Worship at the Sea of Galilee: Believers unite in prayer at 'King's Harpists, Galilee of the Nations' celebration

As the sun began to set over the waters of the Sea of Galilee, the amphitheater at the David’s Harp Hotel in Capernaum was filled with the resonant sounds of strings and voices lifted in praise.

On Sunday, Oct. 5, believers from across the nations gathered for the All Nations Convocation Jerusalem (ANCJ) closing ceremony, "King’s Harpists and Galilee of the Nations Celebration," an annual outdoor worship and prayer event hosted by Tom and Kate Hess of the Jerusalem House of Prayer for All Nations (JHOPFAN).

The late afternoon event opened under clear skies with a powerful display of unity – harpists from many nations worshipping the Lord together.

Messianic Jewish musician Joshua Aaron performed at the event, standing alongside popular Arab Christian worship leader, Nizar Francis, as they led the crowd in singing, “How Great Is Our God.”

A newly formed dance troupe made its debut performance to “Kumi Ori” (Arise, Shine), a worship song inspired by Isaiah 60, echoing the event’s call for light to shine forth from the Galilee to the nations.

As the evening continued, host Tom Hess invited pastors from across the Galilee to come forward. Each introduced themselves, shared a word of encouragement, and offered personal prayer requests.

Pastor Suheil Saad of the Nazareth Evangelical Baptist Church asked for prayer that every Nazareth home will one day have at least one believer in Jesus.

Another pastor reflected: "When I came to Nazareth 25 years ago, my prayer was—and still is—‘Lord, come back to Your hometown. We need You back here in Nazareth.’ Our church is in the center of the city, and we are praying that we’ll be life and soul for Nazareth. Please pray for us. God bless you.”

From Nahariya in northern Israel, Pastor Joseph Haddad spoke about partnership with Lebanese believers, while a representative of the Nazarene Church recalled the biblical truth that in the city of Nazareth, “Jesus couldn’t do much,” praying now that “light and soul” would return to the city.

A leader from "Congregation of the Way" (Kehilat HaDerech), declared, “We are people of the 'way' of Yeshua, of Jesus, because we believe in everything the Lord wants – to be light in the darkness.”

Another pastor asked for prayer that “the Lord will raise up fervent disciples of Him among the nations – who are ready to take the good news to every person in Israel with no fear.”

Alexander from Morning Star Congregation in Tiberias offered a heartfelt plea: “We know that the Bible says, ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.’ Brothers and sisters, I would like to ask you not to forget to pray for all Galilee, because the Bible says all Israel shall be saved.”

Arab-Christian Pastor Nader Hayek of the Evangelical Menorah Church read from Psalm 42, praying that believers in the region would be “disciples ready to serve the nations.”

Daniel Yahav, pastor of the Peniel Fellowship in Tiberias, prayed in Hebrew and English: “Heavenly Father, thank you for all the wonderful miracles that you've already done in this land. Father, we look up to you, Lord. will look up to you. We need you. You said, ‘’Not by power, not by my spirit.’ So we ask of you: Lord... Pour on us more of your holy spirit – the gift of your holy spirit – your power. We ask it, not to play around, but to be a testimony and a blessing for the nation of Israel.”

Tom Hess issued a call for revival in the Galilee region: “We pray that there would be the fullness of awakening in the Galilee. You said in the last days, the weakest one in this nation will be like King David. There’s never been a revival like that in the history of the world. And so we believe You for the fullness of the Jewish people, the fullness of the Arab people all over this Galilee of the Nations to be born again into the Kingdom of God – to prepare the way for the coming of the King of Glory.”

The event concluded with the “Flags of the Nations” ceremony, in which each flag was lifted as a symbolic banner of worship and a visible expression of love for God and solidarity with Israel.

Among the many nations represented at the event, the flags ceremony included those of Ukraine, Ghana, Uganda, Brazil, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Iran, the Philippines, the Virgin Islands, Ecuador, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Bhutan, Syria, the United States, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Peru, the Republic of Congo, Sudan, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Tanzania, Lithuania, Austria, China, South Sudan, Egypt, Venezuela and Greece.

There was also a believer who declared, "I present Yemen to the King of Glory"; a prayer for Pakistan “to become a friend of Israel,” and a British guest who held his flag and shouted, “May the United Kingdom repent and stand with Israel again.”