1. Praise:

    The modern nation of Israel celebrated its 74th birthday this past week and the census bureau reported that there are over 7 million Jews now living in the Jewish State. To paraphrase what a government minister said on Israel's birthday several years ago, Israel is 74 years old today – give or take 3,500 years!

    • Lord, we praise You for watching over Your Word to perform it in history today (Jer. 1:12).

    • Thank You for the over 7,000,000 Jews who live in Israel today, as this is a fulfillment of Your word that You would multiply the sons of Israel (Isa. 49:19-21; Zech. 8:1-8).

    • We bless You for Your promise to Rachel coming to pass today, that after weeping for her children, There is hope in your future…that your children shall come back to their own border (Jer. 31:17).

    • We rejoice to also see Your Word in Shabbat's prophetic portion being fulfilled as Your people are building the ruined cities, planting gardens and drinking wine from their own vineyards (Amos 9:14).

    • We take great comfort in Your promise in this Shabbat's prophetic portion that Israel will no longer be uprooted for its land that You have given them (Amos 9:14-15).

    • Praise You that You never change Your essential nature (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8).

    • Relating to the previous praise, it is amazing to read in Shabbat's Torah portion in Leviticus 19 that You state to Israel ten times, I am YHWH your God!

    • What a joy it is to co-labor with You in prayer; thank You for inviting us to do that (Heb. 4:16).

  2. Aliyah:

    Immigrants [olim] from Ukraine and Russia are still pouring in. Putin's invasion has stirred up many Jews in both nations to come home – and that is an answer to prayer.

    • Lord God, while You never said all things are good – Your Word does say that You are sovereign enough and powerful enough to cause all things to work together for the good of those You have called for Your purpose – which is definitely the Jewish people (Rom. 8:28)! Thank You.

    • Use this Russian invasion to stir up all the Jews in Europe to see that their exile is over (Jer. 51:6).

    • Thank You for the 42,000 new olim in Israel since 2021's Independence Day (Isa. 54:2-3).

    • We stand in fear of You as we see how You have used the coronavirus plague, the increase in anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, as well as the Russian invasion to shake Jews out of exile (Jer. 16:16).

    • Seeing this, we ask for much mercy as You bring the rest of Your people home (Ezek. 39:27-29).

    • Show Jews in exile that aliyah today is about saving their lives – not their lifestyles (Jer. 31:8-10)!

    • Let Israelis who live in exile also see what is happening and come home quickly (Psa. 137:4-6).

    • Do not let the massive anti-Israel rhetoric in the nations today hold back any Jew from returning to the land You promised them (Num. 13:32-14:1).

    • In nations which have trapped their Jews, break the trap and carry them home (Psa. 124:6-8).

    • Remove all obstacles from their way – both outside of as well as in Israel (Isa. 57:14).

    • Bless Israel's Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Pnina Tamano-Shata, and give her courage and tenacity to do what she has been raised up by You to accomplish (Psa. 75:6-7).

    • Use her to shake the government so that bringing home all the rest of the 9,000 or so Ethiopian Jews who are in a war zone, and are still waiting to return, becomes an urgent mission (Isa. 43:6b).

    • Settle as many of the new immigrants as possible in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, the Jordan Valley and in the Negev – in affordable housing (Jer. 32:41-44).

    • May more believers in Yeshua understand Your actions with Israel in these days (Luke 21:28).

  3. Government:

    There are indications that once the government ends its "spring break", which will be this coming Monday, it will not last much longer. Whether this occurs or not, we pray for Israel's current government in line with how we have been praying ever since it took over. Also, if new elections are called, the current government remains in power for the three months leading up to the elections and then during the time following until a new government coalition is agreed upon.

    • Thank You Lord, that You reign over all, including Israel's current coalition (Psa. 103:19).

    • If it is time for a new government, do it in the most effective way possible – whether through new elections or by shifting parties in the Knesset to form a new right-wing coalition (Dan. 2:21; 5:21b).

