Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
— Psalm 122:6
The Lord commands us to ask Him for our personal needs and desires, to intercede on behalf of others, and to specifically pray for the peace or “shalom” of Jerusalem. The meaning of the Hebrew word “shalom” is more than a greeting or the absence of war; it also signifies safety, health, tranquility, prosperity, and wholeness—nothing broken and nothing missing. And accordingly, the word “prosper” in Hebrew is “shalah” which comes from the same root as “shalom.”
The Holy Spirit chose the words “peace” and “prosper” because when you lack nothing and have everything, you desire nothing else (Psalm 23:1). The next time you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, know that you are praying for the wholeness of God’s Covenant Land and her people.
