1. We are praising God for the rainstorm Israel had this past week which was out of season, yet we just heard about the ten Israeli youths who were swept away by flash floods in the Dead Sea area. While rain at this time is a sign of God's blessing and restoring of His nation for His glory, this tragic report dims the joy of seeing this outpouring of water.

    • What a joy to see this surprise storm at this time. We thank You for hearing our prayers (Zech. 10:1).

    • Bless You for Your provision so that this land will end up like the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 36:35).

    • Lord, we lift up the families and friends of these young ones who have just died. Only You can truly comfort and heal these wounds. We ask that You would do just that at this time (Psa. 23:4; Isa. 51:3).

    • You said all things can work together for good (Rom. 8:28), although You never said all things are good. Please work good out of this terrible news that this nation is dealing with today (Jer. 32:27).

  2. We must continue to praise God even in the face of this tragedy.

    • We are grateful that You give us so many chances to trust You, regardless of how we feel (Prov. 3:5-6).

    • Father, we agree with Messiah Yeshua and declare You as the Lord of heaven and earth (Matt. 11:25).

    • Messiah Yeshua, thank You for inviting us to come to You with all our heavy burdens and to find in You the rest that YHWH our Shepherd provides for His sheep (Matt. 11:28-30; Psa. 23:1-2).

    • Thank You that You have seen fit to call us into Your kingdom – for just a time like this (Est. 4:14).

    • While we do not feel worthy of this privilege and responsibility, we bless You that You said You work not by might, nor by power but by Your Spirit – who abides in us as we abide in Messiah (Zech. 4:6).

    • Thank You for continuing to protect this nation against all its enemies (Psa. 121:4).

  3. Today is another Friday of mass demonstrations against Israel on its Gaza border. So far each Friday has seen less and less demonstrators and less death. Still the battle for public opinion continues.

    • Lord, let the rains wash out today's demonstrations and all the plans of the evil one (Job 38:22-23).

    • Thank You for aiding Israel to locate and destroy all the terror tunnels (Psa. 139:11-12).

    • Abba, forbid a spirit of complacency from coming upon the soldiers at the Gaza border (Prov. 20:13).

    • Forbid a spirit of complacency from coming on any Israeli, including politicians and the people. The ear that hears and the eye that sees – YHWH has made them both. (Prov. 20:12)

    • Remove all distractions from Israel's security forces.

    • …having done all to stand, stand therefore…
      Eph. 6:13b-14a

    • Impart wisdom to know what to do with the intelligence Israel already possesses (Prov. 21:30-31).

    • If there is other intelligence that Israel needs, get it to the right people (Josh. 2:23-24).

    • Lord, do not allow pride in the IDF hinder You from working with the IDF, as You are the One who has raised up the IDF to be an exceedingly great army (Ezek. 37:10).

    • We give You all the praise and glory for all You are doing to protect this nation – supernaturally and through the IDF (Isa. 41:10-16; Mic. 4:11-13).

    • Thank You Lord, that You are never complacent when it comes to guarding this nation (Jer. 31:10).

  4. There are reports of major problems facing Iran internally: ongoing popular protests against the regime; severe drought; large earthquakes; sandstorms; extreme inflation with a sharp drop of the Rial – its currency – against the dollar. Many Iranians are very angry with the regime because so much of the monies that Iran has accumulated as a result of the nuclear deal are being spent on foreign activities – like supporting Hezbollah and Hamas – as opposed to helping its people at home. All this shows us that our prayers to God to shake that nation are working.

    • We thank You for shaking Iran and waking up the people to the wickedness of their leaders (Isa. 2:19).

    • I will set My throne in Elam [ancient Persia], and will destroy from there the king and the princes, says YHWH.
      Jer. 49:38

    • Continue to save many Iranians as reports of the tremendous growth of the Iranian Church are very encouraging (Jer. 49:38a).

    • At the same time, remove the scepter of authority from their current evil regime (Jer. 49:38b) which hates You and Your people – Israel and the true Church (Psa. 83:2-3).

    • Lord Yeshua, place Your intercessory burdens to our Iranian brothers and sisters (Amos 3:7; 1 Pet. 4:7).

    • Continue to dry up Iran's funds so that they will be unable to support their terrorist proxies (Jam. 5:1-3).

    • Use earthquakes to literally shake all of Iran's nuclear projects (Joel 3:16).

    • Give US President Trump and the EU leadership wisdom to know how to either fix the Iranian nuclear deal or to back out of it. [Trump needs to make that decision by May 12th.]

    • Regardless what they do, give Your wisdom to Israel's leaders to know what to do from that point on.

    • The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of YHWH.
      Prov. 21:31

    • Abba, You hear all the curses that Iran's leaders are speaking over Israel. Arise and defend this nation – for Your holy name's sake (Num. 24:9; Prov. 26:2; Isa. 37:33-35; Gal. 6:7).

  5. Israel's leaders have been very non-politically-correct and courageous to keep their redlines as to what they will allow Iran to do in Syria and what they will not – even if that means having to deal with Russian anti-aircraft batteries.

    • Thank You for leaders who are willing to see the reality and protect this nation at all costs (2 Chr. 32:7).

    • Encourage them and give them the wisdom to know when to strike and when not to in order to prevent Iran from setting up any military bases in Syria (Prov. 16:9; 19:21; 20:18).

