1. We began with Psalm 85.

    Lord, you were favorable to your land.
    You restored the fortunes of Jacob.
    You forgave the iniquity of your people.  
    You pardoned all their sin. Selah
    You withdrew all your wrath.  
    You turned from your hot anger.
    Will you not revive us again,
    so that your people may rejoice in you?
    Show us your steadfast love,
    O Lord, and grant us your salvation.Psalm 85:1-3,5-6

    • Thank You for Your faithfulness and mercy.

    • Thank You that Your yes is yes and Your no is no. (Matthew 5:37)

    • Thank You for bringing Your people home.

    • Thank You for Your promise to sprinkle clean water on your people. (Ezekiel 36:25)

    • As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore.Psalm 125:2-3

    • Thank You for this promise.

  2. Elections

    This election season remains one of mudslinging, personalities and confusion.

    • We would like to begin by thanking You for these many years of Netanyahu as prime minister. (Psalm 80:17)

    • In the midst of noisy and conflicting opinions, may You give clarity to the voters and a clear understanding of Your choice, so that Your will may be done. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

    • Thank You that You look on the heart of the candidates. But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.' (1 Samuel 16:7)

    • May the candidates reveal their hearts so that nothing may be hidden.

    • Father God, please lay upon the hearts of those who believe in You in this land and throughout the world to intercede on behalf of these elections. (1Timothy 2:1-2)

    • Our prayer is that voters will come out on election day and will not be discouraged.

  3. Benjamin Netanyahu

    In this election season, Netanyahu is facing what is possibly the strongest threat to his leadership. He is also juggling the demands of being a functioning prime minister and a defense minister at a time when the enemies on our borders are escalating their menacing stance.

    • Bless him with clarity of vision and quietness of heart.

    • Through Your word, strengthen and heal him.

    • Protect him and his family. May his home be a haven of rest for him.

    • Renew his mantle of leadership, his hope and his security.

    • We ask Your mercy, Lord, that he will be able to function fully until the elections.

    • Save him from the lion’s mouth. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!  Deliver my soul from the sword,  my life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! (Psalm 22:19-21) (Daniel 6)

  4. Aliyah

    As anti-semitism increases and flourishes throughout the world, we recognize that the time of the fishers is ending and the time of the hunters has come. I am now sending for many fishermen, says the Lord, and they shall catch them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. (Jeremiah 16:16)

    • Abba, bring Your people home from all the different communities throughout the world.

    • Bring the German speakers.

    • Call home the Hispanic communities throughout the world. Let them know there is a place here.

    • Lord, there are Ethiopians wanting to come home. Open the doors and bring them all.

    • As anti-semitism rises in Britain, make it clear to the Jews of the U.K. that their time there is over.

    • May the Jews of America understand the changing atmosphere there and come home.

    • Father, we ask that You will provide finances for those believing organizations who are trying to provide support for new immigrants. (Jeremiah 31:27-28)

    • It is our prayer that those who come in obedience to Your call will find work, schools, and an ability to learn the language. Provide the infrastructure for those who will come.

    • Lord Yeshua, open the gates of the government agencies, such as the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Absorption, the Jewish Agency, to actively welcome new immigrants. (Jeremiah 31:9)

  5. Northern Borders

    Recently there has been an increased massing of troops on the Syrian border. This includes a clandestine Hezbollah unit functioning within this area. There is always the concern that this is a preparation for what may be a three pronged attack. We begin with this verse. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, 'Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel!' (Malachi 1:5)

    • Father, we cry out for the protection of the communities that live right up to the border. May You be their border.

    • Thank You for the deployment of the THAAD anti missile system. Allow our Israeli personnel to learn quickly and may there be good cooperation between the Israelis and the Americans.

    • Protect the IAF as they continue to fly missions into Syria. May they go in confidence and return successful and in safety.

    • We lift up to You those who provide us with intelligence. May they remain hidden. Help them to reap much information and not be deceived.

    • We ask that IDF will have full intelligence on all borders to be prepared for any eventuality. May there be good communications between leaders and officers.

    • Lord God, do not let events in Gaza be a distraction to open the way for an attack from the north. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,  when our enemies attacked us,  then they would have swallowed us up alive,  when their anger was kindled against us. (Psalm 124:2-3)

    • We pray for your timing in whatever is coming. (Psalm 31:15)

  6. Gaza

    There has been an effort by Egypt to negotiate an easing of tensions between Israel and Gaza. While Hamas seems to be prepared to make some concessions, Islamic Jihad appears to resist any letting up of hostilities. One less known tactic is to cause terror at night with loud noises and explosions.

    • Abba, You give your beloved sleep. May the residents along the Gaza border rest well at night. (Psalm 4:8) (Psalm 91:5)

    • Lord of Hosts, be a wall of fire for Your people. (Exodus 14:19-20)

    • Equip and prepare the IDF for whatever happens. Give the commanders wisdom so that they do not lose control of the situation.

    • Protect our soldiers in body, mind and spirit.

    • Use the differences between the factions in Gaza for Your will and purposes.

  7. Mercy Gate

    The Mercy Gate, below the Golden Gate, has been closed for 16 years. Recently it has been opened by force by the Waqf Muslim organization which is responsible for Islamic holy sites. The deadline for closing the gate passed on Monday as Jerusalem and Jordan continue negotiations to find a solution.

    • Abba, give wisdom in these negotiations. Help Israel to stand strong.

    • This is a spiritual battle for the site where You have placed Your name. Will You arise to do battle here. (Psalm 48:8)

    • We ask for wisdom and strength for the police today as they plan a strategy for what may happen.

    • May unrelated events, such as the Jerusalem marathon, not cause a distraction or division of security forces that the enemy can take advantage of.

  8. Rain

    The Kinneret has risen another 2 centimeters following heavy rain. We are still 3.71 meters below the top red line.

    • Thank You for the rain that we have received and for the forecast for more to come in the next few days. Thank You for the snow on Mount Hermon.

    • Creator of the Universe, please continue to fill the Kinneret. May all the aquifers also be filled.

    • May the rain this weekend be in all the right places.

    • We humbly ask that the latter rains will continue until after Passover. (Deuteronomy 11:14)

  9. Salvation

    As we ask for physical rain, we also pray for the spiritual rain that brings salvation.

    • We are coming to the holidays of Purim and Passover. Use the familiar traditions of these holidays to raise questions of “Why?’ and turn peoples hearts to You.

    • Use the believers to provoke to jealousy. Keep us in Your image so that our lives will be a testimony.

    • Give dreams and visions to reveal Yourself in personal revelation. Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  Even on the male and female slaves,  in those days, I will pour out my spirit. (Joel 2:28-29)

Shabbat Shalom from the IFI team