JERUSALEM, Israel – A unique prayer gathering is drawing believers from Capitol Hill to humble themselves and pray for their nation in the heart of the Holy City. CBN News looked into what is fueling this movement and why it’s being held in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 56 declares that Jerusalem will become a house of prayer for all nations, and that vision is already taking shape.
Rick Ridings of the Succat Hallel prayer house in Jerusalem told CBN News, “The group from Washington, DC, is primarily from something called David’s Tent. And this is a huge tent that has been actually on the mall in Washington, DC, for ten years of day and night, night and day, prayer and worship, which is absolutely phenomenal how that could happen through even COVID, through administration changes.”
From Washington to Jerusalem, prayer leaders from David’s Tent ministry have come all the way here to pray for the United States.
Jason Hershey from David’s Tent explained, “So, we’re coming from the United States, coming to, essentially, the throne of Jesus prophetically, and we’re bringing our spiritual offerings, our worship, even all that we did in Washington, DC, sort of in our hearts.”
He continued, “We’re bringing it here to Jerusalem to pour it out on the feet of Jesus from this location. So, we feel like we’re fulfilling Scripture in Zechariah 8:22, just being a strong nation, humbling ourselves, coming into Jerusalem to seek God’s favor from this place. We decided to (pray) 50 hours, basically one hour for each state in the United States.”
David’s Tent leaders believe that part of their mission now includes equipping the next generation to embrace prayer and a posture of gratitude.
Hershey recalled, “But then this study came out from George Barna of what God’s doing in Gen Z, the youth and young adults of America, and sort of this overwhelming thing happened in my heart where I was just like, ‘God, how do we keep You moving in this country? Thank You that You are moving.’ And I just felt like you said, ‘Gratitude. Just be thankful. Keep giving me all the credit for what I’m doing, and I’ll keep moving,'”
Grace Dylan, from David’s Tent, is praying for her home state. She noted, “I’m standing in the gap for my state, and I’m so excited, because, North Carolina, I’m going to pray. And I’m really excited because I’m basically going to live at Succat Hallel for the 50 hours.”
The city of Jerusalem itself has become central to their spiritual journey.
Bronwyn Sanders,j also from David’s Tent, told us, “Honestly, it means just like the whole Kingdom of God is here and I just feel the presence of the Lord, because he walked here.”
Yet, leaders at Jerusalem-based Succat Hallel contend that the conflict surrounding Jerusalem goes far deeper than politics or borders.
Ridings pointed out, “This is the only place where the Bible says His feet, His governmental feet from His throne, touch the earth. So this is the center of the world governmentally.”
He added, “And what it is ultimately is the battle for Jerusalem, a spiritual battle in Jerusalem. It’s the spiritual battle for the Temple Mount. And on the Temple Mount, it’s a spiritual battle for who will be worshiped there.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee believes that praying from Jerusalem is the ultimate location to battle for the United States.
“This is a city of prayer,” he declared, “But it was in Gethsemane that when Jesus went to pray with his disciples, he prayed the prayer so intensely that the scripture says that sweat dripped from his brow as drops of blood. And while he was filled with the intensity of knowing what was before HIm, His disciples went to sleep.”
Huckabee continued, “What they didn’t understand was that this was not just a time to go and have a prayer. This was a time when the battle for their very souls was being fought, and they didn’t know it. And from that moment of complete surrender and abandonment in prayer, our eternity was secured. During 50 hours of prayer that people will pray here for the various states, and for the forever prayer that goes on on the Capitol Mall, which is in itself an amazing thing, but God is answering prayer. Even in Washington.”
The ambassador concluded, “We come from the solid, stand-on-our-feet, absolute knowledge and convictions, that we’re not looking toward the victory. We are working from a victory, and it was won right over there in that garden 2000 years ago.”
