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Tag: Prayer

Finding Pure Joy in Prayer

Posted on by wisitech

Finding Pure Joy in Prayer

Finding Pure Joy in Prayer

Many people complain that they have to struggle a lot to pray to the almighty. Several such people are frustrated as they realize prayer is necessary. However, they hardly show any interest to pray. These people are also clueless about what or how to pray.

A host of factors contribute to the preference for avoiding prayer. When we struggle in this manner, prayer can never give joy and inner satisfaction. Rather, it becomes a burdensome task. Praying to God should be a voluntary activity and not something you do out of coercion or force.

According to scripture, God, who created the universe and everything in it, gives an open invitation to people. He tells us through his prophet: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3a)

1. Read the Word

Did you ever get engaged in a one-sided chat with a person who blabbered continuously without bothering to listen to you? There is a possibility that you did not like such a one-sided conversation. Many of us do the same thing while praying to God. We pray to him without reading the Bible. When we read what people who experienced Jesus and his tribulations have written, we become closer to God and our prayers get a fresh lease of life. God does speak to us through small acts of kindness from our fellowmen as well as through the daily breeze, rain on a scorching summer day, and other wondrous works of nature.

So, if you are serious about indulging in more joyful and effective communication with God, read Scripture. Chant a verse from the Gospels, which strikes you. It is a great way to find pure joy in prayer.

2. Keep your prayers simple

There is a strong belief that we have to use persuasive and passionate words so that God can hear our prayers. However, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Augustine have shown us that God listens to even short and simple prayers as long as they are heartfelt. Thus, we can find joy even in the simplest of our prayers.

Martin Luther King had once said that, “The fewer the words, the better the prayer.” God will not mind if we talk to him in everyday, simple language in the same way we talk with friends.

3. Prayers should be creative

Did you ever compose a prayer or a hymn of your own? If not, why not try today? Your prayer need not be needlessly wordy. Prayers you write, also need not be clothed in the words of the saints to bring back the spirit of joy you experienced when you had the first emotional realization that God could answer your prayers. You can give music to a couple of lines of a Psalm and feel the difference when you pray.

Prayers can become dull if these are treated as a mental exercise. God made humans creative. So, why should we not include creativity even while praying? There is a possibility that you did not find joy while praying as you felt it was complicated.

Prayers are joyous and creative when they are heartfelt. You can also send your prayer request in the holy lands and have a devout intercessor offer your prayers for you.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

Finding Pure Joy in Prayer

What is the Meaning of Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep?

Posted on by wisitech

What is the Meaning of Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep?

What is the Meaning of Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep?

It is not uncommon to be disdainful of those who consider themselves superior, as a class, than others in general, but you probably didn’t know that Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep was the one of the first such acts of revolt against classism. Why do we say that, you may ask. Here’s why:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.Luke 15:1-7

During Jesus’ time, the Pharisees were religious leaders by training and they were considered authorities on the law. In those days, laws was equated with morality and people who didn’t follow strict sets of teacher-given laws were looked upon with scorn and considered outcasts. By associating and “eating with sinners”, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees and teachers of the law with his parable of the lost sheep. Note that it wasn’t Jesus’ way to pick up arguments forcefully. Explaining his point of view through small tales and anecdotes was his way of gently pushing his ideas through.

The parable of the lost sheep explains, in terms that ordinary people of the time could understand, how the ‘good shepherd’ worries over the loss of a single sheep and rejoices when that single sheep is found. God, says Jesus, cares and is worried about each one of us. When we lose our way, God will not abandon us. He would keep reminding us, through the goodness of others around us, that there is a better way to lead our lives. For Christians, this goodness comes through volunteers and groups of the faithful who engage in daily prayer.

Nowadays, we would laugh at anyone who tells us that by associating with ‘wicked people’ we are being wicked ourselves. After years of class struggles and bloody revolutions overthrowing those who believed in privilege by birth, it is good to see our expressions validated by someone who lived two thousand years ago. And his fortitude is even more telling considering it led to his persecution and eventual death at the cross.

