The Jerusalem Prayer List – 16 August, 2024
by Joseph Shulam - From Jerusalem Israel
We are in the book of Deuteronomy, the second Torah portion, like most Torah portions and books, named after the first word of the portion. The first word of the portion is also the name of the Portion. This portion is called Va'etchanan—a simple translation of Moses' words, "And I begged!" Moses is begging God for mercy and permission to cross the Jordan into the promised land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as an everlasting possession.
The Torah reading is Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11.
The Haftara from the prophets is Isaiah 40:1-26.
The New Testament reading is from the Gospel of Luke 3:2-15.
This week's Shabbat readings come after the 9th of the Month Av – the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem twice in our history, the first Temple that King Solomon built and the second Temple that was restored during the days of Ezra and Nehemiah and remodeled by King Herod between the years 20 – 18 B.C.E. Both temples were destroyed on the same Hebrew date, the 9th day of the month of Av. In world history, a few chapters are similar, and the events are repeated on the exact dates. When this happens, it usually means that these events are not accidental; someone is directing and making history. The 9th day of the month of Av is one of the special days of the Hebrew calendar. It is a fast day, and many Jewish communities don't eat or drink for about 24 hours. This fasting day is in memory of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, but much more.
Every Jew that fasts or remembers this day of the 9th of Av is aware that this destruction of our Temple in Jerusalem was not accidental; it was orchestrated and engineered by the grand master engineer, the Creator of our Universe, the Lord God of Israel. The history of the world is orchestrated and not accidental. This very thought is painful and alarming for me because it means that someone is in control and directs the affairs of human beings, nations, and the world. The reading is especially challenging in speaking the words of Moses, including the Shema – the Holiest text in the Hebrew Bible:
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and talk of them when you sit in your house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8 NKJV)
This text is spoken every day by every religious Jew and on every occasion of danger and physical challenge. Jews that were in the death camps of Nazi Germany spread throughout Europe spoke these words before they were shot or burned alive or gassed in the gas chambers of the Nazi death camps. It is the confession of and the only true creed of any true Bible believer, a truth that is repeated several times in the words of Jesus and the apostles:
Here is a short list of New Testament scripture where we find the confession that we have one God:
Mark 12:32: “So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.”
Acts 7:35: "This Moses whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.”
Rom. 3:30: "Since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith."
1Cor. 8:6: "Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
Eph. 4:6: "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
1Tim. 2:5: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus."
James 2:19: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!"
The event of Moses, the great leader, taking the children of Israel from slavery to freedom, from the Sinai Desert to the Promised Land—the land promised to Abraham first, to Isaac second, and Jacob and his seed as an inheritance—is incredibly dramatic.
One more point from the words of Moses in this Torah portion full of drama for me, and I hope for you, too. Remember these words spoken by God to Moses. There is a lesson in these words that are, in my opinion, some of the greatest lessons in the Bible:
"The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said:
"I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
"You shall have no other gods before Me.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days, you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it, you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
"Honor your Father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.
"These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me." (Deuteronomy 5:3-22 NKJV)
We have a minimalistic code of law here, dear brothers and sisters. It is a constitution for all the civilized world. Every just and fair society in the world must have a compass for the community that seeks happiness, freedom, and equality. This existence honors the community, where people are happy, well-adjusted, and can care for the elderly, sick, and needy. An existence that provides services to its citizens with divine rules for a good life for all. There is no doubt that these Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God and repeated by Moses just before he climbed Mount Horeb (Pisgah) and died there on top of that mountain.
In the New Testament, Yeshua repeats these commandments almost verbatim and teaches a young lawyer that if he keeps these commandments, he will gain eternal life. Yeshua alluded to these Ten Commandments several times in his ministry as authoritative for our inheritance of eternal life. Here is the text from Mark 10:17-20:
"Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? o one is good but One, that is, God. you know the commandments: "Do not commit adultery,' "Do not murder,' "Do not steal,' "Do not bear false witness,' "Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' " And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."
A note: The general code of the Bible's Ten Commandments is generally not unique to God's revelation to Moses and Israel and to us today. Even more ancient similar codes of laws have parallels long before Moses and the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the code of Hammurabi and the even more ancient codes from Mesopotamia. The Ten Commandments is a boiled-down summary of the rules and regulations. It is important to remember the words of Yeshua to this Jewish lawyer, and even if you don't keep the day of rest – the seventh day – the Sabbath, we all ought to do better than our best to keep the other nine commandments at least. One of these commandments that I know is not stressed or recommended by preachers in both synagogues and churches is "Honor your father and your mother"…. I know from experience that I didn't keep this commandment in my youth. Years later, I understood this sin and tried to improve my attitude and actions toward my family.
