Replies

Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem
Mahesh And Bonnie Chavda:

March 26, 2010

One of God’s perpetual directives is a very simple one: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). It is a timeless assignment to all who call on the name of the Lord, including you and me:

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. 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.—Isaiah 62:6-7

He has made us, those who mention His name, watchmen for the place He calls the Apple of His Eye. If we want to see as God sees, a key is to see through the lens of His eye, Israel. The best way to do this is to pray. As we align our hearts with Israel in prayer, we come into harmony with God’s vision and timing for the unfolding events of our age. Prayer will open your eyes and your hearts to see and hear from God’s perspective.

Israel is our past, present and future destiny. Through the Jews we have salvation (John 4:22). The most important event of our lives took place outside the gates of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Jesus is our Jewish Redeemer. Through Him we have been brought near into God’s embrace:

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ.—Ephesians 2:11-13

We are not complete apart from God’s covenant land and people. In a mystery, God has tied our destinies to one another. He has made us, Jew and Gentile, one new man, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility...that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the Cross...” (Ephesians 2:14-16). Our spiritual mentor Derek Prince used to say, “If you want to know what is happening in the Church, look at Israel.” We, individually and corporately as the Church, are grafted into a Jewish root that is planted deep in the soil of a particular geography—Israel. Our life is tied to that vine.

As we pray for and bless Israel, we are opening the heavens for blessing on Israel, and we are in turn bringing blessing and prosperity back onto ourselves. God’s directive to pray for the peace of Jerusalem is followed with, “May they prosper who love you” (Psalm 122:6b). God’s covenant with Abraham came with a promise to all the peoples of the earth, “I will bless those who bless you” (Genesis 12:3). As we bless Israel and the Jewish people, there is a blessing in store for us. A simple way to unlock this blessing is in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

Israel is God’s prophetic time clock. Jesus told His followers, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” (Matthew 24:32-33). Jesus was speaking of His return and the end of the age. He was letting us know the signs by which we would know to look for His appearing. Israel is depicted in Scripture by the fig tree. Since the modern nation of Israel was established in 1948 until today, God’s clock is ticking down the minutes of Christ’s return. We are in the last days described in Matthew 24. Jesus’ instructions to us are to watch and pray (Mark 13:33). We see the fig tree budding in the land of Israel and we harmonize with God in prayer for the fulfillment of His promises to this special nation, His Chosen People, the land where He has caused His name to dwell.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”—Zechariah 2:8-13

God’s promises stand for Israel to this day. The nations rage and plan a vain thing, but God has declared that He will return to Jerusalem and restore the Jewish people to their land which He covenanted to give to Abraham:

He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. Remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.”—1 Chronicles 16:14-18

God is immovable. His statutes are everlasting. If we want to be on God’s side and step into the flow of His blessing and prosperity, we need to align with His promises to Israel in our prayer and our action. As a nation, America has experienced tremendous blessing, we believe, in large part because of our stance to support Israel. As we pray for Israel, may we pray for our own nation to bless and favor Israel. God will defend Israel regardless, but we want to be in line with Him as a people, a Church and a nation.

God’s glory was revealed when He brought Israel out of Egypt in mighty signs and wonders and the blood of the Paschal Lamb. His glory hovered over the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as a cloudy pillar and fire when He led Israel to her promised land. His chavod (glory, Strong’s #3519) filled Solomon’s Temple so the priests were no longer able to minister when they dedicated the place God’s name would dwell (2 Chronicles 7:1-2). The veil separating God’s people from His Shekinah glory was rent as Jesus’ torn flesh was offered for our sins outside Jerusalem’s walls (Matthew 27:51).

In Jerusalem, His glory was unleashed across the earth as the Holy Spirit came like a rushing wind and tongues of fire at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Jesus’ glorious return is yet to come, when His feet touch the earth once more in Jerusalem (Acts 1:11). Haggai promises that, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former” (Haggai 2:9). Israel is a central figure in God’s ever-unfolding glory story. As we honor God’s Word and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are making way for the Kingdom of God to be established, that His glory might fill the earth.

I...will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.—Zechariah 2:5

Please join us as you have time today to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, and for God’s blessing, protection and prosperity for Israel and the Jewish people.

http://www.etpv.org/2010/p4tpo.html