Am I the Answer to My Prayer?

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Sabbaths, Feasts, and More

Marking Jewish Themes with Devotion

“I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there” (I Kings 9:3).

All over the world, Jewish people endeavor to make a pilgrimage to their holiest site at least once in a lifetime. It is a world-renowned, strong, standing symbol of the Old City and biblical ancient times – the Western Wall or in Hebrew, HaKotel. In reality, this Wall is a remnant of the retaining foundation of the Temple built by Herod the Great during the first century BC. It surrounded the Second Temple as an enclosure.

The Western Wall is the only remainder of their destroyed Temple and their days of glory in this Land, promised by covenant, where they could worship and make sacrifice through the blood of animals and the oversight of the High Priest. Through thousand of years of exile and persecution from their homeland, religious Jews still face in the direction of the Kotel during their prayers.

The Torah tells us that the holy presence of God abides forever at the Western Wall. Every time, I have prayed at there, I have felt God’s spirit enveloping, stirring, and moving among those who are making their heart’s desires known to Him. It is interesting to note that this scripture also says God hears the prayers that arise to Him from that spot! I love that!

There is a huge open plaza in front of the Wall divided into two sections for men and women — each praying or reading the Torah in their own way. You will see many Jewish activities at this sacred place from Orthodox Jews garbed in solid black reading their Jewish Bibles, bar-mitzvah celebrations, tourists snapping photos, women pressing their heads and hearts near the ancient stones with tears running down their faces, and Israeli soldiers praying for peace and protection. It is customary for Jewish people and visitors, no matter their religious background, to write a note of prayer on a small paper and slip it between the cracks. I do this each time I go and love the tradition of it.

It is a beautiful promise of hope that God’s spirit will perpetually abide in Jerusalem at this temple site. Scripture also encourages us that the Lord’s house should be a place of prayer for all nations. And truly this has come to pass and is coming to pass. Many nations stream to the remnant of the Wall seeking comfort and salvation, offering the most sincere prayers with hopeful expectation. May the revelation of Messiah Yeshua penetrate the walls of language, disbelief, past suffering, and grief that keep the Jewish people and the Gentiles from recognizing and embracing God’s indescribable gift to the world — Yeshua.

I wrote the following poem after a visit to the Western Wall as I observed an immigrant from the former Soviet Union pouring her heart out there. It was a very touching moment that I am very grateful to have silently and reverently observed and recorded. There are walls in life that comfort like this one, and there are walls that separate and barricade God’s healing streams of love and grace. Yet God’s Word clearly states that nothing is impossible with Him. He scales and penetrates the walls!

Call at the Western Wall

Today I prayed at the Western Wall.

First I gazed upon the stones

built by Herod,

built by Ottoman Turks,

cold and hard conduits of heaven.

Desperate, I pressed my cheek against

the ancient foundation,

Old World touching mine.

The Wall uttered not a word, breathed

not a sigh of connection.

But a perpetual abiding warmed my heart.

Suddenly, Spirit to spirit, Deep to deep,

unfathomable love penetrated the inanimate depth,

and I began to offer my true prayer

to God.

First I asked for Jerusalem’s peace,

then for the death-camp survivor on my right,

whose desperate prayer exceeded my own.

I saw her tears stain the Wall

as she pressed heartache and horrors into cold stones.

Heal her tormenting memories, I prayed.

Truth upon beautiful feet speed;

pursue her soul and

rally, rescue,

send relief by knowledge of hope