Today, Christians all over the world pay homage to the life and times of one, Jesus Christ, a carpenter by trade. The Salvation Garden praying community welcomes you to view the monuments of Jesus and his 12 apostles vicariously. We dedicate our lives to offering your prayers at five of the most beloved churches of the holy lands of Jerusalem, Jaffa, and others in the territories of Israel. Talk to us for special visits by our prayer volunteers today.

What is the Meaning of Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep?

Finding the Strength to Forgive Through Prayer

Posted on by wisitech

Finding the Strength to Forgive Through Prayer

Finding the Strength to Forgive Through Prayer

Most people don’t seem to understand how important ‘forgiveness’ is to the central tenets of Christianity. Finding the strength to forgive through prayer is at the heart of Jesus’ teachings and his crucifixion. It is understood that Jesus accepted death on the cross so that our heavenly Father might forgive our weaknesses on earth.

Jesus Seeks Forgiveness For Our Sins Through His Death

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:7

Forgiveness is also important because as ordinary folks, we are bound to have wronged someone or the other at some point in our lives. Hence, we too need to be forgiven on earth as much as we the forgiveness we seek in the eyes of the Lord Eternal.

Do Not Be Quick to Take Offense Against Others

In the words of Jesus: ”For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

Similarly, we should forgive those who have wronged us because it is unfair to ask God for his forgiveness when we have not been able to forgive “those who trespass against us”.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

Nor is there a number or limit to the times we should forgive.

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18: 21-22

The Lord’s Prayer

The most famous prayer for forgiveness is the one that Jesus teaches us himself.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9-13

Remembering these teachings from Jesus’ own life, his poignant death, and glorious resurrection, enable us to find joy in forgiveness and a chance to look forward to something better in the afterlife.

Psychologists say that forgiveness is a method of releasing the pent up feelings of resentment or retribution against a person or community who has wronged you. But sometimes the feeling of being wronged can be too overpowering. If that’s how you feel then remember that forgiveness is not the same as forgetting or condoning a wrong.

You are not bound to reconcile with an offender nor release him from his legal consequences. Your only duty of forgiveness is with respect to God. Letting go of the pain will help create the character you so proudly exhibit today. It helps heal old wounds, allowing you to move on with your life. Prayer can help carry some of this heavy burden of healing. This is because prayer is your personal way of letting the universe know that you have forgiven and are ready for happiness ahead.

Is there a personal prayer that you have in mind for forgiveness? Write it down and have it read out in the holy land of Jesus’ own crucifixion and resurrection. Send an online prayer request to the holy lands today.

Finding the Strength to Forgive Through Prayer

How to Mend Strained Relationships on Father’s Day through Prayer

Posted on by wisitech

How to Mend Strained Relationships on Father’s Day through Prayer

How to Mend Strained Relationships on Father’s Day through Prayer

Living through our daily struggles can sometimes remove us far from the love of the fathers and mothers that bore us. Being physically far from your parents or not having spoken with them for a long time, your relationship with them may have been strained over the years. As Christians, it is our solemn duty to provide concern and care to aging and ailing fathers and mothers. If you have not communicated with your parents through broken relationships, this Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to mend those relationships.

Sometimes, there may be genuine hurt that the father may have caused instead of providing the sanctuary expected of him. Yet, the Bible stresses on the role of the father in a child’s upbringing.

Proverbs 23:22: “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”

Luke 15:20: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

Hebrews 12:7: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?”

Therefore, it is Christian to find it in our hearts to forgive and tolerate. Besides, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to reconcile emotional issues and find closure before they pass. This article will help make it easier for you to go about repairing father-son or father-daughter relationships where they are troubled, especially if your father has grown old or is suffering from a serious medical condition.

The Bible is filled to the brim with stories of people who were less than perfect. But like the ordinary folks of today, they did their best to be kind, good, and generous.