    • Please provide Israel whatever weaponry it needs to accomplish this (Jer. 50:25).

    • Lord Yeshua, in Your capacity as the Captain of Heaven's hosts (Josh. 5:14) – we ask You to go out before the IDF into battle (2 Sam. 5:24).

    • Unveil to Israeli intelligence where all weapons are stored – both in Syria and in Lebanon (Job 12:22).

    • May Israel not hesitate to destroy all weapons factories Iran is helping Hezbollah set up in Lebanon.

    • Keep Israel's communications with Russia open and honest (Prov. 27:6).

    • Hinder the delivery of the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system from being given to the Syrians.

    • Let Putin see how disastrous it will be to have their vaulted system decimated by the IDF (2 Sam. 1:27).

    • Lord, as You have in times past, so today set our enemies, especially Iran and Turkey, against each other (2 Chr. 20:22-23; Psa. 129:5).

    • Abba, please bless the Kurds with protection, salvation and soon with their own state (Gen. 12:3).

  6. We are only about two weeks away from the US Embassy moving up from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And while we praise the Lord for this move, for us who live in Jerusalem, it could end up being a huge mess – concerning traffic, security and an increase in an already very tense spiritual reality here.

    • Abba, help us to walk through the inevitable inconvenience in Jerusalem that this move brings with it.

    • My brethren, count it all joy when you face various trials; knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
      Jam. 1:2-3; cp. Heb. 6:12

    • Despite that, we do thank You for answering our prayers and making this happen (1 John 5:14-15).

    • This is Your city. We honor it as such and thank You for enabling us to live in days in which we see You building up Jerusalem and regathering its outcasts (Psa. 147:2).

    • Protect this embassy move from all terrorism and other evil obstacles (Psa. 33:10-11).

    • Continue to foster an excellent working relationship between Israel and American security forces.

    • Bless America's pro-Zionist and biblically correct Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (Dan. 2:46-48).

    • Thank You for using him to speak biblical truth about this land – especially about the settlements and Judea and Samaria (Jer. 5:1; Zech. 8:3).

    • Thank You for all the Jews in the Trump Administration who are Zionists. Protect them and the rest of the administration against manipulation from the spirit of liberal humanism (Matt. 16:23).

    • May this move open wide the gates of Jerusalem for many other nations to follow (Mic. 4:2).

    • Prevent the US President from seeing Israel as if it were a nation like all other nations (Num. 23:9).

    • Forbid him from dealing with Your land as if it were just a business deal that can be closed with enough pressure on both sides. Warn him against dividing Your land (Joel 3:1-2).

    • Whatever Trump may ask in return for this move, guard Netanyahu from all compromise on Your land and Israel's security needs (Lev. 25:23).

  7. Those last prayer requests led us to pray the same thing for the Church – that it would not look on Israel as if it were just another nation, or just a current political problem.

    • Lord Yeshua, build Your Church and do not let the forces of hell prevail against it (Matt. 1616-18).

    • Reveal to Your children that to believe the New Testament means to also believe the NT's witness to the truth that the Old Testament is still the Word of God (Matt. 22:29; John 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)! [In the NT, historically the word "scripture" meant to the speakers and writers the Old Testament.]

    • Have mercy on all our brothers and sisters who call on Your name but do not realize that You are still the King of Israel, the King of the Jews, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5; 22:16)..

    • Pour out on the global Body of Messiah a deep hunger to read and study Your Word (Jer. 15:16).

    • As they read Your Word, may Your Spirit anoint to their hearts all the verses about the place of Israel in Your kingdom plans today (for example: Deut. 30:1-7; Jer. 31:35-37; Zech. 12:2-10; Rom. 11:26).

    • Purge the Body of all false teachings – especially in relation to Israel (Jer. 33:23-26).

    • Remove all false elders and anoint elders who will feed Your people (Ezek. 34:7-16; Acts 20:27-32).

  8. While it is wonderful to see several nations now seriously considering or committing to move their embassies up to Jerusalem – it would be even more prophetically awesome to see many Jews in exile become serious about moving their families up to Zion. So again we prayed for aliyah – the immigration of Jews from exile to Israel.

    • Raise up good and godly shepherds among the Jewish communities outside of Israel who will encourage aliyah and even lead their flock home (Jer. 23:3-4).

    • Forbid that out of not wanting to offend or be non-politically correct, Jewish leaders would hesitate to warn their people about the rising flood of anti-Semitism – especially in the West (Jer. 16:16).

    • Shake up the complacency of the Jews in exile (Jer. 51:6).

    • Let them see that their gilded cages – are still cages, called captivity in the Bible (Jer. 30:3; Joel 3:1).

    • Open up the doors here in Israel for all Jews – regardless of color or belief (Isa. 60:11; 62:10).

    • Thank You for those members of the Evangelical Church who are helping to carry Your people home – physically, financially and through prayer (Isa. 49:22; 60:1-10).

    • May this spirit of repaying the Jewish people for what the gentiles in Messiah have received from them spiritually become even more prevalent in the Church (Rom. 15:27).

    • Please use this outpouring of love from Christians to provoke more Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:11).

Thank You for standing with Israel and with us in these exciting days,

Shabbat shalom

The IFI team