    • Lord, as You have allowed this coalition of very diverse parties to rule in Israel today, we again ask You to guide them to do all that is Your will and block them from all else (Psa. 33:10-11; Matt. 6:10).

    • Let them focus on Your priorities for the rest of the time that You have set for them (Lev. 22:31).

    • Do not allow Ra'am, the Israel-Arab Islamic party, convince the government to hand over any more authority on the Temple Mount to the Kingdom of Jordan (Joel 3:17; Obad. 1:16).

    • In fact, forbid Ra'am's leader, Mansour Abbas, from being able to force through any decision that is against Your will (Prov. 16:9; 20:24).

    • Bring Prime Minister Naftali Bennett back to his Zionist roots (Jer. 2:2-5).

    • Show him that to have any political future which would be blessed by You, he needs to publically repent of his betrayal of all those who voted for him (Job 42:5-6; Matt. 3:8).

    • Guide Bibi Netanyahu, the head of the opposition, so that his actions and words are focused on what is best for Israel and not on what is best for himself (2 Sam. 23:1-4).

    • Lord, if it is time for Netanyahu to retire from politics, please show us whom You want to take his place so that we can pray for this person to be all that You will call them to be (1 John 5:14-15).

  4. Internal security:

    Shabbat's prophetic reading is Amos 9:7-15 which confirms that God has given all of His land to His people. This means that for Israel to have any real peace, it must extend its sovereignty over all of the land – including Southern Lebanon up to the Litani River and all of the Gaza Strip. (Some see all of the Sinai as part of God's Promised Land as well.)

    • Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that…I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, and drink its wine; they shall make gardens, and eat its fruit. And I will plant them upon 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

    • From Shabbat's Torah portion: You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it…: I am YHWH your God, who has separated you from other people. (Lev. 20:24)

    • Lord, as we have just observed Israel's Remembrance Day for its fallen soldiers, we thank You for every life that has been laid down fighting against Israel's enemies since the state was formed in 1948, as well as in the many decades before that (John 15:13).

    • May their remembrance during this past week encourage Israel's security forces today with faith and courage to perceive how important it is to physically fight for Your people to live (Isa. 41:15-16).

    • Comfort those who remembered their lost loved ones and bring them to Your Son (Isa. 40:1-2).

    • [For security reasons Israel always places a closure on all entry by Palestinians over Memorial and Independence Days. While we hate to see it ghettoize itself just to remain safe, yet until Israel extends its sovereignty over all the land promised to it, this will need to continue.] Lord, show Israel how to possess all of its possessions – in Your time and in Your way (Psa. 31:15; Obad. 1:17).

    • As the IDF's leadership plans their strategy for the protection of Israel, pour out on them a healthy biblical fear of You, and remove from them all fear of man (Psa. 56:11; 118:6-9).

    • Prepare Israel for the day after Palestinian Authority President Abbas is no longer around.

    • If, as we expect, chaos and infighting will then break out among the Palestinians, show Israel if this is the time to extend its sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria (Num. 33:55).

    • Guide Israel's security forces to know how to deal swiftly and harshly with any Israeli-Arab who acts in a traitorous manner against the Jewish State (Eccl. 8:11).

    • [As this alert was being finished, last night there was a terror attack in Elad, killing three Jewish Israelis, and leaving a total of 16 children without their fathers! There were also four Israelis seriously injured.] Abba, comfort the wives and children of these men who were so suddenly and viciously murdered (Deut. 10:17-18; Psa. 61:1-2; 68:5).

    • Enable the injured to be healed completely and quickly (Psa. 30:2; 107:20).

    • Guide the security forces to be able to capture or kill the two Arab terrorists before they are able to commit any other acts of terrorism (Gen. 9:6; Deut. 19:11-18).

  5. External security:

    Iran continues to threaten Israel almost daily. And although Iran has Israel surrounded via its various Middle East proxies – God also has Israel surrounded! Hallelujah!

