JPL January 11, 2024

The Jerusalem Prayer List – January 11, 2024

By Joseph Shulam

We are getting deep into the book of Exodus this next Shabbat, January 13, 2024.  The Torah reading is entering the exodus story, a story of deliverance from slavery to freedom.  The emancipation of a nation from the clutches of one of the greatest empires in history.  When Moses was an Egyptian prince, son of the daughter of the Great Pharaoh, Egypt ruled nearly one third of all of the African continent.  The children of Jacob i.e. Israel were brought to Egypt by Joseph, a Hebrew slave boy who was falsely accused of sexual misconduct by the seductive mistress of the house of Potiphar the priest in the temple of On in Heliopolis, Cairo. 

 From being the chief servant in this Nobel Egyptian house, Joseph was sent to jail and we don’t know how long Joseph, the son of Jacob, served in the Egyptian jail. It was for sure not a short time.  I know this because of a common prisoner in the jail with Joseph, a manager and executive.   Events rolled forward in such a providential and divine path that through Joseph’s God-given gift for the interpretation of dreams he became the second in command over Egypt. 

His brothers came down to Egypt to find food.  Egypt was the breadbasket of the whole Middle East. The land of Canaan was occupied and made an Egyptian province in those days.  

After many years of success, the children of Jacob/Israel disturbed the new Pharaoh, making him afraid that these Hebrew foreigners had become so numerous and so successful that they might turn against him and Egypt.  Why do you think that this phenomenon is a refrain repeated in Israel’s history so many times?  What is it in the DNA of the Hebrew nation that causes them to be successful and then some kind of demonic envy, a fit of jealousy causes other nations to fear and envy that success.  This phenomenon has been repeated in history multiple times. Into the 20thCentury and even now with Hamas and Hezbollah as proxies of Iran (Persia.) This is the second time in history that Persia = Iran has set a goal for itself to delete the Jewish Nation from the face of the Earth.

I am sharing this short background with you to put the events of this war in Gaza and in the northern front with Hezbollah into a broader perspective of God’s divine plan and history.  I write this background to help you pray with serious dedication and deep intercession for the nation of Israel and for the faithful standing with us, and with all of Israel in these crazy days of war.  

Netivyah has 13 men on the front lines both in Gaza and in the North.  The Lord has used Netivyah miraculously to provide much-needed tactical equipment for the front line and elite commando units of the Israeli army.  This equipment is life-saving, but also a living witness that Jewish disciples of Yeshua in Israel and in the world stand with Israel and bless Israel’s military in these hours of woe and grief.  We support every soldier and every victim of the Hamas demonic regime and attack on innocent civilians. 

 Please pray and support Netivyah with this war effort.  It is a first-class blessing, with the most elementary equipment the Israeli government has neglected to supply.  The most essential safety equipment for our men. This is an open door and opportunity the Lord of all has chosen and given Netivyah—the opportunity to shine a light in the utter darkness from the very pits of hell.  Please stand with Israel and use Netivyah to bless our men in the battlefields both in Gaza and on the Lebanese border in the North. 

You have the opportunity to pray with all seriousness and dedication and knock on God’s door for the sake of Israel and the protection of our soldiers on the front lines of these battlefields.  

You can send your financial support through the PayPal button to Israel if you live outside of the United States.  If you are an American Citizen and need to have your contributions recognized and accredited by the IRS – please use the contribute to Netivyah International button and you will get your tax credit from the IRS in the due time.  

Now, a little more on the story of Exodus from our Torah reading on this Shabbat.  

• The Torah portion of this Shabbat is named VA'ERA, from EXODUS 6:2 - 9:35. 

• The portion from the prophets is from EZEKIEL 28:25 - 29:21 

• From the New Testament, we will be reading from LUKE 11:14-22.   

Since the story of the Exodus is familiar to most Jews and Christians, I would like for this Shabbat to concentrate on the reading from the prophets and from the New Testament.  These words of the prophet are so relevant and important for these very days that we are living right now.

“Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”. (Ezekiel 28:25-26 NKJV)

Please notice the words of God through Ezekiel the prophet: 

1.     The time delimited by the words of the prophet: The time is when God is gathering the house of Israel from the nations where God Himself has scattered them, and other nations will hallow this. When Israel is restored to their land God Himself will be hallowed by the nations. 

2.     The children of Jacob i.e. Israel will swell in the land safely and securely.  

3.     God will execute judgment on the nations around Israel and these nations will know that God is the Lord and also the God of these nations. 

