Oh Jerusalem

When I first moved here to IHOP I was sincerely annoyed at the amount of prayers for Jerusalem. But last week something happened. It wasn’t a sermon or an altar call. I was just pacing in the prayer room. And it hit me. God wants to dwell with men; it’s always been His desire to live with humankind like He did with Adam and Eve in the garden. And it is clear in Scripture that when Jesus returns His throne will be established in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem will actually be His home on the earth. Immediately, I blurted out, “Father, protect Jerusalem against her enemies.”

Satan’s greatest goal is to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish people b/c they will be a crucial centerpiece for Jesus’ return. Jesus has chosen Jerusalem as His earthly home forever. But Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and He won’t make His home there until they allow Him to, just as it is with our hearts. One day, they will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Satan wants to wipe them out so they don’t say that.

I want Jesus to be on the earth. I want Him to live with us forever and restore the earth to the original state of the garden of Eden. Therefore, it is my role as an intercessor to pray for Jerusalem’s safety until He comes. If Satan destroys Jerusalem, then God’s chosen home on the earth will be wiped out. It’s all about love for His nearness.

Oh, Jerusalem. You were nothing and desolate, a beggar, just as I was. But just as I’ve been chosen by mercy and grace, washed and clothed in His loved, the Lord has desired you, too, as His habitation forever. Your name is not ‘desolate’ and ‘hated’ but “My delight is in her.” Father, protect Jerusalem and poru out Your Spirit on the Jewish people.

There is nothing that matters more than God’s nearness. Praying for Jerusalem is one of the most important and significant things one can do for the entire earth. If you want to save the planet, pray for Jerusalem.