The Jerusalem Prayer List – 4 May, 2024
by Joseph Shulam - From Jerusalem Israel
The book of Leviticus is one of the books that is studied least in the Christian Churches. Yes, the book of Leviticus at first sight indeed gives the impression that it deals mainly with issues concerning the worship in the Temple (Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness). But it doesn’t! The book of Leviticus uses the priesthood and the sacrificial system as a platform to teach some of the most important principles that are foundational for any disciples of Yeshua in daily life and holy practices. If the book of Leviticus did not exist or if it is ignored and not studied with sincere interest and commitment, glean the pearls and gold nuggets from the pages and words of God to Moses and the Levites our faith would be useless, and sanctity and holiness would be far far far away from us and our communities.
In the book of Leviticus, we learn the most popular text used by Yeshua himself and the Apostles, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself!”
Our reading this Shabbat is from a portion called in Hebrew Acharei Mot = After the Death.
The Torah reading is from Leviticus 16:1-18:30.
The Prophets (The Haftarah), we will read from Ezekiel 22:1-19.
The Gospels, the reading will be from Matthew 15:10 – 20 and Mark 12:28-34.
I want to discuss the very beginning of our Torah Portion. This text brings us to one of the most basic and essential principles in the whole Bible. This text has many brothers and sister texts through the Bible and deep into the teaching of Yeshua and the Apostles in the New Testament.
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:1-5 NKJV)
Principle #1: Because I am your Lord and your God, you will not follow, practice, and live like the earthly empires.
Principle #2—If you do what I instruct and live according to my laws, which I designed for you to practice, you will have life now and forever!
These two verses of wisdom and instructions are simple to state but very complicated to observe and practice. The power statement that appears multiple times in the book of Leviticus is “I am the LORD your God.”
You might not think that this declaration from the Almighty is powerful enough to convince you to straighten up and fly right, but it doesn’t take us long to find out the consequences of disobedience to God’s instructions. This simple phrase is the WHY and the strongest motive possible. If God had instead said in the Torah, “Do this, and you will receive 10$”, you would have a mile-long line of people standing to crash in their 10$. But God laced His command with the words, “I am the LORD your, God.” If we keep the commandments and do good with any other motives than doing the will of our Father, who is the master and creator of this world, our obedience would not be sincere and would not be based on faith and relationship!
Obedience for ulterior motives is an abomination. Even if you give a diamond ring to your wife for the wrong reason, she will throw the ring right back in your face. Here are the words of Isaiah, the prophet to the nation of Israel:
“Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls lambs, or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.” (Isaiah 1:11 – 13)
Isaiah 1 is a significant text, as it sets obedience to God’s commandments on the right level. Also, the relationship between the world’s creator and his children is set in a different paradigm. Idolatry teaches that the idol they worship and burn sacrifice for must be washed and polished, the statue of an idol who needs this service from men because the idol is not able to do anything for itself.
In our text in Leviticus 16, it is clear that God’s command is valid for our obedience only if it comes deep from our hearts with pure motives, never for personal gain or to receive “prosperity!” Our motives are more important than the value of our sacrifices.
The next thing we learn from our Torah reading is the procedure for the events (worship) of the Day of Atonement, or in Hebrew, Yom HaKippurim. This Day, on the 10th Day of the 7th month of Tishri, is considered the holiest Day on the Hebrew calendar. It is a day of fasting for 25 hours and praying for much of those hours.
The Day of Atonement does not deal with our private sins, for each of us has to repent and make restitution in every possible place. The Day of Atonement concerns our collective sins, the sins of our nation, government, and leadership. Two goats of the same size and outward appearance are brought to the High Priest. He casts lots. One of these goats is offered on the altar in the Tabernacle, and the other goat is the scapegoat that is not offered for sacrifice. The scapegoat is released into the wilderness after it is fed and decorated, and the High Priest lays hands on its head and confesses the collective sins of all of Israel.
