Why Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem ~ Psalm 122

 Today's Scripture: Psalm 122

Psalm 122:6 actually commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but I had to wonder, why are we being commanded to pray?  

The very name Jerusalem includes this hope for peace, for the last part of Jerusalem, “salem,” comes from the Hebrew word “shalom,” which means peace, wholeness and completeness.

When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we are praying for hostilities to cease — such as terror and missile attacks, and the enmity that exists between Israelis and Palestinians.

But I believe the command goes deeper than that in that we are also praying for the eternal peace that will come when Jesus the Messiah returns to reign.

Before we study further, however, let me ask you ... how often do you "pray for the peace of Jerusalem"? Do you include this petition as part of your daily prayers? Perhaps when we're finished here, you too may want to commit to praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

The first reason to consider is found in verses one and two, 

I was glad when they said to me ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:1-2)

and also here in these verses:
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, That the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths. ’For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:1-2)

“For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place” (Psalm 132:13)

“So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy…” (Joel 3:17)

For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My Name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” (2 Chronicles 7:16)

Jerusalem is God's chosen city both now and forever. Jerusalem will be a sign to the nations of God's covenant with His people and a witness to all nations of His sovereign power and faithfulness. It's no wonder that there is always strife in the city. 

The second reason to pray for Jerusalem is because the Jewish people gave us our Messiah and the Bible;

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:1-10)

The third reason is the one I mentioned above found in verse 6-8 - we are commanded for our own security, 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”

And there is also a blessing that comes with this command— “may they prosper who love you” (v.9) — refers to the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:3:

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

The root of the Hebrew term used for “prosper” is shalah, which can be translated as to “put at ease” or to “quiet.” The prosperity described is therefore not a material blessing, but a quality of soul and life. 

Those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem are partnering with God in the unfolding of God’s promises to the Jewish people.

And the coolest part is that when we do, we will receive what money can never buy — His presence in our lives, which is the very source of both shalom  (peace) and shalah (tranquility of our soul life)

Let's Pray:

O Father,  in joyful obedience to Your command I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the chosen city in which Your Name dwells, both now and forevermore. I join in a prayer of agreement with all who love her and call for peace within her gates. May the light of Jerusalem be a sign to the nations of Your covenant with Your people and a witness to all peoples of Your sovereign power and faithfulness. 

LORD, I pray for the peace and prosperity of all who live within Jerusalem, her residents, protectors, workers, visitors, supporters and all who love her from both near and far. Prosper and protect her. Bring abiding, unbreakable and eternal peace to Your Holy City. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so You are round about Your people. 

Blessings, 

Sue