The Haftarah reading from the prophets during this Shabbat commemorates Jerusalem's fall at least twice in our Biblical history. Shabbat remembers our sorrows and sins that caused God to keep his promises in the Torah and destroy our Temple and send us away from the Land of Israel to suffer alienation and deprivation and exile to faraway lands of cruel nations that ruled us for 70 years after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple of Solomon and the second time in the year 70 CE to an exile of the Jewish nation around the whole world for more than 2000 years.
The state of Israel today is a living witness that God is authentic, that His promises by the words of His Prophets are true, and that He, the almighty Creator of this world, is faithful to keep his promises against all human odds. Here is the beauty of God's word and promises: we now live in the fulfillment of His promises and words. All the sorrow and repentance that we as a nation have caused our God. The anger of God with our forefathers, and now He is keeping his promises and restoring us to the land, and the land itself is being rebuilt and populated with Jews from all around the world.
Isaiah's words in chapter 40 are fulfilled daily and visible to the world. This Shabbat, we will rise figuratively from the memories of the ashes that covered Jerusalem, from the fires of Rome, Byzantium, the Crusaders and the Arabs, and Ottomans (Turkeys) and the British. Finally, in the 20th Century, Jews woke up and started returning home to the land of Israel and Jerusalem. The Holy City is again the capital of the State of Israel, but also the capital of all of God's people who know Him and believe His Words. I say that Jerusalem is the capital of the world and all the nations not out of my own opinion but based on the word of God, like Isaiah 2, Isaiah 66, the last two chapters of the Revelation of John, and Zechariah 14.
The most critical things in reading this Jerusalem Prayer list are these:
1. Please pray for the people, projects, and needs listed in this prayer letter's second part.
2. When reading this prayer list, it is not only to read it and pray but also to seek ways to participate in the challenges and needs of the community of Netivyah. The community of Netivyah is not only those people who attend and volunteer and support and serve the local community of disciples of Yeshua in Jerusalem, Israel, or around the world. The community needs you to become a source active in prayer and practical ways to see that our goals and aspirations are where you wish to be a fellow partner in what God is doing through Netivyah in Israel and Netivyah international.
Spiritual Hearing - The Shema
The portion of Va'etchanan includes the first paragraph of Judaism's central affirmation of belief in God the Creator and the God who chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel: The Shema. The word "Shema" here doesn't mean only "hear" with your ears; it means to hear with your heart, soul, and spirit. Shema is a divine call to the soul to listen to with our soul and perceive the mystery of God's oneness. A Jew must be fully engaged two times daily when reciting this expression of faith. It's an opportunity to connect with God and to build a relationship with the totality of Him, a creator of the world, a Father of humanity, and director of the ultimate drama of human history. God sent His Son to this world to save the rebellious, ungrateful, and evil-doing humankind; it is necessary to HEAR God's Unity and Ones in all its totality.
For this to happen, it is vital to say the Shema and repeat it in every moment that challenges our life, morality, and relationships here on this earth, as well as in times of joy and happiness, like birthdays, weddings, and circumcisions. These are the good times that challenge us to remember and repeat and never take for granted that singularity and oneness that connected everything on the face of this earth. God's ONENESS is the glue and unifying factor that makes friendships, weddings, and love work in this creation from north to south and east to west.
Of course, without faith in God and knowledge of God's oneness, everything becomes idolatry. Idolatry is a disconnection, separation, and alienation from that divine unity between the Creator, the Almighty, the Father of all, and the director of the planet's history and those who live on it. For this reason, Moses climbed that high mountain on the other side of the Jordan River, a mountain that is also called Pisgah. "Pisgah" in Hebrew means the highest you can go, the Everest of human elevation. The place where the clouds and the land meet and say Shalom to each other. The place that God sends Moses, the older man, to climb and meet each other one last time. I can see with the eye of my mind God meeting the older man Moses. They don't shake hands and say shalom to each other, but they run towards each other and hug firmly, and God and Moses cry on each other's shoulders. "Welcome, Moses!" God says! Moses, relax. You will not have to carry the burden of this stiff-necked nation." From now on, you will be in heaven, where there are no heat storms or snow storms; the weather is always the same, pleasant with a cool breeze and beautiful angles in divine grass skirts, walking without shoes on the golden streets.
When reciting the Shema, we "hear with our souls and spirit" to deeply understand and integrate the meaning of the words. The Shema is our daily integration, which is spiritually and mentally rejuvenating. Reciting the Shema is an antidote to the routine of day-to-day life that keeps us busy with the same old dullness of our existence, with self-reliance and no one to help. The Shema takes away our pride and self-reliance and reminds us that God is OUR God, the God of Israel, the God of the whole world, the God is all capable, and our Father and Creator and Father of Yeshua are our Messiah. Remembering these simple truths is a source of power and a reminder that we are not alone and disconnected in this dark place called "The World!"
