1. We read from Psalm 61 as we began our time together this morning.

    • Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.Psa. 61:1-2

    • Thank You for being here with and for us when we are overwhelmed in this intense time.

    • You can be found in the midst of all our storms: For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower before the enemy. (Psa. 61:3)

    • You are the Rock of Israel – yesterday, today and forever (Gen. 49:24; Heb. 13:8).

    • He is the Rock; His work is perfect. For all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness, and without evil; just and upright is He.Deut. 32:4

    • We are encouraged because You – the God of Jacob – are not double-minded (Mal. 3:6).

    • You will do all that You have declared (Jer. 1:12).

    • Yeshua, the rejected Stone – You are the Headstone of God's house (Psa. 118:22; Acts 4:8-12).

  2. The Gaza situation remains dangerous. Hamas is threatening to increase attacks on Israel because of how the Palestinian Authority is dealing with them and because Egypt closed its crossing into Gaza.

    • Lord, enough! Hamas gets kicked and then it retaliates against Israel? Abba, may Israel's response to any violence be harsh enough to stop these demonic demonstrations once and for all (Josh. 2:9-11).

    • Provide a quiet Shabbat for all Israelis who live near that southern border (Deut. 12:10).

    • Reveal to the IDF all hidden terror tunnels that may still be there (Job 12:22).

    • Send angelic help to every soldier that is guarding Israel at this time (Psa. 35:5-6).

    • Protect the soldiers physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

    • Give the soldiers a spirit of vigilance and an ability to remain clear-minded (1 Pet. 1:13a).

    • Give the IDF strategy to know what the end game in Gaza should be (Lev. 25:23).

    • Continue to use the weather to wash out Hamas' plans (Job 38:22-23).

    • Send a fog of confusion to all in Gaza who have a spirit of hate against Israel and the Jews (Psa. 129:5).

    • Stir up the Gazans to be so frustrated and angry with all the money that their leaders steal from them, that they rebel against these wicked Hamas rulers.

    • For Gaza shall be forsaken…Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast…The Word of YHWH is against you: Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will destroy you, so that no inhabitant survives. And the sea coast…shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed on them. In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down…for YHWH their God shall visit them and turn away their captivity.Zeph. 2:4-7

    • Thank You for the small body of Messiah in Gaza. Use them for Your glory and increase their numbers and spiritual maturity (Matt. 16:18).

  3. The world's hypocrisy is evident when it crucifies Israel for defending itself, while saying almost nothing about so many unrighteous slaughters of people in the rest of the world. Recently, America and Australian have stood with us without excuses. May many other nations follow.

    • Lord God, we ask that Israel would do what it needs to do regardless of the world's criticism.

    • Thank You for America and Australia's support. May Brazil also stand apart from the rest in this area.

    • When we get angry and frustrated by the nations reaction to Israel defending itself, remind us of Your prophetic promise in Numbers 23:8-9: How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom YHWH has not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be counted among the nations.

  4. Both Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are under Iran's patronage. If Israel pre-empts Hizbullah's 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at it, Iran could easily open up a three fronted war against the Jewish State – Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. Yet Israel needs to pre-empt Hizbullah!

    • Lord of hosts, our eyes are on You and not on man to defend this nation (Psa. 121:4).

    • Abba, if it is really true that IDF generals do not see a war on the horizon, then please open up their eyes to see what so many other experts are saying (Psa. 146:8).

    • On the other hand, if this is just disinformation, then hide the truth from Israel's enemies (Isa. 29:9-10).

    • We ask for Israel to pre-empt Hizbullah's missile threats – and for the pre-emption to be so effective that it destroys all of Hizbullah's capacity to launch missiles and rockets against Israel (2 Chr. 14:11).

    • Expose any terror tunnels along the Lebanese border that the IDF has missed.

    • Impart Your strategy so that the IDF knows what the end-game is supposed to look like (Josh. 5:13-6:5).

    • Lead Israel as You led Gideon so that while our enemies are numerically greater than the IDF, through Your tactics, they will fell before the IDF (Jud. 7:7-25).

    • Lord, we pray this word over Iran and all its proxies: Destroy, O YHWH, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and fighting in the city. (Psa. 55:9)

    • Use Ishmael's wild-ass nature to be stirred up between all these foes of Israel (Gen. 16:12).

    • If there is any actionable intelligence that Israel does not yet have – expose it today (Psa. 139:11-12).

    • Anoint the analysts to know what they are looking at when they receive intelligence reports (Prov. 2:6).

    • Do not allow Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to be a Martha and be so distracted by his legal problems that he misses the important thing in his capacity as Israel's Defense Minister (Luke 10:40-42).

    • Forbid that the Israeli election season hinder this government from doing what it needs to do to protect this nation (Rom. 13:1-4).

    • Lord, break up all relations between Russia, Turkey and Iran (Dan. 2:41).

    • Send a lying spirit to set them against each other (1 Kin. 22:22-23).

    • Let all of Israel's enemies fall into the traps that they are setting for Your people (Psa. 7:15-16; 35:7-8).

