JPL March 2, 2024

The Jerusalem Prayer List – March 2, 2024

By Joseph Shulam - From Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA

Shalom, dear brothers and sisters around the world, I am writing this Jerusalem Prayer List from the USA. Marcia and I are staying with our Son Barry and daughter-in-law Beth.  

We came to the USA because I must go with Barry to Brazil for a very important international conference to revive the battle and program for the restoration of the victims of the Spanish and Portuguese Catholic Inquisition. The Inquisition began in 1472 against the Jews of Spain and Portugal and lasted until 1821. During this Inquisition, Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism and stop any Jewish traditional practices, celebration of Biblical holidays, eating Kosher, or going to Synagogue. Jews who converted by force were marked, and their neighbors were instructed to spy and see if they kept Jewish traditions. 

Netivyah and the Ensinando de Siao (Teaching from Zion) ministry are worldwide pioneers in raising the issue of the descendants of those Jews who were forced to convert to Catholic Christianity. Our conference will be in the last days of March 2024 and the first days of April 2024. The UMJC, a major Messianic Jewish organization, is participating for the first time at this conference and celebrating this opportunity to take part in the process and prayer for the restoration of these victims of the Catholic Inquisition to come back to the fold of Israel and the heart of the Jewish nation.   

I must ask you all for the following prayers: 

1) Pray for all the participants in this congress in Belo-Horizonte. Pray for safety in travel and joy of fellowship and deep commitment to the cause and to the final restoration to Israel of these true-blooded Jews that have been snatched out of their Jewish identity and forbidden to be who they are, Jews! 

2) Pray for the Shulam family: Marcia, Beth, Barry, and me, especially for Marcia and me. We both need a divine healing touch of God's Grace—Marcia with her chronic illnesses, Diabetic, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and now Dementia. I have been diagnosed with two different cancers in my body: two lumps of Lymphoma in my lungs and pancreatic cancer. I am fortunate that both cases are in what the doctor calls stage 1, and the doctor says that my chances of recovery are good. But God's hand and your prayers are crucial. We need your prayers and your help in every way.  

This Shabbat's Torah reading and the Haftarah (The reading from the Prophets) and from the New Testament are very special!

The synagogues around the world will be reading the portion "Ki Tisa" from Exodus 30:11-34:35.  "Ki Tisa" is translated in English as, "When you take the sum number of the children of Israel, according to those that are numbered of them…" There was a command from God to take a census of the children of Israel. The census was for several reasons, not the least of which was the organization of those men between the ages of 20 – and 50 for military service (also to connect the people of Israel with the worship and the holidays, and the needs of the camp during these special occasions.)   

The reading from the prophets is from 1 Kings 18:1-39. This reading is one of my favorites in the whole body of historical books (like Samuel and Kings and Chronicles.) The story of Elijah is one of my favorite texts because Elijah is a very unusual and unique character. I identify with Elijah because of his unorthodox attitude toward authorities! 

The New Testament reading is from the Gospel of Mark 9:1-10. It is a short reading of 10 verses, but notice how engaging this short text is! 

Mark 9:1: "And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There are some here of them that stand by who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God come with power."  

This text is often misunderstood. Some might think Yeshua spoke about his return to Jerusalem after his death and resurrection. However, Yeshua is talking about introducing the Kingdom of God with the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Shavuot). Here are the words from the book of Acts: Acts 1:6-8:

 "They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within His own authority. 8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."  

 Acts chapter 1:8 is the fulfillment of the coming of the Kingdom of God with power, the power of the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God is here after the death and resurrection of Yeshua and the receiving of the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost. The Kingdom of God has and ought to have the unmistakable character and nature of a Kingdom. There are laws, rules, privileges, and obligations (and not some people only receiving, and others serving and paying taxes.)  

Counting the people of Israel in the wilderness before they enter the land and receive their land portion is an outstanding example of how a nation should look at all its citizens.  Exodus 30:14 – 15:

"Every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of Jehovah. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls."  

 God looks at us and our society equally, expressed in what God expects from us. Children are not expected to have the same responsibility as adults. Adults are expected to be graded by who they are, not by how rich or poor they are. The atonement of our souls is the same for every segment of society: the rich, the poor, the Ph.D., and the street sweepers are all equal in the sight of God, and their salvation and atonement are the same – only half a shekel. 

