Today Is Shavuot on the Biblical Calendar

1. The following FRIDAY PRAYER POINTS are via the Intercessors for Israel and the photo is courtesy of Babette DuPlessis-Biddlecombe

   Praise:

   Today is Shavuot on the biblical calendar. This is the feast day when according to Jewish calculations Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai. The Body of Messiah recalls that on this feast of God, known in Christianity as Pentecost, which is always celebrated on Sunday, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early disciples (Acts 2) as the indwelling Comforter [+ Intercessor; Advocate; Helper] (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7), and today indwells all who are grafted into the New Covenant made through Yeshua’s death and resurrection.

   • Lord, we bless and thank You for Your “teachings” [which is what the word Torah, translated as “law,” basically means] which are our guide in our new life with You (Psa. 94:12; 119:97, 165).
   • We praise You for Your Word which provides light for our path and for the fact that it does not return to You void, but accomplishes all of Your purposes (Psa. 119:105; Isa. 55:11).
   • Your Word is a wonderful gift to us, as it helps us to perceive in many ways what You are doing in the world at this time (Psa. 36:9; 119:105; 130; Prov. 6:23).
   • We also thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit who helps us to interpret Your teachings in a way much more in line with what was Your original intent (1 Cor. 2:13; 12:3; Eph. 3:5).
   • We bless You for showing us that the law without the Spirit can cause us to dry up – while the Spirit without Your law can cause us to blow up – but both together helps us to grow up (2 Sam. 23:2; Prov. 1:23; Isa. 59:21; John 6:63; Eph. 6:17)!
   • We praise You that Your saving grace enables us to receive Your Spirit (John 7:39; 14:17).
   • We rejoice in You Lord Yeshua, the Living Word of God, and thank You that one of the main goals of the Holy Spirit is to glorify You in and through us today (John 16:12-14).
   • Thank You that because You never change, we can rely on Your faithfulness (Mal. 3:6).

   • In all things give thanks, for this is God’s will in Messiah Yeshua concerning you.1 Thess. 5:18

2. Government & society:

   The weekly demonstrations go on, but now they not only demonstrate against the judicial reform, but also against the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox], a lack of peace and even at times, for a Palestinian State. Apparently what the opposition and some Israelis are trying to do is support anything that can bring down PM Bibi Netanyahu’s right-wing government.

   • Lord, hasten the day when You make us one on Your mountains (Ezek. 37:21-22).
   • Show the government ministers how to compromise for the greater good, yet also warn them not to compromise when to do so would be to go against Your will (Prov. 13:10; Acts 4:19).
   • Give the Haredi a change of heart so that they desire to do what is best for the nation and that they also see the need to walk as one with the rest of Israeli society (Jer. 32:39).
   • Thank You for the coalition passing the two-year budget this week (Prov. 20:24; Lam. 3:37).
   • As the budget is now put into effect, guard against any misuse or waste of finances, and enable the funds be used efficiently for their intended purpose (Ex. 16:17-18).
   • Vaccinate all Israeli ministers against being infected by the love-of-money virus (1 Tim. 6:10).
   • We praise You for the provision in the budget covering the needs of Jewish expansion in the Negev and the Galilee areas, as well as an increased budget for the police (Isa. 35:1; 51:3).
   • Help the IDF to use the allocated funds wisely and to eliminate as much waste as possible.
   • Now with the budget set, Lord, let the judicial reform pass swiftly so that Isaiah 1:25-27 will be fulfilled sooner rather than later.
   • Create godly checks and balances between the judges and the legislators (Prov. 8:20; 14:34; 16:12).
   • Raise up an Ezra who can help oversee the judicial reform with God-given wisdom (Ezra 7:25).
   • Forbid Israel’s anti-Bibi media from being swallowed by most of Your people (Psa. 78:36-37).
   • Use this feast of Shavuot to draw members of Israel’s governing coalition to Yourself and pour out Your fear and a spirit of humility upon them – before You and each other (Psa. 81:13-16).
3. Internal security:

   God told us a few years ago that the only way Israel would have any kind of “peace and safety” before Messiah’s return is if it extends sovereignty over all of the land west of the Jordan River and retakes Gaza. While this seems counterintuitive, His thoughts and ways are not ours (Isa. 55:8-9).