The big thing about Yom HaKippurim, the Day of Atonement, is the command, “It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.” (Leviticus 16:31 NKJV)
The Day of Atonement is also a “Holy Sabbath, and the command to “afflict your souls” is interpreted to fast from drinking and eating for 25 hours. On this Day, most people in Israel go to the synagogues and pray. Most of the Day, some of the most inspirational prayers are in human language. On this Day, four times, a list of confessions is read aloud. The list of confessions is long, with around 150 different sins. It is too long for me to insert into this prayer list. I don’t know a human being that doesn’t have to at least mentally mark a “V” to 20 – 30 of the sins listed—things like gossip and taking something by mistake that doesn’t belong to you. Even making and not keeping promises is one of the sins on that list. In our congregation in Jerusalem, when we celebrate Yom HaKippurim, I always read this long list and enjoy it because it reminds me of how much I need God’s Atonement. It also reminds me that the Jewish nation has no temple and no sanctified priesthood and that the only real Atonement that we have in the world today is Yeshua, our Messiah, and Savior. Interestingly, in the regular orthodox Jewish prayer book for Yom HaKippurim toward the end, there is a prayer with the following words: A free translation of this poem from Hebrew says:
“Then, before the beginning – He has set the abode and Yinon. From the beginning, before planning any nation or language - He has planned the established Temple on high. He has counseled to emanate his holy Presence there to lead the erring ones on straight paths. When wickedness became as red as scarlet – he has preceded it with “wash yourselves and cleanse yourselves”. Even if He became indignant with His awesome One – The Holy One will not pour His entire wrath. We have been enslaved to our greed until now, but Our Rock did not raise Himself over us. Messiah of our Righteousness has turned away from us, we were perplexed and there is no one to justify us. He bears our iniquities and the yoke of our crimes upon himself. And was profaned (or: pierced) because of our iniquities. He carries our sins on His shoulder, to find forgiveness for our misdeeds. We were healed by His bruises – It’s time to create the Eternal One anew as a new creation. Lift Him up from the circle (of the earth), draw Him up from Se’ir (=Edom), and make us hear of Him again on top of Mount Lebanon by the hand of Yinon.”
The author of this prayer, which is in the standard Ashkenazi orthodox special prayer book for the Day of Atonement, is exceptional and messianic, with at least three quotations from Isaiah 53. The name Yinon is fascinating. It is a unique name that appears only once in the Bible in Psalm 72:17. Because the Hebrew of this Psalm is so complicated to translate, each translation has a different way of rendering the name Yinon. However, the whole prayer translated into English clearly relates to Yeshua as the Messiah and savior.
The Day of Atonement is a day that 70% of all the Jews in Israel will fast and pray and remember their sins and make resolutions and promises to themselves to do better next year.
The command and order of the Day of Atonement are from the reading of the following Shabbat in every synagogue. There is no other nation or religious group on this Earth that has that kind of Day that every year reminds us of our sins and of our need for the Messiah who fulfills all the prophetic expectations and promises from all the scriptures but especially all the predictions of Isaiah 53 – that are so uniquely fulfilled by that lone man from Galilee who walked on the water of the Sea of Galilee and calmed the waters of the storm.
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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. (do you remember how many are still there?) If a military operation takes place 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.
For updates or requests please email us at: Prayer@netivyahinternational.org If you want to post an encouraging message there are multiple public platforms you can do it on. This will provide you a way to connect with the family of faith on this list who can access Facebook, Internet Websites, and Instagram. Netivyah International Socials Web: https://www.netivyahinternational.org/news/categories/jerusalem-prayer-list Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/netivyahusa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/netivyah_international/ Joseph Shulams Socials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephbshulam Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephshulam/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Dads next oncology consultation in Jerusalem is on 6th of May. ------------------------------------------------------------ * 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: ------------------------------------------------------------ * Ester, a dear sister in the faith, is anxious about the results of some tests she has completed. We are thankful for the tests being done, and please pray for happy results. Waiting can be stressful, and we want to pray for her needs. ------------------------------------------------------------ * 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 Ada Stanford is a good friend of Roger W. She needs prayers for strength and healing after cancer surgery and following treatment plans. ------------------------------------------------------------ new Sue Earnest is Marcia's sister in-laws Mother. She fell this week and is recovering from surgery. Please pray for a quick recovery and a reduction in post op pain. * 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: Prayer@netivyahinternational.org
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