“Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you.”
Psalm 147:12–13
Today I am speaking to you from Jerusalem, and as I look around this ancient city, I am thinking about something many of you have done faithfully for years: you have prayed for Israel.
You have prayed for Jerusalem. You have prayed for the people of this land. During difficult seasons, you have stood with us from thousands of miles away, bringing Israel before the Lord.
But today, from Jerusalem, I want to pray for you.
There is a beautiful passage in Psalm 147 that has been on my heart:
“Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you.”
Jerusalem is a city the whole world seems to have an opinion about. For thousands of years, kingdoms have fought over her, nations have watched her, and generations have prayed for her. Even today, few places on earth stir such strong emotions.
Yet there is one voice that matters more than all the others: what does God say about Jerusalem? Scripture leaves us in no doubt. God placed His name upon this city. He spoke promises over her. He called Zion His holy mountain.
That is especially meaningful in our generation because the word Zion itself has become controversial in many parts of the world. But long before Zion became something people argued about, Zion was a place God spoke about.
Zion does not begin with politics. It begins in the Word of God.
Throughout Scripture, the Lord speaks of His love for Zion, His purposes for Jerusalem, and His faithfulness to Israel. Human opinions change. Nations rise and fall. The language of the world changes from one generation to another. But the Word of God does not change. And then Psalm 147 gives us this beautiful picture:
“He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you.”
Protection. Children. Blessing.
As I read those words here in Jerusalem, I began thinking not only about this city, but about your home. Because perhaps there are people you love whom you are carrying before the Lord today.
Maybe it is a son or daughter. Maybe a grandchild. Perhaps you are concerned about decisions they are making, pressures they are facing, people influencing them, or simply what their future will hold.
We want to protect those we love. If we could, we would walk beside our children through every difficult moment and shield them from every wrong decision. But we cannot.
There are places we cannot go with them. There are circumstances we cannot control. There are moments when all we can do is entrust them to God.
And perhaps that is exactly where some of you are today.
The God who says of Jerusalem, “He has strengthened the bars of your gates,” is still our Protector. The God who says, “He has blessed your children within you,” sees every son, every daughter, and every grandchild.
His hand reaches where yours cannot. He sees them when you cannot see them. He knows what lies ahead when you do not. And this Shabbat, perhaps the Lord is inviting you to place them into His hands again.
There are moments when praise becomes an act of trust:
Lord, I cannot see everything ahead, but You can. I cannot control every circumstance, but You are there. My home, my family, my children—I place them again into Your hands.
So today, after so many of you have faithfully prayed for us here in Israel, allow me to pray for you from Jerusalem.
“Lord, I pray for the person reading these words. Strengthen the gates around their life and their home. Watch over their family and place Your hand upon their children and grandchildren. Guard them in the places where they cannot be beside them. Give them wisdom in their decisions, protect their steps, and draw their hearts toward You.
Where there is anxiety, bring peace. Where there is uncertainty, bring trust. Where relationships have become strained, bring restoration. Fill their home with Your presence and with the deep joy that comes from knowing You.
And as You have spoken blessing over Jerusalem and her children, may Your blessing rest upon this family. May Your protection surround them, Your peace fill their home, and Your hand remain upon those they love. In the name of Yeshua, amen.”
And I ask you to continue praying with us as well. Pray that the words of Psalm 147 will be fulfilled here in this land. Pray that Jerusalem will praise her God. Pray that the people of Israel will come to know the Lord and His salvation, and that the name of Yeshua will be lifted up from Zion.
There is something beautiful about knowing that while you are praying for us from your home, we are praying for you from Israel.
So as you welcome Shabbat wherever you are in the world, carry this truth with you: The God who watches over Jerusalem is watching over you.
May His protection surround your home, His peace fill your heart, and His blessing rest upon your family and your children.
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem,
Pastor Israel Pochtar