In this reading of Ezekiel chapter 29:1-21, God is telling Ezekiel who is living in the diaspora in Babylon.  God is revealing to Ezekiel that He will deal His righteousness with Egypt. Ancient Egypt is the model and evolution of ancient Rome and today’s West.  I fear that the description of God’s revelation to Ezekiel the prophet is making me personally very fearful.  Empires are born and they die, and we witness such processes, not only in ancient history but now in front of our own eyes every time that we watch international television.  The moral breakdown, the political corruption, and the increasing antisemitism.  The even greater increase in everything that the Word of God calls abomination.  

What can we do, the little people, the simple disciples of Yeshua in this vast ocean of worldliness? 

1.     Pray and keep praying and interceding for our nations, and for the nation of Israel. We are still under the blessing that God gave Abraham our father: “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you!” 

2.     Live our lives like a modern billboard!  Become witnesses like the prophet Isaiah predicted and commissioned us as God’s children in this world:   Here are the words of Isaiah the prophet who in God’s name commissioned us, Israel, and all those of every nation who are called by God’s name.

“Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.” “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; Therefore, you are My witnesses,” Says the Lord, “that I am God. “

(Isaiah 43:9-12 NKJV)

I know how most of us all feel about being witnesses to God’s King and Kingdom.  We feel that this is a job for professionals, preachers, pastors, and church leaders.  Speaking about God and the Word of God is just not considered cool these days.  But dear brothers, I propose to you that if you pray and ask God for wisdom: HOW, WHERE, and WHEN, you can become a witness of God. God will for sure use you and equip you and inspire you and will make you gentle like a dove and smart like a snake, knowing when to hold your words and when to fold them (i.e. The Gambler!)

A few words related to our reading from the Gospel of Luke 11:14 – 22.

“Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” (Luke 11:16-23 NKJV)

These words of Yeshua our Messiah are so true.  In Israel during this wartime, there is nothing more pertinent than these words of Yeshua.  Much of what Israel is experiencing in this war and all the things related to this war with Hamas in Gaza are a direct result of the actions (and lack of proper action) of the Israeli government for years. The energy, focus, and agenda of the Israeli government in the last years has been to survive. To survive, the government gave into the ambitious and twisted agenda of a radical minority that entered into the government for the first time.  People who never served in the military received ministerial posts as ministers of national security.  People who never served in any major directorial position became ministers of finance and also ministers of defense. 

The major contribution to what happened in Israel, that precipitated this horrible war with a cruel and Nazi-like enemy, was because Israel has been deeply divided inside the population of this country.  There were months where every night in several locations in the country there were demonstrations.  Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, some siding against the government and some siding for the government.  This war with Hamas in Gaza and with Hezbollah in the north has stopped the focus on the minority ambitions, and refocused this nation into unity, galvanizing the population of this country like it was many years ago.  Sadly, it takes a horrible war with human casualties on both sides and many thousands that are filling the hospitals in this country to produce unity in Israel.

The Christian world has not taken these words of Yeshua our Messiah seriously, and Christianity in Europe is almost certainly on its way out.  When I say that Christianity in Europe is on its way out, I am more optimistic than realistic.  In my opinion, Christianity is mostly already out.  The statistics show in all of Western Europe there is not one country that exceeds 10% of the population that attends any church.  In most of Western Europe, the number of people attending church regularly is around 3 – 4%.   Ask yourself what is happening with Christianity.  What is happening is very simple:  Division and enmity between different denominations of Protestant Christianity and inside denominations like the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.  The church is in blatant disobedience to every commandment of our Lord and the Apostles.   Let us all just remember the words of our Lord in this text: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”    

The list of the works of the flesh from Galatians 5 has characteristics that have the essence of division and disunity.  

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 NIV)

Dear Brothers and sisters, I fear that if there is no major wake-up call for evangelical churches to seek unity and cease with dissensions and selfish ambitions we will witness the darkest chapters of history and the removal of God’s Spirit from the covering of Christianity as a whole.  

People, institutions, and churches must look for ways to unite and work together as witnesses of the Messiah in this dark and cruel world.  We, this generation, must do this.

Please don’t forget to pray for Israel and for all our soldiers on the front line of battle, especially those brothers and sisters in the faith who are bravely fighting on the front lines.  Also pray for my wife, Marcia’s health, and my health.  