2 Timothy 3:14–15: “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings (via Timothy’s Jewish mother and grandmother) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The first thing that we as children have to be thankful to our parents is that we have been taught the ways of our Lord – of prayer, of humility, of sacrifice, and of dutifulness.
As a strong, independent adult, and as a believer in Christ, it is your duty to re-examine the motivations and decisions of your father, in light of your newer, superior knowledge. Praying to the apostles helps us to overcome doubts and weaknesses for they faced the same during the tempestuous trials from the life of Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Mending a Broken Relationship with your Father on Father’s Day

Dear God, Dear God, I accept that I have not had the best of relationships with my father. I cannot say that I have been blameless. On this occasion of your bountiful blessings (this Father’s Day), help me reconcile with my father in his ailing years. Grant me the strength and the grace, the wisdom and the compassion, to mend this broken relationship. Amen!

Prayer through the Apostles for Father’s Day

O Saint Peter of the divine rock and house of the Lord, Jesus Christ! Intercede for me this day to the heavenly Father as I pray for my own earthly father. I beseech thee to heal his heart even as you help heal mine. I accept that I need to be forgiven as much as my mortal father. Grant me the strength and the grace, the wisdom and the compassion, to mend this broken relationship. Amen!

Are you in need of prayer or intercession through the apostles this Father’s Day? Write in a Father’s Day prayer request and have it hand-delivered to one of five holiest churches in the land of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

How to Mend Strained Relationships on Father’s Day through Prayer

10 Things I Learned from the Passion of Christ

Posted on by wisitech

10 Things I Learned from the Passion of Christ

10 Things I Learned from the Passion of Christ

The passion of Christ or the suffering that Jesus endured despite being innocent of the crimes the rabbis accused him of, is not merely a history lesson to be reenacted for posterity. There are critical life lessons from the way of the cross that we can carry forward into our own lives. These lessons are not simply to be revisited come Easter week. They have to be considered and practiced throughout the lives we lead.

Here are the 10 most important lessons that the passion of Christ teaches us.

1. Courage: While some traditionalists may believe that Jesus freed us from original sin by sacrificing himself on the cross, the most obvious aspect of the suffering that Christ faced on his way to Calvary is the courage and fortitude that he showed. Being wronged may not necessarily be a part of everyday life but when it does happen, learning the strength with which Jesus faced his trials is a lesson all of us could use.

2. The Willingness to Surrender: God’s divine plan has a logic that may not be apparent in our time. Nor is God responsible for man’s depravity and independent actions. By accepting God’s will in times of adversity, we make ourselves stronger to lead life in more exemplary ways.

3. The Habit of Prayer: Indulging in everyday prayer keeps us morally honest, mentally sincere, and psychologically healthy. Unburdening yourself, especially as part of praying communities does wonders in helping you sort and prioritize difficulties in life.

4. Patience: Jesus knew that he was innocent and that the trials of a manipulated mob were unjust. Yet he chose to suffer and accept death at the hands of his aggressors. His quiet fortitude and tenacity is borne out by his successfully creating an example for the world to follow.

5. Forgiveness: Following off the last argument, knowing how to forgive those who have wronged you is one of the hardest lessons in life. Jesus showed us exactly how this could be done, 2000 years ago.

6. Perseverance: Jesus is said to have been singular in the tenets of his faith despite having the world conspire against him. This speaks volumes about how consistent we should remain and persist in our moral principles no matter how lonely it gets.

7. The Ability to Take on Suffering: Suffering isn’t just physical pain that you may have undergone during an illness or an experience with disability. It is also the mental dejection that you face when you have to depend upon others for the slightest of needs. The passion teaches us how Jesus used the power of prayer when things became too tough to endure. He does express his anguish momentarily. But in the end, he is strong as ever. That is the example we can learn to follow.

8. Emerging from Redemption: There are times when we feel so dejected by the wrongs we may have committed in the past that we fail to see how we can make amends in the future. Every minor act matters as Jesus showed when he chose to forgive the criminal, Barabbas for his small act of kindness by the cross.

