How shall we apply Psalm 122?
What shall be our “Jerusalem?”
The book of Revelation describes the Church as the “heavenly Jerusalem” come down out of heaven like a bride ready for her husband, and I’d suggest that as we read these Psalms of Ascents, we think of them as speaking the glory of the city of God, the Church.
If we do this, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind. As Jerusalem was “closely compacted together,” so the Church should be united, a tightly knit community, a close family. It’s not enough to say this. We are responsible for making it happen. Our prayer should be for peace in the Church, but it is not enough to pray for peace, we should endeavor to “make” peace, and pursue it. The Church should be a community of security, where the needy are provided for and the sick are ministered to and the erring are brought back and hurt are comforted. This city, God’s Zion, the body of Christ and family of God, should be the beneficiary of every prayer and all her members should seek her prosperity.