Prayer at the Wall

Tomorrow we will be visiting the Western Wall. This wall has been the site of Jewish devotion for centuries. Jews regarded the Temple that was built on this site as the place where the very

presence of God resided. With the destruction of the temple, the Western Wall is regarded

as all that remains and thus is as close as they can get to the presence of God. As Christians, we believe that no place or time separates us from the presence of God.

In Hebrews 4:14-16 we read:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”

Nonetheless, when we visit this Jewish holy site some of us will desire to approach as the Jew do, place a hand upon the Wall and pray. It is also the practice to write a prayer on a piece of paper, fold and wedge it into a crack in the rocks. Jewish folklore says that the angels appear each night and carry the prayers to heaven. Written prayers can be a powerful way to focus our thoughts so we encourage you to take some time alone tonight to pray and write and, if you are led to do so, bring your prayer along and leave it at the Wall.