The Connection of the Shema and the Ten Commandments
When the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, all of Israel proclaimed in unison: "We will do (na'aseh), and we will hear (venishema)."
At Sinai, the giving of the Ten Commandments was accompanied by both natural and metaphysical phenomena. The Torah describes that "all the people saw the sounds of the thunder and the lightning. "Rashi explains that the people saw that which was usually heard." According to Rashi, the words that God spoke took a physical aspect. I don't understand this, but it is interesting that Rashi, the great Bible Commentator, understood that God's words can be substantiated and even put on flesh.
The last Hebrew letter of the word Shema is an ayin, which means "eye." Perhaps in this context, the word Shema can be understood to integrate hearing and seeing into one expansive dimension. It connects us to the heightened consciousness that we experienced witnessing the revelation of the Torah at Sinai. The juxtaposition of the Shema following the Ten Commandments in this week's Torah reading suggests an inner connection.
From this, we learn that the mission of the Jewish people is to be a holy nation, as the prophet says, "You are my witnesses." Our mission began with Abraham and will continue into the future as the world fully recognizes the one true reality.
The Shema merges faith with knowledge. These eternally relevant words have empowered the Jewish people in every generation to have their faith become so strong that we know it.
PLEASE TAKE THE SHEMA SERIOUSLY, AND IF YOU WISH, RECITE IT WHEN YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO GET CLOSE TO GOD AGAIN.
READ ISAIAH CHAPTER 40, AT LEAST THE FIRST 2O VERSES. AND WHEN YOU READ, NOTICE THAT IT IS ADDRESSED TO YOU TO COMFORT ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. YOU CAN FIND MULTIPLE WAYS TO COMFORT ISRAEL. THE NETIVYAH INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE HAS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO COMFORT ISRAEL. THE SIMPLE AND EASY WAY IS TO USE YOUR HEART AND PRAY FOR ISRAEL AND NETIVYAH AND FOR JEWISH FRIENDS AND PARTNERS TO BE BLESSED, HEALED, AND SUPPORT THE GOOD WORKS THAT NETIVYAH IS DOING IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD.
Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry and Roeh Israel Congregation in Israel have an urgent need to repair the roof of their building before the rainy season starts. There is a significant problem with leaking water from the ceiling. Water leaks from the roof into our synagogue three floors down and must be fixed immediately. The only way to fix this water leak is to remove the whole roof and redo it right to seal and waterproof the roof. The estimated cost of this urgent repair work on our building in Jerusalem is around USD 100,000. It is significant repair work, and it has to be performed by experts, and it has to be finished before the end of August 2024. Please help.
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Your prayers for brothers and sisters you don't know personally are pure love and building of the Body of the Messiah. It is Agape Love since you are doing this without any selfish interests and casting a vote in Heaven for someone who is your brother. Still, you don't know them, and God looks at these prayers that are unselfish and genuine expressions of love and care for another link in the long chain of love and faith that binds us together even though we might not know each other in this world.
When we all get to Heaven, it will be a joy to meet people we prayed for and sometimes even cried for. Brothers and sisters who are physically strangers but spiritually a part of the same body of Christ, I believe that one day we will have the privilege to sit together and share: "I remember praying for you to be healed!" "I remember praying for you to be safe when you were fighting in Gaza to free the hostages from the cruel hands of the terrorists of the Hamas in Gaza."
Pray for the following brothers and sisters who need divine grace and the gentle touch of the hand of God for healing and strength.
In Jerusalem:
update Joseph & Marcia Shulam
Another MRI was completed this week. It will be a number of weeks before the results are reviewed in a consultation meeting. Marcia's health needs are the same and ask for prayers to strengthen her health and memory.
Ilana Ahijervie is a dear sister who is 98 years old and suffering from memory problems.
Please pray for our dear sister, Lea Kurkey.
Pray for Adam's father and mother, Barry and Dalia. They have some health problems and challenges.
Pray for Hannah suffering from Migraine Headaches. Miriam is a dear sister old age dementia.
Pray for Daniel S. and his children.
Pray for Gary, our dear leader in the Ro'eh Israel congregation, and his health, as well as for his wife Melanie and their family.
Pray for Um Mahmud Abu-Eid, Jimmy Abu-Eid, and all of the family. This is a dear family of old friends that needs healing and wisdom for the children and for their work.
