Why is it important for Christians to pray for the peace of Jerusalem? There are times that we pray without knowing for sure that we are praying according to the will of God. Any time we bless the Jewish people and not curse them, we are fulfilling God’s plan for world redemption.
Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you.” The prosperity that is described in this verse is a quality of soul and life. The root of the Hebrew word, Shalah which can be easily translated as to “put at ease” or to “quiet” means that those who love Jerusalem will be enabled to enjoy a similar personal peace and prosperity as enjoyed by God’s chosen city. Every Christian is therefore privileged to enjoy what Jerusalem enjoys communally. The Hebrew words “Shalom” and “Shalah” has a similar impact in our lives as it releases peace, ease of soul and quietness of heart. Know this for a fact that if God tells us to do something, it is best that we obey and do it. It might not make sense to the ordinary mind, but eventually it will. Jesus said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” Also, Luke 11:28 says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Jerusalem is the only city on earth where God has placed His name forever. Believers are encouraged to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because God has attached His name and indeed His reputation to Jerusalem. If violence and war were to ravage Jerusalem and throw it into a state of constant unrest, then it would not tell well on the name of God. We often hear the phrase “Shalom Jerusalem.” What if indeed it is possible for Jerusalem to become a city where peace permanently reigns? It will surely demonstrate God’s ability to transform the heart of humans. It would be a wonderful testimony that the 550,000 Jews and 355,000 Arabs who live together in Jerusalem could turn from being enemies into friends and dwell in peaceful terms in their city.
Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace as prophesied in Isaiah 9:6. It is also written that when the inhabitants of Jerusalem will come to know the Prince of Peace as their Lord and personal savior, and invite Him back to their city, Jesus will return to Jerusalem to rule and reign all over the earth. The Scriptures explains it better when it says:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were nt willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall not see me no more till you say, “Barucha haba b’shem Adonai,” (“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:37-39).
As unusual as it may sound, the phrase Barucha haba b’shem Adonai,” means the same thing in both ancient and modern Hebrew. It means, “Welcome.” If you pay a visit to any Jew in Jerusalem, what you will hear them tell you when you arrive is, “Baruch haba!” it is a greeting that assures you that you are well received. Remember that Jesus also said this to the Jewish leaders in His time that they would not see Him again until they welcome Him back to Jerusalem. This might also be what Jesus meant when he said, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20 NLT). Jesus loved to speak in parables and he also frequently used metaphors in his teachings. So it is possible that he said this to confirm that He can only come to us if we invite Him in.
In terms of bible prophesy, it is said that Jerusalem would become the capital of David’s everlasting kingdom when the Messiah Himself ascends His rightful throne and rules in a renewed and restored Jerusalem at His second coming. When this comes to pass, His kingdom promises to make Israel a fulfilled nation. A new Jerusalem will come down from heaven and shall become the eternal home for every person who believes in Him and worships the name, Yeshua. Apostle John also confirmed this in the book of Revelation 21:10-11, when he said, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
Also Read: Prayers for the Nation of Nigeria
As Christians, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are in fact praying for the Prince of Peace to reveal Himself in the heart of every child of God who believes in Him. We are also praying for the Jewish people. In doing so, we are helping to hasten the day of our Lord’s return. It is important that we know how to effectively pray for the restoration of Israel. We cannot achieve this without carrying a genuine burden for Israel. It is written in the scriptures that the burden should be a burden of sorrow and grief for Israel and the Jewish people. We are to carry this burden by praying fervently without ceasing until we see the peace of Jerusalem manifest. Isaiah 62:6 further buttresses this fact when it says, “You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
Scriptural prayers for Jerusalem
- O Lord, Jehovah, I pray for peace to be within the walls of Jerusalem, and prosperity to dwell within its government. For the sake of our brothers, sisters and believers in Israel, I will say now that peace be within Jerusalem. For the sake of the House of the Lord our God, I will seek the good of Jerusalem. May it be so in Jesus name, amen.
- O Lord, give me the grace to increase my measure of love for Jerusalem. Teach me the best way that I can love Jerusalem by constantly praying for them in Jesus name, amen.
- Lord, I make mention of you day and night. Therefore, help me not to keep silent and give You no rest until Jerusalem is established and made a praise in the earth, in Jesus name amen.
- I pray for the peace of Jerusalem Almighty Father. I understand that peace may not necessarily mean the absence of war but I also know that real peace comes from You, Yahweh and we are complete when we are at peace with You. Heavenly Father, pour Your peace in Jerusalem, I ray in Jesus name, amen.
- Dear Lord, give us the grace to continue to pray for Jerusalem without ceasing. Help us to always share the good news that we are guaranteed to prosper even as Jerusalem prospers. Jerusalem is desperately in need of peace and I speak peace to the city that at last the peace of the messiah will rest upon it in Jesus name, amen.
- Heavenly Father, Israel remains an unrestored state. The reality of Israel’s spiritual exile is a burden to every child of God and part of our calling. Therefore Lord, I pray that You perfect everything that concerns the government of Israel in Jesus name, amen.
- O Lord, I pray that You implant Your peace in the hearts of both Jews and Gentiles so that they will personally accept the Prince of Peace as Lord and Saviour over their lives now in Jesus mighty name, amen.
- O Lord, Jerusalem has now become a city that is intensely divided by race, religion, politics and economic status. The inhabitants of the city are forced to live in close quarters with those whom they consider to be their enemies. They are constantly under threat of military attacks, both inside and outside the walls of the city. Lord God, I ask for Your Holy Spirit to remove every bitterness and complacency from the hearts of the people of Jerusalem so that they can believe that peace is actually very possible to achieve in their city in Jesus mighty name, amen.
- Lord Jesus Christ spread Your powerful protection around Jerusalem. Protect them from every threat of attack from their enemies. Turn the hearts of the people toward kindness and compassion. Let their children leas the way in the rising up of a generation that longs to treat all in Jerusalem as brother and sister. Lord Jesus, I ask that You knit all the families together in wholeness and health in ways that will repulse fear and hate in exchange for love and joy in Jesus mighty name I pray, amen.