1. Praise: This Shabbat's prophetic portion is in Amos 9:7-15. We read the last few verses and then praised God for watching over His word to perform it (Jer. 1:12).

    • Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that the plowman and the reaper shall draw near, the treader of grapes, and he who draws along the seed, and the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will be dissolved. And I will turn back the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the cities which are desolate, and shall live in them. They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their fruit. And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says YHWH your God.Amos 9:13-15

    • Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness to fulfill Your promises (Matt. 2:17, 23: 8:17, etc.).

    • We bless You that Israel's modern restoration is ultimately for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:22-23).

    • We rejoice that all Your promises – including those in the Old Testament – are yes and amen in Messiah Yeshua (2 Cor. 1:20).

    • You are building Jerusalem and gathers Israel's outcasts openly before the world today (Psa. 147:2).

    • Abba, as you are doing this with a "pre-saved" people, how much more will You complete what You have already started in us (Phil. 1:6).

    • Praise the Lord, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!Rev. 19:6b

  2. Politics: The new governing coalition is still in the process of being formed. As there are egos and demands aplenty, it will take all of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's, and his Likud negotiating team's, wisdom, political acuity, and discernment to put together a government that will be pleasing to the Lord and will be what is best for Israel at this time.

    • Again, we thank You for Netanyahu winning the elections and remaining as Israel's Prime Minister.

    • Lord, give Israel a government in line with Your mercy (Isa. 1:26).

    • Raise up for Israel Your choice for the following ministries: foreign; defense; finance; heath; interior; absorption (of new immigrants); transportation; justice; education; and all other ministries (Dan. 4:17).

    • Lord Yeshua, as the government is on Your shoulders (Isa. 9:6), and as You hold the keys to open and shut doors as per Your will (Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7), we ask for Your chosen men and women to be selected for each specific ministry.

    • Anoint Bibi to really know Your leading in the negotiations (Prov. 16:1, 9).

    • In this ego morass that Netanyahu has to deal with – remind him turn to You for help (Psa. 50:15).

    • Reduce the over-the-top demands from both the ultra-Orthodox and the religious Zionist Orthodox parties so that a viable coalition can be formed (Prov. 11:2; 13:10; 16:18).

  3. Netanyahu: We then prayed for PM Bibi Netanyahu himself.

    • Abba, if Bibi does not have a complete revelation of who You are in and through Your Son, his Messiah King Yeshua, please open his inner man to see you now (Matt. 16:16-17; John 14:7-9).

    • Thank You for raising Netanyahu up to lead Israel at just a time like this (Est. 4:14b).

    • Use his background as a historian to show him what to do now and in the near future.

    • Make him and his advisors like the sons of Issachar with an understanding of the times and a knowing of what Israel should do (2 Chr. 12:32).

    • Forbid that the legal issues he is facing would divert him from leading this nation with all the wisdom and courage that he needs (Jam. 1:8).

    • Protect this man and his family from all spiritual and physical attacks (Psa. 3:3).

    • In any area in which he is not thinking in line with Your will, turn his thinking around (Prov. 21:1).

  4. Peace deal: Once the Islamic holy month of Ramadan ends, around, June 5th, the US is supposed to unveil their peace deal. Recent rumors have us very concerned about what it contains.

    • Lord, if there is anything in this deal that offends You – do not allow it to be revealed (Prov. 25:2a).

    • For America's sake, we ask that the authors of this deal would take seriously the truth that You judge all nations that divide Your land and scatter Your people (Joel 3:1-2).

    • May the Jewish and Christian advisors around Trump read this passage in Joel and take it seriously (Psa. 119:89; 130).

    • Remove the quid pro quo that seems to be part of Trump's thinking in this deal.

    • Prepare Israeli negotiators to know what they can compromise on and what is forbidden (Num. 14:41).

    • Make the next Israeli government to be in one accord against any further division of Your land.

    • Remind Netanyahu that when he divided Hebron – his first government fell within weeks (Joel 3:1-2).

    • As Trump has been such a good friend of Israel's to this point – it will be very heard to say no to him. Yet we are encouraged when we remember Psalm 124: 7-8: 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.

  5. Today is Friday; we expect more demons-trations along the Gaza security fence. We are not just making a joke when we emphasis the "demons" in demonstrations. There really is a demonic force behind this unholy hatred of Israel that drives Gazan rioters to risk life and limb to throw stones at tanks and fully armed soldiers.

    • God, how long before You arise and scatter Your enemies (Psa. 68:1, 30)? Do it today!

    • Continue to keep the IDF forces alert, sharp and in clear communications with each other (Ezek. 37:10).

    • Lord, as You have often done in biblical times to Israel's enemies, set Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ] against Hamas and let them fight until they have no energy left to try and kill Israelis (Judg. 7:22).

    • PIJ boasted of starting the recent weekend war even as they were negotiating with Egypt for a cease-fire. Let the arrogance of this Iranian proxy enrage the Egyptians and let Egypt plan with Israel on how to uproot this terrorist arm of Iran (Isa. 19:24).

