Hope rises from Jerusalem: Hundreds gather for historic time of prayer and worship at Tower of David

There was a historic gathering of prayer and worship held at the Tower of David near Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem yesterday. The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem (DPPJ) took place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and drew a large crowd of hundreds that united Jews and Christians. Leaders from both communities addressed those in attendance with strong declarations of God’s promises of peace and unity over Israel’s capital and her people. Awake Jerusalem, the worship event that followed, brought attendance to nearly a thousand and continued until 9:30 p.m.

The vision behind the gathering came from Eagles’ Wings, a global cross-cultural movement led by Bishop Robert Stearns, who began the ministry in the early 1990s.

Government leaders, including Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, attended the event. The Jerusalem Post reported that Sa’ar stated, "I hope that we are the closest to a hostage deal since the deal in January. And I want to thank President Donald Trump for all his efforts regarding this huge mission of bringing all our hostages back home [...]. The Israeli government has a commitment to bring home all the hostages – dead and alive."

Moshe Lion, the mayor of Jerusalem, was also in attendance. He told the crowd, "At the heart of all our prayers is the return of the hostages, the end to the war and the beginning of a new chapter in our region, so we pray to see our loved ones home as speedily as possible."

One of the most powerful moments of the afternoon came when Nova Festival survivor and Eurovision 2025 contestant Yuval Rafael took the stage to share some of her story. She recounted the agonizing experiences she endured on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked and massacred 364 people at the festival site – part of the 1,200 people killed that day in what is now known as the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Rafael was one of only 11 people who survived while seeking refuge in a bomb shelter near Kibbutz Be'eri on the day of the attack. She played dead while hiding under a body for eight hours as Hamas threw grenades and opened fire on everyone inside the shelter.

At the prayer gathering, Rafael sang her signature hit, New Day Will Rise, which features lyrics that say, “Everyone cries, don’t cry alone.” She highlighted those words while speaking to the crowd before performing.

The event transitioned from a joint faith prayer gathering to a Christian worship celebration featuring award-winning artists and global influencers, including Nate Diaz, Paul Wilbur, David Binion, Bryson Rory, Ross Johnston, and others.

Bishop Stearns addressed attendees, stating, “As the world’s eyes are once again on Jerusalem, we stand shoulder to shoulder – Jew and Christian, Israeli and international – declaring that God’s covenant promises still stand. This is more than a concert or a prayer meeting; it is a prophetic sign that hope and restoration are rising from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. When we pray and worship together here, we are shaping history.”

The Day of Prayer for Jerusalem and Awake Jerusalem also marked the conclusion of the Watchmen on the Wall Tour, which brought hundreds of Christian leaders and believers to Israel this year. Participants walked the ancient paths, engaged with local leaders, and worked to deepen the connection between the global Church and Israel.