1. Praise: Tomorrow evening starts the week long Passover/Unleavened Bread feast of the Lord, The Sunday of the Passover week is the feast of First Fruits (of the barley harvest) and the day when Yeshua rose from the dead. This is why Paul calls Him the first fruits in relation to His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23). This means that as He was accepted before God, the rest of the harvest – which is the rest of His Body – is also accepted! [The date of Passover this year makes it hard to see this, but in God's sovereign arrangement, that first day of the week after Yeshua was crucified, was the third day and that was when He rose out from the dead, leaving the tomb empty (1 Cor. 15:3-4).]

    • With everything happening in the world today, we bless You for the encouraging truth of the hymn which says, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow."

    • Lord Yeshua we praise You as the One who was incarnated, died and was then resurrected, and You are now alive forevermore (Rev. 1:18). Hallelujah!

    • We exalt You Yeshua, and proclaim You as Israel's King and the world's Savior, who is now seated on the right hand of God the Father (Psa. 110:1; Matt. 22:24; Eph. 1:20).

    • We thank You for interceding for us from that heavenly position right now (Rom. 8:34).

    • Praise You God as the power that raised Yeshua up from the dead is also at work in us (Rom. 8:11).

    • By Your resurrection You defeated death, and in You we also have victory over it (1 Cor. 15:55-57).

    • You are the One True God and there is none other beside You (1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 1:25).

    • Yeshua, You are Almighty as all authority in heaven and on earth is now Yours (Matt. 28:18).

    • We bless You for being a promise-keeping God and victorious over all (Num. 23:19; John 16:33).

    • With godly fear and awe, we see that in the Passover story, You destroyed the world's superpower suddenly (cp. Rev. 18:10, 17, 19).

  2. The Election results: Shabbat's Torah portion (Lev. 6:8-8:31) has Moses anointing Aaron and sons to minister as priests before the Lord. We prayed for an anointing from God to come on the next Israeli leaders so that they would serve His people in the His ways. We have prayed for God to do a new thing, yet so far, the result of the elections looks like a repeat of the last two elections.

    • From Shabbat's prophetic portion: Thus says YHWH, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast in his might; let not the rich man boast in his riches – but let him that boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am YHWH who exercises covenant-love, justice, and righteousness in the earth – for in these things I delight, says YHWH. (Jer. 9:23-24)

    • May all of Israel's politicians read this and let it sink deep into their minds and hearts.

    • Lord, anoint and strengthen those whom You choose to lead Israel in the near future (Psa. 80:17).

    • We still ask for You to do a new thing even in the face of the election results (Isa. 43:18-19).

    • We trust You to raise up those whom You want and to remove all others (Dan. 2:21; 4:17b).

    • Watch over Your promise: I will turn…purge away your dross, and take away all your tin, and I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counsellors as at the beginning, and after you shall be called, the city of righteousness, the faithful city. (Isa. 1:25-26)

    • As the parties negotiate to put a coalition together, release Your Spirit to brood over it all and bring order out of this political chaos – and please do it quickly (Gen. 1:2-4).

    • May the right-wing parties be humble enough to actually work together (Prov. 29:23; Jam. 4:10).

    • Help PM Bibi Netanyahu humble himself and make peace with those he has offended (Prov. 18:19).

    • Help those who have offended Netanyahu also humble themselves and set things right (Prov. 29:23).

    • In Your mercy, Lord, give Israel a strong and stable government that will bring Your kingdom goals forward and will aid Israel to be that light to the nations You are wanting it to be (Isa. 60:3).

    • Give Israel a government that will deal with the judicial overreach of Israel's Supreme Court (Deut. 1:16; 16:18; Prov. 8:16).

    • Please install a government in Israel that will do Your will and bring You glory (Psa. 115:1-3).

  3. Current government: We prayed that the baton of today's government would be passed on to the next one swiftly. Yet until that happens, the current government still rules. That can be dangerous as anything it does – whether right or not – could be seen as only for political purposes.

    • Abba, let the current government do what is needed to protect Your nation (Rom. 13:1-4).

    • Yet forbid this government from doing anything which is not in line with Your will (Prov. 16:9).

    • Show Israel's current leaders what must be dealt with now and what can wait (Eccl. 3:1).

    • Prevent the inconsistency between this and the next Israeli government that leads to the massive confusion and deep distress that we unfortunately see today in America (Luke 11:17).

    1. A response to the International Criminal Court's [ICC] "war-crimes" investigation against the IDF cannot wait for the next government, yet Israel's policy towards this must be consistent.