    • Cut off all of Iran's financial support to both PIJ and Hamas (Isa. 14:30:b).

    • Thank You that the Israeli communities near the Gaza border have grown and prospered even in the face of this constant bombardment. Truly You are faithful to fulfill Your Word (Jer. 29:10; 2 Chr. 36:21-22).

    • Lord Yeshua, walk through these communities and heal all – from the youngest to the oldest – of PTSDs and all other maladies from this battlefield (Matt. 8:16-17).

    • And please save multitudes on both sides of the Gaza fence (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13).

  6. Iran: The Islamic Republic of Iran is coming under increasing economic pressure from America as well as various "natural disasters" from the God of Israel. All this will either force it to give up its wicked ways – or, more likely – to strike out to try and relieve the pressure on, or divert the attention from, its wicked leaders. This just happened during the recent weekend war in Israel with Gaza.

    • May the sending of a US battle group into the Persian Gulf freak out Iran's leaders, causing them to make very bad geo-political decisions (Prov. 21:1).

    • Let the rules of engagement be super clear for this massive battle group (1 Cor. 14:8).

    • Make the coordination between the US forces and the IDF be seamless (Psa. 133:1).

    • Have mercy on the Iranians by removing their Shi'ite ayatollah overlords (Jer. 49:38a).

    • Confound Iran's "king and princes" and remove their scepter of authority (Jer. 49:38b).

    • Lord Yeshua, You said a house divided cannot stand (Mark 3:25). Please use the deep hatred between the Shi'ite and Sunni branches of Islam to bring down the principality of Islam once and for all!

    • As Muslims fast and seek for Allah during Ramadan, break in and reveal Yourself to many (Jer. 29:13).

    • Thank You for the growing Church in Iran (Matt. 16:18).

    • Give them a burden to intercede for their nation and for its relationship with Your nation (1 Tim. 2:1-4; Num. 24:9b).

    • From Zion, we bless our brothers and sisters in Iran – in the name of Yeshua (Psa. 134:3).

  7. Jerusalem: As this is Ramadan, which always brings an increase of terror attacks, we prayed for the Israeli security forces protecting this city and especially the Temple Mount in the Old City.

    • Thank You for restoring Jerusalem to Your people in that miraculous 1967 Six Day War (Joel 2:25).

    • Bless and protect all the security forces in and around the Old City and lead each one to Your assigned place for them (Neh. 4:16-18).

    • Give the security forces discernment to know who is innocent and who is not.

    • Watch over the security on the Temple Mount (Psa. 3:4).

    • Reveal and overturn all of the enemy's demonic plans during this time (Job 12:22).

    • Send special angelic protection to all of Israel's synagogues and public transportation (Psa. 35:5-6).

  8. Anti-Semitism and aliyah: We are amazed at the lack of movement on the part of Jews in exile as they see – especially in the West – the rise of the deadly spirit of anti-Semitism. When ostriches put their heads on the sand, their rumps make a very easy bullseye! Do Jews in exile really expect things to get better? This spiritual world ruler of anti-Semitism has been around since Pharaoh tossed Jewish sons into the Nile. This issue has become a major burden upon us at this time.

    • Lord, let Your people learn the lessons of history so that they do not need to repeat it (Deut. 8:18; 32:7).

    • For Your glory, continue to bring Your people home from the West (Isa. 43:5-7; Zech. 8:7-8).

    • Remove the pride of "We will not allow anti-Semitism to drive us out" (Prov. 16:18; Jer. 51:6-10), and let them see that this is the time of You releasing the hunters to specifically drive them home (Jer. 16:16).

    • For the sake of their children and grandchildren, let them come home now (Jer. 31:17)!

    • Use the German report on linking anti-Semitism with Islam to send a wake-up call to the Jews in all of the world.

    • Lord, please replace all congregational leaders – including in Messianic Jewish congregations – who are not preparing their people to make aliyah! Give them shepherds after Your own heart (Jer. 3:15).

    • Continue to use the fishers who are still out there to successfully fish Your people home (Jer. 16:16).

    • Anoint all organizations – both Jewish and Christian – who are actively helping to carry Your people back to Zion (Isa. 49:22; 60:8-11).

    • Provide them will all they need – financially and in wisdom and manpower.

    • Abba, may the new Israeli government have a genuine burden to see Your people come home and to help them to settle here (Isa. 62:10).

We finished our time together, praising God for how He is fulfilling His Word openly before the entire world and all forces of darkness that are trying to destroy His nation. What He is doing is not being done in a corner or under a basket – but openly so that no one will be left with any excuse of saying, "We did not know that this was Your hand!" As Isaiah says about Messiah Yeshua's first coming, the glory of YHWH shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of YHWH has spoken. (Isa. 40:5). We see this same principle working today in preparation for Messiah Yeshua's return.

Finally, Chuck Cohen will be ministering in the UK starting next week for a month. Please remember him in pray for ears to hear what the Lord would have him to say to the saints in Britain.

Blessings from Zion

The IFI team