1. We opened with reading the whole of Psalm 61.

   • Hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.Psalm 61:1-3

   • We rejoice in Your faithfulness and rest in Your sovereignty.

   • Thank you that You never change. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

   • Our peace is in You. (Ephesians 2:14)

   • The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.Psalm 18:46

   • You have a plan from the foundations of the earth and You are able to perform it. We rest in You. (Jeremiah 29:11)

   • Praise You, our God and risen Saviour.

   • We bless You that You are able to complete that which You have begun. (Philippians 1:6)

   • You are worthy of praise because with You nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37)

2. Fire - We have had dozens of communities severely damaged in massive heat-wave induced fires over the last 24 hours. As many as 3500 homes have been affected in a number of villages. Today’s forecast is for a continuation of the heat with temperatures all over the country in the high 30’s and up to the 40’s. Spring’s fresh green grass has dried to yellow and our fields are tinder dry. Benjamin Netanyahu has asked for international assistance to fight the flames.

   • We ask for our fire fighters for safety, strength and effectiveness. Watch over them and bless their rest. (Psalm 3:5)

   • Lord God, please oversee the winds that they may not stir up and blow the fires into fresh destruction. (Psalm 104:3)

   • Make Your people careful in their behavior and vigilant to watch for new fires.

   • We beseech You to hedge in those with evil intent, thinking of arson.

   • O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.  As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest  and terrify them with your hurricane. Fill their faces with shame, so that they may seek your name, O Lord.Psalm 83:14-16

   • Thank You for the help from the nations. Thank You that there has been no loss of life.

   • Comfort the communities affected by fires. Supply their needs and heal the shock and trauma that within their hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

3. Coalition - The ability to form a working coalition has been eluding Netanyahu. He has been trying since elections on April 9th and has until 28th May to present a coalition plan to President Rivlin. Yesterday he called an emergency meeting of his potential coalition partners. Avigdor Liberman, one of the most outspoken in his demands, refused to attend the meeting. We are left with many questions. Will Liberman make a viable partner in any coalition? Will Netanyahu decide to form a minority coalition of 60 members out of 120? Will he decide to go to reelection?

   • O God of Israel, we ask You for Your perfect will for us right now. The government is on Your shoulders. (Isaiah 9:6) In Your mercy, grant us leaders who will work in unity for the good of the country.

   • Place the fear of God on the hearts of those who are negotiating for positions in the coalition. Curb ungodly ambitions and break stubborn wills. (Proverbs 9:10)

   • It is our desire before You, that we should have a strong and cohesive government, a fitting government, with people in the appropriate positions. (Isaiah 22:21)

   • May the new government be formed in Your perfect time. Yeshua, preserve us from new elections unless this is Your plan for this time. (Psalm 31:15)

   • During this time of negotiations, be a shield around our nation. Do not allow our enemies to take advantage of this situation. (Deuteronomy 33:29)

4. Ramadan - During the month of Ramadan, we pray for special protection. This period of fasting and prayer by the Muslims releases a spiritual intensity that often results in displays of violence. We pray specifically for safety in Jerusalem during Friday prayers on the Temple Mount when thousands of worshipers come from out of town for these times of prayer.

   • This country is the apple of Your eye, and Jerusalem is where You have placed Your name. Please be our shield. (Zechariah 2:8) (2 Chronicles 6:20)

   • You have said that You are a wall of fire around Your people.

   • For I will be a wall of fire all around it, says the Lord, and I will be the glory within it.Zechariah 2:5

   • Let not Israel be caught off guard by anything that happens. As our security forces are stretched thin fighting physical fires, contain the fires of hatred. May there be peace on our streets.

   • Be with our soldiers and security personnel in this heat. Protect them and keep them alert. May they be able to discern the good from those with evil intent. (Psalm 121:4)

   • Reveal Yourself to Your enemies during this season, that the spiritual revelation that they seek may result in a revelation of You.

