1. Praise: To begin our time together, we read all of Psalm 15.

    • YHWH, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; in whose eyes the reprobate is despised, but he honors those who fear YHWH; he has sworn to his hurt, and does not change it; he has not put out his money at interest, nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall not be moved forever.Psa. 15:1-5

    • Lord, how could we ever come up to Your standards? Thank You for coming down in Messiah Yeshua and making us righteous in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

    • We bless You for the glorious sunrise over Your city Jerusalem this morning (Ezek. 43:2).

    • While Your creation changes during the seasons, You never change. Hallelujah (Mal. 3:6)!

    • Ah, Lord YHWH! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm. Nothing is too difficult for You.Jer. 32:17
    • O Lord, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and for Your will they are and were created.Rev. 4:11

  2. Elections: We praised God for the election results as, for the most part, they were a blessing to those of us who understand the signs of the times and what Israel needs to be doing (2 Chr. 12:32).

    • What a joy to see the Israeli election results and know that we serve a God who hears and answers prayers (Psa. 50:15).

    • We thank You for allowing Bibi Netanyahu to remain as Israel's prime minister (Prov. 16:9).

    • You have answered our prayers because You did lead us to pray in line with Your will (1 John 5:14-15).

    • He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.Dan. 2:21; see also 4:17, 25; 5:21

    • Thank You God for raising up the younger generation in Israel to be more the conservative and right wing than their Oslo peace parents. [This is according to recent polls and to how they actually voted.]

  3. Forming a government in Israel requires the largest party – Bibi's Likud with 36 seats – to negotiate with smaller parties to end up with at least 61 seats in the 120 seat Knesset [Israel's parliament]. There are enough parties that are right-wing that this is almost assured, but there has been so much manipulation and extortion by these smaller parties demands in the past that we expect this to be anything but a smooth process. Our prayer assignment has not ended; just the focus has changed.

    • Lord God, please watch over Your Word during these negotiations: Surely, there is no enchantment against Jacob, nor any witchcraft against Israel. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What God has worked! (Num. 23:23)

    • Surround Netanyahu with a shield against manipulation and also give him wise advisors (Prov. 11:14).

    • Allow Netanyahu's political insight to be at its best during these talks (Prov. 28:2).

    • Do not allow his wife Sara to interfere with Bibi's ability to appoint the best people for each ministry.

    • We ask specifically that former finance minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu party would rejoin Likud – giving Likud 40 seats in the new government (Luke 11:9).

    • We know that nothing is impossible for You (Jer. 32:27), so we ask You to humble egos and make those entering the government to have Israel's best as the goal and not their own political careers (Prov. 18:12).

    • Hedge in the ultra-Orthodox parties from using extortion. Work a mighty miracle and change their whole attitude to want what is best for all of Israel and not just their own small sections (2 Chr. 35:3b).

  4. With the elections over, the possible indictments against Netanyahu are again a factor in both how the government is formed and what will ultimately happen to the man that most Israelis voted for to be their next leader.

    • Lord, this all has to do with Israel's justice system which has become the most interventionist of any in the world. Help Bibi to appoint the right justice minister to continue the changes Ayelet Shaked started.

    • In fact, we ask that You would put it into Netanyahu's mind to reappoint her to the position. [Shaked's New Right party did not get enough votes to make it into the Knesset, but in Israel ministers do not have to be Knesset members – except for the prime minister.]

    • And I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. (Isa. 1:26) For our holy name's sake – do this now!

    • As Netanyahu's lawyers finally get a chance to look at the accusations against him, give them wisdom to see the truth from what is merely hearsay (Isa. 59:4).

    • We ask that truth and justice would be both done and seen to be done (Zech. 8:16).

    • May there be a quick resolution to this issue.

  5. Now that the elections are over, the US "Peace" plan is supposed to be unveiled. No one knows exactly when, and only a few people know what is actually being proposed. A report this last week has said that not even Trump knows what his peace plan contains. Hmm…

    • Abba, guard over the timing of the release of this plan – or hinder its release at all (Eccl. 3:1).

    • May Israel form a government that will know how to respond to this plan and to know how to avoid doing anything that is not in line with Your revealed will (Lev. 25:23; Joel 3:1-2).

    • Help Netanyahu to appoint a foreign minister who will be as sharp as he was (Prov. 18:16).

    • Lord, thank You for President Trump who until now has been a true blessing to Israel (Gen. 12:3).

    • Prevent him from doing anything that would hinder his excellent record with Israel so far (Num. 22:32).

    • Continue to harden the hearts of Palestinian leaders against anything America proposes (Rom. 9:15-18).