9. Looking for Hope: Even when all the world seems against us, being able to see things in perspective and persisting with habits of kindness, justness, and compassion, helps us hold on to our Christianity. Prayer helps as well.

10. Preparing for a Better End: As Christians, we are free to live our lives fully, struggling in the pursuit of a skill, a study, or a calling. We’re also free to love, laugh, and play. But our faith strongly directs us to prepare for a place in a kingdom that’s not of this world.

The Salvation Garden virtually opens the gates for you, and for Christians around the world, giving you direct access to Jerusalem’s holy sites. Now you can send your prayer and have it physically placed in your chosen site of worship in the Holy Land. Write your prayer request here.

10 Things I Learned from the Passion of Christ

Top 5 Prayer Requests for the Critically Ill

Posted on by wisitech

Top 5 Prayer Requests for the Critically Ill

Send a prayer for the critically ill. Here are 5 common holy land prayer requests to cure serious ailments. Feel free to be inspired and ask for relief from suffering from within the land of Jesus’s death and resurrection! Submit your prayer request here.

Top 5 Prayer Requests for the Critically Ill
Sending a prayer request for someone struggling with a critical illness is a powerful way of alleviating suffering for both the victim and yourself. Living with the knowledge that you could lose someone dear to you can be very painful and the burden may sometimes feel too heavy to carry alone. In such times, sharing your burden with God can have profound effects on mood and provide relief from anxiety.

If you’ve felt distanced from God, you can ask for a prayer to be offered for you by people of integrity and faith, in the lands where Jesus Christ was born, crucified, and resurrected for inspiration.

In the words of James 5:13-16, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Sometimes you may feel at a loss for words or too overcome by emotion to create a prayer on your own. Here are 5 common prayer requests in the holy land for the critically ill whose healing may need a miracle to be realized.

1. Prayer for those Suffering from Cancer

Heavenly Father, I offer you, in full faith, and in pleading ask that you grant comfort to Miranda’s body when she is in pain. Put your loving hand on all those suffering from cancer and help our healers remove all tumorous cells from their bodies. May they never be afraid and may they always feel your presence, and be blessed. Amen!

2. Prayer for those Suffering from Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, and Stroke

Lord, I come to you in complete surrender and in all humility. I offer trust in your love and mercy, believing that whatever I ask from you in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, you will grant me if it is fair and in accordance with your divine will.

I lift up to you, Mario, who is need of healing from heart disease. Hear my prayers through your temple in the most holy lands. Let the grace of your divine healing flow through all parts of his body, touching his heart, veins, and arteries, and all places afflicted with sickness. Bring healing to his nerves and organs surrounding the heart. Console him and ease his pain. Bring relief from suffering and restore his health in body, mind, and spirit. Amen!

3. Prayer for those Undergoing Surgery

Loving Father, I thank you for defending me and helping me overcome obstacles in life. I thank you for giving me the doctors and the nurses that I needed for my surgery. Please guide their hands and minds so that they are able to work with care and skill. By the promise of the resurrection of your son and our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, I look forward to you fighting for me. May the prayers of these faithful, who intercede for me, be heard. Please help me get better and back to serving your will again. Amen!

4. Prayer for those Suffering from Dementia

Fill with your grace and love, O Lord, the cups of all those suffering from dementia and diseases of the brain. It is frustrating for them to not be able to find a word and it is fearful to lose one’s memories. Bless them all with patience. Give strength and understanding to the families of these, your children. May they be blessed with days of hope and accomplishment. In the name of Christ, our savior and Lord, we pray for your blessings. Amen!

5. Prayer for those Suffering from Paralysis

O heavenly father, through these faithful gathered in the most holy of your churches and witness to crucifixion and resurrection of your only son and our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that you may ease the suffering of Ludwig. It is hard not to stay bitter in his paralysis. Let him not think desperate thoughts. Help him to overcome self-pity and become aware that he is not alone in his suffering. Bless those who care for and support him that they may seek patience and serve with love and respect. Through the suffering and the eternal sacrifice of Christ, may we feel loved and blessed every day. Amen!

