Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem

Oh LORD, Our God,
How Excellent Is Your Name Over All The Earth!
The Earth is Yours, and The Fullness Thereof,
You Have Created It,
and All It Contains.
It Is You,
The Eternal,
Omnipotent,
Omniscient,
Omnipresent,
Blessed Are You,
Oh LORD, Our God,
King of The Universe,
Who has Brought us to this Day!

You Are The SAME, Yesterday,
Today, and Forever,
And You Alone Are Worthy Of Praise and Worship!
How We Long For Your Kingdom,
When We Can Join With Your Angels and Sing:

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY,
LORD, God of Power and Might,
Heaven and Earth are Full of Your Glory!

For the Sake of Your Anointed,
and For The Sake of Your Name,
We pray for the Peace of Jerusalem,
For Israel,
According to Your Word,
and Your Promise.

We Pray For Our President,
And other Leaders of Our Beloved USA
May They Receive Wisdom from You
To do the Right Thing.
We Pray For The Swift and Sure Coming of Messiah,
Blessed Be He,
To Establish His Kingdom,
and Make All Things Right.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem

I got a call from a student yesterday, asking me if I knew the lyrics to the song "Blackbird" by the Beatles. It seems that the young man (who is an excellent guitarist) had figured out the entire acoustic guitar accompaniment of the song, and suggested that we perform it together with me doing the vocals. Since he is only 17, he approached the song totally as a musical composition, without the lyrics, analysis of them, interpretation, politics, or even the baggage that accompanies anything by the Beatles (or anything else from the 60's!). It was kind of refreshing to look at "Blackbird" in the same way one would look at a minuet from Anna Magdalena Bach's Notebook. Notes, chords, rhythm, and words, are arranged in patterns that sound awesome to the ears, without an agenda. That is what aficionados call "Pure Music".

Since we don't have any melodies associated with Psalms, and because the Psalmist had no problems reusing certain melodies (The "Lilies of the Covenant", "Do Not Destroy" etc), we must gather that the Lyrics are more important than the notes and chords. Psalm 80 is arranged in a beautiful pattern that is almost like a modern popular song, so it is easy to imagine a melody. It has 5 Stanzas of 4 lines each, interspersed with an identical refrain after Stanzas 1, 2, and 5. Each Stanza is rich in metaphor, imagery, and alliteration. There are also the intimate questions of "How Long?" and "Why?". Israel becomes a vine planted in the desert, and God has a shining face. Isaiah and Jesus both echo the Vine imagery, and the Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6 presages the plea to have God "Shine His Face upon us" in the Chorus.

Unlike "Blackbird", which is instantly recognizable WITHOUT the lyrics, Psalm 80 is ALL about the Lyrics, which cause a song to form in our hearts as we read them.

Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

God Bless America!

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

This Symbol Represents Christians in The Middle East, who desperately need our Prayers.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS