A Heart for Prayer (vv. 6-9). The name “Jerusalem” means “foundation of peace,” and yet the city has been a center of conflict for centuries. If we understand biblical prophecy correctly, there can be no peace in Jerusalem or on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns on David’s throne (Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 1:26-33). So, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are actually praying, “Thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10) and “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). Jesus wept over the city because its residents were ignorant of the peace God had for them (Luke 19:41-48) and had rejected their own Messiah (John 11:47-48). But our intercession must not be perfunctory prayers; they must come from our hearts because we love God and love His people. Note the fruit of the Spirit in this psalm: love (v. 6), joy (v. 1), and peace (vv. 6-8; Gal. 5:22).

The “prosperity” mentioned in verse 6 does not refer to material wealth but primarily to the spiritual enrichment that comes to those who love God, His Son (born a Jew), His Word (a Jewish book), and His chosen people. “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). To promise that all who pray for the peace of Jerusalem will become wealthy is to misunderstand the promise. Paul prayed for his people (Rom. 10:1) and yet was a poor man materially (2 Cor. 6:10). Christian believers have a debt to Israel for the untold spiritual wealth they have given us (Rom. 15:25-27). It is selfish to want personal prosperity when the emphasis here is on the city of God, the chosen people of God (vv. 6-8), and the house of God (v. 9). But there is an application to believers today, for we are God’s people, citizens of the heavenly country, and we must pray for one another and for the ministry of the churches. We belong to each other, we need each other, and we must help each other. We must pray for peace within and among the churches. We must pray for the needs of “our brothers and friends,” and surely we must pray for the lost.

A heart for God will surely be a heart filled with praise and prayer.