Just a few yards from the door of our apartment building is a walking path. The walkway winds through quiet gardens, olive groves, wheat fields, and a grove of pine trees. After a quick cup of coffee, Lindell and I start our day on the promenade. People from around Jerusalem come here to enjoy leisurely strolls, vigorous runs, bike rides, visits with friends, or the panoramic view of the city. It's a special place.

When we began our morning walk a few years ago, our purpose was to get some exercise. Now, Lindell and I use our three-mile walk as a time to thank and praise God for His blessings and presence in our lives. We continue with prayers for our family, ministry, coworkers, and the nations in which we minister. Our physical exercise has turned into spiritual exercise with eternal benefit.

One of the reasons we enjoy walking on the promenade is the diversity of people we encounter along the path. Those who are out early in the morning are there for a specific purpose, such as exercise. Almost daily we see a middle-aged Israeli gentleman wearing a kippa, a skullcap worn by religious Jewish men. (More than 20 percent of Israeli Jews are religious.) The runner is absorbed in his exercise regime and seldom notices anyone or anything as he passes.

For several months on our morning walk, we passed an Arab couple exercising. She was dressed in a long, black, coat-like dress and mandel (long head scarf), while he wore sports shoes and everyday clothing. We knew by the way the wife was dressed that the couple was Muslim, as are 16 percent of Israel's population. Our eyes connected and we exchanged polite "good mornings." We paused one day for a conversation and learned that the two exercised because the gentleman had suffered a heart attack.

Occasionally in the early mornings we pass a young father pushing a stroller. The baby is wide-awake and the father is droopy-eyed. The exhausted mother is probably at home sleeping. He does not wear a kippa, is probably a traditional Jew. Nearly 47 percent of Jewish Israelis consider themselves traditionalist. They highly value their Jewish background but do not strictly observe all the religious law.

Sometimes we see our neighbor along the path, taking her dog for a stroll. Nomi is a Messianic Jew who immigrated here a few years ago. When she was a young woman in Ireland, she accepted Jesus as Messiah. She married and had a family and never thought of moving to Israel. But with each visit to Israel she began to sense God leading her here. Approximately 12,000 Messianic Jews are now living in Israel.

All kinds of groups enjoy the promenade. The Israeli Army occasionally brings new recruits here. School groups come to get a hands-on history lesson. The promenade is also a favorite place for celebration parties or impromptu soccer games. Groups will be Jewish or Arab, but seldom mixed. The cultural, religious, and political differences have grown so great that the two segments of society keep a wary distance from each other.

Spring is our favorite time to walk the promenade. The grass is lush and thick, wild flowers are blooming, and we occasionally see a shepherd with his sheep in the middle of our pathway. The shepherd is probably from one of the nearby Christian villages. Christians comprise only 1.7 percent of the Israeli population.

Shabbat (Saturday) is the Jewish holy day but also is the busiest day of the week on the promenade. Observant Jews from nearby neighborhoods will stroll after their Sabbath worship at the synagogue. They will be careful to not walk more than a "Sabbath's journey" from their home, a distance of about 1,152 meters. The parking lot is full on Shabbat with the cars of secular Jews who have driven into Jerusalem for the day. A third of the Israeli Jewish population is secular.

As Lindell and I walk along the promenade among the people of this land, we are reminded to pray for all the people we meet—from the Arab gardener who tends the olive trees, to the rabbi who seeks a quiet place to read the Torah. Many Christian tourists who visit Israel and Jerusalem have a very limited encounter with the local people. They forget to pray for all who live here whether they be Arabs who are Muslim or Christian, or Jews who are religious, traditional, or secular.

Luke 19:41 records that as Jesus approached Jerusalem on the day when the crowds shouted praises, He saw the city and wept over it. Lindell and I know we are privileged to start our morning with a walk along the beautiful promenade and prayer for the people in this place that He loves and calls to follow Him.

The Psalmist writes, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. 'May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.' For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, 'Peace be within you.'" (Psalm 122:6-8. NKJV)

Kay Browning and her husband, Lindell, live in Jerusalem, and have served more than 20 years as a missionaries to the Eastern Mediterranean Field.