      • Give Israel's government wisdom to know how to respond to the ICC's investigation (Dan. 2:21).

      • Lord, let every Israeli government denounce the ICC's accusation that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria are "war-crimes", and let them use Your Word to do it (Gen. 12:7; 15:18; Deut. 34:4)!

      • In fact, let the next government extend Israeli sovereignty over all these settlements (Amos 9:15).

      • Show Israel's government how to handle the ICC – whether to actively defend itself, or as Israel is not a member and the ICC has no real jurisdiction over it, to just ignore it (Prov. 26:4-5).

      • Thank You for those non- Israelis who are fighting on behalf of Israel on this issue (Isa. 60:10, 14).

      • Let this ungodly, anti-Semitic attack on Israel bring about a reworking of the international rules of war to cover the loopholes that terrorist organizations use to hide behind (Psa. 35:19-26; Isa. 13:11).

    2. Covid-19: We prayed for consistency in the government's guidelines in this battle.

      • Continue to guide and modify all regulations concerning Covid-19 in Israel (Prov. 19:21; 20:24).

      • Please protect all personal data of Israelis from being shared with any Pharmacy companies.

      • Aid the development of the Israeli version of a vaccine against Covid-19 (Prov. 2:1-8).

      • Show Israel's government how to reopen the economy and the schools (Psa. 23:3b; 32:8-9).

      • Be the One who hand-picks the next Israeli Health Minister (Psa. 75:5-7)

      • Thank You for Israel's sharp decrease in morbidity and deaths from Covid-19 (Jer. 30:17a).

      • Show the Body how to relate to each other in love and to be an example to the rest of the nation in this very confusing – and at times overwhelming – situation with this pandemic (1 Cor. 13:4-8a).

      • Help the Body to view this situation from our position of being seated in heavenly places and to see that regardless of the what, how, and why of this pandemic – our God still reigns (Isa. 52:7)!

    3. US President Biden: As we see the people he has chosen to deal with Israel and the Middle East, we sincerely hope and pray that the American Church is standing in the gap for their nation which seems to be sliding deeper into God's valley of judgment (Joel 3:1-2).

      • Protect Israel from all well-meaning "friends" – whether America or any other nation - who pressure it to do anything that is against Your Word (Psa. 41:9).

      • Thank You for all the support from America – yet please wake up US believers to truly understand their danger if their leaders do pressure Israel to walk in unbiblical paths (Num. 24:9b).

      • Restrain the US from applying pressure on Israel, especially during this transition time (Zech. 2:5).

      • As Biden's proposed policy on the Israeli-Palestinian issue reverts back to Obama's wicked anti-Israel policies, please protect Israel from caving in (Lev. 25:23; Deut. 31:7).

      • Continue to cut all ungodly ties between Israel and the US (Num. 23:9; Isa. 31:1-3; Jer. 17:5-8).

      • Overrule in the selection of the next US Ambassador to Israel (Prov. 21:1).

      • Help Gilad Erdan, Israel's US and UN ambassador perceive truth and not be deceived (Prov. 12:16).

      • Place Your Word in his mouth in both the UN and in the White House (Acts 26:25).

      • Reveal to Your Body, in America and globally, that the land of Israel being restored to Your people is a high priority in Your sight, as its restoration is for Your holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:1-36).

      • Let them see in Your Word that their nation's treatment of Israel is the root of Your judgment on their nations (Gen. 12:3a; Jer. 30:20). [Why God Judges Nations]

  4. Security – external: Israel has not only been striking Iranian targets in Syria, but reportedly its navy has been disrupting Iranian shipments of weapons and oil to Lebanon and Syria as well. One area we need to continue to cover in prayer is the Hizbullah threat from Lebanon.

    • Thank You for using the Israeli navy to hinder Iran's plans to destroy Your nation (Psa. 107:23-24)

    • We bless You for raising up IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and for his newly formed IDF Iran Command Division for just a time like this (Prov. 21:31).

    • Anoint them to hear from You how to defend Israel against Iran and her proxies (Prov. 21:30).

    • Recognizing that Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria is the most immediate threat to Israel, we ask You to add incense to all of IFI's previous prayers in past years against this terrorist group (Rev. 8:3-5).

    • Place Your hook in their jaw and draw them into Your trap (Ezek. 38:4).

    • Remove the scepter of authority from Hezbollah's leader Nasrallah and then bring division, chaos and confusion into the whole organization (Psa. 129:5; Isa. 14:5; Jer. 17:18; Zech. 14:13).

    • Break the link between Hezbollah and Iran, destroying Hezbollah's money supply (Jer. 51:36).