    • Watch over Jeremiah 12:14-17 concerning the Palestinians and save as many as possible.

  6. The largest party in opposition, Benny Gantz's Blue & White, is a combination of three smaller parties which did quite well in gaining 35 seats together. But one of the leaders, Yair Lapid, has stated that they will "make life hell" for Likud while in the opposition. That is not the way to graciously accept defeat and the decision of the Israeli electorate.

    • Lord, show us what is happening as in many nations parties that lose elections make war on the winners as opposed to working with them for the best of their country! 

    • Abba, let the good people in Blue & White rise to the top and remove all troublemakers (Luke 3:17).

    • Lord, we ask for You to split up this union into its original three parties (Prov. 11:21; 16:5).

    • If You have plans for Gantz in the future, let him show himself honorable in defeat (Prov. 18:12).

    • Lord Yeshua, we need You to make this nation one in Your hand – today (Ezek. 37:16-20)!

    • For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of YHWH of Hosts will do this. (Isa. 9:6-7) Amen v'amen!

  7. Security: There is supposedly a cease-fire being hammered out between Israel and Hamas in Gaza with Egypt being the mediator. Previous cease-fires have been broken by Hamas as they see it only as a hudna – which is an Islamic concept of a cease-fire between Muslims and the "infidel" enemy until the Muslims are strong enough to defeat them. Then they can break their word and the cease-fire under their false god's approval.

    • Lord, continue to protect the Israelis living in that area that is constantly attacked by the demonically inspired Gazans (Jer. 31:10).

    • We bring to You all the youth and children that live in this situation. Lord heal them (Mark 10:14).

    • Strengthen the IDF soldiers there and may their rules of engagement be clear and obeyed (1 Cor. 14:8).

    • Send a huge spirit of discouragement to the people in Gaza who have been rioting for over a year and only see their situation getting worse and worse (Isa. 1:4). Wake them up!

    • Prevent any successful kidnapping attempts (Psa. 121:4).

    • Lord, reveal to us how You want us to pray so that we can get from where we are today to that final blessed state of having Gaza back under Israel's sovereignty (Amos 3:7; Zeph. 2:4-7).

    • Use the enormous pressure from inside and out on Gaza's leaders so that they make major mistakes.

    • May the believers in Gaza and those in southern Israel both be effective in spreading the reason for the hope that resides within them (1 Pet. 3:15).

    • For the sake of Israeli-Egypt relations, may the cease-fire actually work for a season (Eccl. 3:8b).

    • Give Israel teeth to deal with any and all infractions to the truce (Isa. 41:14-16).

    • Make the Israeli negotiators very aware of the hudna concept to not be deceived. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. (Psa. 55:21)

  8. The difference between how Israeli Jews view the world and how most Jews in exile view it is becoming bigger all the time. Jews in exile are being lulled to sleep by their liberal, secular outlook and have the "we are more German than the Germans" outlook that Jews had in Germany before WWII. With Passover starting next Friday evening, we prayed for God's people in exile to wake up, to smell the rising stench of anti-Semitism, and to come home.

    • Lord, for Jews in exile who are upset with the Israel's election results, show them that if they make aliyah – immigrate – then, and only then, can they have a real say in how this nation is run (Isa. 10:22).

    • Abba, move on the children at the Passover Seder meal to ask some very pointed questions, like, Why do we always say 'Next Year in Jerusalem', yet we are still here in New York? (Jer. 51:8-10)

    • Use the Seder to make Israelis who are living in exile extremely homesick (Jer. 50:4-5).

    • May the next government make it much easier for Jews to return (Isa. 62:10).

    • Cause the Jews in Europe and the UK to ask why they need to hire gentile security guards when they can be in a land with an Israeli army to defend them (Ezek. 37:10)!

We finished by thanking God for all the water He has graciously poured out on this land during the rainy season. The Sea of Galilee – the Kinneret – was more than 6 meters [18 feet] below being full and as of today it is only 2.8 meters [8.5 feet] below being full. There is still snow on the Hermon and the possibility of more rain this coming week. We are still asking for, and believing for, a miracle of a full Kinneret which will wake up many Israelis to this word of promise of what will happen when God supplies His nation with abundant water: so that they may see, and know, and look on, and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isa. 41:20)

Thank You for praying with us over this very hard election season. Things got ugly and very unholy to say the least – yet God has answered our prayers. Now we need to continue interceding for this nation, its leaders and its people, because we expect the pressure on it and the danger to it to increase as God watches over His Word in preparation for the return of Messiah Yeshua.

Baruch ha'ba b'shem Adonai

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! (Matt. 23:39)

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

The IFI team