1. Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. SelahPsalm 3

   • Thank You, Lord that Your mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:23)

   • You are eternal and all-powerful.

   • You know the end from the beginning.

   • Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’Isaiah 46:10

   • You are faithful, blessed be Your holy name.

   • Your grace is sufficient for us. Great is Your faithfulness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

   • Thank You that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

2. Ramadan – this is the second Friday of Ramadan, the Moslem month of fasting. Last Friday our prayers were answered in that the day passed off relatively calmly, as a result of heavy security, particularly around Jerusalem. This is a time when preaching in the mosques is often filled with incitement to rise up against Israel.

   • Thank You God, that You watch over Jerusalem and that You continue watching during this tense season.

   • Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it.Isaiah 31:5

   • Please give wisdom and alertness to Israel’s security forces. Show them potential sources of trouble and help them to turn away evil. (Psalm 121:4)

   • Watch over the public transport lines in Jerusalem. Give all the people alertness to possible dangers and a willingness to look out for one another.

   • Silence those who seek to preach incitement to stir up Moslems against You, Your land and Your people. (Psalm 31:18)

   • Bring Your peace in all the Arab populated areas – Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, Gaza, Galilee. (Isaiah 32:18)

3. Gaza – While the violence on the Gaza border has been reduced, there remains a threat to continue attempts by the Gazans to breach the border fence and send terrorists into nearby Israeli communities. Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected a claim against the IDF for the way they have been firing on the troublemakers in Gaza.

   • Thank You that the violence seems to be coming to an end.

   • Bring Your calmness and peace, especially this Shabbat. Give shalom to the people who live in communities near the Gaza border and to the soldiers who have to keep up their state of high alert. (Isaiah 41:10-13)

   • Prevent any further destruction of crops through fires ignited by the flaming kites sent by the Gazans.

   • They surrounded me like bees; they were quenched like a fire of thorns; for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.Psalm 118:12

   • Prevent any breach of the fence and guard against any kidnapping attempts.

   • Thank You for the judgment of the Supreme Court which has been willing to acknowledge the real danger to Israeli lives from the Gaza rioters. (Deuteronomy 16:20)

   • Give courage and strength to Israel’s soldiers and protect them from being influenced by the spirit of hatred around the border fence. (Psalm 18:32-35)

4. Security of the Northern borders with Lebanon and Syria – the situation in the north remains tense as Israel seeks to maintain its “red line” of not tolerating Iranian presence in Syria. Iran meanwhile has threatened retaliation.

   • Thank You that Israel has been taking serious action to back up the words spoken, that we will not stand by while Iran, whose regime has consistently threatened to destroy us, builds up its forces in a country just over the border.

   • The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.Psalm 111:2-3

   • Protect Israel from retaliation especially from kidnappings.

   • Give wisdom and anointing to Israel’s political and military leaders to know what to do in this situation. (Proverbs 21:1)

   • Protect, bless and anoint Israel’s spies and informants working on the other side of the front lines. Enable them to find accurate information and communicate it efficiently to Israel’s security services. (Psalm 118:7)

   • Thank You for what we hear of internal unrest within Iran. Raise up those bold enough to stand against the evil regime.

5. Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights – while Israel has controlled the Golan since the 6-Day War in 1967, the world continues refusing to recognize Israeli rule in this region. Since the US has carried through the promise to move her embassy to Jerusalem, Israel is seeking to persuade the Trump Administration to also recognize our sovereignty in the Golan.

   • Thank You, Lord, for the boldness and unorthodoxy of the US Administration. May President Trump recognize the importance to the US and to Israel that the Golan Heights be fully part of Israel.

   • And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.Joshua 22:4

   • Give Israel’s leaders wisdom in how and when they put pressure on the USA.

   • Lord, how could anyone support giving the Golan back to Syria whose leader has no control of his country and uses chemical weapons on his own citizens!

6. ‘Lawfare’ – The Palestinians are continuing their efforts to use the International Criminal Court [ICC] and the UN Human Rights Council [UNHRC] to apply legal and diplomatic pressure on Israel. Israel has not suffered any casualties in the struggle on the Gaza border while over 100 Gazans have died. This is supposed to prove that Israel’s response has been “disproportionate”.

