This is where I was on November 9, 2011, putting prayers in the Wailing Wall and praying on behalf of the visitors of OurPrayer. The Wailing Wall, or the Western Wall, is one of the holiest sites in Jerusalem. The remains date back to the time of Herod the Great, when he was rebuilding the temple, around 19 BC.
When I got there I asked our guide if we were going to the Wailing Wall, but she told me that they now call it the Western Wall because they earned the right to pray there and they no longer have to wail.
This is the sign that is placed at the entrance. Arriving at the courtyard, I was overwhelmed by crowds of people, native Israelites and tourists, all of us gathered because we believe God’s anointing still rests in this area. I traveled with 14 other prayer leaders around the country, hosted by Convoy of Hope who is leading a global prayer initiative for the poor and suffering to culminate in Jerusalem 12-12-12. We were there to sense God’s heart for the poor and to pray for the event.
When we got to the wall, I had no idea that it was sectioned off with men on one side and women on the other. The men’s area was much longer and larger. In spite of this, there were many more devout Jewish women at the wall praying, reading and studying the Torah.
Women were seated in areas near the wall because it was too crowded against the wall. They rocked rhythmically as they prayed and sometimes held the Torah up to their faces. I asked a Jewish woman why they were rocking and she told me it was a way of totally immersing themselves in their time with God without distraction. I was deeply moved by them.
Some of the women walked away from the wall backwards because they did not want God to see their back. It was a deep sense of reverence and disrespect if they walked away from God’s presence with their back to Him.
The prayers I brought with me from OurPrayer visitors were distributed among our group of 15 and inserted into the wall, or laid in the cracks, as you see in the picture. It was not easy to get up to the wall to put the prayers in, but I was successful after having to wait. I had to stand there and literally wait my turn to pray. What would our lives, our churches and our homes be like if we waited in line to pray? Just imagine if our altars or church services on Sunday mornings would be so packed that we had to wait in line to get in. If we really felt that the presence of the Lord made a difference. This was a life-changing experience for me and one I will never forget.
Many thanks to all who sent in prayer requests—thank you for joining me on my journey. I believe that the Lord Jesus was pleased.
