There are times when something very simple and ordinary can hold a great treasure just below the surface. For instance, once there was an elephant who was enjoying a nice little splash in a pool. A speck of dust floated by him that at first blush seemed to be nothing more than just an ordinary speck of dust. Then something happened: the speck spoke. A speaking speck? Definitely something worth checking out. The elephant, Horton by name, investigated the speck and soon discovered that it was home to a whole civilization of tiny little creatures called Whos—and these Whos needed help. A speaking speck filled with helpless Whos—just the right sort of challenge for this loving, lovable elephant. Thus begins the classic Dr. Seuss story Horton Hears a Who!

In the Book of Psalms, we find 150 poems written to God. These poems are broken down into 2,461 verses—2,461 statements of praise and sorrow, thanksgiving and repentance. Among those many poetic stanzas is one incredible gem that, if one is not careful, may just gently float by. This verse, written by King David himself, admonishes all his readers to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). Six simple words that, with a little investigation, reveal just the right sort of challenge for God’s loving, lovable Church.

Never before has Jerusalem needed prayer more than now—and not just the city but all of Israel, along with every other country in the Epicenter. While the Holy Land is experiencing a time of prosperity, many of the surrounding nations are undergoing war, jihad, poverty, suffering, and grief. As we’ve seen in the past, the struggles of the surrounding nations tend to spill over the borders into Israel. Of even greater concern than the physical problems of the area is its spiritual plight. Jews, Muslims, and nominal Christians make up a vast majority of the population. While there is great religious passion, “it is misdirected zeal” (Romans 10:2).

Yet into the midst of this darkness a light is shining—the Light of the Messiah—which is radiating brighter than ever in the Holy Land. Today, more Israelis are coming to Christ than in the past nineteen centuries. Not only that, but more Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus as the Son of God than in the past fourteen centuries combined. This is due to an unprecedented openness to at least listen to the Gospel message among those millions living from Tel Aviv to Tehran and from Ramallah to Riyadh. While not all who hear this wonderful message of salvation are accepting it, seeds are being planted during one-on-one encounters, through churches, and over radio, television, and internet. Many of these seeds are taking root and growing.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. How do we as twenty-first-century followers of Jesus carry that out today? Certainly it is important to pray for the protection and safety of those living in the City of Peace (the meaning of the name Jerusalem). But the only way true peace will come to Israel or anywhere in the Middle East is when the Prince of Peace brings it to the heart of every Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, Iranian, Iraqi, Egyptian—every soul that needs the hope that Jesus brings. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2). This Light is shining in Jerusalem and in all nations of the Epicenter. Join me in praying that its intensity will continue to grow more each day.

-Joel C. Rosenberg