5. Gaza - A cease fire with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the leadership within the Gaza envelope, has been negotiated to last for six months. In the past, these cease fire agreements have been subject to being broken at a moments notice. This week, during the heat wave, incendiary devices have been sent once again into the fields on the Israeli side of the fence.

   • We have come to You repeatedly with prayers for this area over a long time. You do not become weary with our prayers. So we come to You again today asking for mercy and protection. Thank You that You will hear us. (Luke 18:2-8)

   • May the cease fire hold, may the heat keep everyone at home, and may the residents of Sderot have a peaceful Shabbat. (John 14:27)

   • Lord of Hosts, care for our soldiers standing guard at the fence in this heat. Be there shelter on their right hand. (Psalm 121:6)

   • May there be a great harvest of souls on both sides of the border.

   • So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.Galatians 6:9

   • Abba help us not to become weary in intercession. Thank You for Your answers to our prayers of the past.

6. Northern Borders - The threats on our northern borders remain complex. Hezbollah continually maneuvers to improve their position against Israel. In Syria, accusations have been made again this week of Israeli activity within Syria. The U.S. has accused Syria of the use once again of chemical weapons. And as always, Iran lurks in wait to see where they can cause damage to Israel, whether directly or through proxies.

   • With the amassing of multiple enemies with common purposes on these borders, we claim Your protection.

   • They may build, but I will tear down, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.  Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, ‘Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel!’Malachi 1:4b-5

   • You are the omniscient God. Provide the IDF with sound intelligence that will enable them to know how and when to act. Protect those who provide this information for us. (Isaiah 54:7)

   • Curb, we pray, the ambitions of Iran against Israel. Rise up against the wicked regime inside Iran. (Jeremiah 49:35-38)

   • Be with the cyber units of Israel. Use them to bring down the Iranian systems, but protect us against their attacks.

7. “Deal of the Century” - We understand that the plan is for the economic aspects of this proposed peace plan to be revealed at the upcoming conference in Bahrain being held June 25-26. Currently, the Palestinian Authority have announced that they are boycotting the event. Our prayers are for the Israeli leadership to have wisdom to know how to respond to these initial revelations.

   • Abba, for years You have protected us from the demands to divide the land. You know what is in this plan. Continue to protect us from agreeing to divide Your land. (Joel 3:2)

   • It is hard to say “no” to a good friend. Steel our government from saying “yes” to the wrong thing.

   • Thank You for the stubbornness of the Palestinian Authority. Continue to harden their hearts in accordance with Your will. (Psalm 2:1-4)

   • Protect Israel from coercion into making bad agreements. (Psalm 125:3)

8. Anti-Semitism - We have only to open the newspapers to see fresh stories of anti-semitic attacks worldwide. The numbers and aggressiveness of these attacks if rising. Let us pray that the Lord will use this difficult situation for His purposes of bringing His people home.

   • You have sent the fishers and now You are calling the hunters to bring Your people home to Israel. (Jeremiah 16:16)

   • Open ears and hearts. Take away the fear of the new and unknown and draw them to this land.

   • In particular we ask that You will work in young people and young families who are often more mobile. Speak to their idealism and enthusiasm.

   • Open the gates of the Ministry of the Interior and cut the bureaucracy.

   • Thank You for the organizations that are burdened with helping new immigrants. Bless them and enable them to continue.

9. IFI leadership - Chuck is currently in the U.K. ministering. He will be involved in the conference at Red Hill before going on to take part in the conference in Blairmore, Scotland. Eliyahu is preparing for his trip to join Chuck in Scotland.

   • We ask for Your hand upon both our brothers as they travel and give safety.

   • Yeshua, may they have a fresh anointing as they prepare to bring Your message at this time. Give them Your words for Your people.

   • Draw those to the conferences that You desire to be there.

   • Watch over the families that remain at home.

Shabbat Shalom to you from Jerusalem from the IFI team.