Watch and Pray, Never Be Silent

Isaiah 62 verse 5. Now just listen to what this says. Now you have to realize this: Jerusalem – the church is the true Israel. In the book of Revelation, you see the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as a bride prepared. “For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bride…” Now watch this, “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. On your walls, O Jerusalem I have set watchmen.” This is a picture of the church with men and women who are watchmen. 

And watch what they do. “All the day and all the night they shall never be silent.” These are the praying people. God has set them on the wall. “You who put the Lord in remembrance,” What does that mean? That means, “Lord remember!” They’re constantly coming, “Lord remember!” “Lord there’s need!” “Lord!” “There’s this.” “Lord, there’s that.” And look what the Lord Himself, this is an inspired prophet. The Lord is saying this, “You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest.” 

See what the Lord’s saying? “Wear me out with your prayers.” Do you remember the parable of the widow? With the unjust judge? You remember the man who went to his friend at night for bread? Importunity. You keep at it. The Lord is saying, “You know what my people, I’m pleased when you wear me out with your prayers.” “I’m pleased when you keep coming.” “I’m pleased with that.” “Give me no rest.” “You take no rest, and you give him no rest, until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.” Until He makes His church strong. Till He saves all the elect. Till He sanctifies them with the Word that is truth. Till He makes them spotless and blameless, before their God. You keep praying. You give Him no rest. Till He saves more people from the campus and out here in these city streets. You keep praying. You give Him no rest. Till He establishes Jerusalem. “The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by His mighty arm; ‘I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored; but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD, those who gather shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.’ Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples.” This is making the way to the Lord, straight. 

Keep reading. “Behold the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’ And they shall be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and shall be called Sought Out a City Not Forsaken.” This is the city of our Lord. This is the city of God. This is the dwelling place of God among His people. This is a picture of the New Jerusalem. And God raises up men and women to pray and He says, “Don’t give me rest. You pray for the salvation of my people. You pray until she is perfected. And you keep praying.” And He says, “Don’t you give up. Don’t you rest and don’t give me any rest.” Because He’s going to do it. He’s going to do it. It is not a waste of your prayers when you pray for the salvation of people. When you keep praying that God would perfect His church. God would save. God would continue to bring in the elect. God would save off these streets, and out of the highways and the byways. We go out and we seek to compel them to come in. He says, “You keep praying. You compel them to come in! You make straight the way. You lift up a signal over these people.” You proclaim the cross, and you keep on your knees and God is going to do it. 

I mean He gives you… If there’s anything you can tell from scripture, God is a God who hears prayer and He does not want His people to grow weary or faint as they pray as they seek His face. He gives us parables. You keep going, you get an answer. Can you imagine it? He gives us a parable of a woman whose a widow, who goes to an unjust judge, and gets what she wants. You see the point? If you have a father who sent His son into this world to tell us, “Pray in my name.” “But you know what even though you’re praying in my name, you need to realize my Father loves you. And He wants your joy to be full.” If an unjust judge is going to give you what you want if you persevere with him. How much more the ever benevolent, ever kind and compassionate God, who gave up His only begotten son. How much more? Our prayers are not useless. You can fetch power against the devil. You can pray salvation down upon people. 

You say, “Is it possible? Is it possible that somebody would actually be saved cause I pray, and if I didn’t pray they wouldn’t be saved?” Yeah that sounds pretty consistent with what James says, right? You say, “Well if they’re elect, they’re going to get saved.” Well, that may be true. But if they are, God’s also going to raise up people. Did you see that? God raises up watchmen for the wall. And the best way to be one of those watchmen is pray brethren. 

Just pray. Spend time praying. When God… Look. If you’re in fellowship, and God calls you to pray, you feel the impulse: Go! You’re watching a show, you feel that impulse: Go! You’re sitting at lunch eating and God says, “Quit eating and go.” You’re laying there drifting off to sleep and suddenly you come wide awake and God is saying, “Come meet with Me.” Go! Don’t blow off the advances of the Lord. Pray. Designate times. Oh imitate our brother in China who sets aside times to only intercede for others. I’ve said this before, I’ll tell you. A big mark of maturity. I mean you want to right now at this very point in time put an accurate measure of your Christian maturity. How much intercessory prayer are you involved with? How much do you pray for others? One of the great indicators of immaturity is you pray 99% of the time for you. The more mature Christians become, the more consumed they become with praying for others. For God’s glory. For the benefit and the good of the brethren. For other preachers. For saints in different places. For the government. For leaders. For the lost.