The Salvation Garden virtually opens the gates for you, and for Christians around the world, giving you direct access to Jerusalem’s holy sites. Now you can send your prayer and have it physically placed in your chosen site of worship in the Holy Land. Write you prayer request here.

Top 5 Prayer Requests for the Critically Ill

Holy Sepulchre

Posted on by Elenie

Pray With Us: Holy Sepulchre

Pray With Us: Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains the two holiest sites in Christianity. Inside the sacred halls is Calvary, the site where Jesus was crucified for our sins. There is also Jesus’s empty tomb, the spot where He was buried and resurrected. 

We can pray together from this ancient and spiritual church in Jerusalem. 

The church is inside the Christian quarter of Jerusalem’s old city. The final four Stations of The Cross, or the Via Dolorosa, are enshrined here. 

The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, “the place of the skull”. It was a stone quarry, just outside the city walls. 

In 312 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine had a vision of the Cross. He converted to Christianity after receiving the sign from God and sent his mother to search for Golgotha. 

Empress Helen found a tomb that fit the Gospel’s description of the Calvary. All of the dirt and debris that had gathered with time and neglect was removed. A rock-cut tomb and a relic of the Cross were found underneath!

Holy Sepulchre 
A woman prays outside the historic doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

A church was built in 326 AD at the newly identified tomb of Jesus. The wooden doors at the main entrance are the same doors commissioned by Constantine over a thousand years ago.

Your prayers can be answered at the Calvary! 

Inside the church, a stairway leads up to the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is the most extravagant part of the Holy Sepulchre. Ornate gold decorates the place where Jesus died on the Cross. 

Holy Sepulchre 
Picture of the alter at the site of Jesus’s crucifixion.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

The Stone of Anointing is at the entrance. This is where Christ’s body was prepared for His burial. A large mosaic behind it shows the anointing of Jesus’s body. 

The faithful praying over the Stone of Anointing
The faithful praying over the Stone of Anointing.

The 19th century Aedicule is a small chapel within the larger church. It has two small rooms, one is the Tomb of Jesus. In the other is the Angel’s Stone, a small piece of the stone that sealed Jesus’s tomb. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3: 

In May 2016, the Aedicule underwent precarious restorations. The $4 million dollar project started after the Israel Antiquities Authority declared the monumental structure unsafe. 

Even if you are far from Jerusalem, you can still have your prayers heard inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Our prayer team can deliver your urgent prayer requests in the Holy Land today.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre Prayer Request

The Garden Tomb

Posted on by Elenie

Send Prayer Request Online at The Garden Tomb

Prayer Request Online at the The Garden Tomb
Pray with Us: The Garden Tomb

The exact historical site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection have been debated for centuries. The bible’s description of the Calvary gives us some clues. But modern Jerusalem does not have the same landscape, making it difficult to know for sure…

“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.” John 19:17-18

In 300 AD, the location of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was identified as Golgotha. However, many years later, a new discovery uncovered another tomb that left many people wondering. 

The Garden Tomb is a rock-cut tomb that was unearthed in 1867. The site has many similarities to the scenes depicted in the Bible. While some archaeologists say it is not from the same time period, it is widely accepted as the possible burial site of Jesus Christ. 

Regardless of history, the Garden Tomb is a peaceful place of worship. Everyone can agree that it preserves a more traditional perception of what Calgary would have looked like.

Architecture alteration and time have changed the tomb at the crowded Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Because of that, many prefer the Garden Tomb for the feeling of being truly immersed into the events described in the Gospels. 

How Can The Salvation Garden Help You?

The Salvation Garden believes that every believer in the world should be easily able to access the holy places of the Holy Land. We want to assist you in achieving success in your spiritual and material life.