On Sunday, January 14th, I will have a biopsy taken from my lungs.  Please pray that the results are negative and there is no malignancy found.  Joseph Shulam

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Your prayers for brothers and sisters whom you don’t know personally is a pure love and pure building of the Body of the Messiah.  It is really Agape Love since you are doing this without any selfish interests and casting a vote in heaven for someone who is your brother but you don’t know him or her, and God looks at these prayers that are unselfish and true expression 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 what a joy it will be to meet people that we prayed for and sometime even cried for brothers and sisters who are physically strangers, but spiritually a part of the same body of Christ that one day we will have the privilege to seat 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

Serious prayers for our war with Hamas to end soon and all the hostages to be returned safe and in one piece home to their loved ones!

Pray for our soldiers and especially for the soldiers that we know and appreciate: Yuda, Emanuel the son of Victor and Ayala, Amiel and Solomon and Ezekiel Intrater, Reuven and Clil Kovner, and any other children of Believers and of course for all of the men and women serving this country.  

I hate that our boys, the men of our congregation, still serve in the Army and most of them in reserves have to fight and use weapons and do war to protect the civilian population of Israel from terrorism driven by hate and blindness.  

Please pray for the Middle East and for the world to see and understand what the reality is here in this part of the world.  The lands that provided King David, the prophets, and Yeshua the Messiah – want peace with our neighbors.But they don’t want the hand that is stretched out in peace. They want to kill all the Jews and take their land, which is flourishing and a blessing for all the world, and make it a dump like their own place in Gaza and in the Arab countries. 

In Jerusalem pray for the following brothers and sisters who need divine grace and the gentle touch of the hand of God for healing and strength.

Ilana Ahijervie, is a dear sister who is 98 years old and suffering from memory problems.

Please pray for our dear sister Lea Kurkey.

Sarit, a sister born in Jerusalem, over 88 years old, lives alone. Has no close family, and suffers from several old-age illnesses.

Please keep praying for Marcia Shulam my wife. Pray that Marcia’s memory will stop weakening, that her arthritis will be healed and stop being active, and her strength to return to where she can take more care of herself. 

Also, ask prayer for me and my family and for all the sick and needing healing and grace from our Heavenly Father! 

Your prayers for Alexander, Sarah, and Andrew, who were raised as believers and have left their faith behind, have been answered, the Divine Shepherd guided these members of the same family gently back to the fold, please keep praying for their general and spiritual welfare!

Pray for Adam’s father and mother, Barry and Dalia. They too have some health problems and challenges.

Pray for Miriam and for Hannah her daughter. Miriam is a dear sister and has lost her husband recently.

Pray for Daniel S. and his children.

Our dear leader in the Ro’eh Israel congregation, Gary, and his health, and for his wife Melanie and their family.

Pray for Um Mahmud Abu-Eid and 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.

Please pray for Shannon’s father, Michael McGoff, Michael had heart surgery and we need to pray for his full recovery.

Pray for brothers and sisters in the U.K.

We bless our dear sister Celestine with health and blessings from Heaven for her life and her family. We pray for the Lord to be her comfort and provide sister Celestine with all her physical spiritual and social needs with His grace.

Pray for Deborah Isaiah. I pray for the Lord to find Deborah Isaiah and lead her to a blessed life and family and a solution to her problems.

Pray for our dear brother Dennis D’Costa and his family, as they find their way and have a clear vision of what and where God wants them to live and serve and grow their family. Lord open the right doors for Dennis D’Costa and his family.

Pray for brothers and sisters in Australia

A dear friend from Hong Kong, Bonnie, asked that we pray for her brother who lives in Australia. Bonnie’s brother’s name is Ray Chen. Please mention the name Ray Chen and ask God to show this man the grace of God and God’s powerful healing of body and soul and restoration of faith and life of holiness and sanctity.

In Finland, we have some precious and dear brothers and sisters who need our prayers:

Pray Mauno Lemponen, he has been diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages.  We are asking for Gods Will to be done giving him healthy days with family. Prayers for Hilka, Miika and Ester who are supporting 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.

Sipra, our dear sister in Nokia is a widow with some health issues.

Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters, and all our other brothers and sisters in Finland who need our prayers: Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia and Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.

Please don’t forget to pray for the health of Kari Antilles in Finland. He is a dear brother and supporter in prayer for Netivyah for many years.

In Brazil

Pray for the congregations related to Netivyah in Brazil, to have the strength and stamina to face the challenges in front 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 to the faith of our fathers.

Pray for the state of Israel to open the doors for these lost Jews to be able to return and fulfill God’s promises to the prophet Ovadyah:

“But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau, For the Lord has spoken. The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, And the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim And the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captives of this host of the children of Israel Shall possess the land of the Canaanites As far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Shall possess the cities of the South. Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion To judge the mountains of Esau, And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” — Obadiah 1:17-21 [NKJV]

Pray for a dear young man, Paulo, from Curitiba, Brazil, who seriously needs our prayers for sanity and mental health.

