Most of us are familiar with these famous words of the Psalmist: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you.’”
Yet, what does it mean to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem?
If you think about it, praying for the peace of Jerusalem is praying for Jesus to hasten His return! Jesus is the only one who can bring true peace in Jerusalem, and as Isaiah 2:2-4 and 11:6-9 remind us, only God can bring peace to a broken world this side of heaven.
Also, when we pray for Israel, we align ourselves with God’s heart! Right now the Lord is moving history forward through His redemptive plan in the Jewish people. We know that Israel was always meant to bless and be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42) and the Apostle Paul says in Romans 11:12, “Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!”
So how should we pray for the peace of Jerusalem?
The following might give you some ideas about how to pray for the peace of Jerusalem more effectively.
- Pray for Jewish Israeli and Palestinian leaders to both negotiate a temporary, politically-based peace, and to also find peace in their hearts through accepting Jesus. These are the people we should pray for at this time: Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) and Khaled Meshaal (Hamas); as well our leaders in the U.S., President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson.
- Pray for the work of God’s people in bringing the message of the Gospel to the almost two hundred thousand Holocaust survivors living in Israel. By God’s grace, Chosen People Ministries has been able to enjoy a growing ministry among these precious people. Your prayers can make a difference serving this treasured community, which may die out within a decade!
- We should also pray for the quiet reconciliation efforts of Jewish and Arab believers in Israel seeking to encourage one another by developing deeper relationships between the Jewish and Palestinian Church. There are over 140 congregations in Israel, ranging from small house fellowships to established places of worship. Pray that the work of the Prince of Peace will grow among Jewish Israelis and Palestinians and that they are enabled to provide a powerful witness of Messiah’s reconciliation among their neighbors.
- Pray for God to help the Church in the United States to be better informed about what is happening in Israel and to find ways to glean information for continued prayer outside of the slanted approach of the media.
- Praying for the peace of Jerusalem reminds us of our blessed hope! Even though peace is elusive today, it is still our prophetic destiny. As Isaiah the prophet writes, “He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:4).
Praying for Israel and the Jewish people reminds us of the shalom the Lord has planned for all humanity.
Don’t forget to schedule a Messiah in the Passover presentation at your church in the spring!
Contact our Church Ministries office at [email protected] or call 561-737-1431.
If you have already scheduled a presentation, thank you! We look forward to seeing you soon!