Warfare Wednesday

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.

⁷ May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels." Psalm 122:6-7

I couldn't sleep last night. I tossed and turned and just could not get comfortable, so while I was not sleeping, I was thinking about a myriad of subjects. One of them was my blog post for this morning. I took a minute to think about what verse I should blog about when I remembered that today was Wednesday. I thought about how every week I take the time to pray for the president, and then I thought about how, you know, I could remember to pray for him more often. So I spent some time praying for President Obama. I prayed a lot for the safety of him and his family- that God would keep them protected from harm. And then I prayed that he would turn to God for answers. He can consult with all the top advisers in the world, but none of them will come close to the counsel that God can give this president.

This morning as I spent time going through the news, checking out what's going on in the world, I just felt really impressed to post the verse I posted above, and then I just knew that part of Warfare Wednesday this week was going to be praying for the Middle East. So often we hear people say that we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem- but did you know that was actually scriptural? We are supposed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but that peace won't really be there until there is peace in the whole Middle East, and that region of the world is just so unstable. The thing is, we can watch the news, we can see all the terrible riots and bombing and fighting and mudslinging going on, and it can be easy to say that is all in a part of the world that doesn't affect us much- other than the rise and fall of gas prices maybe.

But the truth is, it does affect us. Look again at the verses above. First we are given a command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but then there is a blessing that follows- "may those who love you be secure". When we spend time praying for the region, and when we spend time working up our compassion and love for the Middle East, we are doing our own homes a favor. This is one of the reasons that it is important that the United States supports Israel, because when that support falters, it could leave our own country vulnerable. Israel truly is God's blessed nation, just think of the joy that God experiences when another one of His children begins to pray for those He loves the most. God loves the nation of Israel- He always has! But did you also know that God loves the nation of Iraq, and the nation of Iran, and the nation of Saudi Arabia, and the nation of Syria... the list goes on. When we look at those countries and turn up our nose, we are turning up our noses at God's creation. And God loves those people so much.

So this week, let's pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Let's pray for the leaders of Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia- may they find the love of God in their lives and in their hearts. Right now the president of Iran is considered an evil man- a dictator with plans- and yet God loves him so much- and God can change his heart. That which man tries to use for evil, God can use for good, and I pray that peace will come to the Mid-East. May Israel be doubly blessed and may President Netanyahu follow God's direction in everything he does. Peace is possible when all will turn toward heaven and the love of the Father that comes from there. That love brings peace with it- which can spread like wildfire if it is allowed.