Before the Lord God, the Creator of our Universe, our worth is the same: half a shekel, a coin that everyone could afford to give for the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the dwelling of God's presence, the place of the Glory of God rests. The outcome of this command gave each one in Israel the ability to look at the Tabernacle and say to himself, "I have a part in this structure! I gave my half a shekel and had just as much right and investment as you did! God loves me just as much as God loves you because we both did equally the same half-shekel."   

One of Israel's biggest problems is division among the different segments of society. The division has created hate between those who serve in the Israel Defense Forces (along with their families) fighting the enemy and sacrificing the lives of their children in war and those who don't go to the army under the pretense that they are studying the Torah. There are many more severe social problems in Israel today. Still, the social inequality in sharing the financial burdens of a country like Israel that has been at war for so long is a glaring problem. 

We must learn not only in Israel but in every community of disciples of Yeshua around the world that we are brothers in the Messiah and redeemed by the same blood of Yeshua and have our sins forgiven by the same sacrifice. This simple and plain truth that all disciples of Yeshua agree with theoretically must become an agreement in deed and in practice and respect for each other in action.  

Let's close our eyes and imagine a congregation of a fellowship of the saints that shares, gives, and participates, each according to his ability and the purpose of his heart. I am not speaking only of financial issues but of time, care, fellowship, and obedience to God's command to take care and be there for the older generation, widows, and orphans.  

Evangelism and church growth would look different, and the community would work wonders.  

I am not talking about socialism or Bolshevism. I am not talking about dictation from the leadership of what it means to be equal and equally responsible. I am talking about the visible and live expression of the equality and love that true brothers in a good family of disciples of the Messiah ought to have. The wisdom of God's command to Israel to collect only half a shekel from each one is excellent because if everyone gives the same share and has the same feeling of ownership in God's house, this equality will eliminate so many dark impressions, envy, jealousy, and competition. This collection was the obligatory part; there is also in the Torah a voluntary part. If someone wants to give more to celebrate some special blessing that The LORD has given him, there is no limit. The half shekel stands as a signal and flag that celebrates our oneness and equality before the grace of our Father in Heaven!   

Just think of the camp of the children of Israel in that dry and very harsh environment of the Sinai desert and imagine the unity that they had for 40 years in the wilderness of Sinai. Imagine the same unity described in Acts 2. All 120 disciples of Yeshua were in one place on Mount Zion, and they were all Jews in agreement with each other, united in the hope of God's Kingdom! 

(Usually, three Jews today would have four political parties. They would all talk together, and not one would understand or respect the other because of some minor disagreement, like who brought a better bottle of wine for the Friday evening Shabbat Blessing. The same could be said of gentiles as well. Still, they would argue about something else, and when they leave the meeting, as is human nature, the venom will be spilled behind their backs. )

 The book of Acts tells us they were all united when they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, that at one time, in that one place with the one Spirit of God that filled the room!

Let us all pray for unity in the Evangelical camp in the wilderness of wealth and prosperity, all equally redeemed by the same blood of the same Jew crowned King of the Jews, Yeshua our Messiah and Lord!

---

For updates or request please email us at Prayer@netivyahinternational.org

Pray for faithful brothers and sisters in Israel. 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 Website 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 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.

Please keep Joe and Marcia in your prayers.  If you are compelled to help the Shulam family, support can be provided through  https://www.netivyahinternational.org/support-us

[note from Barry Shulam]

update Joseph Shulam has Cancer Pancreatic Neuroendocrine tumor grade 1.  We are waiting for a consultation appointment with Tennessee Oncology.

[-----------------------------------------------------------------] Batya Segal is copying with the effects of the treatment and is looking faithfully to a 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 Drayton Ford (Marcia's great nephew)  age 14 has had health issues related to mold exposure that are affecting his ability heal and participate in public school that has 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.

update Troy Jr. has transitioned to be with the Lord.  Please keep Beths family the Hollandsworth in your prayers as they celebrate the life of Troy and transition to a new normal without a loved one

Ray Jimenez from California is battling leukemia. Pray for god to sustain him and his time with the family. Rabbi Levy had a Stroke 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 who are attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis. 

Andrew Huffines, 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 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 is 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 requests please email us at Prayer@netivyahinternational.org