Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
Psalm 122:6-9
Psalms 120-134 are unique among the other Psalms in the Bible. They were songs that were sung by the Israelites as they sojourned to Jerusalem for the festivals. Traveling in groups on this annual pilgrimage, they would sing these songs for encouragement, praise and thanksgiving. It was their “playlist” for the trip. Once they reached the city, they would sing Psalm 121 – a Davidic song sung as a blessing over the city.
As children of God, our lives are also a pilgrimage. We walk every day toward the purpose and destination our Creator has designed for us. The Israelites prayed for peace in the city.( In fact, the very name Jerusalem means City of Peace in Hebrew. ) They prayed for peace within the community, among their friends and family , and with their neighbors outside the walls.
Do you pray for peace? Do you pray for unity within your family and your own church? Are you actively looking for ways to ensure harmony among your fellow believers? Sometimes our lives are so busy and over-scheduled, our prayers wind up being mostly about our own needs. Maybe our own pilgrimage has been rough and full of disaster. When we are heart-broken, sorrowful, and depressed it can be hard to think of the needs of others. Yet, God is teaching us here the importance of intercessory prayer – prayer on behalf of others.
Look around. Has God shown you someone who is in need? If He has, then He is providing you with a tool to help you cope with your own despair. It is the tool of putting the needs of someone else ahead of your own. Serving them. Praying for them. Encouraging them. The amazing thing is that as you decrease the focus on yourself and put the spotlight on others, you are bringing peace into your own troubled life. As you zero-in on the welfare of the Kingdom of God, you are positioning yourself for an outpouring of healing and a calm spirit from your Heavenly Father.
Go ahead, for the sake of our brothers and sisters and friends, let’s all say “Peace be with you”!
Journaling Prompts 1. Read Psalm 122. What do you believe God is teaching you in this passage?
2. Read Ephesians 2:11-22. In what ways does this scripture parallel Psalm 122. (Note what Christ is called in Ephesians 2:14)
3. Write your own prayer for peace to God.
“May they be secure who love you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
Psalm 122:6-9
Psalms 120-134 are unique among the other Psalms in the Bible. They were songs that were sung by the Israelites as they sojourned to Jerusalem for the festivals. Traveling in groups on this annual pilgrimage, they would sing these songs for encouragement, praise and thanksgiving. It was their “playlist” for the trip. Once they reached the city, they would sing Psalm 121 – a Davidic song sung as a blessing over the city.
As children of God, our lives are also a pilgrimage. We walk every day toward the purpose and destination our Creator has designed for us. The Israelites prayed for peace in the city.( In fact, the very name Jerusalem means City of Peace in Hebrew. ) They prayed for peace within the community, among their friends and family , and with their neighbors outside the walls.
Do you pray for peace? Do you pray for unity within your family and your own church? Are you actively looking for ways to ensure harmony among your fellow believers? Sometimes our lives are so busy and over-scheduled, our prayers wind up being mostly about our own needs. Maybe our own pilgrimage has been rough and full of disaster. When we are heart-broken, sorrowful, and depressed it can be hard to think of the needs of others. Yet, God is teaching us here the importance of intercessory prayer – prayer on behalf of others.
Look around. Has God shown you someone who is in need? If He has, then He is providing you with a tool to help you cope with your own despair. It is the tool of putting the needs of someone else ahead of your own. Serving them. Praying for them. Encouraging them. The amazing thing is that as you decrease the focus on yourself and put the spotlight on others, you are bringing peace into your own troubled life. As you zero-in on the welfare of the Kingdom of God, you are positioning yourself for an outpouring of healing and a calm spirit from your Heavenly Father.
Go ahead, for the sake of our brothers and sisters and friends, let’s all say “Peace be with you”!
Journaling Prompts 1. Read Psalm 122. What do you believe God is teaching you in this passage?
2. Read Ephesians 2:11-22. In what ways does this scripture parallel Psalm 122. (Note what Christ is called in Ephesians 2:14)
3. Write your own prayer for peace to God.