The Jerusalem Prayer List – 11 May, 2024
by Joseph Shulam - From Jerusalem Israel
The reading of this Shabbat is, in my opinion, one of the most important texts in the Torah.
Torah, we will be reading from Leviticus 19:1 – 20: 27,
Prophets reading Amos 9:7-15,
New Testament from 1 Peter 1:13-16, 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, and John 4:22.
The reason is that this Torah portion (Parasha) teaches us how to be saints and how to be holy. The word Kedoshim means Holy or Sanctified. Most of the time, when we hear Christians speaking about being holy or sanctified, which at best is very rare, then it sounds like an abstract, vague, and impossible demand. Christians, generally speaking, stress much more the teaching of the Apostle Paul in the letter to the Romans:
"There is none righteous, no, not one…" (Romans 3:10).
What most Christians don't know is that Paul is quoting verbatim Ecclesiastes 7:20. If we look in the New Testament, we find the following texts that state clearly that some people are called righteous:
Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Luke 1:5-6, "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
Luke 5:31 Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Luke 23:47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"
James 5:16, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
In The Hebrew Bible, we find the following men and women called "Righteous"!
Noah is described as righteous in Genesis 6:9. Lot is called righteous in 2 Peter 2:7-8. The prophet Daniel is also called righteous in Ezekiel 14:14. These individuals were recognized for their uprightness, faithfulness to God, and obedience to His commandments.
I could bring more texts that speak of righteous men and women.
So, what is Paul conveying when he brings these quotations and statements from the New and Old Testaments? With this picture of Biblical reality, it is clear that Paul's quoting of Ecclesiastes 7:20 has a different interpretation than the standard Christian viewpoint inherited from the Greek Church fathers from the 4th Century through time up to Martin Luther and John Calvin. These theologians interpret Paul through the eyes of the pagan Greek philosophers with a Persian view of humanity and the Universe.
Here is the interpretation of the text in Ecclesiastes 7:20 from the Jewish perspective and history.
"For there is not a just (righteous) man on earth who does good And does not sin." (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
The Apostle Paul quotes this verse and presumes you know how to read the Bible. He presumes you are a good and faithful Pharisee who learned to read carefully and accurately in God's Word.
This text is again: "For there is not a just (righteous) man on earth who does good And does not sin."
Does this text say that no one is righteous? No, it does not!
What does this text say? It says that no one who is righteous is perfect and that even the righteous person sometimes sins. The verse's second half proves that even the righteous, the Just man who does good, also sins sometimes.
Continuing with the main Torah text of Leviticus 19, which starts with a God-given command: Leviticus 19:1
"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."
This text is a clear command! This text is not a recommendation. It is an emphatic command: "You shall be holy! The reason that you shall be Holy is because "I the LORD your God am Holy!" This verse is quoted more often in the rest of the Bible than in any other text! In the New Testament, this text is mentioned in the following texts:
Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."'
Matthew 19:19: "Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Matthew 22:39: "And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Mark 12:31: "And the second, like it, is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Romans 13:9: "For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Galatians 5:14: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
James 2:8: "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;"
This text from Leviticus 19 is also alluded to in the following texts in the New Testament: Matthew 5:48, Luke 1:74-75, 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, u:1, Ephesians 4:24, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:15-16, and 2 Peter 3:11.
So, what is the difficulty with this text? Most Christians don't continue to read the text of Leviticus 19 – they stop in verse 2 and freeze. The detailed explanation of how to be holy, like the Lord is holy, comes immediately after the command. This how-to is of greater importance than the command itself. It is difficult for us, made from flesh, blood, and bone, to understand or imagine how we, the children of Adam and Eve, can be holy like the Lord of Hosts Himself is Holy. The command is challenging for us to imagine. Living up to such a tall and serious command goes against our nature. God gives the command and immediately follows with the instruction booklet on HOW TO be holy like God.
Here is a shopping list of practical ways to be holy like the Lord.
Leviticus 19:3: "Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God."
Leviticus 19:4: "Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God."
Leviticus 19:5: "And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it of your own free will."
Leviticus 19:11: "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 12 And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD."
Leviticus 19:13: "You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD."
Leviticus 19:15: "You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness, you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD."
Leviticus 19:17: "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:19: "You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you."
Practice these verses, and you will be holy like the Lord is holy. Some of these commands sound simple, but they are anything but simple.
Years ago, I wondered, "What damage will it be if I curse the deaf?" "Who would know if I put a stumbling block before a blind person?"
It would be incredibly easy to get away with because the deaf would not know who cursed him as he didn't hear, and the Blind man would not know the same thing. Perhaps the worker who needed to work to put bread on his family's table couldn't accuse me because I was the boss!
Let me repeat that Leviticus 19:2 is the rule and the law, the rest of the chapter is a detailed breakdown of how you have to live and behave to achieve the status of being holy like God is holy.
This chapter teaches us something fundamental, especially about our relationship with the Almighty Gods of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Most impressive for me is that these instructions are so simple, and you don't have to climb Mount Everest to be holy; you have to be considerate with those who could stumble and fall by putting a brick in front of them on the sidewalk. Don't sit on a bench across the street and laugh your heart out, watching a blind person stumble and break the egg carton that he just purchased in the supper market.
I confess that as a young lad in Jerusalem, together with the children of Ernest Stewart, we did this kind of thing, and we hid and laughed and had fun watching an older man run into the electric pole holding a carton of 30 eggs in his hands. I still do not feel good about these bad deeds.
All I can say is that my childhood's bad deeds have caused me to rely more on the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua, the Messiah, to forgive my sins. For some of my old childhood sins, I repented actively because I could, but for others, I have to trust the blood of the sacrifice of God's son to forgive me!
However, no excuse exists for not loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. This concept is reminiscent of this poem from John Dunne:
No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were.
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
Love your neighbor as yourselves! It is a source of great joy to celebrate our relationship to the community and to love all, the young and the old, the healthy and the sick, those who give and those who receive, and for each one to remember the blood of Yeshua was shed for all!
Since last week we have released new content you can find on our podcasts and YouTube
We have a new updated Hidden Treasures and are working on some new books.
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A Torah Portion Podcast :
New Episode of the Jewish Jesus: https://netivyahinternational.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=398a0a8d2159fda1d724ac247&id=cdc098724c&e=3297417514
Please pray for College campuses in America who are under attack of racism an antisemitism. The nation and Christians need to plead before Gods throne to intervene.
Let us not forget those in captivity in the hands of Hamas. (131 are still there?)
If a military operation expands in Rafah? We expect the men from the Roeh Israel (Netivyah) in congregation in Jerusalem to be back in battle. Please pray for protection and for quick return of the Hostages.
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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."
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.
Joseph & Marcia Shulam
Dad's consultation in Jerusalem on 6th of May resulted in an agreement with the USA doctors to wait and do another PET CT in June. In addition a new consultation with a Pancreatic Cancer specialist regrading options for treatment will be scheduled.
Batya Segal is coping with the cancer treatment's effects and is faithfully waiting for clean PET Scan results.
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, is over 88 years old and lives alone. She has no close family and suffers from several old-age illnesses.
Your prayers for Alexander, Sarah, and Andrew, who were raised as believers but 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 have some health problems and challenges.
Pray for Miriam and Hannah, her daughter. Miriam is a dear sister and has lost her husband recently.
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.
Please pray for Shannon's father, Michael McGoff. Michael had heart surgery and we need to pray for his full recovery.
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, 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, serve, and grow their family. Lord, open the right doors for Dennis D'Costa and his family.
In Australia:
A dear friend from Hong Kong, Bonnie, asked that we pray for her brother, Ray Chen, who lives in Australia. Please mention Ray Chen and ask God to show this man the grace of God and God's powerful healing of body and soul, restoration of faith, and life of holiness and sanctity.
In Finland:
Praise Ester, a dear sister in the faith passed the tests with grace and the results are good news. We thank you for your prayers.
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.
Sipra, our dear sister in Nokia, is a widow with some health issues.
Pray for Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters
Pray for Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia, Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.
Please remember to pray for Kari Antilles' health in Finland. He has been a dear brother and supporter of Netivyah in prayer for many years.
In Brazil:
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 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 named 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.
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.
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:
Please pray for dear sister Bee Kim, a 71-year-old who lost consciousness on February 26, 2023. She has not regained her consciousness after a massive stroke.
Pray for Pastor TJ in Taiwan.
Pray for Deborah Ruth, a dear sister from China.
Pray for sister Reiko Ishiida, Elder Takeo, 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, 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:
new 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.
new Bill C. is having some additional test this week. We all dont like additional test so we can relate to this. Pray for Jill supporting him.
praise Ada Stanford is a good friend of Roger W. She is hold strong and healing. prayers for strength and healing after cancer surgery and following treatment plans.
praise Sue Earnest is Marcia's sister in-laws Mother. She has recovered from her fall and surgery.
Keep the Family of Raymond Dennis Jimenez Sr. in your prayer since has gone to be with the Lord.
Brother Philip Slate and his wife. She is suffering from several physical and mental health challenges.
Drayton Ford (Marcia's great nephew), age 14, has had health issues related to mold exposure that are affecting his ability to heal and participate in a public school with mold contamination. Please pray for the family to have support and peace in the choices they need to make for Drayton's health and schooling.
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.
Ray Jimenez from California is battling leukemia. Pray for God to sustain him and his time with the family.
Please continue to pray for the daughter of Bill Culwell, who is very sick with cancer and 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 the doctors and nurses attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis.
Andrew Huffines has complications from long-term COVID-19.
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.
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.
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.
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!
In Canada:
Pray for three women of God in Canada who need healing: Lynda, Sandy, and Joanne.
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:
For updates or requests please email us at:Prayer@netivyahinternational.org
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