    • Guard all the IDF soldiers who are guarding Israel against its' enemies (Psa. 121:3-4).

    • Reinforce the IDF with a host of angels to help watch over Israel (Psa. 35:4-8).

  5. Security – internal: Will the Palestinians have an election in May? And if they do, will Hamas, the terrorists rulers in Gaza, win again – like in the last election – and if so, what should Israel do?

    • If after Palestinian elections there is a "civil" war – show Israel what to do and not do (Prov. 26:17).

    • If Hamas wins and becomes rulers over Judea and Samaria, God use that to pressure Israel to extend sovereignty over all of Your land – from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea (Deut. 34:1-4).

    • Lord, thank You for the sharp decrease in deaths from terror attacks over the past year (Jer. 31:10).

    • Please keep the IDF and other security forces on high alert during the Passover week (Rom. 13:3-4).

    • Uncover any terrorists plans before they bear their demonic fruit (Job 12:22).

    • Lord, protect all Israel's transportation hubs, bus stops and vehicles (Deut. 28:6).

    • Please prevent any successful kidnapping attempts (Ex. 21:16; 1 Tim. 1:9-10).

    • If settlers defend themselves in a lawful manner, let the rest of Israel support them (Psa. 18:48).

    • Shield Israel from rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza (Psa. 5:12; 91:5).

  6. Salvation & aliyah over Passover: As Jewish families sit down at the Passover meal and read how the blood of the lamb protected them from God's final judgment on Egypt, the connection is seldom made between that and Yeshua, the Lamb of God, who also protects us from God's judgements. This shows that there is still a veil over most Jewish eyes, yet praise God, more and more Jews are seeing the Light (John 12:46).

    • Lord, over the festive week, challenge many Jews to read in the Bible the story of the Exodus, and while they do, open their hearts to see Yeshua, the true Lamb of God (Ex. 12:1-51; John 1:29).

    • In Exodus 12, You state that the Passover is the Lamb. Show Your people that it was the lamb's blood and not the feast which saved them from Your judgments (Ex. 12:11, 13, 21, 25, 27)

    • Move on the homes of ultra-orthodox Jews and use their, at times, burdensome Passover traditions to stir up their hearts to seek a new and deeper relationship with You (Jer. 29:13).

    • As new immigrants celebrate their first Passover in the land, let them lift their voices in praise to You for bringing them out of their "Egypt" and into the Promised Land (Josh. 5:10-11).

    • Lord, for those who have heard the gospel, harvest many of them for You this year (1 Cor. 3:6).

    • Save all unbelieving family members of Messianic Jews (Josh. 2:18; 6:25; Acts 16:31).

    • As Jews throughout the world at the end of the Passover meal declare "Next year in Jerusalem," use this declaration to resonate in them, creating a desire to actually return home (Psa. 137:4).

    • For all Jews who do not perceive their "bondage" in exile, please release them from their deception and captivity, and bring them home to meet their Messiah (Jer. 50:19-20; Zech. 12:1-10).

    • Provide protection worldwide for all Your people during this Passover season (Psa. 121:4).

    • Thank You for all of the new immigrants who returned in 2020. Bring more in 2021 (Isa. 43:5-7)!

    • For those who made enquiries during the pandemic but have now settled back into their routines, stir up a renewed urgency in their hearts to make aliyah (Jer. 16:16).

    • Bring whole communities home – especially from places like China, India, Iran and South America.

    • While European Jews are in lockdown over Passover, let them see the opening of Israel's society and provoke them to jealousy to want to be part of what You are doing here (Jer. 50:4-8).

    • Reduce Israel's bureaucratic and any unbiblical requirements to make aliyah (Isa. 62:10).

    • Give the new government a heart for both aliyah and the settling of the new immigrants (Jer. 30:3).

    • As You used Your church in history to pray for the establishment of the State of Israel, use them now to see a completion of that work as all Your people in exile return to the land and to You through their Messiah Yeshua (Jer. 31:6-9; Ezek. 36:37; 39:28-29; John 15:6).

  7. Water: We are having a chilly Passover season in Israel, with more rain. Hallelujah!

    • Thank You for all the rain you have already provided this year in Israel (Matt. 5:45; Jam. 5:18).

    • Be gracious to this, Your land, and send more rain (Lev. 26:42; Jer. 14:22).

    • Fill the Sea of Galilee completely as a sign of Your goodness and glory (Isa. 41:17-20; Zech. 10:1).

Shabbat shalom v'hag Pesach sameach – have a joyous Passover feast

For the IFI team