 80:17)

    • Bring all these investigations to a quick and truthful conclusion (Luke 12:2).

    • Enable the connection between him, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, be strengthened at this time (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

    • Reveal to him that it is the lamb which is the Passover in the original story (Exodus 12:11, 21, 27).

    • Save Bibi Netanyahu and all his family over these feast days (Isaiah 45:22).

  6. US President Donald Trump seems to be anointed specifically to shake things up – both in the USA and in the rest of the world. His recent moves in his administration have many shaking their heads, but for us who have prayed for him and his relationship to Israel, it is clear that Netanyahu has made a deep impression on Trump's worldview.

    • Lord, we thank You for Trump raising up John Bolton as his National Security Advisor (Daniel 5:21).

    • Anoint Bolton to be hugely influential in all of Trump's security decisions (Proverbs 11:14).

    • We also thank You for Mike Pompeo becoming the new US Secretary of State. Use him for Your glory.

    • As both these men are very anti-the Iranian nuclear deal, we ask that their influence would prevail – yet in Your timing and Your way (Proverbs 19:21; 21:1).

    • Thank You also that both these men are very pro-Israel. Give Israel wisdom on how to deal with them in a way that does not put them in a compromising position in their American responsibilities.

    • As Trump needs to decide by May 12th whether to recertify the Iranian deal or not – and with these two appointments it looks like he has decided "not" – prepare the US and Israel for the fallout from that.

    • Show us how to pray into this relationship between the Trump administration and the Israeli government so that You might receive the glory (Numbers 24:9).

    • Forbid that Israel trusts in man – even the most powerful man in the world right now (Jeremiah 17:5).

    • It is better to trust in YHWH than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in YHWH than to put confidence in princes.
      Psalms 118:8-9

  7. Please pray for the Risen Messiah to visit many Seders throughout Israel and in the exile.

    • Lord Yeshua, as You did twice – the doors being shut, yet You appeared – do it again (John 20:19, 26)!

    • Open hearts to burn with a desire to meet the God of Israel's ultimate Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5:6, 8, 12-13).

    • In all Seders where Messianic Jews are in attendance, give them opportunities to express the reason for the hope that resides in them (1 Peter 3:15).

    • Let this song arise in many hearts during the Seder: And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, O King of saints. (Revelation 15:3)

    • At the uncovering of the afikomen (the piece of matzah that is broken, then wrapped in cloth and hidden until the end of the meal to be found by the children and shared with all participants), open eyes to This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. (Luke 22:19b)

    • Let the children ask some very pointed questions and may parents and elders not hedge the answers.

    • For thus says YHWH, 'Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish, praise, and say, "O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel"'.
      Jeremiah 31:7

  8. The Seder meal ends with the proclamation, "Next year in Jerusalem." Almost all Jews in exile say it – including Messianic Jews – but unless there is a very real threat to their lives, most Jews do not mean it. And so today we see that God has raised up and released the hunters (Jeremiah 16:16).

    • Convict Jews to say it and mean it this year – if not for they themselves, then for their children and grandchildren (Jeremiah 50:4-5).

    • May families of lone Israeli soldiers decide to join their children here at home in Israel (Jeremiah 3:14).

    • Show the Jews in exile that they are truly living in captivity – no matter how gilded their cage may be.

    • Reveal to Your people that the ultimate curse in Deuteronomy 28 – was the curse of exile: And it shall come to pass, that as YHWH rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so YHWH will rejoice over you to destroy you, to bring you to nothing, and you shall be plucked from off the land where you are going to possess it. And YHWH shall scatter you among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there you shall serve other gods… (Deuteronomy 28:63-64b)

    • Cause the Jews in Germany, France, the UK, America and many other places in the West that have seen a rise in anti-Semitic attacks and sentiments this past year, to ask themselves why they choose to remain in places where they have to look to the gentiles to protect them and their families.

    • Continue to stir up the comfort zones of Jews in exile (Jeremiah 51:8-10).

    • Open wide the gates in this land to receive all Jews – regardless of what they believe, the color of their skin, or the amount of money in their bank accounts (Isaiah 62:10).

    • We remind You that You said the aliyah, the return of Jews to Israel from exile, is for Your glory's sake (Isaiah 43:5-7).

    • Behold, I will bring them from the north, 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: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.
      Jeremiah 31:8-9
    • Thus says YHWH of hosts; Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west. I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
      Zechariah 8:7-8

Chuck Cohen and Heinz-Jurgen Heuhsen want to thank you for your covering prayers while they were ministering together in Germany. The messages are online and can be accessed at: http://www.ifi-deutschland.org/index.php/lehrbotschaften

Shabbat shalom and hag Pesach sameach,

The IFI team