Please pray for the Romero family, who live deep in the Negev desert. It is hot there, and they are far from our congregation, and we miss them.
In the U.K.:
Pray for Deborah Isaiah. I pray for the Lord to find Deborah Isaiah and lead her to a blessed life, family, and a solution to her problems.
In Finland:
Mauno Lemponen has been diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages. We are asking for God's Will to be done, giving him healthy days with family—prayers for Hilka, Miika, and Ester, who support each other.
Pray for Keijo and Salme, our dear partners and fellow workers in God's flock. Both Keijo and Salme have some challenging heart issues.
Pray for Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters
Pray for Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia, Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.
In Brazil:
Max Rodrigues. his mothers health issues. she has stomach problems that have yet to be diagnosed. The hospital is taking a long time to complete tests. Pray for her salvation. Pray for Max as he navigates a challenging period in his life. He has confidence Gods victory in his life.
Pray for the Congregations related to Netivyah in Brazil to have the strength and stamina to face the challenges ahead of them with courage and strength of faithfulness to the Lord and to the vision of the restoration of the church and Israel.
Pray for the millions of victims of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition who have been forced to convert to the Catholic church and now want to return home to the land of Israel and the faith of our fathers.
Pray for a dear young man, Paulo, from Curitiba, Brazil, who seriously needs our prayers for sanity and mental health.
Pray for a dear sister named Claudia Rita Souze Arau. She has cancer and needs God's healing hands to touch her with healing.
Pray for Fatima Maria Docarmo Guimararaes - pray for her health and her granddaughters' twin babies.
Guilherme Antonio Nothen Becker is suffering from back problems.
Aratuza de Oliveira and his wife. Pray for their 3-year-old child, Caique de Oliveira Becker, who has severe problems with his eyes, and ask the Lord to give healing to his eyes.
In Asia:
Pray for Pastor TJ in Taiwan.
Pray for Deborah Ruth, a dear sister from China.
Pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan.
Tony Tam, his wife Luisa, and his son Marco need special prayers for their situation.
We continue to pray for Zhou Wenrian, the Abe family, Toru San, Yumi Ohara, and her family: Deborah Ruth, Ayla, Daniel, and their daughter.
Pray for Dr. Song and his wife, Sister Harriet Kim and the KIBI Ministry.
In the United States of America:
Elisheva is studying for passing Financial certifications in September. Please pray for calmness in her studies and confidence in passing her exams next month. also for health and her household.
Jerry Rogers - a long time prayer warier and supporter in Dallas has been diagnosed with cancer. he is starting treatments and we lift up his doctors and medical team & family in prayer.
Larry is asking for prayers for his grandchildren. I would say most of us that have grandchildren are concerned about the states of the world. The state of intolerance. The temptations out there. Please pray for the holy sprit to guide them in making good choices.
update Bill C. is doing well. I received wonderful news that his cancer markers continue to trend to the normal states. A true answer to prayers. Please pray a thanks to God and continue to ask for success of the treatments..
Please continue to pray for the daughter of Bill Culwell, who is sick with cancer and is receiving a new third round of treatment. Please pray for success and healing.
Brother Philip Slate and his wife. She is suffering from several physical and mental health challenges.
Barbra and Angie in Alaska. Barbra has some pains and discomfort related to old age. Please lift them in prayer for strength and reduction in pain.
Jonathan Bernis is continuing recovery from a liver transplant. Please pray for Elisangela and the girls and the doctors and nurses attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis.
Please pray for Danah, my daughter's health issues. I pray for the Lord to give Danah wisdom, peace, and calm in life and her work.
Aaron Hook, Nancy Hook's oldest son, needs our prayers for wisdom and healing from past life issues.
Lift for blessing and healing Jonathan B., his wife Aviva, their new baby, his mother, and his brother Daniel.
Pray for these important men of God: Rabbi Salt, his family, and Rabbi Hasselblad. They are both older and need protection and blessings.
Also, pray for Ilana Avramov, who is married to my cousin Nissim and lives in New York City. Ilana has fallen and is now in rehab, learning how to walk again. We pray for her full recovery. She and Nissim both need our prayers.
Pray for Steve Mock - His cognitive condition has declined, and we ask for the grace of God and His Healing and strength. Steve and Josie's son Joseph has received a wonderful and glorious report. After the last bone marrow transplant, the report is that the doctors didn't find any leukemia in his body! Praise the Lord!
I am asking for a special prayer for a dear brother and friend who is now doing very important work in a very dangerous and precarious part of the world. Just mention DadyLion in your prayers and ask for divine protection and angelic accompaniment for this man of God.
For updates or requests please email us at:Prayer@netivyahinternational.org
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