    • Protect the Kurd. Use them for Your glory, and create a Kurdish state soon (Num. 24:9b).

  5. Iran, where the Spirit of Persia still resides, is a real threat to Israel and the rest of the world.

    • God, You have promised to do a mighty work in ancient Elam, which is modern Iran today: Thus says YHWH of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. (Jer. 49:35) Since a bow launches arrows, we ask for You to break Iran's capacity to launch missiles and rockets.

    • I will cause Elam to be afraid before their enemies… (Jer. 49:37a) Lord, send fear on Iran's wicked leadership and a paranoia that their enemies, especially Israel, are already at the gates.

    • Use the paranoia of the current Iranian leaders to lead them to make major geo-political mistakes.

    • I will bring evil on them, even My fierce anger…and I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy the king and the rulers from there, says YHWH.Jer. 49:37b-38

    • Thank You for setting Your throne in Iran through the incredible growth of the Iranian Church.

    • Increase that Body numerically and spiritually and protect it from the Islamic spirit (Matt. 16:18).

    • Teach them how to intercede (Luke 11:1), and show them Your heart for Israel (Jer. 32:41).

    • Lord Yeshua, destroy the authority of Iran's king and rulers and set the Iranian people free (Isa. 9:2).

    • Use the increasingly harsh economic situation in Iran to stir up the people to revolt against the Islamic fundamentalist Shi'ite spirit that enslaves them (Psa. 12:5).

  6. Israel is holding national elections on April 9th. Israel's security situation means this not a good time for elections. Israel needs prayer even more at this time. Thank you in advance for doing your part.

    • Lord Messiah Yeshua, King of Israel, the government is ultimately on Your very capable shoulders. Arise and take control (Isa. 9:6-7).

    • Lord, cause the people of Israel to demand policy statements from the candidates (Prov. 14:34).

    • God, even use the media to demand policy statements.

    • Forbid that Israelis become uninformed or apathetic (Rev. 3:16).

    • Reveal the hearts of the candidates and show us those who actually want what is best for Israel and its people (Neh. 1:4) and those who are running to only satisfy their desire for fame and power (Dan. 4:30).

    • Reveal to us for prayer purposes Your choice of the next prime minister (Amos 3:7).

    • If it is still Netanyahu, as it seems to be at this time, confirm it and use him at this time to continue to be Israel's prime minister (Psa. 80:17).

    • Raise up the servants/shepherds which You promised to be in the next Israeli government (Jer. 23:3-4).

  7. As of this time, elections are centered on the investigations into possible wrong-doing by Bibi. Yet these investigations have been going on for years and for Attorney General [AG] Mandelblit to decide to announce – just before the elections – if he is recommending the PM to be indicted smells of political, media and left-wing manipulation. Yet the AG is in a "damned if you do; damned if you don't" situation.

    • As Mandelblit has decided to interview people whom the police did not, Lord let the truth be revealed (Deut. 19:15; 1 Tim. 5:19).

    • Make Israel's AG a righteous judge as per Your promise in Isaiah 1:26.

    • Abba, we ask for Your plumb-line and not man's in all this craziness surrounding Bibi (Amos 7:7-8).

    • Dampen the confusing noise and bring a sense of quiet and peace on the people (Psa. 46:10-11).

    • Let Netanyahu and Mandelblit decide with purpose to do what is best for Israel (2 Chr. 35:3b).

    • Move upon Bibi to see Your priorities at this time and not his own.

    • Move upon Bibi to let You defend him and to back off from being so defensive (2 Sam. 22:3, 31).

    • Lift Netanyahu up to be able to walk over his legal problems and be all the prime minister and defense minister that Israel needs at this time (1 Kin. 14:14).

    • Surround him with wise, godly counsel and let him listen to it (Prov. 11:14).

    • Protect Israelis from the manipulative anti-Bibi headlines in most of Israel's media (Psa. 62:4).

    • Lead the Israeli Body of Messiah to pray in line with Your Spirit and to not be confused by all the demonic gossiping that will be heard in the media (1 John 5:14-15).

    • When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of YHWH shall make him flee.Isa. 59:19

  8. We prayed about Israel's relations with the rest of the world, that its leaders and people would be weaned away from looking at man and instead look to their God. Please pray for all cords that attach Israel to your birth nation, which are not of Him, be cut off. We especially asked that America would no longer be an idol to Israelis.

    • I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where shall my help come from? My help comes from YHWH, who made Heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. YHWH is your keeper; YHWH is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day or the moon by night. YHWH shall keep you from all evil; He shall keep your soul. YHWH shall keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.Psa. 121:1-8

And we ended by thanking God for the very wet weather Israel has experienced recently. The Sea of Galilee has risen significantly although it is still better than 5 meters below where it should be. We have had lots of snow on Mount Hermon and in the Golan. All this is an answer to pray – but please let's not stop now. Israel needs lots more water.

May YHWH, who made the heavens and earth, bless you out of Zion.Psa. 134:3

Shabbat shalom,

The IFI team