He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
The LORD loves the gates of Zion
    more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. — Psalm 87:1–2

Prayer in Judaism is defined as “the work of the heart,” which profoundly changes the nature of prayer from one of entreating God to an act that transforms who we are – not what God does. Our devotions throughout this month are focused on different facets of prayer and what lessons we can learn about the power of our prayers. Allow us to take your prayers to the holiest site in all Judaism, the Western Wall.  To submit a prayer request to be taken to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, please go here.

One of the first stops for many newcomers to Jerusalem is the Western Wall. Standing in the Old City, it is considered one of the holiest sites in all Judaism. It is the only wall still standing from the Second Temple, and Jews all over the world direct their hearts and prayers toward this remnant of their biblical heritage.

In fact, Jewish tradition holds that the Western Wall of the Temple was built through the donations of the poor. God realized what a sacrifice those families made in order to give the little money that they could to help build His dwelling, so He did not let their wall burn with the rest of Jerusalem. Rather, He kept the Western Wall standing strong to this day to honour their sacrifice.

For Jews, the Western Wall is a visible reminder of God’s presence, His protection, and His provision for His people over the centuries. Standing at the Wall today, one can almost imagine the scent of the sacrifices that were offered in that very spot thousands of years ago by King Solomon, and taste the tears of the thousands of people who had come to the Temple daily, praying and begging God for divine guidance and help.

Go to the Wall today, and you will witness thousands of people, Jews and Christians alike, inserting scraps of paper with heartfelt prayer requests into the chinks of the Wall. It remains a place of prayer where people can make their requests to God. We Jews believe that even though the Temple no longer exists, this is still the place where God’s presence dwells in a unique way.

And, indeed, people who visit the site testify that they feel God’s presence in a way unlike anywhere else on earth.

The Western Wall is a beautiful and wonderful reminder to all people of faith that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob keeps His promises — past, present, and future. No matter where we are in this world, we can be confident in that truth as we come to our Father in prayer.

To submit a prayer request to be taken to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, please go here.