1. Praise: Shabbat's prophetic portion is Ezekiel 36:16-38. There we see that God is restoring Israel for His holy name's sake. After He states what He wills to do, verse 37 shows us that He wants our cooperation as He waits for Israel to ask Him to do what He has already said He will do! This is the secret of biblical intercession – that we have the privilege and responsibility to remind God of His Word.

    • Thank You Lord for revealing to us that the prayer of the upright is [Your] delight. (Prov. 15:8a)

    • We pray in faith because You are the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow (Heb. 13:8).

    • Hallelujah! Through the blood of the Lamb of God we enter boldly into Your throne of grace to plead for Israel to find grace ad mercy in its current time of need (Heb. 4:16).

    • We bless You for being a God who hears and answers prayers (1 John 5:14-15).

    • Praise You that Your mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).

    • We are so grateful that because of Messiah's resurrection, death has lost its sting (1 Cor. 15:55-57).

    • What a joy to be able to pray corporately with like-minded sisters and brothers (Matt. 18:19-20).

    • Thank You for Your Word; established in heaven and also a light to our paths (Psa. 119:89, 105)

  2. Security: Israel is on a war-footing along the Gaza security fence in the south. This past week, rockets, firebombs and incendiary balloons were launched from Gaza into Israel, resulting in a strong Israeli response. While neither side wants war, this weekend is a very dangerous time. Shabbat marks the one year anniversary of Hamas' "March of Return" demonstrations as well as Land Day [see more below].

    • Download Your plans to the Israeli security cabinet and to the IDF leadership (Prov. 21:30).

    • We trust in You, and ask You to help the IDF prepare its "horses" for the current battles (Prov. 21:31).

    • Lord God, clarify the rules of engagement to all IDF soldiers guarding Israel at his time (1 Cor. 14:8).

    • As the IDF soldiers are physical intercessors (Ezek. 22:30), please keep them alert and safe (Psa. 121:4).

    • Guard all the IDF soldiers from the spirits of hatred and intimidation attacking them (Psa. 18:48).

    • Blessed is YHWH, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of YHWH, who made the heavens and earth.Psa. 124:6-8

    • Use the forecasted stormy weather to disrupt the demon-strations (Job 38:22-23).

    • Move supernaturally and keep most of the Gazans away from the security fence (Ex. 14:25).

    • Increase the current unrest and demonstrations against Hamas' rule in Gaza itself (Psa. 35:26).

    • Confound all communications between the terrorists in Gaza and their Iranian backers (Psa. 129:5).

    • Lord, may what happened under King Jehoshaphat happen again today: The fear of YHWH fell on all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah, so that they did not war against Jehoshaphat. (2 Chr. 17:10)

    • Comfort and bless mightily all Israelis living in that Gaza border area.

    • In Your name, Lord Yeshua, we bless them for their faithfulness, perseverance and courage to remain there (Amos 9:15).

    • May their example of love for this land permeate all other Israelis (Gal. 5:9).

    • Abba, protect and comfort children on both sides of the fence (2 Cor. 1:3)

    • Use the true Church in Gaza to speak words of truth and comfort to the many Muslims who must be very scared and confused over their horrific situation (2 Cor. 1:3-4; Prov. 8:7; Acts 26:25).

  3. Politics: National elections take place in Israel on Tuesday April 9th. All polls say that this will be a very close election between Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's Likud party and former IDF Chief of Staff Gantz's new Blue & White party. The campaigns have been ugly and personality-oriented as opposed to the candidates talking about their policies. Israel needs prayer coverage for this very vital election.

    • Regardless of the result, we know that You reign (Ex. 8:22; Psa. 24:1; 103:19; Matt. 11:25).

    • We also know that You raise up leaders and remove them (Dan. 2:21; 4:17; 25b; 35).

    • We ask for policies to be spoken about in these final days leading up to the election (Zech. 8:16).

    • Lord, unless You show us differently, we pray for Netanyahu to again be Israel's leader (Psa. 80:17).

    • We know that his time will ultimately come to a close, and ask for You to so show him who You want to replace him so that he can train that person for the task (2 Tim. 2:2).

    • As Israelis go to vote, move upon their hearts to vote in line with Your counsel (Prov. 19:21).

    • Guide all first time voters and forbid that discouragement prevent any Israelis from voting.

    • Bless this nation with a stable government that will move in line with Your revealed will (Prov. 15:34).

    • Open the ears of the believers in Israel to vote for what is best for Your kingdom goals and not just what might make their lives more comfortable (2 Tim. 2:3-7).

    • Help all non-Jewish Israeli citizens to vote without any pressure from families, identities, etc.

    • Raise up new Arab parties who want to take care of the Israeli-Arabs and not just be voices against the Jewish State and for the Palestinians.

    • Change the ungodly attitudes of many of the ultra-Orthodox to see that this Israel is that which the prophets have talked about (Acts 2:16; Isa. 43:5-7; Ezek. 36:23-24).

    • We thank You for the start of this we see among the ultra- Orthodox. Bless and protect all involved in it.

  4. The Golan Heights: This strategic and biblical area [Bashan] was recognized by US President Trump as being a part of Israeli sovereign territory this past week. Thank God! It's about time! By God's direct command (Num. 21:33-35), Bashan was conquered under Moses before Israel ever crossed over the Jordan and conquered Jericho. The archaeological finds show Jewish history in this area almost more than any other region in Israel. Biblically, historically, and as it was conquered legally in a defensive war against Syria in 1967 – the Golan is without doubt legal Israeli territory.

    • Thank You for the courage and wisdom of Trump and his administration to make this decision although they knew most of the world would reject it. Bless and draw them all closer to Your Son (Gen. 12:3a).

    • Thank You for more Israeli leaders speaking out of our biblical right to this area (Psa. 68:15).

    • Thank You for securing the Golan as Israeli territory for all the security reasons as well (Psa. 121:4).

    • Encourage all Israelis who live there and move more Israelis to that area (Jer. 50:19; Mic. 7:14).

    • As all 28 EU nations came against Trump's legal and wise decision – either wake them up or quickly change all these deceived leaders (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

  5. Security: Israel's borders in the north with Lebanon and in the northeast with Syria are areas of immense dangers as Iran has its proxies there waiting for orders to strike Israel.

    • We thank You for the current government holding to its redlines and striking Iranian military posts in Syria continuously – like it did again this past week (Num. 30:2; Matt. 5:37).

    • In the next election raise up a government that will not do less.

    • Give Israel leaders – both political and military – courage and wisdom to pre-empt Hezbollah in Lebanon as You direct them to do so (Josh. 5:13-6:5; 2 Sam. 5:24).

    • We ask You to be a wall of fire protecting Israel from its enemies in the north (Zech. 2:5).

    • May the Angel of the Lord be on active duty in that area as well (Psa. 35:1-8).

    • Lord of hosts, You hear how the current Iranian leaders curse Your people constantly. Watch over Your threat in Numbers 9:24 and apply it to them as You see fit in these days.

    • Use the "Biblical floods" that are washing over massive areas of Iran today to wake up many Iranians to see that their leaders are leading them to destruction (Ex. 10:7).

    • Use these floods, as well as the earthquakes and their economic distress to wake up the Persians to the truth that Allah is not God – and save multitudes (Isa. 43:10; 44:6)!

    • May the crisis that the Iranian leadership is in the midst of impact negatively all its proxies throughout the world, especially in the reduction of the financial support that they receive (Isa. 42:13-15).

    • Send panic and confusion into Hezbollah's leadership in Lebanon to make major geo-political mistakes.

    • Expose to Israel all Iranian plots and spies in Syria (Job 12:22).

  6. The outpouring of water on the land of Israel at this season is an answer to pray and most likely a major hindrance to Israel's enemies. The Sea of Galilee was more than 6 meters below its full line and it has already received about half of that. We are still praying for a full lake by the time the rainy season comes to an end.

    • Ask rain from YHWH in the time of the latter rain. Jehovah shall make storm clouds, and He gives them showers of rain, grass to everyone in the field. (Zech. 10:1) And so we ask for more rain.

    • We specifically ask that the Sea of Galilee – the Kinnert – be full to overflowing this year (Mark 11:23).

    • Thank You for all the water You have poured out on this land so far (Matt. 5:45b).

    • Continue to confound the meteorologists with Your ability to answer prayers exceedingly abundantly beyond what we ask for (Eph. 3:20)!

    • Use this wonderful wet weather to wake up more Israelis to Your overriding concern for this Your land and Your people (Isa. 41:17-20).

    • Use all this wet weather – especially the snow and hail – to confound Your enemies (Job 38:22-23).

    • Help the IDF soldiers to stay warm and dry, sharp and alert in the face of wet weather (Isa. 41:15-16).

  7. Security: Judea and Samaria are also a part of biblical Israel and are currently under Israeli security control. Land Day is tomorrow. It will be observed by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians by rioting. It recalls the 1976 appropriation by the Israeli government of Arab land in Israel – which all governments have a legal right to do [aka: Eminent domain] with proper compensation – and the resulting riots that ended up with several unarmed Arabs killed by Israeli security forces.

    • Watch over Israel during Land Day and give its security forces wisdom and an ability to defend the innocent from the terrorist who take advantage of this day for their nefarious schemes (Psa. 144:1).

    • Remove the fear of lawfare from the soldiers who are engaged in warfare (Psa. 140:7).

    • May the forecasted stormy weather rain on all the Land Day parades (Job 38:22-23).

    • Expose all demonic plots that are being hatched for tomorrow (2 Cor. 2:11).

    • Use Palestinian Authority security forces to deal with Hamas terror cells in their areas.

    • Thank You for restoring Judea and Samaria to Israel in 1967 (Ezek. 36:8-12).

    • Lord, forgive us as a nation for inviting the PLO back into the land and handing over Jericho and Gaza to them in 1993.

    • We despised our inheritance (Heb. 12:16). We confess this sin and ask that You cleanse us (1 John 1:9).

    • Continue to build up Israel's biblical heartland no matter what the nations say (Zech. 12:2-3, 9).

    • YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plans of the people. The counsel of YHWH stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is YHWH; the people He has chosen for His inheritance.Psa. 33:10-12

We ended our time by praying for the Jews in exile to wake up to the incredibly swift "coming-out-of-the--closet" that anti-Semitism has seen throughout the West – especially recently in America. It is taking on a sense of respectability in some areas in Western culture and that is frightening. What is more frightening is the blindness of the Jews who are acting like the Jews in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Those who do not learn from history could very easily see history repeated with them and their families. Please pray for the Jews to set their sights on Zion and to come home now. Fear not; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not keep back; bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone who is called by My name; for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. (Isa. 43:5-7) Amen!

Blessings from home,

The IFI team