22 Days of PeaceSample

Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

God has linked cause and effect in the world we live in. We know from the scriptures and life that what we sow we will reap. Psalm 122 starts with the expression of a heart that loves God’s presence so much that they are glad when someone mentioned going to the house of the Lord. This Psalm was written by King David who was called a man after God’s own heart. It is from that heart for God and His house that comes the command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Right after the command, we read what could be a sample prayer for us to follow, as if God thought we needed a script. I am thankful He did because there are times that I am at a loss for how to pray. The prayer starts with a blessing that those that love Jerusalem would prosper. What you love you will pray for and conversely what you pray for you will end up loving. Maybe that is why Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. With that love and prayer for Jerusalem comes prosperity or a rest and peace. The prayer goes on to pray for peace within the walls and prosperity within the palaces. That means that external and internal forces would be peaceful. The end of the Psalm shows us that there is more than a selfish motivation to praying for Jerusalem. David says he is praying for the sake of his family and friends and for the sake of the house of the Lord. Where God is interested we need to be involved. God loves us and wants us to have peace so He asks us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and in doing so we will experience that rest and peace with others. Not only that, the house of God will experience that rest and peace. The greater focus of God is His plan on the earth and in this day and age His plan is the church. We pray for Jerusalem because we are involved in what God is interested in. Jerusalem is a place God chose for His name where His Son would walk and would die outside the gate. It is a place where the church was birthed and where the gospel would spread from and now that we have received from there we need to love it enough to pray. In doing so we will find rest and peace in our relationships and in the church. Pray now for the peace of Jerusalem. If you want to use the same words from the Psalm or your own words God will hear your prayer and bless your heart to love and to experience the peace and prosperity you are praying for.