Pray for Rita Sassai, from Vitória, ES.

Please pray for a dear sister with the name: Claudia Rita Souze Arau.  She has cancer and needs God’s healing hands to touch her with healing. 

Fatima Maria Docarmo Guimararaes - pray for her health and her granddaughters' twin babies.

Pray for Livia Schnell Nothen, she has some issues with her physical health and a growth in her adrenal gland. And other health issues.

Guilherme Antonio Nothen Becker is suffering from back problems.

Aratuza de Oliveira his wife. Pray for this 3-year-old child that has serious problems with his eyes and ask the Lord to give healing to his eyes. This child’s name is Caique de Oliveira Becker. 

Please pray for Bruno Henrique Cardoso Jr. for his studies and his health. 

A 70-year-old Pastor Paulo C. Pereira Braga Dias, is the father of a dear sister in Brazil and suffers from diabetes.

Pray for Roberto Morias, a dear brother who is going through heart surgery and an angiogram.

In Asia, we have several brothers and sisters who need our prayers.

Please pray for a dear 71-year-old sister called Bee Kim.  She lost consciousness on February 26, 2023. She has not regained her consciousness after a massive stroke.

Pray for pastor T.J. in Taiwan.

Brothers and sisters in China

Pray for Deborah Ruth a dear sister from China

Pray for sister Reiko Ishiida and Elder Takeo and his wife Tomoko from Tokyo, Dr. Yuizawa, Pastor Yushida, and his family.

Pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan.

In India, Pastor Isaac, from Chennai, needs our prayers. Pastor Isaac is suffering from kidney problems and has to have dialysis several times per week.

Tony Tam and his wife Luisa and son Marco need special prayer for their situation.

We continue to pray for Zhou Wenrian, the Abe family, Toru San, Yumi Ohara, and her family. Deborah Ruth, Ayla, and Daniel and their daughter. Dr. Song, and his wife Sister Harriet Kim.

Please pray for Ruby K. from Hong Kong. Ruby has gone through a very complicated surgery for multiple cancers in her body. The surgery was very long, and Ruby is back home now recovering. Please lift Ruby K. and ask the Lord to heal and deliver Ruby from Hong Kong.

Pray for family and friends and dear brothers and sisters in the United States of America.

new Ray Jimenez from California is batteling leukemia. Pray for god to sustain him and his time with the family. new Troy Jr. is in the hospital in Roanoke VA. This is one of Beths uncles. pray for the doctors to identify the ailments that are causing his health to fail. So far they have conerns of pneumonia and liver damage. new Sunday Jan 14th Joe Shulam will be having a series of test and biopsy. he will be at the hospital from 9am (GMT+2) to 3pm (GMT+2) [israel time] We are praying for good news. new Rabbi Levy had a Stroke is in Dallas, please pray for doctors and his recovery.

Please continue to pray for the daughter of Bill Culwell, who is very sick with cancer she is receiving a second round of treatment.  Please pray for success and healing.

Jonathan Bernis is in a long six month recovery from a liver transplant.  We thank God for this match.  Please pray for this new liver to function and provide much needed function.  Please pray for Elisangela and the girls and also for the doctors and nurses that are attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis. 

Andrew Huffines, he has complications from long term covid. 

Please pray for my family in the United States: Barry my son and his wife Beth, and for Joey my grandson. Pray for their divine protection and health.

Pray for Danah my daughter's health issues. I pray for the Lord to give Danah wisdom peace and calm in life and in her work.

Pray for Noaam my granddaughter. She is working two jobs now and needs good health and wisdom to make the right choices and plans for life, education, immigration to Israel, and just general protection from all harm.

Pray for David Young the preacher in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who is back to preaching after recovering from medical issues. Please keep David in your prayers.

Aaron Hook, Nancy Hook’s oldest son, needs our prayers for wisdom and healing from past issues of life.

Lift for blessing and healing Jonathan B. and his wife Aviva and their new baby, his mother, and his brother Daniel. Pray for these very 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 in now in rehab learning how to walk again. We pray for her full recovery. She and Nissim both need our prayers. 

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- named after Joseph Shulam – 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!

Pray for three women of God in Canada who need healing, Lynda, Sandy, and Joanne.

I am asking a special prayer for a dear brother and friend who is now doing greatly 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 request please email us at Prayer@netivyahinternational.org