Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
Psalm 122:6-9 NIV
“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.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Jerusalem was Israel’s capital and the nation’s spiritual center of worship. And it was the home of David, the author of this psalm. In this psalm, David called on people to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Because if Jerusalem experienced peace and prosperity, those within the city and the nation would be more likely to experience peace and prosperity.
What David prays here for Jerusalem is appropriate for us to pray for our own towns and cities. As well as for the countries we live in. We live in a world where peace often seems fleeting and illusory. And indeed it is. The peace that this world can attain on its own will never last. There can be no true peace apart from what God brings.
Still, it is appropriate to pray that the place you live will experience peace; that there would be security and safety. Pray for the sake of your family and friends. Pray for the sake of the people of God who work, serve, and live in your town. And, especially, pray that the Holy Spirit would be active in your location and that people would come to know our Lord and the peace that only he can bring. Pray that peace would come to your town and country.