Those who are unable to make it to these pilgrimage sites, we volunteer to carry your prayers to one of the holiest sites in these lands.

Click here to fill the online prayer request form with your personal prayer. Choose The Garden Tomb or multiple holy churches and holy places in the Holy Land.

We will visit those holy places and personally deliver your printed prayer request. You will get the delivery confirmation from us to your email and an optional video.

We also deliver your urgent prayer request to the Holy Land. While our service comes free, your donations help us with our travel, printing, security, and other expenses.

The Garden Tomb

St. Peter’s Church

Posted on by Elenie

Send Prayer Request Online at the St. Peter’s Church

Pray with Us: St. Peter’s Church

Pray with Us: St. Peter’s Church

Today, St. Peter’s Church is an easy one hour drive from Jerusalem. But hundreds of years ago, it would take pilgrims another three days to reach the Holy City. The church was built in 1654 on the top of a hill near the shore in Jaffa. 

Jaffa was once the main port to the Holy Land. Christian pilgrims, from across the world, would first arrive here to reach Jerusalem. St. Peter’s Church, with its tall bell tower, used to be a beacon to these pilgrims. It was the hopeful signal that the Holy Land was near. 

The church was originally part of a crusader fort and citadel. It was erected during the reign of Louis IX, King of France. A statue of King Louis IX stands in the courtyard of the church today. 

Painting by Antoine-Jean Gros depicting Napoleon in Jaffa surrounded by the aftermath of a battle
Painting by Antoine-Jean Gros depicting Napoleon in Jaffa surrounded by the aftermath of a battle.

On the right of the church, two rooms still remain of St. Louis’ fort. Historians believe these are the same rooms where French General Napoleon lived in 1799. Napoleon used the Holy Land as a base, while campaigning in Egypt and Syria. 

Statue of Napoleon in Jaffa today
Statue of Napoleon in Jaffa today.

During the 18th century, the church was destroyed and rebuilt twice. The St. Peter’s Church we know today was completed in 1894. Throughout the many lifetimes of this church, it has always been dedicated to St. Peter.

Jaffa is an important location for St. Peter in the bible. Here he raised Tabitha, one of Jesus’ disciples, from the dead.

“Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.” Acts 9:40-41

 

St. Peter holds Tabitha’s hand
St. Peter holds Tabitha’s hand.

Today, St. Peter’s Church continues to welcome pilgrims from all over the world. There are weekly services in English, Spanish, Polish and even Hebrew. 

How Can The Salvation Garden Help You?

The Salvation Garden believes that every believer in the world should be easily able to access the holy places of the Holy Land. We want to assist you in achieving success in your spiritual and material life.

Those who are unable to make it to these pilgrimage sites, we volunteer to carry your prayers to one of the holiest sites in these lands.

Click here to fill the online prayer request form with your personal prayer. Choose St. Peter’s Church or multiple holy churches and holy places in the Holy Land.

We will visit those holy places and personally deliver your printed prayer request. You will get the delivery confirmation from us to your email and an optional video.

We also deliver your urgent prayer request to the Holy Land. While our service comes free, your donations help us with our travel, printing, security, and other expenses.

Church of All Nations

Posted on by Elenie

Send Prayer Request Online at the Church of All Nations

The Church of All Nations sits at the base of the Mount of Olives. Right next to the church are eight ancient olive trees, growing old in the Garden of Gethsemane. One of the trees is over 2,000 years old. Local Christians believe it gave Christ shelter as He prayed the night before His crucifixion.

Olive tree from the time of Jesus Christ
Olive tree from the time of Jesus Christ.

“And in His Anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke 22:44

This holy site used to be called the Church of Agony. In the center of the church is the rock where Jesus stopped to pray, before He was arrested by Roman soldiers. Because of that, the original name of the church comes from the bible and His prayers of agony. 

The bedrock where Jesus prayed in anguish
The bedrock where Jesus prayed in anguish.