   • With the budget passed, let ministers who campaigned that they would push for Israel to extend its rule over consensus areas start the process so that this becomes a reality (Psa. 15:4; Eccl. 5:5).
   • Aid Finance Minister Smotrich move ahead with his campaign promises to bring all communities in Judea and Samaria under Israeli civil administration (Deut. 1:8, 21).
   • Lord God, if need be, like in 1967, arrange circumstances so that Israel must do this (Psa. 33:10-11).
   • Speak clearly to Israelis out of Isaiah 54:2-3 and create faith in them to obey this at this time.
   • Deafen the government to the inevitable criticism of the nations when they obey You and start to possess their God-given possessions (Obad. 1:17-20).
   • Again, we ask for angelic protection on Israel’s roads against terror attacks and accidents (Prov. 3:6).
   • Lord God of hosts, download Your plans for the eventual retaking of Gaza (Prov. 21:31).
   • Use the recently finished “Operation Shield & Arrow” to increase the fear of You and of the IDF in the minds and hearts of all Israel’s enemies, especially the Palestinians (Deut. 2:25; 2 Chr. 17:10).
   • Protect the IDF troops operating nightly against the various Palestinian terror groups (Deut. 33:29).
   • Provide them with good intelligence, a sound plan of action, and continued miraculous success in carrying out their missions (Psa. 44:4-6; 68:35; Zech. 10:3, 5).
   • Shield all who serve in the IDF from distractions and discouragement (Psa. 37:24; 42:5, 11; 43:5).
   • Guard and give great discernment to all who gather and examine intelligence for Israel (Job 12:22).
   • Enable Israel and the IDF to develop and use Artificial Intelligence [AI] with great wisdom, while preventing them from viewing it as some type of “god” (Isa. 44:10-21).
   • Hasten the completion Israel’s Iron Beam laser weapon and quickly bring it to the battle (Zech. 2:5).
   • Fill Palestinian believers with Your Spirit at this time and use them to have a godly impact on their family, their friends and their society (Acts 9:31).
4. External security:

   God is showing Israel that there is no nation that will stand with it – and so it must look to and trust in Him alone. This is a wonderful, yet frightening, position to be in.

   • From the prophetic portion: You marched through the land in indignation; You threshed the nations in anger. You went out for the salvation of Your people, even for salvation with Your Anointed; You crushed the head of the house of the wicked…Selah. (Hab. 3:12-13; cp. Gen. 3:15)
   • Lord, continue to separate Israel from the nations so that Numbers 23:9b will be fulfilled.
   • Show Israel when it is time to wipe the dust off its feet and leave the UN (Luke 10:11).
   • Block Israel from agreeing to a normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia if it means that it needs to approve the creation of a Palestinian State on Your land (Lev. 25:23; Joel 3;1-2).
   • God, use the renewed demonstrations in Iran against the Iranian regime after they executed three Iranians arrested at the demonstrations last year to finally remove the regime’s authority (Jer. 49:38b).
   • Let the swiftly shrinking Iranian economy become further fuel for ita citizens to declare to their radical Islamic Shi’ite regime, “Enough!” (Prov. 28:15; Zeph. 3:3).
   • Lord, cause Iran’s religious leadership to panic over its demographic crisis as Iranians are not having enough children to sustain that nation into the near future (Psa. 113:7-9; 127:3-4).
   • Protect and save the Iranian people by removing that regime suddenly (Prov. 29:2; Hab. 3:2).
   • Use the Iranian church’s intercession to hasten Your plans for that nation (Jam. 5:16).
   • Prepare Israel to be Your weapon of war against Iran and all of its proxies throughout the Middle East who are in agreement to wipe out Your nation (Psa. 83:1-5; Jer. 51:20-24).
   • Since You are still that God who was called a “Man of war,” release a supernatural fear and panic to accompany any Israeli attack (Ex. 15:3; 23:27; Psa. 24:8; Rev. 19:11-21).
   • If Israel attacks Iran, and/or Hizbullah in Lebanon, let it not be a lukewarm effort, but guide them to totally destroy these very real threats against Israel and the rest of the world (Jer. 51:25-26).
   • God, arise and against Hizbullah who are constantly threatening to destroy Israel (Psa. 35:1-8).
   • Prevent them, or any other terrorist groups, from successfully kidnapping any Israelis (Psa. 121:4).
   • Judge harshly every nation that still trades with, and so supports, Iran financially (Eccl. 8:6).
   • Not unto us, YHWH, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory, for Your mercy, and Your truth’s sake. Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ But our God is in the heavens, and He has done whatever He has pleased. (Psa. 115:1-3) Amen!
5. Aliyah:

   The return of His people to His land is central to what God is doing today. It proves that God is fulfilling His promises by watching over His Word, (Jer. 1:12). It will also lead to all Israel being saved (Zech. 12:10), which hastens the return of Messiah (Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 23:37-39).

