CUFI’s Word of The Week – Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

CUFI’s Word of The Week – Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”
— Psalm 122:6

In this verse, the Lord commands us to pray, to intercede on behalf of, and to speak for the peace—“shalom”—of Jerusalem. Most people believe that the meaning of the word shalom is “peace” or that it is a form of greeting to someone in the Hebrew language. However, this is just a partial meaning of the word shalom.

Shalom means completeness, wholeness, welfare, peace, safety, health, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, nothing broken and nothing missing. The translation in our Bible chooses the word “peace” because when you have everything and lack nothing you live in perfect peace and shall desire nothing else (c.f. Psalm 23:1). The next time you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, know that you are praying for the perfectness and fullness of God’s people.

In Genesis 12:3, God promised to bless those who bless Israel. That promise is fulfilled every time we pray for the shalom of Jerusalem because it guarantees that God will give us the same type of blessing that we are extending upon Israel. The word “prosper” in Hebrew is the word “shalah” and it comes from the same root as shalom which means prosperity, security, wellness, tranquility.

Today, more than ever, Israel and the Jewish people need our prayers and blessings. If you desire God’s blessing and are in need of a miracle in your life this week, pray for the shalom of Jerusalem and the Jewish people so that you may experience a life of completeness and fullness that goes above and beyond your prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, and dreams.