The current structure is built on top of the foundations of two earlier churches. The first, a 4th century basilica was destroyed in an earthquake in 746 AD. After that, crusaders built a church in the 12th century, but it was abandoned in 1345 AD.

The Church of All Nations was completed June 24th, 1924. During the renovations, a Greek inscription was found on the floor that reads, “for the memory and repose of the lovers of Christ… accept the offering of your servants and give them remission of sins”.

Money for the construction was donated from twelve different countries from around the globe. Of course, this is why we call it the Church of All Nations today. 

make a unity prayer request

It is the perfect place to make a unity prayer request. The building and the garden are maintained by the Roman Catholic Church, but it is regularly used by Christians of all denominations. Protestants, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Armenian Apostolic, Eastern Orthodox and more all worship in this church.

The multi-denomination use is culturally unique and hard to find anywhere else in the world. It is truly a Church of All Nations. 

“For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My Glory.” Isaiah 66:18

How Can The Salvation Garden Help You?

The Salvation Garden believes that every believer in the world should be easily able to access the holy places of the Holy Land. We want to assist you in achieving success in your spiritual and material life.

Those who are unable to make it to these pilgrimage sites, we volunteer to carry your prayers to one of the holiest sites in these lands.

Click here to fill the online prayer request form with your personal prayer. Choose Church of All Nations or multiple holy churches and holy places in the Holy Land.

We will visit those holy places and personally deliver your printed prayer request. You will get the delivery confirmation from us to your email and an optional video.

We also deliver your urgent prayer request to the Holy Land. While our service comes free, your donations help us with our travel, printing, security, and other expenses.

Dormition Abbey

Posted on by Elenie

Send Prayer Request Online at the Dormition Abbey

Sign leading to the Church

This church and monastery are some of the many spiritual sites in Jerusalem. Christian prayers have been heard from this church, for hundreds of years. 

The sacred building is outside the walls of Jerusalem’s old city, next to Zion gate. Even if you are physically far from Jerusalem, you can still make a special prayer request from Dormition Abbey.

Both today and in the past, the church has been an icon of the Jerusalem skyline. Dormition Abbey was even featured on a mosaic of the Holy City made in the 6th century AD. 

The church was first built by the Bishop of Jerusalem, John II, in the 5th century AD. But the building we pray from today is not the same one. The church was destroyed and rebuilt, more than once. 

It is a story of hope. The ancient Christians of Jerusalem did not lose faith. Because of their conviction to God, we can still pray together in Dormition Abbey.

Today, the church in Jerusalem was commissioned by the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II. Ottoman rulers gave the Kaiser a plot of land on Mount Zion when he visited the Holy Land in 1898 AD. It took twelve years to build.

The name of the church has always remained the same, although sometimes translated into different languages. It was built near the site of Jesus’s last supper and where the Blessed Virgin Mary died. 

The name dormition means “falling asleep”. Until today, the church is honored with commemorating where Mary “fell asleep” and where her body and soul were taken to heaven.

Even if you are not in Jerusalem, you can make a Holy Land prayer request. Join our prayer team in online worship. We will hand-deliver your prayers to Dormition Abbey.

‘And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.’ Luke 1:38

The Church in Jerusalem today

How Can The Salvation Garden Help You?

The Salvation Garden believes that every believer in the world should be easily able to access the holy places of the Holy Land. We want to assist you in achieving success in your spiritual and material life.

Those who are unable to make it to these pilgrimage sites, we volunteer to carry your prayers to one of the holiest sites in these lands.

Click here to fill the online prayer request form with your personal prayer. Choose Dormition Abbey or multiple holy churches and holy places in the Holy Land.

We will visit those holy places and personally deliver your printed prayer request. You will get the delivery confirmation from us to your email and an optional video.

We also deliver your urgent prayer request to the Holy Land. While our service comes free, your donations help us with our travel, printing, security, and other expenses.

Ash Wednesday-About what and why?