   • Lord, set every Jew free who is trapped in nations that are not letting them leave – like Iran, China, some South American nations and any others (Isa. 11:11-12).
   • Awaken Jews in what they think is comfort and safety among the gentile nations to the choice they must make today – to save their and their family’s lives or their lifestyles (Gen. 12-14).
   • Release Your angels to drag modern-day “Lots” out of modern-day Sodoms (Gen. 19:15-16).
   • Replace all Israelis in diplomatic missions who are not Zionists with those who are (Ezek. 36:11).
   • Impart wisdom so that Israel can deal both righteously and mercifully with Jews who do not have all of the proper documents to prove their Jewish heritage (Job 12:12-13; Prov. 1:3).
   • God of Israel, thank You for helping Israel make it easier for new olim [immigrants] to obtain their IDs as soon as they get off the planes right there at Ben Gurion Airport (Isa. 62:10).
   • Lord, grant wisdom to the government to lower the high cost of living in Israel (Isa. 65:21).
   • At the same time, God of Israel, increase the faith of Abraham’s descendants to come home even if they are not sure what awaits them (Heb. 11:8).
   • We again ask You to give to Jews returning home the illegal houses build by the Palestinians in Area C – and illegally financed by the EU (Deut. 6:10-11; Neh. 9:25).
   • Plant new olim deeply in Your land and bless them with a successful absorption (Amos 9:13-15).
   • Show more gentile believers that they are supposed to help with the aliyah (Isa. 49:22; 60:3-11).
6. Salvation:

   There is no other name given by God for salvation other than the name of His Son, Yeshua, Israel’s King Messiah (Acts 4:12).

   • Lord, once again we ask You to save Your people – the remnant of Israel (Jer. 31:7; Luke 18:1).
   • Help Jewish believers to be that salt and light that You have called us to be (Matt. 5:13-16), and through that to provoke many unsaved Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:14).
   • We ask the same for all non-Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua (Rom. 11:11).
   • As Jews read the book of Ruth over Shavuot, cause them to see the connection between Boaz, Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer from Bethlehem, and Yeshua, who Boaz typifies.
   • Lord, save a huge remnant from these groups of Jews – both in Israel and in exile: the Haredi; IDF soldiers and officers in all branches of Israel’s armed forces; all who are mourning the loss of loved ones from whatever circumstances; Israeli and other Jewish politicians; Jewish atheists; religious Zionists; Israelis who have settled in Judea and Samaria; media personalities in Israel and in exile; leaders of Jewish communities inside and outside of Israel; young adults; teachers and professors; doctors and others in the medical profession; and many Iranian and Turkish Jews.
   • Speak to many secret Jewish believers – in Israel and in exile – that now is the time to come out and declare You Yeshua, as the Messiah of Israel (Matt. 10:33).
   • Lord, as You did in the Jesus Revival of the late 1960s and 70s, reveal Yourself as the Truth to many Jewish souls who are searching for truth (Luke 24:30-32; John 14:6).
7. Body of Messiah:

   How can the Body discern what God is doing today without seeing Israel as the apple of His eye? Yes, we only see in part, but to not clearly see that part which is being fulfilled openly in Israel’s restoration is to not even see a small part of that part which we are supposed to see.

   • Thank You for the growing remnant of believers who do see and take seriously their responsibility towards Israel’s restoration and the return of Your people (Rom. 11:18; 15:27).
   • During Pentecost, increase the love of all of Your Word in Your Body (Psa. 119:18; Jer. 15:6).
   • Lord Yeshua, remind Your Body that when You prayed for Your Father to sanctify us in His truth, that is His Word, the only Word that was available at that time was the Tanach (John 17:17).
   • Let all those elders whom You have gifted Your Body with, wage war against replacement and fulfillment theology and all other doctrines of demons (Acts 20:28-31; Eph. 4:8-15; 1 Tim. 4:1).
   • Grace many believers take a bold stance for the truth of Your Word regardless of the consequences in today’s anti-Christ atmosphere (Zech. 4:6; 2 Cor. 4:2; Gal. 4:16).
8. IFI:

   The story of the prophet Elisha telling Israel’s King Joash to strike the arrows on the ground numerous times is a lesson for us to pray into certain topics repeatedly. This is also what Yeshua taught His disciples in Luke 18 in the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. Thank you for joining with us and we continue to strike the ground and for praying for us to not grow weary in well doing. Let’s rejoice as we see His amazing answers to our requests. Thank you for your support.

Shabbat shalom and blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen for the IFI team

Hab. 3:17-19 [from the prophetic portion]