   • Thank You that there have not been any Israeli casualties.

   • Thank You that Israel’s Supreme Court has not swallowed the lie that no casualties implies a disproportionate response.

   • Continue to give wisdom and courage to ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda who has been acting with integrity and justice under pressure from the Palestinians. (1 Kings 10:9)

   • Derail the UNHRC plans to launch an investigation against Israel.

   • Let Your justice and righteousness prevail in these courts and international forums. Where justice does not reign, bring them down!

   • Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.Psalm 89:14

7. Media treatment of Israel – The international media are dominated by anti-Israel prejudice, distorting the truth and conveying a biased message.

   • Lord, we thank You for those journalists who speak and write the truth. Give more of them the courage to speak truth even though they may put themselves in danger by doing so.

   • Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.Psalm 25:5

   • Thank You for the recent reports out of Gaza that most of those killed in the border conflicts were actually Hamas terrorists and that the baby allegedly killed by Israeli tear gas actually died because of her existing heart condition.

   • Thank You that some truth is able to get out! Let there be more! Embolden more people to stand up against the lies of Hamas! (Psalm 51:6)

   • Raise up clear voices to speak truth through social media. (Psalm 33:4)

8. International Reactions – The Foreign Minister of Czech Republic recently made a bold statement blaming Hamas entirely for the deaths of Palestinians on the Gaza border. This stands out in contrast to most of the reactions of world leaders. The President of his country is also in favor of moving their embassy to Jerusalem. The Prime Minister, however, is against such a move.

   • Thank You for Martin Stropnicky and for his brave statement of truth.

   • You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. SelahPsalm 60:4

   • Use Czech Republic to break the cowardly European stance to stand together in defending the evil Hamas regime.

   • May they give Europe a lead in moving their embassy to Jerusalem soon. Use them as a rallying point to gather other nations.

   • Bring the Czech Prime Minister into line with a move of the embassy, or else let him be replaced.

   • Let other nations be willing to speak out in support of Israel and move their embassies to Jerusalem in line with USA, Guatemala and Paraguay. (Psalm 115:1)

9. Successors to current leaders – there has been much media attention given to the state of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ health. Binyamin Netanyahu too, will eventually need someone else to replace him as Israel’s Prime Minister. Nir Barkat, Jerusalem’s mayor for the past 9 years has declared that he will not stand again for reelection in October 2018 as he is intending to enter the Knesset.

   • Lord, please raise up Your people in each of these key offices to replace those who are there at the moment.

   • But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.Exodus 9:16

   • Thank You that You will use the next Palestinian leader to bring about Your purposes. We ask for a leader who has the interests of the people at heart rather than someone who just seeks the destruction of Israel.

   • Thank You that the remaining number of days of Abbas’ leadership is in Your hands.

   • Thank You that Netanyahu’s days are in Your hands also. Please let him prepare the way and prepare the person who is to succeed him. (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)

   • Thank You for the excellent mayor Nir Barkat has been. Raise up a new leader, even in these coming months, filled with integrity, vision and strength.

10. Aliyah – Europe is becoming an increasingly unfriendly place for Jews living there such that Jewish leaders are advising their people not to go out wearing signs of their Jewishness [such as the coverings on their heads].

    • Lord, use these times and these signs to draw Your people home! (Isaiah 43:5-7)

    • May Israel become a more friendly place for new immigrants to come home.

    • Cut through the bureaucracy which makes it difficult for new immigrants.

    • Raise up people in the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Absorption with a heart for Aliyah.

    • Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places.Jeremiah 30:18

11. IFI - Chuck Cohen continues to minister in the UK. Eliyahu Ben-Haim and Ofer Amitai travel early next week to Germany for the annual IFI-Deutschland conference. Details from our website http://www.ifi.org.il/en/events...

    • Please watch over and bless Chuck, Eliyahu and Ofer as they travel.

    • Anoint their ministry. May they always be ready to hear Your voice giving them Your words in season everywhere they go.

    • But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.1John 2:27

    • Refresh and strengthen them and watch over their families while they are away.

Thank You, God, that You are faithful!

Shabbat Shalom from the IFI team.