    • Behold He who guards Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.Psa. 121:4

    • Thank You for promising that in the time when You regather Your scattered people, You will watch over Israel as a shepherd watches over his flock (Jer. 31:10).

    • Lord, You said numerous times that You would curse those who cursed Israel (Gen. 12:3a; 27:29; Num. 24:9b; Jer. 30:20), therefore we ask You to arise and deal with Iran's demonic leaders who constantly do exactly this (Psa. 68:30b; Jer. 49:38b).

    • Help Israel to remain on high alert against Iran and all its various proxies and not to be distracted by all of the chaos that is happening in the rest of the world (2 Chr. 20:12).

    • Use the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to show Israel the danger of trusting in "diplomacy" instead of trusting in You and making sure its military might and its geographic advantages are maintained.

    • Protect all of Israel's spies in Iran and among its proxies from being discovered (Psa. 17:8; 27:5).

    • Provide them with accurate actionable intelligence and guard them from deception (Job 12:22).

    • Expose all of the enemies' spies to Your light (Job 34:22).

    • Nullify every plot coming from Iran or her proxies to harm Israel (Isa. 54:17).

    • Cause dissension between Iran, its proxies and its allies (Psa. 55:9; 129:5).

    • Unify the Iranian Church in their love for You and for Your nation, Israel (John 13:35).

    • Lord Yeshua, help our Iranian family to grow numerically and spiritually (1 Thess. 5:23-24).

    • Place modern "sons of Issachar" in the IDF's Iran Command (1 Chr. 12:32).

    • If a pre-emptive strike against Iran's military and its nuclear facilities is Your will for the IDF, we ask You to guide Israel every step of the way with light from on high (Prov. 4:18; 21:31).

    • Show Bennett, Foreign Minister Lapid and Defense Minister Gantz that agreeing to clear all military moves with America first is a grievous error which they need to renounce today (Psa. 118:8-10).

    • Speed up Israel's development of cutting edge weaponry, including laser technology (Prov. 8:12).

    • Make Israel's military strikes aimed at stopping Iran from setting up a military presence in Syria even more effective (Psa. 44:4-5).

  6. Salvation:

    While Israelis rejoiced this past week on Israel's 74th Independence Day, the true independence that all Israelis – in fact all peoples – need is independence from the power of sin, and dependence on God. And both of these are found only in Yeshua.

    • Lord Yeshua, You are the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), and only through knowing You are people truly set free from their old sin nature (John 8:32).

    • Israel is that nation prophesied to be born in a day (Isa. 66:8), so God use this amazing fulfillment to provoke more unsaved Jews to read all of the Tanach [the Old Testament] (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

    • Remove Your veil from their eyes so that they may see Your truth (Rom. 11:7-8, 25-26).

    • As You promised, pour out Your Spirit, turning many Jewish hearts to Your Son (Joel 2:28, 32).

    • Use all the seeds that have been planted by believers in Jewish and Muslim hearts to bring forth a huge harvest for Your holy name's sake at this time (1 Cor. 3:6-7).

    • As many Ukrainian Jews had to leave their husbands and fathers in Ukraine to fight, we ask for a huge miracle: let these families in Israel and their men in Ukraine both have salvation experiences with Messiah Yeshua (John 20:26-29; Acts 16:31).

    • In line with Isaiah 61:3, may this be the time To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of YHWH, that He might be glorified.

  7. Water:

    The Sea of Galilee is very close to being totally full. And while the normal rainy season in Israel is over, the weather has often turned chilly with light rain over the land. In fact, as I finished this alert, we had a brief rain shower in Jerusalem. We do see a change in the climate, but we know that our God is allowing that. So there is still a chance for the Sea of Galilee to be full. Let's ask Him specifically for that.

  8. IFI:

    Thank you for praying for us in all areas from spiritual encouragement to physical strength to financial provision. Our greatest need is to be able to hear the voice of our Shepherd as He leads us in intercession.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

For the IFI team

2 John 1:3