Posted on by Elenie

Ash Wednesday-About what and why?

Ash Wednesday

At some point in the past, you might have shared images or wallpapers to mark and spread the importance of Ash Wednesday. It is one of the most significant and popular holy days in the liturgical calendar. But if you’ve ever wondered about the origins, historical significance, and other trivia around this special day of fasting, prayer, and abstinence, read on to know more about how it all began.

Origins of Lent

Ash Wednesday is observed to mark the onset of the season of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and self-restraint leading up to Easter Sunday. The day is also known as the “Day of Ashes” because the devout have their foreheads marked with ash drawn in the form of the Cross. The name Day of Ashes has been derived from “Dies Cinerum” found in the Roman Missal; although the exact roots of the day cannot be found, it can be traced back to the earliest existing copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary. It is widely believed that its observance was followed by the Roman Catholics starting in the 6th century; marking the forehead with ashes on Ash Wednesday is likely to have originated during the papacy of Gregory the Great. During the Council of Nicea, Catholics started the tradition of observing Lent in about 325 CE. Although Ash Wednesday is probably most closely associated with Catholics, its significance is recognized by many Christian denominations and sects, including some Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, Anglicans, Lutherans, and the Western Orthodox Churches.

The Evolution of Lenten Lore

According to the Old Testament, ashes were used both as a sign of mortality and humility. In other words, it is seen as a sign of sorrow as well as a symbol of repentance for sins. The Old Testament’s biblical custom also supports the Christian connotation for ashes in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday. In the 10th century, members and followers of the Anglo-Saxon church received ashes on their forehead as a sign of sorrow for their sins and a reminder of mortality. In 1901, the custom was accepted universally throughout the Western church at the Synod of Benevento.

Initially, the ashes were used to signify penance as a matter of one’s private devotion. Subsequently, it gained prominence as a part of the official ritual for repentance in public. The ashes became a motive for fellow Christians to embrace those who had sinned, look at them with sympathy, and pray for their return to the fold. This ritual evolved with the passage of time and the ashes emerged into its present custom of marking the start of the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday. It is also associated with the adoption of the way of “Righteousness” as explained in the Book of Revelation.

Duration of Lent — Then & Now

The roots of the word Lent are embedded in the Middle English word “Lente”; it denotes “springtime”. The season of Lent is observed for a duration of 40 weekdays beginning from Ash Wednesday. It ends on Good Thursday and is observed as a period of fasting and repentance by the Roman Catholics, Eastern churches, and some Protestant churches as well. Sundays are not excluded from the 40-day count of the season. Hence, technically, the season of Lent lasts for 46 days. Initially, the duration of Lent was only for 36 days; subsequently, it was extended to the present duration of 40 days.

Why 40 Days?

An interesting question may come to mind as to why the duration for observing the season of Lent lasts for 40 days. The reason behind it is that the number 40 holds significance for Christians. Christ spent that many days and nights in the desert, during which he was tempted several times to sin against God. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain until the highest mountain was covered in water. The time between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension was 40 days.

Fasting During Lent

Other than staying away from feasting and merriment, fasting is one of the fundamental principles of Lent. According to the Catholic tradition, believers and followers should not consume meat during Lent. However, nowadays, this rule has been simplified and prohibits followers from eating meat only on Fridays. Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 should fast every Wednesday after Ash Wednesday, although one can eat a single regular-sized meal along with two small meals. Elderly people, small children and those who are sick or suffering from an ailment are exempt from keeping a fast.

How Do You Calculate the Date?

The date on which Easter is celebrated each year depends on the full moon of Passover or Paschal. It has been observed that Easter occurs on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. One can use mathematical formulas to calculate when Easter will fall on any given year. Once the date for Easter is known, one can easily calculate the date when Lent begins. One simply needs to count 46 days (including Sundays) or 40 days (excluding Sundays) from Easter to determine the date of Ash Wednesday.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

Send your prayer request to The Holy Churches of Jerusalem

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